5 things composers *MUST* have before writing a single note

[@mcrafford]

1. Cue Sheet 2. BITC - Burnt In Time Code 3. Split Stereo Mix (ask politely) 4. File Folder Management: Movies (locked & prelocked), Cue Sheets (keep every version), First Sketches (trace your steps), Cues - 1M01, 1M02, etc..., Assemblies, Clips, Scores (if you work that way), Recording Sessions (all folders/files color coded) 5. Templates ready to go to work on your projects. GREAT INFO!!! Thanks so much.

[@composingchef]

Thank you very much for this! For most of my career, I've been composing personal commissions, school projects, and other "non-DAW" type, mostly Sibelius "paper score" music. Well, last year, I got involved with a new TV show, and was hired on as the composer after they heard my stuff. Did the final three episodes of season 1, and, I'm about to start season 2. The only issue they had with my music, was the final sound. Since we didn't have access to real musicians, for various reasons, I just used my Sibelius sounds to give them the final music. After a few tweeks, reverb and whatnot, I kinda made it sound decent. Now going into season 2, the backers of the show had a few request. One was for the music to sound less "computer-y." Enter the DAW. I just upgraded my computer, bought a DAW with a few libraries, and I'm about to jump into this new world of composing, as an old school "pencil to paper" kind of composer. Anyhow, this was a great video to calm my nerves a bit. Thank you. I would have been so lost. I've shared this video with my directors and producers, so, we can all learn together. Thanks again, and, you have a new follower.

[@newdreamsawaken]

Thanks for the insights Geoff. They are clear and down to earth. You are helping me improve. I appreciate the time you dedicate to enriching my experience.

[@tonyr.4778]

1M01- the first number refers to the film reel. This is from older days when films were done on multiple reels. In theatres you may have seen a small for on the screen. This is the cue for the projectionist to start the second projector with the next reel. Some scoring stages still use print reels in the scoring stages. In the older days composers carried around click books, which were conversion tables of 24fps to BPM. The composer would create a click track on the actual film so during the score recording, the click would come from the actual film ( so if projection wasn't calibrated, it will still be in sync).

[@almalaga3924]

i loved the calm way you give advices,mate...thanks for all.

[@MayMcDonough]

Man you have been my godsent over these past few years. thank you for this info and how earnest and comprehensive your info is.

[@luisgallardo1945]

Thanks for putting this together, very generous of you 👍🏻

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

You have NO CLUE how HELPFUL this has been for me, Jack! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am subscribing now, and dumping your videos into my head like Neo Plugging into the Construct to train for the Matrix!

[@mrrussellsmusicaladventure5476]

Love this video! I haven't heard this information anywhere else and it's crucial stuff!

[@darkcisum3384]

I'm not a composer but it's interesting to get some "behind the scenes" information. Nice video! :)

[@ManchesterMusic]

DarkCisum no problem. Happy these have some crossover appeal!

[@colinmitchell6006]

Oh that's how we all start off XD

[@tonyr.4778]

You should also have a stems folder. When you go into a remix session, it's best to have stems such as brass, winds, strings, percussion, synths rather than a stereo mix. Most likely you haven't calibrated your room, monitors or mixing SPL when you made the stereo mix. Also when the sound effects and ambience are added, it is best to have control. For example you may have a cue that is conflicting with the dialog intelligibility and instead of having the remixer turn down all the music, it could just be the strings that are competing in that range and the remixer can EQ the strings and not diminish the other elements. Or maybe the high delicate string part is being masked by wind and needs a boost on the mix without bringing up other tracks. Also good to have EQ curves set in your templates. Cinema theatres have different accoustic characteristics than TV/home. There is what is called an X curve which is the standard frequency curve of Dolby equipped theatres ( basically all). So if your film is to be released in a theatre, it's good to reference your music through this EQ to simulate what it will sound like in a theatre (85dBfs).

[@MargAbbottYou]

Thank you SO much, Geoff, every point is so helpful. Just wish I'd seen this before starting my latest project!!!

[@StarMusik]

I didn't know where to start or what to do practically to launch the aspiration I have had ever since I saw Tangerine Dream at an outdoor concert under a full moon in Scottsdale AZ. I am down with the passion, but was very stuck on how to actually take the first step. This wonderful video that you have so generously made has given me not only structure in which to continue on this path forward, it has also strangely enough made me feel once again energized and motivated because of that structure. Simple and straight forward. Thank you for helping us out. New subscriber I am. :)

[@ManchesterMusic]

Yeah!

[@iseeu-fp9po]

Thank you for this informative video. Also: you have an incredibly soothing speaking voice. It's very relaxing to hear you speak. :)

[@tristanpaxton51]

Just discovered your channel. It's awesome and I appreciate it so much!!

