Course Duration Head of Programme Tony Perrey Course Director Derek Gleeson If you ve ever dreamt of creating perfect, soaring soundtracks to heighten the drama and emotion of the world s biggest blockbusters, this Masters in Scoring for Film & Visual Media is for you. This programme is taught by magnificent composers in a world class facility at Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Dublin and headed by acclaimed Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Derek Gleeson. You will also be taught by professionals from the Hollywood Film Scoring community and tutors who also teach at the Film Scoring Programmes at both the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC), while the MA s Major Project is supervised by tutors from the world renowned Trinity College, Dublin. Certification HETAC Level 9 subject to validation This unique programme is designed for: Composers and musicians who hold a music degree or have equivalent advanced training and/or work experience; and Active composers seeking additional professional, formalised training to advance both their compositional and music tech techniques and their careers. At the end of this one-year programme, you will be capable of progressing into a variety of professions as either composer, orchestrator, music editor, music supervisor or music producer in the industries of motion pictures, television, gaming and other audio/visual media production. 1
Professional Tutors World-renowned guest tutors on this unique MA programme at Windmill Lane Recording Studios include: Derek Gleeson conductor, composer, producer, percussionist, pianist and educator. A 35-year industry veteran, Derek heads up the team as course director. Conrad Pope Awardwinning composer whose credits include the most recent Star Wars trilogy; the Harry Potter series; Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek X; the Matrix films; and Memoirs of a Geisha, and My Week with Marilyn. Daniel Carlin Emmy awardwinning music editor and educator. Daniel is a 30-year industry veteran who has worked as music editor, music director, music supervisor, booth consultant, soundtrack producer and conductor on over 100 film and TV projects. Garry Schyman film composer and videogame scorer. Garry has written acclaimed scores for BioShock; Dante s Inferno and Destroy All Humans! and contributed to TV shows and films including Magnum, PI; The A-Team; Lost in Africa; and Tornado! Greg Magee a composer and flutist, Gregg is one of Ireland s busiest composers working consistently on many international TV animation series. Christopher Young Golden Globe-nominated composer whose credits include horror films such as Drag Me To Hell; A Nightmare On Elm Street 2 and Hellraiser; and more recently Spider-Man 3 for which he received the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Dramatic Feature Film. Richard Bellis Emmy award-winning composer, author and educator. Past president of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, served on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Board member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers. Craig Stuart Garfinkle Award-winning producer and Emmy nominated composer. Craig has worked in Film, TV, Documentaries, Commercials, Stage Musicals, Games, Multimedia and Albums. He is also a specialist in music in trailers for movies, including: J.J. Abrams Star Trek; the last three Harry Potter movies; Spider-Man 3 and James Bond, A Quantum of Solace. Debbie Smith music producer, recording engineer, music editor and educator. Debbie works in the recording studios of Dublin, Sofia and Los Angeles with, among others, industry giants Denis Sands, Steve Dorff and Conrad Pope. 2
Kevin Nolan Composer, Scientist, Author, Educator and Master of Synthesis. Part of the Music Technology team. When not composing, Kevin is busy with the European Space Station INTEGRAL space-probe mission! Anna Rice Composer, Orchestrator, Arranger. Recent projects include, scoring a 52 episode animation series for Nickelodeon, arranging songs for The Chieftains and Orchestrating for the BBC. Linda Buckley Composer and Educator, lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin. RTE Lyric FM composer in residence. Guest lecturer in composition, from Beijing to New York to Frankfurt. Linda heads up the Major Project aspect of the MA program. Fionnuala Conway Composer and Educator, leader and lecturer in Music and Media Technologies, at Trinity College, Dublin. Fionnuala will mentor and supervise the Major Project aspect of the MA. Juliet Martin Publisher, Composer Agent, Record Label Manager and Owner/ Director of Silverstream Music, a bespoke music company. Juliet heads up the business, legal and management lecturer team. Course Content Fundamentals of Film Scoring Score Analysis and Compositional Techniques Music Technology Orchestration and Arranging The Business of Scoring and Visual Media Studio Conducting and Score Supervision/ Production Advanced Scoring Techniques Project Development Detailed Course Content Fundamentals of Film Scoring including how to effectively compose, orchestrate record and produce a film score, unaided by any computer programs in the techniques employed by the Masters. Score Analysis and Compositional Techniques including instruction on compositional techniques and analysis of 20th century harmonic systems through examples of both film and concert repertoire, Music Technology covering concepts and workflows of the modern Digital Audio 3
Workstation (DAW), this module examines advanced programming and sampling techniques and explores virtual instruments as a powerful form of musical expression. Orchestration and Arranging exploring the concept of achieving a dynamic balance of all musical elements. This module also examines contemporary methods of combining samples and acoustic instruments. The Business of Visual Media including publishing, licensing and legal issues. This module will also cover the development of an online promotional presence using communication strategies appropriate to the marketing of services in the music and visual media sector. Studio Conducting and Score Supervision exploring the physical mechanism of conducting and the responsibilities of both studio conductor and scoring supervisor. Through the experience of conducting live instrumentalists, including orchestral ensembles during recording sessions, you will explore the dynamics of conductor/player relationships and the efficiencies of conducting techniques. You will also develop the skills required to fulfil the role of music supervisor/ music producer in a professional recording environment. Advanced Scoring Techniques for Visual Media covering the workflows and methodologies of key industry practitioners, this module will examine the trends and techniques in creating a score for visual media and will specifically examine the Hollywood sound associated with large budget film and games productions. This module culminates in the recording of a substantial portfolio artefact with a composition recorded by a 110-member orchestra with conductor, score supervisor and engineer in a professional recording studio environment. Project Development completing a detailed research proposal to include investigation of specialist topics and presentation of findings, hypotheses or original creative outcomes. Further Progression At the end of the one-year programme, you will be capable of effectively functioning in the role of composer, orchestrator, music editor, music supervisor or music producer in the industries of motion pictures, television, gaming and other audio/visual media production. On completion of this course, you will: understand the relationships between the score/soundtrack and sound design as well as the myriad of other elements contained within the production of television, film and online media; be able to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of underlying concepts and processes in the composition and production of musical scores; be capable of writing sophisticated and effective orchestral scores for both live and virtual instruments; have an advanced understanding of historical and contemporary contexts of music in visual media and digital formats (including opera, 4
early cinema, music theatre, live performance and gaming); be able to compose complex and sophisticated music scores that respond and engage with the languages of film, television and game formats (including varied genres such as documentary, fiction, action, suspense, romantic comedy, comedy, thriller and animation, etc.); have the confidence and sophistication to work creatively and collaboratively with directors, editors and producers as well as instrumentalists and musicians in the production of music and the communication of musical concepts and ideas. Admissions Applicants should primarily have a passion for the medium of Film and Visual Media and for its musical compositional content, and should be able to demonstrate a creative and committed interest to the field. Entry to the program is determined through interview and submission of a creative portfolio of work. International students may be interviewed online, if preferred. Normally, candidates will have an upper second class degree in music, visual media or a related field of study, or have a performer s diploma/ certificate from an accredited institution; however, candidates without a primary degree but who can demonstrate their creative potential, professional knowledge and/or experience within the field are encouraged to apply. Candidates who have an accredited certificate/ diploma in music production/engineering and also have a strong musical background will be considered, as well as active film/media composers who may not necessarily have had formalized training but who want to upgrade their skills. Please enquire for portfolio submission guidelines and other detailed information regarding the admission process and requirements at: pulse@pulsecollege.eu or call us on 01 478 4045. 5