{"id":18411,"date":"2022-08-27T13:25:54","date_gmt":"2022-08-27T18:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/?p=18411"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:23:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T18:23:00","slug":"5-film-scoring-concepts-to-know-for-your-first-movie-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/5-film-scoring-concepts-to-know-for-your-first-movie-score\/","title":{"rendered":"Film Scoring Concepts You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Explore the Core Principles That Help Film Composers Turn Visuals into Emotional Storytelling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The following information on film scoring is excerpted from the Berklee Online course Composing the Orchestral Film Score<\/a><\/em>, written by Sean McMahon<\/a>, and currently enrolling.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In film scoring, there is one axiom to keep in mind: The dialogue allows us to understand the movie, sound effects allow us to hear the movie, but it\u2019s the music that allows us to feel<\/em> the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composer George S. Clinton once said, \u201ca composer interprets a film dramatically and expresses it musically.\u201d It\u2019s true that the composer is a translator who takes a storyline and turns it into music, but it\u2019s not so much the musical notes the film needs as much as it is the emotion<\/em> that flows from those notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film music hasn\u2019t done its job unless it provides the audience with the right emotional support for a given scene or movie. And unlike concert music, the film composer must work within the constraints of the medium such as the unyielding duration of every cue, director approval, ridiculous deadlines, and so forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some general concepts that we can apply to film scoring. These are, however, general concepts only. Undoubtedly, exceptions exist and the intention is to make the composer aware of these concepts that broadly exist in Hollywood film music\u2014not handcuff the composer with them. Think of what you learn here as tools, not rules.
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Musical Form in Film Scoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At its most fundamental level, the biggest difference between film music and concert music is form. For example, what separates a score like John Williams\u2019 Star Wars: A New Hope<\/em> and a typical symphony written during the late Romantic era? It\u2019s not the harmonic language. Nor the instrumentation or orchestration. It\u2019s not the general aesthetic. It\u2019s the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding form is critical to your success as a film composer. Form is not a new concept. The organization of ideas or objects is critical to most art forms and has been around as long as the art forms themselves. For example, plays have three acts, and photographers have the rule of thirds. Form is all around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most film music to be effective, it needs to synchronize with the picture it supports, emphasizing important dramatic moments with downbeats or new musical sections. Film composers must fashion their music around the picture, following all the twists and turns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, concert music is free of these constraints. Concert hall composers don\u2019t have a film to serve. Film composers must support the picture while maintaining structural cohesion of the music. They can\u2019t take a myopic view and chop off a beat haphazardly here and add a beat there as they write their cues. Film composers must first think about the cue in a holistic manner. With the big picture in mind, they can then determine where in the scene the music needs to change and how to get to that point in the most musical way possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context in Film Scoring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like all things in film scoring, context is key. Never make a musical choice that seems unnatural or that conflicts with your dramatic intuition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, the more distance between the camera and the subject, the \u201cbigger\u201d the music can be. These are referred to as long shots.<\/strong> For example, a camera shot taken of a mountain vista from a helicopter or drone would be considered a long shot. Take a look at the below shot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A shot like this can generally handle a lot of instrumentation and volume in the right context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opposite is true for closeups. Music tends to be \u201csmaller\u201d the closer the camera is to the subject. For example, take a look at the below shot of someone writing a letter.
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It would be inappropriate to have a \u201cbig\u201d sound for such a small and delicate shot. Intuitively, you can probably tell that this shot requires a \u201csmall\u201d sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The below example is a movie excerpt from the film E.T.,<\/em> scored by John Williams. In this scene, E.T. is exploring Earth and collects a sapling. There is a closeup that shows E.T.\u2019s hands pulling the sapling from the ground. There is also a closeup of a bunny rabbit observing him. Then the film cuts to a long shot of the forest, revealing how diminutive E.T. is compared to the colossal trees that surround him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, the music gets louder (bigger) and the range of the orchestra also expands. While the example is subtle\u2014as film music often is\u2014it\u2019s a good example of this concept in practice.
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Example: ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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