Media composers are only a part of some greater creative enterprise, be it a film, game, television programme or commercial. As such they need to be able to understand the creative vision of the director or producer and create music which is in line with their expectations. Communicating creative ideas and attempting to describe music in words is notoriously difficult and fraught with potential problems. In this module, we introduce students to the complexity of this issue and offer some strategies for better communication.

Further to this, students will be exposed to more complex and demanding industry sectors such as computer games and library music. Composers are introduced to more difficult projects where the technical requirements are more demanding. Listening to interviews with real-world clients will help students acclimatise to the language and style of communication used in the industry.

This module covers:

• Breaking down project briefs through looking at real-word examples to understand what the client wants.
• How to translate what the client wants into music and composing for the client.
• A guide for writing for trailer music and leading composer insights into the composition process.
• Understand how the TV music industry works and how to compose TV themes and commercial music.
• A step-by-step guide in writing great tunes.

Both professional and academic research gathers relevant information from a wide range of sources before analysing and drawing reasonable conclusions. The research will be evaluated on the basis of its originality, depth of insight, and the quality of the supporting argument.

Research can constitute:
- Professional research (i.e. further understanding gained from examining the professional output of other practitioners)
- Academic research (i.e. further understanding gained from theoretical/historical/analytical activities)

We expect students to:
- Analyse, synthesise, critically reflect, and build an argument
- Use academic writing, including referencing and a bibliography
- Contextualise their practical work in light of the research

Students are introduced to the practical skill of writing music in sync with the picture. Having established the powerful and complex relationship between music and the moving image in the previous module, students should be well equipped to begin writing their own original music to a given picture.

In this module, we also look at several different areas of the industry: documentaries, animation, commercials and natural history, each of which presents its own set of specific requirements and challenges.

This module the technical and creative aspect of scoring looking particularly at:

• Simple sync to picture
• Professional sync to picture
• Technical: Timecode, Frame Rates,  BWF, etc.
• Intro to Spotting
• Composition to Picture

The biggest challenge facing game music is technology. The rapidly shifting landscape of software and middleware means that technical requirements are a central part of the creation process for composers. In this module, we will be training you in game audio middleware, as well as taking a look at other topics such as Game Engines. Furthermore, in this module, we will be pushing you down the road of integration and exploring the possibilities of creating adaptive music assets in video games.

We will be walking you through the technical and creative challenges with professional sound designers and composers. You will be introduced to using a game engine, navigating projects, implementing events, and creating adaptive music.

This module will give you a deep dive into the fundamentals of Audio Middleware technology, training you on specific programs.

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

- Music Editing
- Advanced Composition
- Contemporary Game Composition
- FMOD
- Game Audio Technologies
- Composing for Drama
- Sampled Orchestration
- Composition: Telling Stories
- Musical Sound Design
- Career Development for Sound Designers
- Career Development for Musicians

For more information on these modules, please see the Video Game & Media Composition Module Descriptors and Handbook inside the 'Postgraduate Application Pack'.

Please note, the availability of MA elective modules may be subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

Furthering your work in adaptive music, you’ll start tackling branching, and developing compositional skills to allow you to move from passage to passage, according to the needs of the game.

You will be using middleware to game engine integration to test your work in game to enable you to experiment with your music and how it’s constructed.

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

- Music Editing
- Advanced Composition
- Contemporary Game Composition
- FMOD
- Game Audio Technologies
- Composing for Drama
- Sampled Orchestration
- Composition: Telling Stories
- Musical Sound Design
- Career Development for Sound Designers
- Career Development for Musicians

For more information on these modules, please see the Video Game & Media Composition Module Descriptors and Handbook inside the 'Postgraduate Application Pack'.

Please note, the availability of MA elective modules may be subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

This is your opportunity to take stock and think about what your plan is for your final major project. On the VLE you will find a list of Unity projects that you can download and have a look through to find something that inspires you.

We are also open to you suggesting your own material, but this must be discussed with your Course Manager.

No matter what project you decide to use, you should be highlighting all your best work. From composition, orchestration and implementation, we are looking to see how you have implemented what you have learned over your course into a single final project.

You also have the option of completing a written dissertation if you prefer. The dissertation will represent your research into an area of music intended for or in relation to games. The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarly written work.

You will be asked to write an essay of 12,000 words (+/- 10%), including footnotes, but excluding bibliography. This is substantially longer than any of your other work so far. You will undertake the work as an individual, under the guidance of a supervisor, with whom you will meet regularly in one-to-one sessions.