In this course, we will learn the essential techniques used in writing music for film. Through a series of analysis' of well-known film scenes from your favorite movies we will learn what makes a great cue, and then apply those techniques by writing our own. I'll be showing you some of my own projects for film and television throughout the class, and walk you through my process when composing music for a film project.
By the end of this course, students will understand the tools, lingo, and techniques used in the film composing world and will be ready to dive in to their own projects. I'll walk you through how to get started on your first project by using freely available movies that need a score.
Throughout my career, I've worked with major American orchestras, film studios, and video game designers. I'm also a PhD in music composition and a university professor (of music composition).
Recently I was named as a semi-finalist for the Grammy Foundation's Music Educator of the Year award because of my in-person university classes. Now I'm taking those classes to Udemy in an online format in order to reach more students, and give them the joy of Music Theory.

What will I learn in this Course?

  • Tools of the trade
  • Finding the emotional response
  • Music Theory and Genre
  • Using Modes in Film Scores
  • Finding the Message
  • Learning from Temp Cues
  • "Spotting" the film
  • Working with industry budgets
  • Diegetic music and nondiegetic music
  • Score and Source
  • The Ostinato
  • Working with silent films
  • Setting up a session
  • Marking hits
  • Scoring the opening credits
  • Motive and Lietmotif
  • Working with Lietmotifs
  • Working with rhythm in cues
  • POV
  • Finding and analyzing POV scenes
  • Composing using POV
  • Any much, much, more!

Course Outline

  • Welcome & Overview
    • Introduction
    • Tools of the Trade, and a Look at One of My Projects
    • What I’ve Found in Other Film Scoring Classes
    • A Note About the Examples in this Class
  • Emotion and Music Theory
    • Music Theory and Genre
    • Using Modes in Film Music
    • Finding the Message of the Film
    • Threnody for the Care Bears
  • The Process
    • Spotting the Film
    • Budgets
  • Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Music
    • Score and Source Example: JAWS (1975)
    • Source Music Elements
    • When Score and Source Collide
    • Analysis: Battlestar Galactica
  • The Ostinato
    • Analysis: Requiem for a Dream
    • The Ostinato
    • Working with Silent Films
    • Setting Up a Session
    • Composing with Ostinatos
    • Building on Ostinati with More Elements
    • Marking Hits
    • Finishing Up our Intro
    • A Quick Analysis So Far
    • Download: MuseScore (Notation) File
    • Working with Notation
  • Motive and Leitmotif
    • Motive and Lietmotif
    • Analysis: Star Wars
    • The Opera Connection
    • Locating Lietmotifs
    • Composing Lietmotifs
    • Adding Rhythm
    • Our Long Cue So Far
  • Point of View (POV)
    • What is POV?
    • Finding and Analyzing POV Scenes
    • Scoring a POV Scene
    • Analysis of our POV Scene
  • Wrap Up
    • Split in 2!
    • Coming in Part 2!
    • Thanks for Watching!

Course Information

Estimated Time: 4 Hours

Course Instructor

Mary Hoskins Author

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Welcome & Overview

Emotion and Music Theory

The Process

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Music

The Ostinato

Motive and Leitmotif

Point of View (POV)

Wrap Up

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