The Russian film industry is in dire need of a fresh sound. It is the music that places important accents in the film, adds new meanings, and helps the director achieve the necessary emotional effect. New program Composer in Cinema, which has no analogues in Russia, has been launched at the Moscow Film School since October and opens up limitless horizons for young people who are passionate about music.
Who is a film composer?
A film composer is a musician, a storyteller, and a man-orchestra. Working in cinema requires other talents from the composer, because he is the same full-fledged creator and co-director of the film.
A film composer is a generalist who masterfully masters styles and forms, ranging from academic music to modern electronic music. He must be able to create not only bright themes, but also be able to freely operate with styles, accurately choose the musical sound and subtly feel the rhythm of the visual narrative.
Despite the fact that the composer in the cinema is a narrow specialization, everything is observed in Russia. more demand on the people of this profession from media companies. According to Yuri Poteenko, the author of music for such films as “ inhabited island”,“ Night Watch ”,“ Spy ”, the profession of a composer in the film industry is one of the most sought-after and fastest growing professional areas.
What skills should a person writing music for films have?
Yuri Poteenko notes that a composer must have an excellent knowledge of musical styles, genres and forms, as well as the features of modern film dramaturgy. A film composer must master modern orchestration, both in the field of live music and in electronic format.
A composer who takes on large serious projects requires great knowledge in the field of academic music, serious preparation, which implies mastery of orchestration and instrumentation. But besides this, it is necessary to understand what dramaturgy is and what genres are, what patterns are characteristic of them.
A composer who works for cinema must have much more knowledge and skills than a composer who does not write for cinema. A person who writes for cinema must master the skill of genre stylization from folk song to the symphony, from jazz to rock music, must understand the technical and technological innovations.
- Alexey Shelygin (composer of the films "Shadow Boxing", "Brigade", "Penal Battalion")
At the same time, it is important to have a creative gift, because the composer generates new thoughts and ideas, which means he must be able to embody his plans. A composer who has taken root in the industry finds his place and works either in many genres or in one of them: he writes the final songs and main themes, does the main design of the picture, or does both at once.
“The most difficult thing about working with a composer is that you have to entrust a person with a large layer of work,” says producer, director of TV and film production at The Walt Disney Company Vladimir Vereshchagin. — “This means that this person must be absolutely responsible and ready for a long production process. Sometimes everything happens quickly, but sometimes everything is created by long painful picking. Not everyone is ready for this."
Do I need to study to write music for films?
The emergence of innovative technologies for the production of video and audio content presents the composer with the challenge of new ways of creating, editing and recording music, and this needs to be learned.
The composer must be able to work not only with music programs and libraries, but also with the script of a film, series or TV program. Develop musical concept project, adjust the music to creative tasks and integrating your ideas into an audiovisual work is not an easy task that only an educated musician can handle.
At the same time, the musician must know the history of cinema, the features of film language. Exploring musical solutions, genre features films, approaches to drama is as important as the ability to work with music editors and modern equipment.
Where is the profession "Composer in cinema" taught?
The first place in Russia to seriously approach the issue of training composers for cinema was the Moscow Film School, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2017. The program prepared at the Moscow Film School has no analogues, since other professional educational establishments they don't teach it.
The main goal of the training program is to help students find their place in professional life and successfully engage in practical musical activities, to be in demand as a composer, orchestrator, arranger. The student immediately, in the process of learning, forms a portfolio of works of different genres and formats - going all the way from getting acquainted with the idea of a future work to creating a soundtrack in the form of a thesis (music for a film, animated film, advertising, TV series, documentary program).
How is the training going?
The first semester is devoted to the theory and harmony of music, the development common understanding the profession of a composer and the specifics of work in different formats and genres. In addition, students take a course in the history of cinema, study its development, various styles and directions, main films and figures, and receive film analysis tools.
The practical block includes work in the Cubase program, the use of a music library and a music editor. Students take a course in arranging and musical editing, studying modern orchestration. Practice, practice and more practice... main feature Film Composer program.
The school gives access to a very large resource base: its own technology is very important, because students work out the theory right there, in practice, in a classroom equipped with industrial standard sound equipment and all the necessary programs. School partners are leading manufacturers of equipment and software, these are the best of the best - Roland, Sennheiser, Yamaha, Appolomusic and many others. In addition to constant joint projects with students from other programs, composer students, of course, will work on music for real projects - this industrial approach to education, which is practiced at the Moscow Film School, is close to me.
