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So, you want to become a media composer?: The most comprehensive guide to becoming successful in the film/TV/media industry, as told by 65 thriving professionals in mini interviews!
A music business handbook with a In ‘So You Want To Become a Media Composer?’, Adonis Aletras provides all the necessary insight for beginners and professionals alike in a very unique by utilizing 65 of the BEST composers, performers and industry executives who are currently successful in their respective fields! Offering their ‘real world’ perspective through 5 custom questions, the participants (including John Debney, Jeff Beal, Bruce Broughton, Deborah Lurie, Steve Vai, Richard Kraft, Dawn Soler and dozens of esteemed others) provide answers that shed light film-TV scoring, composing for media, getting hired, the music business, music business marketing, academia, career, success/pitfalls, the media industry, music publishing, etc. It's not a music theory book, however, no stone is left unturned making it a must for anyone interested in pursuing a career in media composition. Presented in a clear and easy to navigate format, this book will be useful to aspiring composers, students and professionals who want to get an insider’s view of how the best of the best handle their careers towards a path of success. As the author “There are a billion queries going on in our heads about career, business, creative processes, the film/tv industry, the video game industry, the streaming platforms (like Netflix), academia, publishing, income streams, family (even!), temp scores, and so on and so forth. Way too many questions to ask anyone individually, though, so an idea flashed before Ask a few questions at a time to some friends who are A-list film/tv composers, game composers, industry executives, audio engineers, editors, performers, publicists, music supervisors, lyricists…questions would be custom made, after thorough research, for each participant. Asking the right questions is quite important but what's even more important is who answers the questions. In other words we need to always consider the source. Experience trumps visibility. We'd rather learn from someone who has done it over and over with a proven track record than a loud mouthed spectator with a YouTube channel." (excerpt from the book)
- GenresMusic
380 pages, Paperback
Published September 19, 2018
19 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Adonis Aletras
2 booksAdonis Aletras is a working film/TV/media composer with numerous credits on US network/cable Television, games and apps. His music can be heard in Emmy award winning Television shows and he is a voting member of the Television Academy (Emmys) and the Recording Academy (Grammys). He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music.
In his books he shares with his colleagues, all the experiences and expertise to get one’s career in motion and thriving.
In his books he shares with his colleagues, all the experiences and expertise to get one’s career in motion and thriving.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 26, 2021
This is a collection of 65 interviews with leaders in the field of media composing; not just composers, but also music supervisors, executives, performers and sound mixers. The range of people who are interviewed is quite impressive. Here I summarize what are for me the most important take-aways. At the end of this review, I relate my recommendations.
Television studios usually limit orchestra size. To conform with this limitation, Bernard Hermann once composed a score with 6 bass clarinets, 6 bassoons, and 6 double-basses. The highest note was middle-C!
Sound effects in films has become sound design, which is not friendly to music.
Cinema schools usually ignore the use of music in films. Therefore, young directors simply do not understand the effect that music has on a film. A cynical composer once said that filmmakers need music, but they don't want it. This reminds me of a similar problem in medicine. Most medical schools severely limit (or even exclude) education about nutrition. As a result, most doctors do not understand how important nutritiion is to prevent diseases!
Christopher Lennertz had some very cogent remarks about his composing of film music. He said that a composer should respect the story. He writes music that characters might hear in their hearts and minds, rather than what the audience sees. For example, if a character thinks he is a tough guy, then play heavy guitars. If a character thinks he is a hero, then play heroic music, and so on.
Some good advice for aspiring composers; be a brand, not a commodity. This means don't make yourself interchangeable with other commodities. Many people in this book interpreted this to mean that a composer should find his own voice. To be successful, you need "to bring something unique to the table." A music score cannot satisfy everyone. An interesting quote: "Artistic death is creativity by consensus."
An interesting work-flow advice from Joel McNeely: He starts each film score with two flow charts. One maps out the dramatic intensity of a story, while the other maps out the themes to be played during the film.
What do film studios look for when hiring a composer? Talent is a prerequisite, but the important factors are: 1) Credits and experience built over years and hard work. 2) A unique voice and versatility. 3) Reputation. A very important piece of advice about how a composer goes from no credits to having experience and reputation? An aspiring media composer has to be willing to start small, find projects where developers or directors are more concerned with having any music at all.
When talking to a director about music for a project, for example during a spotting session, ask him to talk to you as if you are an actor, not as a musician.
