How to filmscore in Digital Performer

[dexterflex]

Hey everyone,

My one beef with Digital Performer is it's lack of training videos on the process of scoring to film with DP. I recently found SFLogicninja videos about logic studio on youtube. I found his new videos on working with video to be very helpful. Perhaps one day some DP Pro will post videos of real working composers workflow.

If anyone is interested here is a link to part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh_M5h5j ... rofilepage

[Armageddon]

Hey everyone,

My one beef with Digital Performer is it's lack of training videos on the process of scoring to film with DP. I recently found SFLogicninja videos about logic studio on youtube. I found his new videos on working with video to be very helpful. Perhaps one day some DP Pro will post videos of real working composers workflow.

If you're interested, I posted this a while back:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 75#p277797

... and while it's not a video presentation, it's the setup I've always used to score film/video.

[Shooshie]

I posted a video on Adjust Beats in the Tips Sheet thread. I think it's the first post on page 5. Oh heck; I'll just go find the link.

If I remember correctly, the audio gets off from the video after while. It may work better if you download it first. I just don't know how to keep them in sync. Maybe if someone would post a video on posting videos!

Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

What did you want to know? You pop a movie into the movie window, review the segment in question and start composing. That's the process. Everything else is in the manual...

[newrigel]

What did you want to know? You pop a movie into the movie window, review the segment in question and start composing. That's the process. Everything else is in the manual...

Damn!
I hate looking in the manual!!!

[HCMarkus]

Armageddon's description is spot-on. Other useful resources in DP include Chunks and V-Racks. I like using multiple Chunks (sequences) within one Project if the score is not too involved, as it allows moving from scene to scene quickly. However, Projects can bog down when they get large, so Armageddon's recommended approach is good, too.

The key to using multiple Chunks is the "Duplicate Sequence" command in the Chunks window, accessed at the little triangle there.

Whether using Chunks or Projects per cue, V-Racks allow you to have the sounds you need at your fingertips... just set up your VI's in V-Racks before saving your multiple cue Projects. You can activate/deactivate V-Racks in the Chunks window to manage system resources.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

You might find the following threads useful, especially since you started them all:

From Oct 2008:

DP 6 or 5 scoring to film tutorials?
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 48&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Dp6 question
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 54&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why is DP so popular with film composers
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 23&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know what's worse, a good long and short term memory or no memory at all.

Hey everyone,...

[Armageddon]

I gotta go with "no memory at all", since I posted on most of them and didn't remember it was the same guy til you listed those links above. I'm also concerned that the opening remark in this post was a link to scoring film in Logic. Anyway, dexterflex, my advice is to go over the manual with a fine-toothed comb. A lot of DAWs follow the same basic principle when it comes to film scoring, so if you've ever synced up audio and/or MIDI to video in, say, ProTools, you'll easily be able to do it in DP. Everything else is explained in the manual; that's where I got most of my info from when I started scoring films in DP and that's where most other people get it.

You can also go to motu.com, open your account and browse for videos, either online or for sale, that pertain to your questions. I believe there's at least a couple of third-party video tutorials regarding using DP to score film. You can also buy a multitude of hard-copy how-to manuals that have been published, so get on Amazon.com or go to your nearest Barnes & Noble and start looking! Happy hunting!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'm also concerned that the opening remark in this post was a link to scoring film in Logic.

Hadn't noticed. Kind of strange series of posts, overall. Whatever. Perhaps his confusion was the result of trying to use the Logic video in DP. LOL!!!

[dexterflex]

I think some of you guys misunderstood me. I've read the manual and bought one of the DVD's. MY main beef is if you go to youtube and type digital performer all you get is some wanker from expert village who seems like he never used the program to begin with. Now type in logic or Ableton and you get tons of videos. Not all good but some very nice. I remember a while back mike Patti posted some vids of him using DP. I just wish their were more vids of real pros using DP in action.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Oh that! That just means DP is so easy to work with that the help videos are unnecessary.

¿You asked about film scoring specifically, no? ¿Have you Youtube'd "Film Scoring" outside of using a DAW? ¿Do you have any idea what is involved?

I don't mean that as a slight, but rather that it appears you are looking for a 'compositional' approach, rather than a technical approach. Again, once you learn how an app works, you tailor it to meet your needs. Knowing what those needs are is the "trick" to composing for film or anything else - with or without a DAW.

Finding what you are looking for is essentially what this forum is about. How you use it is up to you.

¿Aside from popular cultural embracing the idea of self-help for PT or L, is there something specific that is problematic for you? ¿Or are you simply interested in a workflow? I gave you my workflow in my first post.

LOAD THE MOVIE
START WRITING MUSIC
CARVE AWAY ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUSIC

TESTING THE SCORE:
¿$ound good?

IT I$ GOOD.

THE END

[Armageddon]

I agree. A lot of film composers use DP for scoring. In fact, while I can't imagine using DP to post a film's sound mix (though I'm sure you could, with some effort), I also can't imagine using either Logic or ProTools to compose a score. ProTools was conceived as and is primarily used for either video/film post-production or in lieu of an analog recording rig in a pro music studio. Logic ... well, once you get past the numerous and varied toys it has to offer, I'm not sure what you'd use it for. Apple loops? Anyway, ProTools is the Windows of the audio industry: it may not be the best at everything, but it has the distinct advantage of doing it all first, and is now the "industry standard". Logic has the advantage of being an Apple product, pushed in its stores, on its site and offering a buttload of extras that used to cost twice as much (until a couple of years ago, Logic Pro was a grand). This means much more of the consumer market is aware of ProTools and Logic than they are of DP, and, as a result, there are tons of videos, literature and online lip service for both. Meanwhile, DP caters more to a prosumer crowd, which is a lot of composers, MIDI-centric producers, live show engineers who depend on tight MIDI control to stage lighting, effects, backing tracks, etc., as well as a growing number of engineers who are fed up with programs like Logic and ProTools. Many of the people using the software have been using it for years and many of the people switching to DP are switching from something else and are already familiar with how DAWs work, which is all you really need to grasp if you're working with DP. However, there are tutorials, especially if you bother to visit MOTU's Web site. In fact, they sell training DVDs right on their homepage, and I'm fairly certain they won't play like someone who has never used the software. As for YouTube, that's anybody's game, and I'm sure a lot of the ProTools and Logic clips on there are likewise from "wanks" -- probably a lot more than DP, just by virtue of ratio.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I agree. A lot of film composers use DP for scoring. In fact, while I can't imagine using DP to post a film's sound mix (though I'm sure you could, with some effort)...

Huh? Why not? Done it plenty of times with great results. Again, I think it boils down to how you use the tools. Would I mix a WB feature that way? Of course not, I probably wouldn't be anywhere where near the session. LOL. But is DP capable of post sound? You betcha! Just think of DP as the supermarket of the DAWs...

[HCMarkus]

Don't mean to slight you Dex. I think the guys' posts reflect the essential things you need to know, beyond how to write and perform music, to use DP to score for visuals. The keys are getting a good template and setting up your Movie Window and Chunk starts properly. Also, don't forget locked Markers identifying reference points. Locking keeps Markers fixed on the timeline even if you change tempos. DP truly is a joy to work with when composing for visuals. I'd not worry so much about watching tutorials as digging in and doing: Just use any QuickTime movie and some of your preexisting music to start, and you will soon be flying!

[wurliuchi]

If you're interested, I posted this a while back:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 75#p277797

... and while it's not a video presentation, it's the setup I've always used to score film/video.

Great post!