Reccomendations on books about scoring...

[BKK-OZ]

Can any of you very clever peoples suggest one or more of these books for someone who is interested in learning more about film scoring?

My first list, in priority order:

Complete Guide to Film Scoring, Davis
From Score To Screen: Sequencers, Scores And Second ThoughtsThe New Film Scoring Process, Kompanek
On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring, Karlin
The Emerging Film Composer: An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business, Bellis
Film and Television Composer's Resource Guide, Northam

And I already have this one on order (due out in November):
Computer Orchestration Tips and Tricks, Bennett

[Frodo]

"On The Track" is a MUST-HAVE.

OMG!!! I can't say enough great things about it. I have this and the Davis book (Complete Guide...). This is also good-- but "On The Track" is the bee's knees. So many answers in one place. 500+ pages of pure gold. It has everything from how-to's to matters of business.

They should make a MOVIE out of that book!

The other books are good, but not as extensive-- but they DO focus on important aspects of the subject and offer truly terrific perspectives.

[BKK-OZ]

Thanx for that Mr Frodo - the reason I put 'On the Track' lower down in the list is that it would appear to be more of a working book, and not so much a reference?

[Frodo]

Thanx for that Mr Frodo - the reason I put 'On the Track' lower down in the list is that it would appear to be more of a working book, and not so much a reference?

It's a book of wise words and common sense. The technical biz is very well incorporated into all else. If you are look for a step-by-step how-to book on a specific aspect of of film scoring, then another book my serve you better. OTT is organized into various chapters-- gives a lot of historical perspective, does interviews with various film composers who speak of their influences-- both musical and philosophical. It has a section on computer-based film scoring as well, but it does not get into specifics of how to do "this or that" in a DAW.

It does get into aspects of budgeting, breaking into the business, etc., and the words of wisdom come from the greatest film composers alive today. The forward alone is by John Williams.

This in combo with the Berklee book are a great pair.

[leigh]

Can any of you very clever peoples suggest one or more of these books for someone who is interested in learning more about film scoring?

My first list, in priority order:

Complete Guide to Film Scoring, Davis
From Score To Screen: Sequencers, Scores And Second ThoughtsThe New Film Scoring Process, Kompanek
On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring, Karlin
The Emerging Film Composer: An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business, Bellis
Film and Television Composer's Resource Guide, Northam

And I already have this one on order (due out in November):
Computer Orchestration Tips and Tricks, Bennett

Check out Jack Smalley's book: http://jacksmalley.com/

**Leigh

[BKK-OZ]

Thanx for that Leigh. I had a look @ the website and the example pages, but its a bit hard to get a clear impression of the book - can I ask why you think it is good?

[leigh]

Thanx for that Leigh. I had a look @ the website and the example pages, but its a bit hard to get a clear impression of the book - can I ask why you think it is good?

I think it is good for several reasons. First, it's concise, giving just the necessary information and the examples are simple but still convey the concepts well. He outlines an efficient workflow to go from spotting to final cue. He gives his step-by-step process for writing the cue with clear explanations.

**Leigh

[BKK-OZ]

Thanx for that, I will consider it. In the sample pages tho, he misspelled 'planning' as 'planing'.
Unless he's talking woodwork, he needs someone to do some sub-editing for him.

[mhschmieder]

There's also an interesting legacy book on film scoring from Norton Press.

I have all of mine at home, and keep forgetting to revisit this topic as I so rarely bring up the browser at home anymore since it puts such a dent in my ability to use DP 6.01 effectively without a reboot (closing a browser doesn't do as good of a job as I would like, with freeing up resources).

The list in the first reply looked awfully familiar, and one film scoring text was just recently (last month) updated. There is also an interesting recent book from Thompson Publishing on game scoring, which borrows heavily from lessons learned in cartoon scoring.

[BKK-OZ]

Thanx MH.

I did some googling around to try and find that Thompson Publishing book, stumbled across this site:
Sound-Music-Interactive-Games

That blog listed a book with these details:
Childs, G.W. (2007) Creating music and sound for games, Thompson

But the closest I could get on Amazon was this book:
Creating Music and Sound for Games
Is that the one you are talking about?


BTW, while looking for that book, I came across this one:
Mastering Audio, Second Edition: The art and the science (Katz)

Which, whilst slightly OT, is one that I have heard many peoples talk about before, and its now in its second edition and is also now on my Amazon wish-list.

[mhschmieder]

Creating Music for Sound and Games is the one I was referring to.

The Katz book is a MUST for ANYONE who does audio, and the second edition is a big improvement over the first (I have both). There is a lot of useful advice there that is pertinent to the context of film, games, radio, etc.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thus Spake Zarathustra (Nietzsche)

Steppenwolf (Hesse)

The Book (Watts)

The Forms of Music (Tovey)

[BKK-OZ]

The Book (Watts)

Crazy ol' hippee

[mhschmieder]

One month later, and before I forget for the umpteenth time, here's my list of scoring-related books:

1. Complete Guide to Film Scoring (Richard Davis, Berklee Press)
-- a must-have for everybody

2. The Reel World -- Scoring for Pictures (Jeff Rona, Miller Freeman Books)
-- a strong contendor for second place

3. Film Music -- A Neglected Art (Roy M. Pendergrast, Norton Press)
-- important for historical perspective

4. Sound and Vision -- 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracks (Jon Burlingame, Billboard Books)
-- good historical context

5. The Score -- Interviews with Film Composers (Michael Schelle, Silman-James Press)
-- useful to study from the masters

6. Cash Tracks -- Compose, produce, and Sell Your Original Soundtrack Music and Jingles (Jeffrey P. Fisher, Thompson)

7. Sound Design (David Sonnenschein, Michael Wiese Productions)
-- the best deep analytical text on the effect of sound

8. Creating Music and Sound for Games (G.W. Childs IV, Thompson)
-- the best book for game-scoring and technology

9. Audio Postproduction for Digital Video (Jay Rose, CMP Books)
-- probably the best book focused on the technical end

These are not rated in any particular order, other than for the can't-do-without text from Richard Davis.

[Mike Worth]

One month later, and before I forget for the umpteenth time, here's my list of scoring-related books:

1. Complete Guide to Film Scoring (Richard Davis, Berklee Press)
-- a must-have for everybody

2. The Reel World -- Scoring for Pictures (Jeff Rona, Miller Freeman Books)
-- a strong contendor for second place

3. Film Music -- A Neglected Art (Roy M. Pendergrast, Norton Press)
-- important for historical perspective

4. Sound and Vision -- 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracks (Jon Burlingame, Billboard Books)
-- good historical context

5. The Score -- Interviews with Film Composers (Michael Schelle, Silman-James Press)
-- useful to study from the masters

6. Cash Tracks -- Compose, produce, and Sell Your Original Soundtrack Music and Jingles (Jeffrey P. Fisher, Thompson)

7. Sound Design (David Sonnenschein, Michael Wiese Productions)
-- the best deep analytical text on the effect of sound

8. Creating Music and Sound for Games (G.W. Childs IV, Thompson)
-- the best book for game-scoring and technology

9. Audio Postproduction for Digital Video (Jay Rose, CMP Books)
-- probably the best book focused on the technical end

These are not rated in any particular order, other than for the can't-do-without text from Richard Davis.

All great books, and a great list! I would re-promote "On the Track: 2nd Edition" by Karlin and Wright, as another must-have book, and also "Sounds and Scores" by Henry Mancini (Pink Panther). That's a great book, from one of the classic Hollywood composers.