- Collaborate with the director to understand their vision for the film.
- Study the script and identify key scenes that require musical cues.
- Create a spotting session, where the director and composer go through the film scene by scene and timecode what music should be used.
- Determine the instrumentation and overall musical style of the score.
2. Composition:
- Start composing themes for the main characters, locations, and emotional states.
- Create demos and share them with the director for feedback.
- Work closely with the director to revise the themes until they fit the director's vision perfectly.
3. Orchestration:
- Once the themes are finalized, the composer begins orchestrating the music for various instruments.
- This includes choosing which instruments will play each melody, harmony, and rhythm, and writing out the musical parts for each musician.
4. Recording and Mixing:
- Book studio time, musicians, and a conductor.
- Record the orchestra and soloists playing the score while the composer or conductor makes real-time adjustments to bring out certain parts and manage the dynamics.
- Mix the individual instrument recordings together to create a cohesive and balanced sound.
5. Sound Design:
- This is the process of creating other audio elements, such as sound effects, that may be needed for the score.
- Collaborate with the sound designer to ensure the score and sound effects complement each other.
6. Synchronization (Spotting):
- The composer works closely with the sound designers and editors to ensure that the music is synced perfectly to the film's visuals.
- This involves making adjustments to the timing and duration of musical cues to match the on-screen action.
7. Foley and ADR:
- Foley artists create and perform additional sound effects that are recorded and added to the film.
- Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) may also be used to re-record dialogue that needs to be clearer or changed for any reason.
8. Final Mix and Mastering:
- The final mix combines the music, sound effects, and dialogue into a single cohesive audio track.
- Mastering involves further adjusting the sound to ensure consistency throughout the film.
9. Delivery:
- Once the final mix is approved by the director, it is delivered to the film's producers and audio post-production team.
- The audio files are then used in the final version of the film.
10. Promotion:
- The film score may be released as an album alongside the film's release, and the composer may work with the film's marketing team to promote the score.