Who teaches at the Moscow Film School?
YURI POTEENKO. He wrote music for more than 70 films. Including " The night Watch», « Day Watch”, “Leningrad”, “Inhabited Island”, “Irony of Fate. Continuation”, “Poddubny”. In addition to Russian, he worked with the film companies UNIVERSAL, DISNEY, WARNER BROTHERS.
ALEXEY SHELYGIN. He has written music for more than 140 films and TV series. Among the most famous works films "Sky in Diamonds", "Sky, Plane, Girl", "Shadow Boxing 1.2" and TV series "Brigade", "Penal Battalion", "Capercaillie" and others. Laureate National Prize film critics and film press "Golden Aries", "Nika" awards.
DMITRY SELIPANOV. Author of music for more than 15 artistic and documentaries. Winner of TEFI 2015 (nomination "Documentary Project" for the film "Brodsky is not a poet"). He is a member of the composers of the production company "RedCola" ( Los Angeles, USA), engaged in the creation of music for Hollywood movie trailers.
IVAN URYUPIN. Composer, conductor. Collaborates with film companies: Bazelevs, Central Partnership, Starmedia and others. Wrote music for the first Russian feature film in 3D format "Squirrel and Strelka". Author of interdisciplinary scientific research and international publications on the impact of music on brain processes.
How to get into the Moscow Film School?
In order to take the course "Composer in Film", you need to apply and pass an interview.
A prerequisite for admission to the program is knowledge of musical notation, the basics of music theory, as well as the ability to play musical instruments. Having a certificate of completion music school, as well as a portfolio is not a requirement, but can be an advantage in an interview.
Part of the entrance examination will be a test musical ear and a sense of rhythm. Also, at the interview, a task will be offered to understand the correspondence between the audio and visual component of the work.
Having a portfolio of your first audio recording experiences or completed projects in any area of audio is not prerequisite upon admission, but may be an added advantage.
Anton Vereshchagin
artistic director studio OPEN Alliance Media, director and production supervisor
I take music very seriously. Of course, there can be no talk of any ready-made libraries. Back at the University of Film and Television, my master taught me that music is sixty percent of success in animation. And I have proven this many times. Often the music is developed in parallel with the animation, further revealing the characters' personalities and actions within the scene.
Jingliks contains completely original music written by the most talented composers who were educated not only in Russia, but also abroad (Volodya Podgoretsky wrote the first two episodes, James Maxwell Norwood writes music from the third series). We are working on musical themes for each character, musical themes for locations, for time of day and season. The music within the series flows almost continuously. But silence is also music.
I allow the use of ready-made compositions in clip scenes. For example, we used the finished composition in our New Year's series. This is the song "Mir" (Spanish: K.Butusov, music/words by I.Angazorov, arrangement by O.Volyando), it was written for ice show"Jingliki" and perfectly laid down on happy ending episodes and transition to credits.
Talented composers unit. The industry is narrow. Therefore, I just met with a number of top composers, whose work I found the most interesting and talked, talked, talked. It is important for me that a person is on the same wavelength with me and understands me without words. I was lucky to find just such people, because without this contact productive joint work is impossible.
Dozens of remote employees of various specialties from different countries. Remote work is a reality that cannot be avoided, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, in conditions of a shortage of personnel, it will not be possible to cope with the tasks set. I will always prefer a talented, high-quality remote employee to a mediocre full-time one. Good modern technologies allow you to effectively organize "remote work" without prejudice to production.
Anna Plate
Do the studios use free music libraries for their projects or hire composers and write original music?
People from 10 cities can now work on the music for the cartoon remotely. How do metropolitan studios feel about such cooperation?
Do studios use free music libraries for their projects or hire composers and write original music?
People from 10 cities can now work on the music for the cartoon remotely. How do metropolitan studios feel about such cooperation?
Anna Plate
personnel manager animation studio"Locomotive"
Do studios use free music libraries for their projects or hire composers and write original music?
