It is impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song can be purely aural, cinema combines sight and sound for a unified experience where one bolsters and elevates the other. Read on to learn about the role of the sound designer and other sound design jobs, the fundamentals of sound design, and to check out some…
There are three things in this life you can be certain of — death, taxes, and awesome Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Tarantino is the master of the needle drop and knows how to place an existing song perfectly within a scene. It’s tough to narrow down the best Quentin Tarantino songs in his filmography, but that’s precisely what we did so that you can learn how to incorporate needle drops into your own work.Continue reading The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies
The impact of music in a film is undeniable. It can make a distant feeling scene feel suddenly personal and emotional. It can change the energy of an entire sequence. The credit for that largely goes to the music supervisors. These individuals play a critical role in shaping the film's soundscape and enhancing its emotional resonance. Continue reading What is a Music Supervisor — Definition & Job Description
Composer Claude Debussy said, “Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.” This struggle is especially true in the world of a cinematic score, where traditional orchestration dominates.Continue reading How to Design a Surreal Film Score like Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
We all know that a great soundtrack can stir emotions in the audience. But few genres have a direct line to the emotional centers of our brain than suspense and horror. Suspenseful music, when done right, can make all the difference. Great horror movie music doesn’t often win Oscars, but it does stay with us long after the lights have gone up. There's an art to using suspense music to create terror, dread, and fear. Here's how some of your filmmakers and composers create horror music by balancing two key elements: horror and revulsion. Watch: Suspenseful Music in a Film…
A lot of debate always surges about who should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. But for this list, we’re turning our attention to the Best Original Song category. There have been plenty of classics and just as many duds over the years, but which one do you think should top the list as the best original movie song of all time?Does Lady Gaga’s performance in A Star is Born overtake that of Barbara Streisand’s? Which Disney song do you think ranks highest? When you look at the Best Original Song winners & nominees, is there a different…
John Williams once said, “Composing music is hard work.” From Jaws to Harry Potter, the composer’s ability to both enchant and captivate has made his sound one of the most recognizable in Hollywood filmmaking.Continue reading Mastering the Film Score: John Williams
