Paul Haslinger On Film Composing

Intervals - Music theory

1. Unison
2. Minor second- 1 semitone
3. Major second - 2 semitones
4. Minor third - 3 semitones
5. Major third - 4 semitones
6. Perfect fourth - 5 semitones
7. Aug4th/Dim5th- 6 semitones
8. Perfect fifth - 7 semitones
9. Minor sixth - 8 semitones
10. Major sixth - 9 semitones
11. Minor seventh - 10 semitones
12. Major seventh - 11 semitones

Ennio Morricone BBC Documentary

Hans Zimmer (Making of Gladiator) Documentary

Hans Zimmer Documentary (The Dark Knight)

This Video Documents many of the production techniques of Hans Zimmer, Showing his out of the box production style, utilising strange instrumentations and effects to produce a unique soundtrack which is very powerful and emotionally charged .

The Dark Knight Soundtrack

Terminator 2 Soundtrack

The Thing Soundtrack

Alien Soundtrack

Jerry Goldsmith interview on Alien Soundtrack

Film Music Composition Techniques and Notes

Notes were taken from a youtube tutorial video which detailed key techniques for creating soundtracks to short films.

Notes

1. Utilise the Concept of Leitmotif Effectively and know when to use it appropriately.
2. If all music fits within functional tonality it can start to sound and feel boring and will tend to blend into all other music surrounding its themes. Therefore braking away from these traditions and common practices can provide music with an intriguing and unique quality.
3. Predictability can be useful however being unpredictable throughout various points in the score can create drastic effects that produce tension,a hook of some for, and cues to events.
4. The human brains workings for analysing music favours simple time signatures such as 2/2, 4/4, 3/4. therefore by changing to compound time or even providing off beat rhythmic and melodic phrasing can catch the listeners attention, and can emphasis what is happening on screen.
5.   Do not draw attention to the music in itself, the music should compliment the visuals.
6. Line up hits with visuals. Hard hits will reflect what's happening on screen, soft hits allows for smother transition. Try to prevent "Mickey Mousing" (term used to describe a cartoon like effect produced from the continuous use of hard hits within the score. Everything that is on screen is mimicked in the music and feels very deliberate and stands out.) 
7. A Balance should be struck between mimicking what is going on, on screen and a more free form approach as it makes the score feel more natural alongside the image, unless the desired effect is best suited to constant mimicking of the visual.  
8. Hits need to be accurately placed alongside the visuals otherwise the impact will not be present and the scene wont fit well with the music. 
9. Understand what instruments work best when playing alongside each other, for example, the double bass and cello playing in unison creates a deep dramatic undertone to the music without feeling over the top and distracting.
10. Understand what a real orchestra sounds like to create a more realistic soundscape which is in line with the listeners perception of an orchestra. 
11. Texturing, timbre and melodic contour are extremely important when trying to create an interesting piece of music.
12. Utilise the Octatonic scale for its unique qualities and characteristics.
13. If using a DAW for composing, think realistically when composing, for example, if the violin section of an orchestra is playing scale runs, they cant be playing long extended notes over the top of that, instead that role would be given to another stringed instrument. 
14. Utilise Silence carefully, it will only be effective if placed into the visual scene where appropriate, if the music keeps cutting out un-necessarily it could detract from the experience. 
15. Introduce themes to characters throughout the film and re introduce them when necessary.
16. it is ok to make the music seem over dramatic if the scene is reaching its  climax, this could create an impact, however this should be used carefully because if it is not utilized correctly it can also detract from the experience. 
17. Music can emphasis events which are off screen (such as an unseen predator running towards its prey which is the main focus of the film) the use of a thematic motif to symbolise the speed of the approaching predator can help the listener understand what is happening although not present on screen and can also create suspense and tension as the music builds and speeds up to a climax. 
18. Common problems that occur when mixing music created from samples are, muddy mixes caused by the increase in frequencies from varying instrument samples. Too much reverb can mix with other samples and cause problems. Not everything can be "Big" Sounding because if everything sounded thick with reverb it would blend too much and distort the effect of music. Reverb should be utilised on mid to high frequencies to prevent an influx in bass. Automate the velocities of the tracks to make everything seem more realistic. A lot of thought should go into structuring the velocity of various instruments to provide more of an impact and to make everything seem more realistic. 
19. The first section/ opening of the music should provide the listener with an understanding of the tonality of the scene, provide the harmonies and tonalities for the music to come. 
20. Utilise up and down beats to emphasis the key tonal notes of the scale, that emphasis the tension and release. eg. The most tense note of the scale should be utilised at the peak of the motif, preferably on a strong beat (the up beat), the downbeats should be utilised to bring the listener back to the main tonal center of the music, which should release the tension that has built up moving to the peak note in the melody.