If you’re composing for the moving image, then you might, at some point, need to bring in a session musician. After all, there are some nuances that can’t be replicated by even the best commercially available sample library.
Doing this successfully means not just understanding the notes being played, but also the way that the instruments, and the musicians who play them, actually operate. Let’s look at a few genres, and the tricks that might allow you to get the best from session musicians in each of them.
Scoring Horror: Crafting Tension and Fear
Modern horror films tend to rely heavily on atonal soundscapes and noise. This genre relies heavily on atmosphere and tension, and you can often build tension by having your musicians play out a non-resolving cluster. This might mean going beyond the sounds that you can put together in your Digital Audio Workstation, and leaning into abstract techniques, like bowing a violin with a rasp. Make sure, before you employ these techniques, that you’ve spoken to the musicians in question. After all, violin strings can be expensive.
In many cases, synthesiser music is the go-to choice for horror composers. You might think of the work of Bernard Herrmann, Christopher Young, and Wendy Carlos.
Romantic Melodies: Evoking Emotion and Intimacy
Romantic music tends to rely on associations that the audience has already built up over years. This might mean puncturing big onscreen moments with resolutions and major octave-spanning string arrangements. The Lydian mode is often preferred, thanks to its airy quality.
You might also consider your choice of instrument, and how that colours what’s going on onscreen. Smaller orchestras, chamber musicians, and solo piano, are worth pursuing.
Action-Packed Scores: Driving the Momentum
Most film composers will already have a strong idea of how they want to approach action scenes: with plenty of big, cinematic percussion. This is where modern sample libraries, often crafted with the help of composers like Hans Zimmer and Charlie Clouser, can come into their own. However, if you really want to make your action cue stand apart, then the use of real musicians might be pivotal.
Action scores typically involve many musicians. The larger the orchestra you’re working with, the greater the logistical challenge. Even smaller projects might necessitate the use of public liability insurance, which will protect the composer and the musicians, should anything disastrous happen.
Versatile Composers: Mastery Across Genres
If you want to avoid getting pigeonholed and enjoy a varied and stimulating career, then moving from one genre to the next might be critical. Some of the industry’s most famous names, like Alan Silvestri, John Williams, Howard Shore and Ennio Morricone, have also been versatile enough to approach different kinds of projects while still retaining their unique musical identities.
