Discuss, share content, offer tips and advice on hardware, software, style, strategies, process, work-flow and the business of scoring a film, video or theater production
Hi gang! Was wondering if anyone had experience with high end SFX and Foley sound libraries and which brand/ bundle they've found to be the most realistic under 1,000 dollars? I'm reaching the point where I don't have time to make real sounds and am in need of a professional sound pack. Native Instr...
Expand post
Are We Listening… or Just Hearing Production?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we evaluate music—especially in today’s world of highly polished production.
When I listen to a track, I tend to focus first on the song itself:
• The melody—does it stay with me?
• The lyrics/message—does it move...
Expand post
As someone who is not creatively talented myself, I never think of things sonically...to me it's all about emotion and feeling of the lyrics.
Good point, Jon Landers ! Production can be cleaned up, that's technical... no emotion involved. And like Amanda Toney says, it really is the emotion that adds to the scene. But, and there's always a...
Expand comment
For Amanda:
Thanks Amanda. I think that’s actually how most listeners experience music — emotionally first. Sometimes we in the industry can get so focused on production details that we forget the huma Expand comment
Not what you try to write.
What keeps finding its way into your music?
For me, I tend to write cinematic emotional pieces that live somewhere between heartbreak, hope, nostalgia, and healing.
What emotion do you naturally gravitate toward the most?
Strangely, even when I compose with uplifting intentions, a hint of some kind of a sad nostalgia always sneaks into my music.
I hope someday the atmospheric slop-track style of composition that I've heard in way too many projects falls out of fashion, and we return to more distinct sounding scores being more regular, as was the case in the previous century. There is really no excuse for this sort of cookie-cutter uniformit...
Expand post
Today's music has returned to the dark ages - just my pov.
With global access to music now, scores have never had the potential to be more distinctive, not less. I think the pendulum will swing back as audiences crave memorable themes again. What's a recent score that felt like a genuine breath of fresh air to you?
The soundtrack for Season 2 of Dorohedoro, an anime series on Netflix, goes as hard as the visuals. Here's one of the tracks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdKcALuqUgc It's both jazzy and atonal, no...
Expand comment
Colin Hussey I’m with you on this—and I don’t think it’s wishful thinking.
A lot of people are craving something more distinct again. When the music actually means something to the story, you feel it.
F...
Expand comment
It's easy to do, fast, and cheap. Especially with AI. Write a prompt; get a soundtrack. Ta DA! Done.
Right now, I keep coming back to KALEO. Something about their sound just sticks with me—I’ve been listening to them for years.
I’m even going to see them again live in July… can’t wait.
But I know there’s a lot of great music out there—would love to hear what you all turn to when you need to unwind.
Enjoy each of these suggestions. I’m a huge jazz fan - my favorite is Terence Blanchard (Spike Lee’s Oscar nominated composer) who is also an educator for Stage 32. https://www.stage32.com/education/p...
Expand comment
I love listening to a mix on amazon music: Scores To Study By
Elmer Bernstein. Very "Economic" Prudent leaves space between the notes. Mature and supportive.
I love listening to jazz as well as electronic-influenced scores!
Bach, well tempered Clavier book 2. Minor key fugues. 'Nuf said...
Crikey! I didn't know this. Good catch, Navid Lancaster
If anyone is interested in the world of composing for horror, sci-fi, video games, etc., please check out my lounge for a cool virtual panel THIS TUESDAY. Some great composers are talking about their work on some great projects.
Come join us!
Nice! I'll check it out!
Darrien Gipson - you are the best. And, to those who aren't familiar with Darrien's Film Raderie webinar with Stage 32 she did an awesome FREE webcast with top composers, including Dara Taylor from Ma...
Expand comment
I've been doing Horror for a while now. what's your date for this?
Recently, I was talking to a musician about composing music for film and although he had experience with it for major motion pictures he said he didn't love it because for most people, watching a film is less of a study in music and more of a distraction or a source of enjoyment for the movie as a w...
Expand post
For me it's all about possibilities. I love writing music in general, but if you're working with a great team, scoring to picture opens up so many different possibilties. Music, or lack of it, can imp...
Expand comment
I love film scoring because it lets me feel like I’m inside the story, not just watching it. There’s something special about using music to make a scene hit harder or say something that dialogue can’t. It just feels natural to me... that’s how I connect to stories the most.
Being a film maker and sound designer/composer puts me in a unique situation, but also adds an extra heavy work load per project. To me it's all one piece, one creative entity. I decided recently that...
Expand comment
Listening/hearing is an important sense that audiences may not even realize when watching a film. IMHO, a well-done score/music enhances a film by subtly subconsciously reinforcing an emotion portrayed on the screen through the visuals and dialogue.
I am drawn to projects that embrace a polyphonic approach to storytelling—where the eyes follow an outer journey while the ears trace an inner one. In this interplay, music assumes its own role, subtly revealing what remains unseen.
This is BRILLIANT since I do come from the tape era. I think this is good combination of the two worlds ("old school" tape recording techniques and "new school" digital technology). The advantage is that it will force the performer to commit and really think about what they are laying down. What do...
Expand post
Sometimes the take that isn’t perfect… is the one that feels the most real.
A breath slightly off. A note that doesn’t land exactly right.
But something about it connects more than the polished version.
Do you keep those moments—or redo them until they’re clean?
If you could spend an afternoon with ONE composer (current or historical), who would it be and why? What are the top three questions you would ask them?
Many years ago, I befriended the composer, Joaquin Nin-Culmel (1908 - 2004), who was Anias Nin's brother. I don't remember specifically what I asked him. I mostly just let him recall various events in...
Expand comment
Colin Hussey what an awesome story! Yes I can see why you'd want to spend another day with him. Did he give you any sage advice?
I had too much fun listening to his stories to specifically seek his advice on anything. Prior to a stroke, he was still driving a stick-shift car in his 90s--still composing, too. His Tonadas for Pia...
Expand comment
There are several projects that come to mind that I wish had been scored differently--movies & TV shows where everything else about them was good, except the soundtracks. I'll give a few examples. One is 21 Bridges, which was scored by an acolyte of Zimmer. I'd rather Terence Blanchard had scored th...
Expand post
Click next to the topics below to subscribe to a topic. means you're already subscribed.
Register / Log In
1 person likes this
I get emails from this company all the time but not sure about the quality, I haven't used them to this point.
https://www.prosoundeffects.com/core-7?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=C...
Expand commentI get emails from this company all the time but not sure about the quality, I haven't used them to this point.
https://www.prosoundeffects.com/core-7?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CORE+7+Promo+-+Launch+(Main+List)+(01KQT3EXEPVTHQQBEZMYTW90T0)&_kx=g1FC0wKQbvS5T9RU4g-eZ62iz6rroa7VK2sLPcwE5dI.SrQ4DN
1 person likes this
Hey thanks Mark Gosney! I'll check it out!
Hi Michael,
have you heard of keepForest?
They have some interesting sounds.
Sonokinitics has a lot of cool sounds, etc.
I bought I .. FAVOLA for this one Competition.
Lots of possibilities.
Audio Plu...
Expand commentHi Michael,
have you heard of keepForest?
They have some interesting sounds.
Sonokinitics has a lot of cool sounds, etc.
I bought I .. FAVOLA for this one Competition.
Lots of possibilities.
Audio Plugins website has a lot of different
libraries also. I use one of these for my trailer -
Blade Runner.
Fhese examples were from being board of
Michael Whittaker’s Online class / teachings.
Hope this helps.
Kerry Kennard
https://kerrykennard.com/services/film_music/