Composer/Musical Director/Arranger/Producer Alex Mayer
As a film music student there are many career options I can go into once my course is finished, mostly in the entertainment industry. This can be through the most common, scoring music for films, TV or documentaries which can be very fruitful, not only monetarily but also as a creative output. With a rise in independent media and more streaming platforms there is also an increased demand for film composers in the entertainment industry.
There are also other paths people can take after this course as there is more demand for video game scoring. With games like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 there are more cinematic features in the game as well as the gameplay, unlike games in the past. The score used for this game is one of the biggest aspects complimenting the on-screen visuals and events in the story. With a recent influx of games like these recently there is a higher demand for creative and unique scores in the gaming industry, to enhance the player’s experience.
Academic and Professional qualifications/experience needed for a career in Film Composing
As this is a creative-based career there is not a certain path you can go down to have a career in the film scoring industry. It is a flexible market and can be attained in many ways.
The qualifications and experience that can be gained and help one progress in this industry can be this film music course at Leeds Conservatoire. Doing this course is more of a holistic approach in this subject looking at the music composing side and the film analysis side, giving you a good understanding of what will work best with any given medium.
There are also other degrees that will provide experience and qualifications needed for this career. These include degrees in music composition and music production, which are both imperative skills needed for this career to help make a well-rounded and finished product. When these degrees are from respected institutions they can be trusted to give you refined information to help hone your skills with staff who will bring the best out of your work.
All these courses teach the many skills needed to be a film composer from the theory to practical elements included. These help the student gain the ability to create a good score by giving the music meaning and making the music and visuals one coherent piece of media guiding and enhancing the audiences experience. There are also other experiences that would help understand a career in film composing which include playing a musical instrument, especially in the genre that you wish to compose in. This can include being a part of an orchestra if you wish to compose orchestral music, which is very common for film scores. This can help gain the understanding of arranging music for orchestras and knowing which instruments work better with others and what their strengths and weaknesses are. This can help ideas flow and create a more coherent sound. If there is another genre that someone wishes to compose in, getting familiar with the instruments commonly used in that genre will help your music become a more authentic and appropriate sound. These qualifications will increase the chance of success in this industry.
Knowledge and skills and personal qualities needed for success within this profession
There are many attributes that can help one succeed in this profession. They range from the skills you have and how you can apply them. There is also the knowledge you possess in certain areas of music and film which is needed to understand what will work where and to show directors or collaborators to get work.
There are also personal attributes that help cement yourself in this profession, such as the ability to work with others and accept external advice and ideas that can help your work be the best it can be, it will also give others a more enjoyable experience working with you. This can lead to more projects in the future progressing your career in a positive way. With the vast scale of certain projects, it will be inevitable that you will have other people working with you writing the score, so being able to collaborate is an imperative quality. There will also be other people you must work with to create your score such as musicians and conductors if you are using an orchestra.
Other qualities include politeness and being likable which affect your day-to-day interactions with whoever you want to or are working with. This can be related to your teamworking abilities as your interactions will leave a lasting impression on those around you.
The skills you have will be the main factor in what determines your success in this industry. The skills needed help you make the music and fine tune it to the best of your ability, making your product. These skills include understanding music theory, implementing knowledge of orchestration and instrumentation and being able to arrange certain music for your desired genre or instruments. Being able to make original music fit with scenes or using existing work and tweaking it so it fits in with the given scenario.
Technical and production skills are also important for translating your ideas into a coherent piece of work. This can be in any number of DAWS (digital audio workstations) such as Logic Pro x or Cubase. This is especially important for composing music for a film as you can compare different ideas and see what works better with the scene from the software itself.
There are also skills which will help the productivity of your work such as patience and discipline. As you are working with others while working you will often have to work to deadlines so the production of the whole project can run smoothly so being able to be creative under certain limitations is key to success.
The duties and responsibilities of this profession
In this profession your responsibilities will differ depending on your role as a film composer and the size of the project. The stage of the project you’re working on will also determine your duties and responsibilities as during the beginning of the project there will be more time spent on brainstorming and creating drafts for different sections of the score, however when you are in the later stages of a project there will be more time spent looking at the refinement and production aspects of the score.
