How To Write Cinematic Music
WITH GUY MICHELMORE
A THINKSPACE INTERACTIVE COURSE
$249
The Sound of Classic Hollywood
If you want to create orchestral music with a Hollywood flair – whether or not you are writing for film – this course is for you. Perfect for both passionate hobbyists and aspiring professionals, it reveals the secrets behind iconic scores like Jurassic Park and Harry Potter, and helps you bring some of that same magic to your own compositions.
Taught by Guy Michelmore and his fellow film composers, this course gives you essential cinematic writing techniques, enabling you to turn simple ideas into grand, emotive music, reminiscent of classic Hollywood scores.
Lifetime access. 30-day money-back policy
Unlock the Secrets of the Hollywood SOUND
Cinematic music is so much more than just an accompaniment to film. At its best, it's simply great music – melodic, lyrical, uplifting, dark, suspenseful. Think of your favourite film scores, such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Pirates of the Caribbean.
In this course, we’ll be leaving hybrid and minimalist scoring for another day and focusing on helping you write in that classic Hollywood style.
by the end of this couRse you will be able to...
- Develop and write memorable melodies and themes that capture the essence of cinematic music.
- Use harmony and chord progressions to evoke specific emotions and enhance the storytelling aspect of your music.
- Arrange music effectively for different sections of the orchestra, understanding their unique roles and capabilities in a classic cinematic music context.
- Integrate ostinatos, rhythms, and dynamic changes to build excitement and drive in your compositions.
- Combine thematic development, orchestration, and structural techniques to create cohesive, cinematic pieces.
what daw and SAMPLE LIBRARIES DO I NEED?
This course focuses on composition and instrumentation, rather than technology. The tutorial videos use Cubase and Logic Pro, but the approaches will work in any DAW. You can also use any virtual instruments, including the free BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover.
The course also references a Spotify playlist of film scores, so for the best experience we recommend subscribing while you are taking the course.
Learn From Award-Winning Film Composers
Meet your course instructors. Through in-depth interviews, score breakdowns and masterclasses, they will give you the insights, knowledge and skills you need to make the kind of music you love. Together, you'll learn from classic scores by Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Anne Dudley, Dario Marianelli, Kris Bowers, Pinar Toprak and many others.
Guy Michelmore
Guy Michelmore is a multi award-winning film, games and TV composer whose clients include Marvel, Disney, Dreamworks, Lionsgate and dozens of major TV networks around the world. He’s best known for his work with Marvel on animated feature films including Ultimate Avengers and Thor, as well as hundreds of episodes of television including Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Iron Man: Armoured Adventures and Hulk.
Peter Bateman
Peter is a composer, orchestrator, and conductor for feature films, TV and video games. His film credits include The Grinch, Justice League, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Alice Through the Looking Glass and 50 Shades of Grey. His TV work includes Next Of Kin (ITV), Notorious (NBC), Roots (History) and Texas Rising (History).
Bruce is an Academy Award nominee with 20 Emmy award nominations and 9 wins. He is best known for his many motion picture scores, which include Miracle on 34th Street, Silverado, Tombstone, The Rescuers Down Under, The Presidio, Homeward Bound, and Harry and the Hendersons. His television themes include The Orville, JAG, and Dinosaurs.
course structure
module 1
module 2
module 3
module 4
module 5
module 6
practical, HANDS-ON LEARNING
The quickest way to learn is by doing. In addition to in-depth masterclasses and interviews, this course offers you several ways to practice and refine what you've learned – helping to cement your new-found skills and knowledge. It's much more than just a playlist of great videos.
downloadable stems
Our popular MinusONE assignments are a great way to learn. After watching a video tutorial, you can download an audio file (or Cubase project file) for a piece of music that has one or more parts/stems missing. Then, using what you have learned in the tutorial, you compose the missing parts. It helps you stay focused and removes the ‘fear of the blank page’.
projects & tasks
interactive video
Interactive videos are a bit like having a conversation with Guy. They offer you a more immersive and rewarding learning experience, and are a great way to test your skills and explore your creative choices.
widgets
Widgets are designed to give you a direct, hands-on experience testing technology or techniques. This could be anything from manipulating an effect on a track or piece of music, simulating the signal flow of a mixing desk, to balancing forces in the orchestra to see how it affects the overall sound.
LEARN WITH FELLOW Composers AROUND THE WORLD
This ThinkSpace Interactive course includes lifetime access to our ever-growing community of music makers on Discord. You can chat to other people taking the course, pick up and share tips, and grow your network. You can also share your MinusONEs and Projects from the course to gain useful feedback and pointers from your peers.
Don’t worry if you’ve never used Discord before, it’s simple to get set up, and totally free.
Buy today, start anytime
- Learn how to turn your ideas into music reminiscent of classic Hollywood film scores
- Get hands-on with MinusONE projects, widgets, and interactive videos
- Over 20 hours of insightful interviews and engaging masterclasses
- Lifelong access to our global community of composers on Discord
Lifetime access. Start, finish and revisit anytime.
30-day money-back policy
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions not answered here, please get in touch using the contact details below and we'll get back to you.
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