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Composer_GettingStarted

 


►Click here to download the set of Composer Worksheets

 

The Briefing:

When a music professional working in the digital media industry receives a new project brief from a studio, what are the processes that they go through to begin figuring out what music needs to be composed? Of course, the answer varies from composer to composer, but frequently the composer will talk with the studio to establish what emotions and feelings are trying to be conveyed in a particular scene.

Challenge Clips:

Select the one that you would like to work with. Please note, they will be provided without any audio or music.

NHL 20


The NHL series is one of the most iconic and successful game franchises in video game history, developed right here in BC at Electronic Arts Vancouver. Can you compose music for this action-packed trailer and deliver hype to the audience?

The Last Kids on Earth


The Last Kids on Earth is an animated Netflix series produced by Atomic Cartoons in Vancouver. Surrounded by a zombie apocalypse and a monster invasion, a group of kids fight for their lives while trying to have a bit of fun. Can you write music for this exciting adventure of a lifetime?

Homeworld 3


Homeworld 3 is an immersive real-time strategy game currently being developed by Vancouver’s Blackbird Interactive. Explore the celestial depths while challenging yourself to invoke curiosity of what lies beyond the wormhole with your composition.

Dauntless


Dauntless is a co-operative action RPG on PC created by our friends at Phoenix Labs,  Burnaby, BC. It’s time to take on the Shattered Isles’ biggest Behemoth, Torgadoro, whose fiery realm is deadly to those who dare get close. Try your hand at creating a piece that brings the excitement of a boss battle!

Testing Grounds:

How does the clip you selected make you feel? Can you describe the moods, emotions, and feelings that come to you when you watch the clip? Using the Getting Started Worksheet, you can circle or highlight words that you may feel, or you can add additional words.

These feelings and reactions are what the composer needs to convey to the audience through their music. As you continue through this project, you will need to make use of the musical tools you are learning about in music class to help guide the audience to the feelings you have described. You will see how changing the music can change the audience’s reaction to a given scene, helping them to understand what is happening or to feel a particular way. Music can be as important as the visuals in creating the desired feeling and emotions in the viewer.

Side Quest:

Can you find examples of movies or video games where the music used was NOT what you would have expected it to be? Why? How has the composer used music to change the reaction of the audience to the clip?

Industry Voice:

If you like, listen to the following people working in the industry describe their process.

What is your process when you first receive a brief?

How do you begin to compose a piece of music?

 

Click here for Rhythm!

 

Career Pathway Videos

 

Shannon Mason
Composer & Sound Designer
Vancouver, BC

 

Caitlin Yu
Head of Quality Assurance
Phoenix Labs
Burnaby, BC
 

Adrian Talens
Freelance Composer
Vancouver, BC