Film Scores and Composing

[Amadeus]

I've been really getting into film scores lately. I've also been less and less into "Shredding" on the guitar and more into learning the piano/keyboard. I was wondering how you would go about getting into the whole score composing thing. I imagine most of the composers have had the benefit of piano lessons or something like that from an early age which I unfortunately do not. Other than that, what else do you need or would help in becoming a score composer. I'd assume studying composition in college would be helpful. but as someone who still has a few months of high school left, what can I do right now other than continuing to take my piano lessons? You probably need to know all about orchestration and all of that, how can I begin to learn this right now, are there any books or anything to help me prepare for what I want to do?


Thanks!

[SkinnyDevil]

You are in an excellent position to begin working by volunteering to do student films projects. My take on it is that you'll learn GOBS just by doing it.

That aside, classes or course or even just books on the subject of theory & composition (which typically include a bit on orchestration) will be very helpful, plus reading "process" interviews with film composers like Williams & Zimmer & others who are very open about how they work.

That said, I've only done a few very small budget projects, so there are probably those here who have much better input than me.

[Amadeus]

cool, thanks. I imagine becoming a successful Score Composer is about as likely as me becoming some sort of virtuoso guitar playing rock star. But I'm really getting into guys like Zimmer and James Newton Howard, I'd love to be able to do something like that.

[oRg]

I like Danny Elfman's music alot. He's very brilliant IMHO. Very awesome and I like the way alot of his orchestral pieces flow. Very great modern composer.

[SkinnyDevil]

I imagine becoming a successful Score Composer is about as likely as me becoming some sort of virtuoso guitar playing rock star.

I'd like to speak to this statement. It's slightly off-topic, but this is the Cafe, so.....though my apologies to the mopderators if they deem this inappropriate.

My thought on this is that if you set your mind to being successful, successful you will be. Where your efforts are is where your success is. Many o my students are interested in music careers and ask me how they can go about it and whatnot. I always tell them the same thing: There are many paths and none hold guarantees, but if you put in 40 hours a week flipping burgers and 2 hours a week working on a music career, you will be a very successful burger-meister who plays guitar.

That is not to say you should be a bum while working on a career in music (hahaha!!!), but it is to say you have to put in significant effort at anything to be successful. You also have to define terms like "success", and have to decide exactly what you want.