[@glowwormband]

Hey Geoff! Just wanted to say I found this super useful and thoughtful. Hope you make more videos on film scoring.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Kevin Davis very much appreciate this Kevin! Thanks. Hopefully more tutorials coming soon on this topic

[@TomaszKisaazywiec]

Great video Jeff. Thanks for that. Greetings from Poland :)

[@JayPmare]

Great advice and delivery Geoff. Joined today and already hogged out on a few episodes. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. All the best with your future projects.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Jean Pierre Mare my pleasure :)

[@LuukSwinkels]

I am a composer as well. You can check my channel iff you like. Sorry if you dont like these kind of advertisements.

[@Arsshedrin]

Thank you so much for these incredibly important concepts. I want to operate and eventually come across as a professional composer to myself and to clients, so these 5 things will definitely boost any composer few levels higher.

[@Harrysound]

Interesting information there. Too the point I like it. I’m probably not who it’s aimed at but it’s handy to know all the same

[@ChrisLeeProducer]

I always end up having directors tell me "just do your thing" because they don't want to fill out the cue sheet or they don't understand anything about music. That's always been hard for me, because I don't eant to lose the gig but it puts so much more work on me. So frustrating sometimes.

[@AndrewColyerMusic]

Hey Geoff, this was great! I'm pretty organized by nature, but this is really helpful. I will be using all of these tips not only for film work, but also in writing/recording with rock band projects. Thank you so much!

[@ManchesterMusic]

Hey dude. Thanks for the kind words!

[@Gamma_Radiation]

Thank you so much. i'm writing a play for my school and I have to wrote the script, set design, make costumes, ans write music. I'm screwed but i have until summer ends 😳

[@PedroPlanas777]

You seem to be a good leader in the deep of you bro, keep it going and always keep learning.

[@Fex.]

Thank you! Just about to start my first movie project and this certainly helpee a lot!

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Artifex 28 my pleasure!

[@seanhembree6154]

Thank you Geoff, your videos have been extremely helpful to me. I'm going to send you a mix to review on the Vodkast soon. Keep up the videos.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Sean Hembree awesome. Thanks so much for saying so!

[@MagicianPrestoDC]

thank you ! very interesting !

[@tusharlall02]

Good Stuff Man!

[@LuukSwinkels]

I am a composer as well. You can check my channel iff you like. Sorry if you dont like these kind of advertisements.

[@tintianoTV]

Very useful! Thank you!

[@danieljohnjune]

Cheers Geoff, cracking advice mate!

[@ManchesterMusic]

danieljohnjune thank you British fan!

[@DavidWhiteJazz]

Super helpful. Thank you for posting this.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+David White my pleasure

[@timjuillet]

Very informative.. An aspiring film composer here.

[@ManchesterMusic]

Thanks Tim!

[@LuukSwinkels]

I am a composer as well. You can check my channel iff you like. Sorry if you dont like these kind of advertisements.

[@thienkimhoang554]

Thank you so much, I learnt from this a lot of valuable​ pieces of information.

[@EGP-Hub]

Brilliant. Thank you for all the information.👍

[@jonforest7796]

Nice tips, Thanks! I would have thought that contracts would have been a good one to talk about. Eg Exclusive, Non-exclusive, provisions of service etc. Any chance you making a video about this? Cheers

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Jon Forest ....possibly

[@manololiuzzi688]

very useful video! I'd like to know how you manage with the tempo sync of the movie. do you do it by yourself or there's a music editor that does this stuff before? thanks!

[@ipsinghification]

I have lined up all your videos and doing a massive binge session , even i have '😁"E.S.L.C.S" 'Excessive Sample Library Collection Syndrome'

[@anonagain]

I call it SLAD - Sample Library Acquisition Disorder. ;-)

[@CybreSmee]

Thanks mate, great vid.

[@Thedisciplemike]

Thank you so much for this info it helps a lot!

[@LuukSwinkels]

I am a composer as well. You can check my channel iff you like. Sorry if you dont like these kind of advertisements.

[@uchiha_fan_1018]

thx bro u da best

[@d_s_ctube]

Great advice dude.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+D_ S_C appreciate it dude

[@ashnaura]

You have my gratitude Geoff. This is so very useful.

[@erickleiter5931]

Thanks for the video I am also a composer but at this point I only write for myself, hoping to get my music performed someday, but I would like to get involved with some film work. Your video was very well done and even my fiance who knows about music but can't write it, could follow you. Right now I type my scores into Finale which has built into it the Garritan sound library and for my audio/video setup i have Sony Vegas Pro. I realize these are a little behind the times, as they're both from 2012 and as Ive gathered from watching various you tube tutorials most film composers are using Logic, Pro Tools, and Final cut pro. However, I believe i have enough to get started and I'm rather quick on both the platforms that I use. I would love any type of input or assessment of my situation that you have the time to give. I'm in the process of setting up a facebook group page for my music. I'm currently writing a piece for Wind Quintet scoring is my passion in life I've been doing it for 12 years now, but as i said I'm very interested in getting into film work, how did you get your first film job?

