On the Track offers a comprehensive guide to scoring for film and television. Covering all styles and genres, the authors, both noted film composers, cover everything from the nuts-and-bolts of timing, cuing, and recording through balancing the composer's aesthetic vision with the needs of the film itself. Unlike other books that are aimed at the person "dreaming" of a career, this is truly a guide that can be used by everyone from students to technically sophisticated professionals. It contains over 100 interviews with noted composers, illustrating the many technical points made through the text.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
This is a detailed, comprehensive textbook directed at composers and meant to be used in conjunction with videocassettes or films, VCRs with audio-dub capabilities, soundtrack albums, other books, periodicals and trade publications, and advice from experts, 77 of whom are quoted. A "click book" of over 200 pages, used to precisely calculate musical tempos in conjunction with film cues, is included. Highly technical exercises appear with blank staffs for notation, turning part of the book into a workbook. The psychological aspects of film music work are not neglected, however; chapters on creativity and on the interdependence of many people involved in making a film score give good advice. The practical aspects of getting a job in this sector of the music business are also covered. A specialized title for libraries serving composers and film makers.
- Bonnie Jo Dopp, District of Columbia P.L.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Bonnie Jo Dopp, District of Columbia P.L.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A stupendous book that doesn't scant in offering details about the complex world of the music composition for movies ... It is obligatory reading for the composer that wants to enter the wonderful world of filmscoring.' – Audiomidilab, Community of Music Technology
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The basic contemporary film-scoring text.,
By A Customer
This review is from: On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring (Hardcover)
An excellent book, and the principal how-to text in the field of film scoring. It's used as the text in university-level film-scoring classes, and it's on the desk of many practicing feature-film composers. Karlin and Wright teach their subject by means of interviews and case studies, and also discuss the terms and technologies that relate to the gear being used today. Content-wise, Karlin and Wright don't hold back, presenting a whopping 886 pages of information. Ron Simpson, Brigham Young University Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESS
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest and Most Complete Book I Ever Seen. Don't care about its price,
By
This review is from: On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring (Paperback)
This is the greatest book I ever seen. It' a complete guide for film and tv scorig. It analyses every aspects and tasks of the film music production for a composer. From the spotting to the business... It explains very clearly the concepts, also with a lot of quotations from today's most famous film composers, editors, executives, producers, directors... (more than 100 professionals have contributed with quotations to this 'bible'). There are many many printed score examples. It is very up to date, with modern films examples, and there's also a chapter concerning digital music composition. I've copied the whole contents pages, so you can see this book professionality.
Just don't care about the price, it's really a great investment. I was in doubt to buy it for the price, but when I've opened it I've realized that my money was spent in a great way. CONTENTS of On the Track by Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright Foreword by John Williams Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Acknowledgments for the First Edition Acknowledgments for the Second Edition Introduction How iv Use This Book I PRELIMINARIES 1 The Filmmaking Team Meeting the Filmmakers. The Director. Communicating with the Director. Support and Guidance. Two-Way Dialogue between Director and Composer. The Producer. The Producer's Power. Communicating with the Producer. The Film Editor. The Music Editor. Music Executives and Supervisors. 2 The Script, Meetings, and Screenings The Script. The First Meeting before Screening the Film. The First Screening. First Cut, Fine Cut, and Assembly. The First Discussion after Screening the Film. Composing before the Film Is Finished. 