A handy vocabulary This post will be continuously updated with definitions/explanations of concepts referenced in other articles. Make sure you check it often if you are trying to build your film scoring vocabulary! BPM (beats per minute) Unit of measurements of a piece's tempo. Cue Any piece of music that has a start and en ending. Some cues reside within...

Orchestrating from a piano sketch is a common task in the film scoring world. A composer will sometimes give their orchestrator a piano part that has all the melody, harmony, and rhythm in it, and it is the orchestrator’s job to expand that into a full score. Many large-scale symphonic works of the 20th century were originally composed for piano. Stravinsky...

Your showreel can make or break your business. Maybe that’s an overstatement – but this one video can seriously help you win your next project.  A showreel is a short video that demonstrates you as a composer. Essentially your “musical CV”, it typically shows a variety of tracks all in one video – making it easy for a potential client...

Film music composition techniques Film music is a powerful tool that enhances the viewer's experience by adding depth and emotion to the storytelling process. Whether it's a soaring orchestral theme or a subtle piano piece, the music score can greatly impact how we perceive and connect with a film. To better understand why you love a film's music score, it's...

As a composer with decades of experience scoring for films, television, and video games, I've had the opportunity to explore and incorporate a wide range of contemporary techniques in my work. In this post, I'll share some insights on how these techniques can enhance your scores and bring depth to visual storytelling. The Evolution of My Compositional Journey My journey...