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How to Make Music for Movies

According to Film Score Monthly, composing movie scores has become an increasingly popular career path in recent years. The score enhances the movie's momentum as well as the emotional experience of the viewers. If you have both a passion for film and for music, you can combine these two loves and write film scores yourself. Because this field is so competitive, composers must find their own creative niche and be diligent in improving their craft to impress filmmakers.

Instructions

    • 1

      Watch the film for which you are composing music. This will give you an idea, stylistically, of what type of music you should compose. For example, if the movie is about a spooky, supernatural event, you might want to write a haunting theme with cellos and piano. If the movie is set in Mexico, you might try adding some Spanish guitar to the mix.

    • 2

      Create a map of the film score that details where the film needs music and where it does not. Music in scenes with heavy dialogue might be distracting. Concentrate on scenes with lots of drama, action and intensity.

    • 3

      Upload the film into your computer's recording program. This will allow you to sync the film with the music. Cubase is a good recording program recommended by Music Master Studios.

    • 4

      Connect the live instruments to the recording equipment. You can also add MIDI sounds to the recording program if you do not have live instruments available. You can arrange these computerized sounds into a musical composition.

    • 5

      Play the music alongside each scene as the movie plays. The music needs to fit the mood of the scene as well as ebb and flow with the action. For example, if the scene features intense action such as a car chase, you'll need the music to move quickly, perhaps by adding drums. Sad scenes require slower music to invite the audience into that emotion.

Recording Music

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