[@MeditationZen]

loving your channel mate; im learning the scoring side of things but dont have much to work with visually. Any suggestions for dummy footage?

[@forestgod1845]

Thank you :)

[@philunseld]

thanks man!

[@KTSpeedruns]

Well... I expected this to be general, but it's mostly movie based. I'm writing video game music. Hopefully I'll find some way to transfer these ideas over.

[@ManchesterMusic]

It’s all the same stuff dude. It all applies. Composing is composing imho.

[@AndraDare]

Super newbie question: do you deliver a your cues mastered of unmastered? One of my songs was placed in a movie, and they wanted the track unmastered since they were doing their own mastering. Is it a different story when composing for an entire film? It seems they'd want to master the entire sound track together, including the music? Just starting down this path; thanks for your help!

[@melitacollins3]

Thanks heaps for the video! It's so helpful to learn these sorts of practical industry skills. I was wondering if I could please have your opinion about freelancing websites... I was having a look at UpWork the other day, and my overall impression was that the service was fantastic for the clients, but not so much for the producers. Everyone was bidding their rates down just to get the job, so in the end the freelancer who was lucky enough to get the job was working for an extremely reduced price. Do you think that freelancing websites like this are an integral part of the composers work, and I will have to bite the bullet, or that I can avoid these particular sites and focus on securing work through other online and physical avenues? Thank you! (Context: music composition student, just starting to look into revenue streams, Australia).

[@johnnmusic]

Hey Geoff, so glad to have found your channel, your advice is essential and really appreciated. Just curious - do you find that directors/producers/main contacts stay away from cloud-based materials to keep track of cues/budgeting/etc? I currently use (password protected) Google Sheets and Google Drive to spec out projects and share assets, what's been your experience with this kind of data tracking?

[@ManchesterMusic]

+John Norman hey there. Thanks for the kind words! Varies project to project. Usually there's a cue sheet that's changing a lot and it's a document that we share and update via Dropbox. Have used Sheets/Google Docs a few times too. But typically it's Dropbox to share assets and, believe it or not, a Facebook group chat to go back and forth on feedback of cues.

[@criddycriddy]

Thanks ... interesting

[@Welcome_To_Life]

Thanks for this video! After the picture is locked how much time do you normally get to finish the music? Let's say the film is 100 minutes.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+springfield Fam it depends on the producers. Usually it's always a tight schedule. I've had anything from 2 weeks to 1.5 months to complete drafts/mastered cues.

[@jonathanparham]

thanks helpful

[@willfrank961]

Why do you vary between Logic, Pro Tools and Ableton? Thanks for the tips! I can see it helping a lot in the future.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Will Frank it's nice to change it up. Pro tools for mixing. Ableton for ideas, Logic for film music.

[@derryetkins634]

Hello! Do I understand you correctly, that you compose in one DAW and "assemble" in another? Is it, that one DAW is better at one aspect than another? Thanx!

[@manny6911]

As far as CPU and storage for sound libraries, what would you suggest for someone just starting out?

[@drhoust]

hey nice speakers bru!

[@MayMcDonough]

Also. Bob forgive if they whip out their microbudget

[@andynb914]

Hi Geoff! I was just wondering, is Pro Tools industry standard for the timecoding etc.. or can I do it all in Logic Pro X? Why is it you use Pro Tools? Thanks.

[@ManchesterMusic]

+NB B force of habit. PT is indeed the industry standard but you can use smpte in any number of DAWs. You can likely do it all In Logic, PT, Reaper, Cubase, Etc.

[@andynb914]

Manchester Music Great, thanks very much for replying!

[@woozzwoo]

I wish i can be a composer but i think i cannot x'))))) btw tq for this!! =>

[@darsh6322]

Hey...I was planning on buying a Laptop for my personal scoring......Which one should I select?( I prefer Windows over Apple!)

[@ManchesterMusic]

Going on brand alone I’m not really sure I’d be of much help. I’ve been on Macs most of my life but I’ve heard good things about Lenovo.

[@darsh6322]

Manchester Music yeah well I already have a Lenovo yoga but was thinking of a new one...What Ram would you suggest, mine has 8gb and till now it is working good, plus I am planning on getting a Forscuite Scarlett as well...but is that good for big projects, in case I reach a point where I could get them? Also, I am in high school, and want to do a majors in Composition or maybe Music Theory....so should I invest in Kontakt and it's libraries right now or wait and study and practice before buying all the VSTs...as they sure are expensive! Edit: I mean being a beginner, should I start buying VSTs, or do you like get them while studying or on the go or something?