3 Role Models and Temp Tracks Specific Film Scores or Cues as Role Models. Specific Film-Scoring Styles Used as Role Models. Specific Classical Pieces or Styles Used as Role Models. The Composer's Use of Role Models. Evoking a Role Model Inadvertently. Role Models and Plagiarism. Temp Tracks. Music Editors and Temp Traclcs--How It's Done. Why Filmmakers Use Temp Tracks. How Composers Work with Temp Tracks. 4 Spotting the Film Talking It Over. Making Decisions. When To Use Music. Starting a Cue. Ending a Cue. Short Cues, Transitions, and Long Cues. The Importance of the Acting. The Director Communicates. Spotting Notes and Timing Notes. Changes in the Spotting after Scoring. Score Lengths. 5 Budgets and Schedules Cost Factors. Figuring Costs. Working with a Smali Budget. Scoring Union or Nonunion. The Assumption Agreement. Working with the Contractor. Composing Fees. Budget Estimates. Time to Compose. Copying Time. II CONCEPTUALIZING 6 Developing the Concept Characterization. The Central Character. The Singie Dramatic Theme. Two Dramatic Themes. Ethnic/Geographic Considerations. Musical Styles. Combining Two or More Stylistic Elements. The Process of Elimination. Scores for Study. 7 Demonstrating the Score: Mockups and Electronics Electronic Mockups. Mockups for Communication. Changes. III TIMINGS 8 Timings and Clicks I Free Timing. Using Clicks and Clock. Metronome Equivalents. When Timings Don't Sync. Requirements on Extremely Accurate Hits. Ritards, Fermatas, Accelerandos. 9 Timings and Clicks II Music Editors. Cut Back Cues and Split Chases. Tempo and Mood Changes within Cues. Meter Changes within Cues. Timings with a Calculator. Using Videorecorders, Digitized Video and SMPTE Time Code. Drop-Frame or Non-Drop-Frame? Avoiding Confusion in Math Problems. Hardware and Software. IV COMPOSING 10 Playing the Drama Audience Expectations. Don't Tip the Story. Tone. Main Titles. Whose Point of View to Play? Playing the Overview. Playing What the Scene is Really About. Getting Inside the Character's Feelings. Playing the Environment or Location. Playing the Situation. How Intensely to Play the Drama less Is More/Understating the Drama. Avoiding Emotion. De-emphasizing a Scene. The Power of Silence. Playing through the Drama. Phrasing the Drama. Hitting the Action. Highlighting. Red Herrings. Scoring the Film Like a Ballet. Underscoring the Dialogue. Scores for Study. 11 Genres and Source Music Genres. Action. Comedy. Documentaries. Historical and Period. Horror. Source Music. Interweaving Source and Score. Scores for Study. 12 Composing Creative Considerations: Work Process. Intuition and the Subconscious. Writer's Block. Preparation. Planning the Score. Organizing the Score. Unity and Variety. Research. Tempo or Pulse. Personal Taste and Style. Beginning the Sketch. 13 UsingMelody Motifs. Multiple Motifs. Unaccompanied Melody. Two-Voice Texture. Giving the Melody Character. Adapting a Theme. Hit Records. Scores for Study. 14 Using Harmony Harmonic Languages. Harmony Resulting from Linear Writing. Harmonic Pedal Point and Ostinatos. Using Harmony for Characterization. Using Harmony as a Theme. Tension. Scores for Study. 15 Using Rhythm Tempo and Pulse. Sketching the Rhythms. The Percussion Section and Electronics. The Orchestra as Rhythm. Rhythm as a Thematic Idea. Rhythmic Ostinatos. Uneven and Changing Meters. Polyrhythms. Scores for Study. 16 Using Orchestration Characterizing the Film's Dramatic Theme. Suggesting Locale with Color. Symphonic Orchestration. Fresh Sounds and Interesting Combinations. Change the Color, Change the Emotion. Orchestral Effects. Smail Budgets. To Orchestrate or Not to Orchestrate? Sketches. MIDI Sketches. Transposed or Concert Pitch-Scores? The Art of Orchestration. The Composer/Orchestrator Relationship. Orchestrating from MIDI Sketches. Using Synths and Orchestra Together. Typical Orchestra Setups. Know the Instruments. Short Cuts. Orchestration Schedules. Changes. Other Practicalities. The Business Aspects of Orchestration. Scores for Study. 17 Technical and Practical Considerations Technical Considerations. Streamers. Recording. Practical Considerations. Preparing to Record. Save Your Music. Checklists. V RECORDING 18 Recording: The Scoring Stage The Scoring Stage. Underscoring, Prerecording, and Set Recording. Scoring Primarily or Completely with Electronics. Prerecording Electronic Tracks. Prerecording Acoustic Tracks and Soloists. Planning. The Mixer. Producing the Music. Conducting. Conducting Aids. Film Sound. Recording Format. Headset Mixes. Rehearsal Protocol. Creative Responses. Working with the Director. Changes on the Scoring Stage. Recording. Working with the Mixer. Playbacks. Overdubbing (Layering or Stacking). Prerecording an On-Screen Performance. Time Pressures on the Stage. Recording Away from Home. Timing Corrections while Recording. Postmixes and Sound Processing. Using Samples in Final Mix. Remixing for a Soundtrack Album. 