Film Score

music · movies · storytelling

Made for Movies. A film score is original music that a composer writes specifically to go with a movie or TV show. It's not just playing any music in the background, but carefully created pieces that match exactly what's happening on screen.

Perfectly Timed Cues. The score is made up of lots of shorter pieces called cues that start and stop at exact moments during the film. A composer has to know exactly when to bring in sad music, exciting music, or quiet music to make you feel what the characters are feeling.

Teamwork with Directors. Composers work closely with the film's director or producer to understand what feelings and mood each scene needs. The director and composer collaborate to make sure the music tells the right part of the story.

Performed by Musicians. Once the music is written, an orchestra or band performs it, often with soloists and singers added in. A sound engineer records all these musicians to create the final score you hear in the movie.

More than Just Movies. While film scores are most famous in movies, composers also write similar music for TV shows, video games, and live theatre, though that music sometimes gets called the soundtrack or incidental music instead.