[@ManchesterMusic]

Minimum 16GB in RAM. With a computer, spend more than you need so you have a computer that can outperform for a long time. No need to go with Kontakt. Composer cloud by EWQL gives you everything for 30 bucks a month. Kontakt is nice too. An interface is easy to buy from anywhere, music shop, Amazon. Scarlett is a good bet.

[@darsh6322]

Manchester Music thanks

[@lydiakrifka-dobes3710]

I am a 17 year old musician. I am planing to study acoustics/composing at the University of the Arts/ Technical Uni in Berlin. What's a descent recording device that you would recommend? I would use it to record my (talking) voice for visual poems/ violin pieces/ and piano compositions. Any suggestions? -Greetings from the Prague Music Conservatory (:

[@ManchesterMusic]

+Pear Of A Girl I would wholly recommend the same mic I use for the channel which is the AT2020usbi microphone. No phantom power required, plugs right into an iDevice via lightning connector (meaning as long as I have my phone I can record anywhere I am), USB compatible too. Only problem: it ain't cheap, but having used it for a year with no problems I couldn't be more happy with it. I've used it to record instruments, vocals and even foley. Good luck and greetings from Toronto.

[@lydiakrifka-dobes3710]

Thanks a lot for that recommendation! I heard about it multiple times before. I also heard a lot of good reviews of the Blue Yeti. Are you familiar with it? If so...which one would you prefer?

[@ManchesterMusic]

Pear Of A Girl i have no experience with the yeti but it's a big favourite. I'd do some comparisons to see which sounds better. Check for KZbin vids comparing the two or see what your local music shop has to say regarding each.

[@lydiakrifka-dobes3710]

May I ask...is it definitely recommendable/necessary to buy an audio interface along with the AT2020 standard version or is it not really needed as it can be directly connected via USB/lightening cable and then finally manipulate the sound using my DAW (in my case-Abelton Live). (I am aware of the fact that a USB microphone is a mic that contains an audio interface). Also, do you own the AT2020 Pro or the standard version? Which one do you recommend? If I get the standard version, probably would be more practical to also have an audio interface...to manipulate on the spot. I am a student wanting to record visual poems and solo violin/ piano pieces. So I am assuming that an extra audio interface is not needed. But I am assuming that it's one of those things I might get some time in the future when my compositions will require multiple mic inputs and I'll be using a wide range of recording equipment. My best friend owns a push 2. I assume I will be working on recordings using the push and also this AT2020 to record my voice for the pieces.

[@lydiakrifka-dobes3710]

And what software do you use on your phone when you plug in your AT2020?

[@arun_k_ramachandran]

You look like Christopher Hitchens

[@drhoust]

are you using Logic this year for composing, or still ableton?

[@ManchesterMusic]

+David Houston erm, I'm still using Ableton for production but for composition it's Logic all the way.

[@drhoust]

Okay cool man... when you say "for Production" what do you mean exactly?

[@ManchesterMusic]

+David Houston I see. If I'm making dance music or working on sample based stuff or just messing around I use Ableton. But if I'm scoring to picture it's Logic.

[@maxdidanceanime3952]

ace

[@lydiakrifka-dobes3710]

What mike u using?

[@ManchesterMusic]

AT2020usbi

[@Ritermann]

KZbin Creators: If you gonna do a "5 Things" on something, you HAVE TO list a playlist at least in the description. I mean youtube exists over 10 Years now and people still don't get how it works. You are a professional and should work like one. These Videos otherwise have a "Family Video" wipe to it. :/ Also, come way quicker to the point. Nobody wants to listen to you too much. People want to learn and don't need introductions and stories and so on. Thanks

[@ManchesterMusic]

Why is your name August 24th?

[@Ritermann]

One of those Nicknames on the world wide web.

[@ManchesterMusic]

Gotcha. Well, as to your previous comment all I can say it that you can’t please everyone. I appreciate your feedback but this channel wouldn’t work if I tailored my videos to some kind of style of self presentation consistent with how everyone else expressed themselves on KZbin. My advice to you would be to adjust the speed settings of playback if you find the presenter isn’t get to a point quickly enough.

[@Ritermann]

It is not about expressing you or anyone else. It is about the Type of Video. Talking about Fashion or your daily life is different to what this specific Video wants to say. As I said, This is more of an educational Video. Would it be so hard to mark the "Chapters" in the Video and list them in the description? I find the Information really good. My Suggestion is just, to "speed things up" so it is more "comfortable" to watch. Do whatever you want with that information. ;)

[@ManchesterMusic]

I think I’ll keep things just as they are. Merry Christmas.

[@PeterPiklMusic]

Thank you for that ex girlfriend comment, haha... and the other stuff was also super helpful. Thanks man ;)