19 Dubbing: The Final Mix The Composer on the Dubbing Stage. The Dubbing Stage and the Participants. Preparing the Music for Dubbing. Predubbing. The Music Mixer. Dubbing Stage Sound. First Adjustments during the Mix. Overail Music Levels. Changing/Losing Cues. As the Director Sees It. Dubbing Stage Protocol. Dubbing with Dialogue. Losing a Score. Dubbing Schedules. Previews. Scores for Study. VI ELECTRONIC AND CONTEMPORARY SCORING 20 Using Electronic Music Electronic Instruments as Acoustic Re-creations. Electronic Instruments for Unique Sounds. Blending Electronic and Acoustic Instruments. Scoring with Electronics. Recording Electronic Music. Scores for Study. 21 Using Contemporary Music Using Contemporary Rhythm Sections. Contemporary Scores. A Closer Look at Three Contemporary Scores. Scoring with a Solo Artist. Scoring with a Group. Contemporary Source Music. Scores for Study. 22 Scoring for Television Television Series. Main Titie Themes. Composing. Working with the Producers. Dubbing. Scoring with Orchestra. Scoring Long Form. The Use of Songs. Television!Film Differences. VII SONGS 23 Musicals and Prerecording Prerecording (Prescoring). Prerecording Grease and Fame. Postrecording (Postscoring). The Classic Musicals and Beyond. 24 Songs The Functions of a Song. Content. Songwriting Collaboration. Syncing the Lyric to the Visuals. Rewriting, or Writing Another Song. Demonstrating the Song. The Artist. Hits and Big Business. Footloose: An Origina1 Compilation Song Score. Yentl: An Origina1 Song Score by One Team of Writers. VIII THE BUSINESS 25 The Business Getting the Job. Moving from Television to Films. Demos. Being Heard. Agents. Film and Television Deal Points. Commercials. ASCAP and BMI. Music Budgets. Licensing. Soundtrack Albums. Music and Business. Epilogue. On the Track The Interviewees and Authors Appendix A. Study Assignments Appendix B. Footage/Timing Conversions Appendix C. Calculator Methodfor Timings Appendix D. Drop-Frame Glossary End Notes Bibliography Web Sites Music Excerpts Index
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible...,
By Rev "jnmlnpb" (Cedaredge, CO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring (Paperback)
If there is one book that is essential for today's aspiring film composers, THIS IS IT!
It answered all the questions I had, as well as several I didn't! The score examples are very helpful in clarifying the techniques of film scoring. If you are an aspiring film composer, get this book. IT IS A MUST!
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main title, gene marks, karate kid, Miklós Rózsa, hard disc format, temp track, scoring stage, dubbing stage, temp music, temp score, temp dub, spotting notes, free timing, salary units, sampled strings, conducting aids, music mixer, spotting session, orchestra sessions, excerpt starts, acoustic orchestra, scoring sessions, creative fee, music editor, film scoring Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard, James Horner, John Williams, Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer, Christopher Young, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp, Howard Shore, Pro Tools, Edward Shearmur, New York, Los Angeles, Danny Elfman, Music Corp, Henry Mancini, Mark Mancina, Marvin Hamlisch, American Beauty, Snow Falling, Music Publishing, The Hurricane, Elmer Bernstein, The Sixth Sense, Mark Snow Browse Sample Pages:
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main title, gene marks, karate kid, Miklós Rózsa, hard disc format, temp track, scoring stage, dubbing stage, temp music, temp score, temp dub, spotting notes, free timing, salary units, sampled strings, conducting aids, music mixer, spotting session, orchestra sessions, excerpt starts, acoustic orchestra, scoring sessions, creative fee, music editor, film scoring Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard, James Horner, John Williams, Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer, Christopher Young, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp, Howard Shore, Pro Tools, Edward Shearmur, New York, Los Angeles, Danny Elfman, Music Corp, Henry Mancini, Mark Mancina, Marvin Hamlisch, American Beauty, Snow Falling, Music Publishing, The Hurricane, Elmer Bernstein, The Sixth Sense, Mark Snow Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
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