Collaborate

Thinking about a collaboration? We’re happy to share some insight on how music is being created for projects.

Creating film music is a fun and magical process where technology and artistry come together to create a unique soundtrack that enhances the emotion of the story. This process can range from digital composition to live recording with an orchestra or artists, depending on the mood and impact the music should have. Having bit of artistic freedom is always a good thing, but we understand deadlines too.

It all starts with the movie or project itself.
Having a good idea about the story you want to tell and your vision on the project is the best starting point. The more we know and/or see, the better we’re able to tell your story through audio. Music is never a standalone element, but should complement and enhance the visuals.
In a structured way we’ll ask you about the tone, emotions, and mood the music should convey.
Is it an action-packed scene? A romantic moment? A dramatic twist? This largely determines the direction in which the music will evolve.
All this info results in a good starting point which enables us to start composing.

Composition and Digital Creation

Composing always starts digitally. We use advanced music software to work out ideas. This allows us to quickly test different melodies, harmonies and arrangements. Our major library base and virtual instruments allow us to create a detailed outline of the music. During this digital process, the first sketches of the music are composed and different instruments and orchestrations are experimented with. This can range from subtle and emotional piano melodies to the large-scale, bombastic sounds often heard in action or science fiction films or games

After the first pieces of music have been composed, a planned feedback round with the director and other creative team members usually follows. Sometimes adjustments are made to make the music fit better with specific scenes or to convey a certain emotion more strongly. This process can be repeated several times until the music fits the images perfectly.

Live Recording: The Orchestra and the Artists

While much of the compositions we make is created digitally, mixing a digital composition with live musicians is a great way to add to the composition.
Recording an orchestra or individual musicians brings a human, unmistakable warmth and dynamism that can bring something extra to digitally created music.

Depending on budget, we’re happy to explore and advise on the options together. We’re familiar with recording live studio artists and have some of the best musicians in our network.

The Mix: The Final Step

After creating the compositions digitally (and mixing it with the live recordings), the most important phase of the process begins: mixing and finishing the music. The recorded music is carefully mixed, with the balance between the different instruments, the dynamics and the timing of the music being crucial. The aim is to optimally match the music to the images, so that the sound does not distract too much from the film, but instead enhances the emotions and impact of the scenes.

The mixing phase also takes into account the balance between the music and other sound components, such as dialogue and sound effects. It is important that the music evokes the right atmosphere, without drowning out the other sounds. This is a delicate balance that requires a lot of attention.

Final Production and Integration into the Film

After the music is mixed and approved, the final version of the soundtrack supplied, ready to be integrated into the film.