Creating a soundtrack

Demand for composers who can write music for film is on the rise, opening up lucrative new opportunities you may not have thought about. Xander Snell gets cued up...

So, the time has come and you want to compose music for a film, animation, advert or even your own movie. But what kind of equipment will you need? Are there any hard-and-fast rules to follow or is the process a purely creative one? Of course, the activities involved in putting music to picture are many and varied – and will differ considerably between individual composers. However, what we are aiming to do in these pages is offer a number of essential and practical tips to get you started and, hopefully, leave you with an urge to explore the ground in more detail yourself. Of course, there are at least a couple of points to consider before you even get started: ideally, you should have a full-sized keyboard or stage piano to work with so you have fast access to the full range of pitch; and a working knowledge of harmony will save you hours of blind experimentation.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 22
Filed under General Features

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