A film score -- the original music written as an accompaniment to a film -- is a significant element placed on the film's soundtrack. The film scorer who works on this requirement must have expertise in the field of music production. A scorer must compose songs and direct the musicians -- which typically include orchestras, bands and singers -- in producing the required music track for the various parts of the film. The scorer works directly with the film's director and producer when composing the musical pieces for the project.
Since film scoring requires knowledge of the various aspects of music production including playing of musical instruments, reading notes and composing and arranging musical pieces, getting into a music school that offers pre-college training is helpful to prospective college students majoring in film scoring. Some of the renowned schools that provide this type of pre-college training include the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, The Julliard School and Northwestern University's Music Academy.
Based on a number of music colleges and universities that offer film scoring degrees in the United States, pre-college training on music courses that are essential to film scoring and focused courses on film scoring itself are recommended to potential students, but are not actually required for college admission. Entering music school for a film scoring or music degree generally requires completion of high school as a pre-college training requirement. Apart from showing the high school transcript, passing the talent admission test is a standard requirement in music schools. This is where pre-college training becomes extremely helpful, as an applicant who already has acquired significant experience in the field can be more prepared when taking a talent test or audition.
When applying for music and film scoring courses for pre-college training, the primary requirements include musical and performance skills like playing a musical instrument, singing or composing musical pieces. Pre-college training programs from renowned music schools also require passing talent tests, which help to determine the level of technique and mastery shown by the applicants for the training they are applying for. Some schools require the completion of high school, but others are open to even younger students who exemplify promising musical talents.