We work only with composers. We do not use music libraries. I don’t presume to judge other studios, but as far as I know, original music is often written for animation (unlike Russian film series, where they can use music from purchased libraries).
Most often we collaborate with already familiar composers. If we need to attract a new person, say, for a new project, and our composers are busy, then we follow the recommendations, or we consider requests that come to us by mail. director or creative director they give a task to a new composer, based on the results, a decision is made whether the music is suitable or not. So there is no competition as such, we also do not post vacancies anywhere.
People from 10 cities can now work on the music for the cartoon remotely. How do metropolitan studios feel about such cooperation?
I do not presume to say how things are in other studios. On the steam locomotive distant work with composers - a common practice. Composers and sound engineers, however, are local - sound engineers work directly in the studio (there are this moment two), and composers, as I already mentioned, on a remote basis.
Do studios use free music libraries for their projects or hire composers and write original music?
Selection musical arrangement project today is going differently. Hand on heart, to be honest, it mostly depends on the budget. Everything is individual. Today in Russia the trend is changing for the better, and composers are hired quite often. Producers and directors understand the value of music and its huge impact on the quality of production. This trend makes me very happy.
Of course, it does not do without the use of libraries. These are mainly foreign productions, because, firstly, foreign libraries have a huge selection of music. Secondly, since the mechanisms for selling music are well-established, and the prices and types of licenses are transparent and understandable, a huge number of talented composers from all over the world, including Russia, are drawn to them. Accordingly, there is plenty to choose from and form quality.
In Russia, the situation is slightly different. There is not a large number of libraries that take the first steps in this difficult business. One must understand here important thing: Libraries greatly underestimate the price per track (album, annual license). Therefore, a completely different contingent is drawn to them - novice composers who want to somehow enter this world. Therefore, quality suffers. It seems to me that this is wrong. You have to pay for music. Producers need to understand this. When the music is of high quality (here you can write a whole doctoral dissertation on the topic “what is high-quality music”), then the project will only benefit from this. Speaking specifically, for example, it is still practically impossible to make a great-sounding orchestra on a computer. Because when real people play, the output is a completely different energy.
Here the situation is quite simple, in my opinion. And everyone knows about her. Basically it happens "acquaintance". That is why it is so difficult to get into this world.
The first piece of advice for aspiring composers is to talk to people. do a lot different music, learn, develop. In general, I have long been ripening the idea to change this situation. It is quite difficult to do this (someone will say it is impossible), since working “acquaintances” is a feature of the Russian mentality. And yet. It seems to me that such a place needs to be created, it can be just a community where under one name, or maybe under the leadership of one person, the best professionals in that other field of music will be gathered. I mean genres. Since the profession of a film composer simply implies an incomprehensible amount of knowledge, it seems to me that it would be rational to unite people who can do this or that work.
For example, you need to write music using ethnic instruments. But in order to do this, you must first study them. As a rule, there is absolutely no time for this. And there are wonderful talented guys who understand this. It would be rational to give this part of the work to them. In general, I am for unity in one form or another.
People from 10 cities can now work on the music for the cartoon remotely. How do metropolitan studios feel about such cooperation?
Of course, an important plus in remote work is the reduction in production time. After all, the creation of music in cinema is the penultimate stage in the formation of any audiovisual work (the last one is mixing). As a rule, there is no time left at all. It is hard for one person to exist in a continuous regime of burning deadlines.
But it seems to me that remote collaboration is good only when we are talking about technical, not creative work. Still, on any project there should be a person who communicates with both the director and the producer. It's the most important. This is the only way to understand what exactly is required.
5. Analyze musical compositions.
I would like to mention another resource that I really like. This is the rmm forum, and in particular the "Orchestral Music" section. In this topic, the author presents a selection classical works, which you should definitely familiarize yourself with (the scores are arranged according to the principle “from simple to complex”). Here are some tips on how to study.
For those people who don't own musical notation, I would recommend loading MIDI songs into the sequencer, and, simultaneously with the audio recording, study them in a piano roll. Here are some sites where you can download classics (and not only): www.kunstderfuge.com, www.midi-karaoke.info, www.midi.ru.
Also, for educational purposes, you can use the Band-in-a-Box program, which contains " construction material» for different genres of music. It allows you to see what bricks the musical “fabric” is built of in a particular case.
6. Don't be afraid to imitate.
Here I do not mean direct plagiarism, but only an indirect transfer of techniques. If we analyze the music of the classics, no matter how bright and original the talent of this or that genius may seem to us, they all early period copied their predecessors in their work. And only when a decent foundation was laid, did the formation of their vision, handwriting, style go on.
I would like to dwell on such a moment as adopting experience from successful gaming products, as well as note the importance of references.
When I start working with a customer, the first thing I ask him to express his wishes about the style, give examples musical compositions which, in his opinion, would suit the project well. Usually I get very vague answers or something like "we completely trust your taste." Then I myself begin to ask leading questions, bring music from games, movies, classics, etc. In the process of discussion, as a rule, it turns out the direction in which to move. If you are offered only screenshots for inspiration, you can ask the developer about the prototypes of his product. If future game not very original, having played prototypes, you will most likely know what is expected of you. All that remains is to bring your "creative vision" so that the future game in terms of music will be even better and more interesting.
If this is not done, then it may turn out that your future work will be like “wandering in the dark”. Your sketches will be "undeservedly" rejected, and they won't even be able to explain to you properly why. And given that the time to create a soundtrack is very limited, then, ultimately, misunderstandings and tension can have an undesirable effect on the music itself.
It also happens the other way around, when the developer himself gives a reference and asks to do something similar. For example, one team asked me to compose music similar to the theme from Harry Potter, but, of course, in such a way that it would not be plagiarism, but only create the right mood. After listening and analyzing the melody, I identified a number of distinctive features in harmony and instrumentation, and using the same techniques she composed her own.
In the end, the customer was satisfied. And it didn't take me long to get creative. This approach greatly facilitates the task of the musician, since both parties know exactly what they want.
7. If you do not own any musical instrument - learn.
For some reason, many people believe that mastering an instrument is possible only in early childhood. Of course, this is a true statement when it comes to raising a professional performer. But there are examples in the history of composition that prove that it is never too late for a composer.
Read the biography of Aram Khachaturian. It was said that at the age of 19, after moving to Moscow, he saw a cello standing in the corner and said that he wanted to learn to play on “this big violin". Despite the lack of elementary training, but with a good ear and great desire, Khachaturian was accepted into the Gnesinka.
I often hear: “Why do I need this, I can draw perfectly with a pencil or stick a part with one finger in a sequencer!”. It may be true, but if you know how to play, you will write a musical phrase much faster, while it will be much more natural. I'm not talking about the art of improvisation. Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Chopin, Rachmaninov and others - they were all outstanding performers. I'm afraid if they didn't know the technique of playing, their creativity would be much poorer.
8. Learn the basics of sound engineering.
teaching materials, there are more than enough articles on mixing and mastering on the Internet. Communicate with people, "peep" their recipes, experiment with sound. After all, in the end, the whole process of creating music falls on your shoulders. You have to combine the positions of composer, performer, sound engineer. And the sound engineering work will take by no means the last place.
Finally, remember: theory alone, not supported by practice, will not give you any results.
III. reprise
(or back to where we started)So, since you are not limited by any time frame, then try to make your demo tracks as close to ideal as possible and aimed at your audience. Firstly, if the tracks turn out to be interesting, this will attract the attention of the first customers to your work. Secondly, all the demos I have ever written, sooner or later found their projects.
Try to replenish the page with new works from time to time, even if it seems to you that there are enough tracks on it, do not be afraid to increase their number. The customer is always looking for something new. And when he visits your page again after some time and finds all the same couple of releases, he will immediately close it.
Of course, the scope of one article does not allow revealing all the problems, but I think that everything written above will serve as an impetus for you, or at least make you think.
IV. coda
Those who have tried their hand at writing music know how hard it is. Yes, sometimes the music itself comes to the composer, but then, as a rule, the idea is polished by hours of painstaking work. So the expression "genius is 99% of labor and only 1% of talent" is very relevant in the musical business.
Finally, the most important thing: you need to believe in yourself, and if you really love your job, then you will surely succeed!
P.S.
Martamusic studio is open for cooperation!
