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Hey all,

I happily just signed away my next 8 weeks to score another film (yay!), and I'm just wondering, "How do other film composers set up DP before you even start doing any creative work?"

A few things: The Production team and I haven't had a spotting session yet (that'll be in 5 days), so I have a little time to prepare. We've already talked about the sound world (what I call my "sound palette"), which will be pretty basic with strings+piano. I don't have a stock template for scoring because I work on a variety of things. So for every project I create a new template specific for that film and load up a couple V-Racks with what I think I'll be needing. With those things out of the way... what is your process like?

Thanks!

Congrats on the new gig! Here are a few of my thoughts...

Now that I'm on Apple Silicon, and due to the fact tracks can be pre-set then disabled, and folders collapsed, I have a fairly comprehensive template from which I always start projects. Nice to have favorite libraries on hand and set up to my preference, always ready to go with a mouse click.

I use Breath Control a lot for orchestral instrument programming, winds, brass and strings. I have MIDI translation plugins already in place where required, so I can jump right in with BC when the VI is looking for CC01. Also, outputs to appropriate buses are pre-established.

I've been working with more buses due to my mac's enhanced capability; currently moving to sends addressing returns residing on group buses to facilitate quicker, more accurate stem creation.

I'll house multiple Kontakt VIs (i.e. String Section) from a single library developer in a single Kontakt instance so I can volume automate the entire section library volume from a single fader, but solo instruments get their own instances of Kontakt.

Hope the job goes well for you!

PS: just looked at your sig. We have very similar DAW rigs... just wish I had a C7, too!

For some of the grunt-work-flow, doing a little planning about what kinds of tasks you do often (scrolling, zooming, window sets, transport, etc, etc), and how you might prefer to activate them, (via mouse button, key-stroke, trackpad gesture, etc), then setting up the COMMANDS in DP and working out 'the dance' of each command. Even practicing it a little-- to see if it makes sense to your nervous system.

I have a mouse with quite a few buttons and have them set up to do scrolling, zooming, and a few other misc tasks. I use Steermouse to configure mouse for this kind of thing. Works well.

Thanks stubbsonic and hcmarkus! It’s so important to get stuff setup so when you turn everything on you can just work. Good to read about your setups.