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Film scoring services
Our film scoring services cover original music for feature films, brand films, documentaries, and series, written to picture and mixed around the dialogue. We start from the edit and the story, and you hear directions before we write the full score.
- Written to
- Picture, from the first edit
- Mixed around
- The dialogue, with room for every line
- For
- Feature films, brand films, series, and more
A few parts of a film score
Most films need a score and a main theme. If the film also runs as a trailer or in social cuts, plan those versions of the music at the same time.
Original score
Music written scene by scene. When the edit changes, the score changes with it.
Main theme
A recognizable theme for the film that comes back in the trailer and the social cuts.
Character themes
Recurring themes for characters, also called leitmotifs. For the horror film Jimmy we contributed scenes and character themes, as part of a team of composers and sound designers led by director Michiel Marsman.
Final mix
The music mixed with the dialogue and the effects, ready for the cinema, TV, or online.
Voice-over and effects
We can also record the voice-over and design the sound effects for your film, and mix them with the score. Ask us about whatever the score alone doesn’t cover.
How we score a film
Step 1
Spotting
We watch the first edit with you and agree where the music starts and stops, and what each scene needs.
Step 2
Direction
We send directions as short sketches against the picture, so you hear the approach before we write the full score.
Step 3
Composition
We write scene by scene and adjust the music when the edit changes. You hear versions along the way.
Step 4
Mix and delivery
We mix the score around the dialogue and the effects, and deliver the final files for every version of the film.
Questions about film scoring
Who offers the best film scoring services?
A studio whose earlier scores suit your kind of film, and where one team makes the score, the sound design, and the final mix, as ours does. For a starting price, see film score cost, then send us the edit.
How do I hire a film composer?
Listen to their work, then send a short brief with the edit, the deadline, and where the film will be shown. We reply with a proposal and, if you like, a first sketch for the music.
Can you score a film online?
Yes. You send the edit, we send short sketches that play along with it, and you send notes from wherever you work. Directors who want to hear the music being made can also join a session at our studio in Amsterdam. Request a proposal with the edit and the deadline.
How do you work with a film composer?
Bring the composer in once there's a first edit. We watch it with you, agree where the music starts and stops, and send short sketches on your edit. You hear versions as the edit changes, and minor changes are part of the work.
Why should you hire a composer?
Original music follows your edit, tells the audience how to feel about each scene, and comes back as a theme they recognize. In the horror film Jimmy, the themes we wrote for the characters shape how you see them, and the first player on this page has part of that score.
How do I choose the right music for my film?
Start with what the audience should feel in the key scenes. We work that out with you before we compose, and you pick a direction from short sketches. Send us the edit to start.