There is a useful list of references, such as:
Composing Music for Games: The Art, Technology and Business of Video Game Scoring
The Complete Guide to Game Audio: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, Game Developers
Audio for Games: Planning, Process, and Production
Some useful societies for video game composers:
IGDA (International Game Developers Association)
G.A.N.G (Game Audio Network Guild)
So, what did I think about this book? It is certainly not the first book I've read on the subject. This book is useful for the sheer variety of types of people who are involved in composing, producing and distributing music. It is useful to see the perspectives of many other people who are involved in the industry. The people who are interviewed have incredible reputations and experience, so one should carefully take the advice into consideration. I appreciate that each person interviewed received five separate questions that were carefully chosen to fit that person's experience and background. I definitely recommend this book for those who would like to understand how an aspiring composer gets into the industry.
I have a few other comments about the book. First, the book sorely needs a good editor! While most of the content is good, it is just filled with typos, grammatical errors, and incomplete thoughts and sentences. Also, some of the interviews seemed to be just a bunch of name-dropping; this is not very useful to the aspiring media composer.
Second, the film music supervisors are never asked my most burning question: Why do so many movies end with songs that have absolutely nothing in common with the story, and are even in a different style from the majority of music in the film?
Television studios usually limit orchestra size. To conform with this limitation, Bernard Hermann once composed a score with 6 bass clarinets, 6 bassoons, and 6 double-basses. The highest note was middle-C!
Sound effects in films has become sound design, which is not friendly to music.
Cinema schools usually ignore the use of music in films. Therefore, young directors simply do not understand the effect that music has on a film. A cynical composer once said that filmmakers need music, but they don't want it. This reminds me of a similar problem in medicine. Most medical schools severely limit (or even exclude) education about nutrition. As a result, most doctors do not understand how important nutritiion is to prevent diseases!
Christopher Lennertz had some very cogent remarks about his composing of film music. He said that a composer should respect the story. He writes music that characters might hear in their hearts and minds, rather than what the audience sees. For example, if a character thinks he is a tough guy, then play heavy guitars. If a character thinks he is a hero, then play heroic music, and so on.
Some good advice for aspiring composers; be a brand, not a commodity. This means don't make yourself interchangeable with other commodities. Many people in this book interpreted this to mean that a composer should find his own voice. To be successful, you need "to bring something unique to the table." A music score cannot satisfy everyone. An interesting quote: "Artistic death is creativity by consensus."
An interesting work-flow advice from Joel McNeely: He starts each film score with two flow charts. One maps out the dramatic intensity of a story, while the other maps out the themes to be played during the film.
What do film studios look for when hiring a composer? Talent is a prerequisite, but the important factors are: 1) Credits and experience built over years and hard work. 2) A unique voice and versatility. 3) Reputation. A very important piece of advice about how a composer goes from no credits to having experience and reputation? An aspiring media composer has to be willing to start small, find projects where developers or directors are more concerned with having any music at all.
When talking to a director about music for a project, for example during a spotting session, ask him to talk to you as if you are an actor, not as a musician.
There is a useful list of references, such as:
Composing Music for Games: The Art, Technology and Business of Video Game Scoring
The Complete Guide to Game Audio: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, Game Developers
Audio for Games: Planning, Process, and Production
Some useful societies for video game composers:
IGDA (International Game Developers Association)
G.A.N.G (Game Audio Network Guild)
So, what did I think about this book? It is certainly not the first book I've read on the subject. This book is useful for the sheer variety of types of people who are involved in composing, producing and distributing music. It is useful to see the perspectives of many other people who are involved in the industry. The people who are interviewed have incredible reputations and experience, so one should carefully take the advice into consideration. I appreciate that each person interviewed received five separate questions that were carefully chosen to fit that person's experience and background. I definitely recommend this book for those who would like to understand how an aspiring composer gets into the industry.
I have a few other comments about the book. First, the book sorely needs a good editor! While most of the content is good, it is just filled with typos, grammatical errors, and incomplete thoughts and sentences. Also, some of the interviews seemed to be just a bunch of name-dropping; this is not very useful to the aspiring media composer.
Second, the film music supervisors are never asked my most burning question: Why do so many movies end with songs that have absolutely nothing in common with the story, and are even in a different style from the majority of music in the film?
September 30, 2018
Amazing collection of insights
I have purchased a few music business handbooks over the years, and this one surely stands out as one of the very best. It approaches the subject matter in a very unique way: by asking the right questions and receiving the best answers from people who are currently very successful in the music industry. It does not get any better than this. Unreservedly recommended! “
I have purchased a few music business handbooks over the years, and this one surely stands out as one of the very best. It approaches the subject matter in a very unique way: by asking the right questions and receiving the best answers from people who are currently very successful in the music industry. It does not get any better than this. Unreservedly recommended! “
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews