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a thinkspace legacy course 

Cinematic orchEstration

WITH GUY MICHELMORE

$169 $109

was £245


was £245


Timeless Techniques FROM HOLLYWOOD PROFESSIONALS

Re-released by popular demand, this all-time best-selling course offers a goldmine of expertise from film scoring legends, including orchestrators for James Bond, Fast & Furious and Star Wars titles. An intermediate level course, it offers over 30 hours of engaging video tutorials, audio clips, and more to help you orchestrate stunning cinematic music.
  • Learn different techniques for orchestras between 13 and 85 players
  • Deconstruct classic scores with the pros, including Star Wars and The Snowman
  • Learn how to get the best from instruments with legendary session musicians
  • Follow an orchestral recording by the 50-piece City of Prague Philharmonic
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FEATURING A 50-PIECE FILM ORCHESTRA

Follow EMMY-nominated film and TV composer Guy Michelmore on a journey from an initial piano sketch right through to a live recording with the 50-piece City of Prague Philharmonic.

Along the way, meet a host of world-class orchestrators, composers and musicians. Learn how to get the most from ensembles ranging from an intimate 13 players up to a full, thunderous 85-piece orchestra.

Alongside over 30 hours of video, listen to audio clips, read illustrated course texts and practice your new-found skills with a host of useful exercises.


Free Sample

Star Wars: Deep Analysis
(parts 1 & 2)

Star Wars features some of the most iconic film music of all time, and is a true masterclass in writing for a large orchestra.

This course features 2-hours of deep analysis with Guy Michelmore and EMMY-nominated orchestrator Chuck Fernandez, helping you understand what makes it work so incredibly well.

Watch parts 1 and 2 of 8, for free.

Learn FROM TOp FILM ORCHESTRATORS

With many blockbuster films, shows and games among their credits, the legendary orchestrators in this course can bring you a wealth of real-world techniques and advice to enhance your music.

GUY MICHELMORE

(COURSE HOST)

ThinkSpace Founder
EMMY-Nominated Composer for
Marvel, Lionsgate, Disney

NIC RAINE

Star Wars: The Clone Wars,
GoldenEye (game)
James Bond films with John Barry:
The Living Daylights, A View To A Kill

MILTON NELSON

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Batman: Arkham Origins (game)
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Scrubs

FRANCIS SHAW

Ivor Novello Winner for Best Film Score
A Room With A View
The Forth Protocol
Vendetta

STEVE SIDWELL

GRAMMY-Winning Composer
Bohemian Rhapsody
Moulin Rouge!
The Voice UK

HOWARD BLAKE

The Snowman
The Changeling
Flash Gordon
The Hunger

RACHEL JAMES

GoldenEye (game)
Jungle Book
Thor Tales of Asgard
Planet Hulk

ALAN PARKER

Coast (BBC)
Fallen Angel
Jaws 3
Up Close & Personal

Charles Fernandez

EMMY-Nominated Composer
The Little Mermaid
Robot Chicken
The Butterfly Effect

AND A-LIST FILM SCORE MUSICIANS

Learn how to get the best from different instruments with interviews and tutorials from some of the world's most in-demand film scoring musicians (and some of Hans Zimmer's favourites).

Perry Montague-Mason

Migration
No Time To Die
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Dunkirk

Anthony Pleeth

Inception
The Dark Knight Rises
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Gladiator

Richard Watkins

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Batman
Captain Marvel
Mary Poppins Returns

SIMON GUNTON

Casino Royale
The Bourne Ultimatum
Blood Diamond
Joan of Arc

JAMiE TALBOT

Wonka
Avengers: Endgame
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Brown

