Cinematic Orchestration

Overview

* A film orchestration course tutored by professional orchestrators and composers.
* Learn how to write and arrange orchestral music in the classic cinematic style.
* Study full orchestral film scores including John Williams iconic music for Star Wars and many more.
* Over 30 hours of video tutorials, see film cues orchestrated and then recorded by our own live 50 piece orchestra.
* Learn to create professional quality sampled orchestrations as well as how to work with live orchest.
* Work on challenging cinematic projects and get feedback from professional Hollywood orchestrators and composers

Programme

Unit 1: An Introduction to the Orchestration

What is orchestration, how to read orchestral scores, video examples with our live orchestra, different approaches to sampled and live scoring and workflow, take-downs and how to orchestrate from audio files.

Unit 2: Strings 1

A detailed look at the ranges, articulations, strengths and weaknesses of the individual string instruments. Extensive video tutorials with top session players. In sampled orchestration we look at how to build your string template and the library choices available to you.

Unit 3: Strings 2

String writing in practice, approaches to common string applications, a detailed analysis of the writing for strings in John William's Star Wars, Howard Blake's The Snowman and Peter Warlock's Capriol Suite. Watch a top orchestrator arrange a piece from scratch in Sibelius, then record the piece with a live string orchestra. Live scoring examples of writing for sampled strings.

Unit 4: Woodwind 1

A detailed look at the ranges, articulations, strengths and weaknesses of the individual wind instruments. Extensive video tutorials with a top session player. In sampled orchestration we look at how to build your woodwind template and the library choices available to you.

Unit 5: Woodwind 2

Woodwind writing in practice, approaches to common wind applications, a detailed analysis of the writing for woodwind in Princess Leah's Theme form Star Wars, Howard Blake's The Snowman and try to arrange a piece for woodwind and strings from scratch in Sibelius, then record the piece with a live orchestra. Scoring demonstration of writing for woodwind and strings.

Unit 6: Brass 1

A detailed look at the ranges, articulations, strengths and weaknesses of the individual brass instruments. Extensive video tutorials with top trumpet, trombone and french horn session players with credits from Narnia to the James Bond movies. In sampled orchestration we look at how to build your brass template and the library choices available.

Unit 7: Brass 2

Brass writing in practice, approaches to common wind applications, a detailed analysis of the writing for brass in John William's Star Wars and Howard Blake's The Snowman. A masterclass in swing band writing with Moulin Rouge arranger Steve Sidwell. Watch a top orchestrator arrange a piece for live orchestra from scratch in Sibelius, then record the piece with a live orchestra. Live scoring examples for samples.

Unit 8: Writing for Harp and Percussion

This unit looks at the highly technical area of writing for both harp and percussion. There is a masterclass with Kevin Hathway, Professor of percussion at the Royal College of Music and top film session player. There's a close examination of hard and percussion in both Star Wars and The Snowman. We show you how to create that wall of sound percussion track with samples with live scoring demonstrations.

Unit 9: Writing for Small Orchestra

This unit starts bringing it all together. Specific requirements of working with smaller ensembles, a bar by bar analysis of The Snowman with the composer, Howard Blake, plus live scoring demonstrations, how to work with short score and much else besides.

Unit 10: Writing for Large Orchestra

A bar by bar analysis of the Main Title of Star Wars with Hollywood orchestrator and composer Charles Fernandez, live scoring demonstration from piano score to final recording of large action and heroic cues, lice scoring demonstrations on how to create that epic sound using just samples.

Unit 11: Working with Musicians

From sequencer to score, how to take a midi demo and turn it into a performable piece of music. The million and one things you need to know about preparing scores, parts, backing tracks, click tracks, running orders, mix minuses, Pro Tools session and a lot more besides. Watch the process as we take a score and record it with our live orchestra. And finally advice on mixing orchestral music from two top scoring mixers.

Sampling Technology Supplement

Everything you could possibly want to know about how sampling works, the technology, the libraries and the developers. Demonstrations and video tutorials of everything from how to use multiple articulations and controllers, key-switching, legato mode and overcoming the machine gun effect. Video interviews from Vienna and LA with the men behind both VSL and the EWQL libraries. Choosing a library, setting up a multi-computer rig,

Project Overview

During you course you will complete at least eight projects chosen from a huge range catering for every style and level of ability. You could be doing a simple arrangement for a solo instrument, orchestrating a film cue from a MIDI file and MP3 just as the professional do or producing a sampled mockup of a famous film theme.

Assignments are submitted as MP3 files. While we strongly encourage students to submit pdf of the score as well, this is a preference rather than a requirement. You upload your project through the website which is then assessed by a working film orchestrator or composer who will send you a detailed critique of your work.

The choice of projects allows students to follow their own path, specialising in classical, sampled or professional film orchestration if they wish.