If your project needs music or sound design, please contact me at: [email protected]
Tags:
- freelance
- music business
“The only thing I try to do when I compose music is to make it directly and simply express what is in my heart” S. V. Rachmaninoff The profession is suitable for those who are interested in singing, music and world artistic culture (see the choice of profession for interest in school subjects).
Composer(lat. compositor "compiler") - author musical works; a person who creates (composes) music. The composer is the same musician, differs from the performer only in that he writes music, while the second performs it. The profession of a composer is similar to the professions of a writer, playwright, film director. The composer also invents images, which he then develops and supplements, also invents and narrates stories. The only difference is in the means.
The term "composer" became widespread in Italy by the 16th century, and since then has been a reflection of the professional writing tradition that arose in the practice of Western European musical culture. The greatest and most recognized composers of all time are Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) , Giuseppe Verde (1813 - 1901), Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), Johann Strauss (1825 - 1899), Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov (1873 - 1943), Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828).
The profession of a composer, as well as other professions in the field of art, is complex and responsible, and at the same time creative and interesting. The composer must know well not only the theory of his work, but also be an excellent practitioner. The composer usually composes music to order, for example, for films, performances, as well as music for variety performers. Often the creators of music themselves perform their songs, are also arrangers of their works, transcribe their creations for different instruments. Composers create a wide variety of works - from opera to popular songs. A professional composer can write both music for vocals and instrumental works. Usually the composer composes not only the main motive musical creation, but also the rest of its parts: introduction, completion, etc.
First of all, the composer must be talented person able to express their feelings, emotions, experiences in music. But he also needs to know the basics of music theory, harmony, polyphony, and most importantly - musical forms. A composer must be able to play at least one musical instrument, preferably on the piano, playing which develops textured hearing. New pieces of music, as a rule, are invented while playing a musical instrument. The composer must understand musical styles and directions, own the history of musical works and understand contemporary art.
Required professional skills and knowledge
- ability to compose music
- knowledge of harmony, polyphony, instrumentation, form analysis
- knowledge of history, traditions musical art and directions, styles, genres and forms of musical works
- knowledge contemporary music and contemporary art
Personal qualities
- musical talent, talent
- performance
- possession of a musical instrument
- ear for music
Place of work and career
place composer's work maybe is like home furnishings, and studio or conservatory. The author can record notes both on paper and on a computer. At successful sale of his work, the composer receives a percentage of each public performance of his music. But in most cases it takes many years before a young composer can earn big money. To do this, you need to make a name for yourself, make the necessary contacts, confirm the presence of talent and acquire regular customers.
Young authors need to participate in various competitions composers. For example, in international competition young composers “Ode to Lomonosov”, which is held by the Faculty of Arts of Moscow State University or in the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Composers at the Moscow Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky. Such competitions allow you to attract the attention of potential customers, as well as gain experience and skills.
Salary
Salary as of 04/04/2019
Russia 19751—80000 ₽
Moscow 80000—90000 ₽
Cons of the profession
- small composer salary in the absence of recognition (lack of orders)
- necessary in most cases alternative sources existence, mostly close to the main craft of the profession - a music teacher, conductor, performer, editor, etc.
Pros of the profession
- possibility of creative realization
- a rather large salary of the composer in the presence of constant interest in the work on the part of musicians and customers (which guarantees the availability of regular orders)
Education
The presence of a special education is considered mandatory for the profession of a composer, as well as for other types of music. creative activity. However, there are many examples of brilliant and very erudite composers who did not receive a systematic education - I.F. Stravinsky (1882 - 1971), M.I. Glinka (1804 - 1857), Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883), Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869), Charles Ives(1874 - 1954), George Gershwin (1898 - 1937) and others.
At present, a large number of people who also call themselves composers do not have a special education and, in some cases, even writing talent, but they possess various kinds of computer programs and fill with their compositions a vast market of musical works, the so-called "pop" - radio, cinema, television.
However, the majority is of the opinion that special education necessary. It gives necessary knowledge, teaches professional attitude to the sound organization of time. For many musicians, education continues throughout their lives, and these are not only special institutions, for example, the Moscow Conservatory. P.I. Tchaikovsky, but also the presence of a teacher or self-education. WITH personal teacher in addition to studying the necessary things in detail, you can discuss it personal experience or just have a “heartfelt” conversation, which is necessary for each creative personality in search of self and realization of self-realization.