Course Breakdown

Introduction To Orchestration

Introducing our live orchestra, different approaches to sampled and live scoring and workflow, take-downs, and how to orchestrate from audio files.
String 1: Instrument Guide
Top session musicians who played on Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, The Chronicles Of Narnia, Madagascar 2, Gladiator, Dark Knight and hundreds more, explain how to write for their instruments.
String 2: Composing Techniques
James Bond orchestrator Nic Raine arranges a piece from scratch in Sibelius, then records his work with our own live string orchestra. Guy Michelmore gives you a detailed look at creating realistic sampled string arrangements.
Woodwind 1: Instrument Guide
Learn about individual woodwind instruments and how to write for them with session player, Jamie Talbot. How to produce a convincing sampled woodwind section and the library choices available to you.
Woodwind 2: Composing Techniques
Course orchestrator, Nic Raine, arranges a piece for woodwind and strings, then records his work with our live orchestra. There’s also a real-time sampled scoring demonstration of writing for woodwind and strings with Guy Michelmore.
Brass 1: Instrument Guide
Take a detailed look at the ranges, articulations, strengths and weaknesses of the individual brass instruments, with session players with credits from Harry Potter to The Dark Knight.
Brass 2: Composing Techniques
Brass writing tips and tricks, plus an exclusive master class in swing band writing with prolific arranger, Steve Sidwell. We arrange a piece from scratch and then record it with our live orchestra. Finally a real-time scoring demonstration of writing for sampled brass with Guy Michelmore.
Writing For Harp And Percussion
This unit looks at the highly technical area of writing for both harp and percussion. We will then show you how to create a percussion track with samples and real-time scoring demonstrations.
Writing For Small Orchestra
Bring it all together with specific techniques and considerations for getting the most out of smaller orchestras and ensembles, including a bar-by-bar analysis of The Snowman with the composer, Howard Blake.
Writing For Large Orchestra
A bar-by-bar analysis of the main title tracks of Star Wars with Hollywood orchestrator and composer, Charles Fernandez, followed by live orchestration demonstrations from piano score to final recording of film cues in different styles with Nic Raine. Conclude with a detailed guide on how to create epic orchestral sounds just by using samples.
Working With Live Musicians
Learn how to take a MIDI demo and turn it into a performable piece of music. We will also explore the many things you need to know about preparing scores, parts, backing tracks, click tracks, running orders, mix minuses, Pro Tools sessions, and more.

JOIN THOUSANDS OF course students

"I loved the course. Even though I have a Bachelor of Music and have played in orchestras, it really opened my eyes to the techniques of good orchestra writing. I also discovered that I love writing for woodwinds, which I had never considered much before."

– Linda Missad

Cinematic Orchestration helped my composition skills at every level. I have many years of experience writing many types of music, yet this course has helped me enormously.”

– Rupert Gibb

“By dissecting the characteristics of individual instruments, this course has enabled me to use them to their full potential. It really helped me to explore and find myself as a composer.”

– Marie-Anne Fischer

“I’ve really enjoyed the course. It's Informative without being stodgy. It’s given me the confidence to continue developing my orchestral writing.”

– David Tate

A THINKSPACE LEGACY COURSE

A ThinkSpace Legacy Course is one that was once retired, but has now been refurbished and made available again due to popular demand.

The videography may not be as polished as in our newer courses, but the information is timeless and of real benefit to orchestral composers.

There may be remnants of outdated technical information in the course. We have done our best to remove any information that would impact your ability to understand orchestration in today's industry.

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Lifetime access to our DiSCORD community of composers

We want to bring our students closer together, as we understand online learning can be isolating at times. With this course you will also get access to our ThinkSpace Community Discord channel.

This vibrant community connects you with fellow students, industry alumni, tutors, and professionals across the globe. There's always someone to help, offer advice, provide encouragement, or share work opportunities.

Interested? Get Started TODAY

Guy Michelmore at Piano
Guy Michelmore Teaching Music Theory
Guy Michelmore Composing on Guitar
  • Learn from A-list Hollywood orchestrators, composers and musicians
  • Deconstruct classic scores, including Star Wars and The Snowman
  • Over 30 hours of engaging video tutorials, plus course notes and practice tasks
  • Lifelong access to our worldwide Discord network of composers
BUY NOW — $169 $109

Lifetime access. Start, finish and revisit anytime.
30-day money-back policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

have a question? contact us

Need some advice? Or just want to talk music? We’re always here to lend a professional ear.

contact@thinkspace.ac.uk

+44 (0)1243 256049