A typical day during the start of a project would include watching the footage you’re composing to and finding which parts of scenes hold significant emotional points which can be highlighted through your score and setting the correct tempo to help your music match the speed of the scene, regarding camera cuts and dialogue. This is known as spotting. This can take time depending in the number of scenes you’re working on and their length. A cue sheet could be made outlining the structure of your work. This can include where the music will stop and start and where the score will move on to a different piece theme or key.
After a few hours of spotting and reviewing footage, you could move on to the actual composing. Some directors might give you a temp track, some temporary music, which is an outline for the mood and pace of the scene. There are many ways that you can begin creating ideas that might form your score. The best way I’ve found is to start with the harmony and build around my chosen chords and build a melody around them. However, this depends on what the scene needs which could determine the length of the chords or if a solo melody works better.
Once you have a good amount of work it can then be taken to musicians to perform for recording.
The main financial and legal issues that impact this profession
Due to some of this work being freelance these jobs are self- employed, which brings aspects that are different to conventional jobs with employers. Many of these are financial differences that regard tax, student loans and pensions. There is also no holiday, maternity or sick pay set into your work schedule so if you need time off you will not be compensated in any way. However, a self-employed job is a lot more flexible and can suit some people’s routines a lot better, such as having an easier time managing a healthy work-life balance.
Legal issues can be common in a career in the music industry with issues such as copyright laws, contract agreements and royalites. Contract agreements are legally binding agreements that will determine how your work will be used and what it is used for. Issues can arise when this agreement is broken, or when the agreements are not clear and lead to disputes between the parties.
This profession can be secure or not depending on who you are working with and if you are using a music attorney.
Potential marketing and promotional aspects
Promotional and marketing endeavours are key to success in the film composer industry as it is how you get noticed and make your name in this profession, especially when starting out without much exposure.
This industry is very competitive, and relationship driven so your exposure to potential employers and collaborators is important. As many people in this profession are working as freelancers there is not much exposure through the companies you might work with as you are not a part of them.
Building your personal brand will help you get noticed and the best way to do this is through social media as music related videos and posts are very popular. A work-related social media profile will help your music reach a wider audience and keep you visible to possible collaborators. You can also use this to announce certain releases or achievements.
Another way of promoting your work is through a demo reel, highlighting you best work alongside film scenes showing people how your music will look if they choose to work with you. when creating this it is best to show a diverse array of genres of music and film. This will help you come across as versatile artist causing a higher chance of collaborating with different people, therefore gaining more recognition.
With social media anyone can promote their own art for many reasons, such as recognition or employment. This way there are many opportunities for promotional and marketing ventures.
Intellectual and personal challenges
There are many personal and intellectual challenges that will arise with any creative profession, especially when your collaborators on a project. Personal challenges will vary from person to person but for a career in film composing it can include time management, handling rejection and, from a freelance perspective, financial instability. When working to a deadline it can be difficult to let your creative flow, which can hinder progress. This can be made more difficult when you are collaborating with others as it is not only your progress but also their progress you could be obstructing. Learning to manage your time well will allow you to relax as there is a set structure to your work. This can reduce amount of stress involved in your work allowing you to work better and reducing the risk of burnout.
Handling rejection is imperative in this career as it is competitive with many other artists trying to break out and gain recognition. This can cause a negative outlook on your work if you are not emotionally mature enough to take on heavy feedback without losing hope. Even if you’ve already been chosen for a project your drafts and ideas will be constructively criticised throughout the process of creating the media you’re scoring for.
Career development and progression opportunities
There are many paths to progress your career as a film composer, and they differ depending on your stage on recognition and achievement. Early in your career utilising social media to increase your recognition and reach is a great way to progress your career. This can lead you to certain projects that can become well-known as a piece of media, therefore progressing your own career. Through your online presence you can make connections and do collaborations for more recognition in the industry. This networking can also be done in person at industry events and film festivals. People who would be beneficial to make connections include other film composers, film makers or directors and producers for collaborative opportunities or improving your skills.
Later in your career you can build on your career by utilizing connections you have with others from past projects. This networking can help progress as others could be good positions with knowledge to learn from. You could also employ other people in the industry to work for or with you to make a team, making your work easier and better.
As this is a growing industry there are many ways to progress as there are many resources and other people in the profession to learn from. You can get to the level of teaching and mentoring other composers, launching a production music library or scoring agency and working on bigger projects.
Overall, this expanding industry has a lot of opportunity for success and can be a great creative output with lots of flexibility. As someone who loves film and music it is a fulfilling career to aim for with many benefits.
