Film Composition Technology | Film Scoring Toolbox with Chris Lennertz | DAW Programs | Music

Film composer Chris Lennertz talks about becoming a jack of all trades when you’re first starting out writing music for film. He shares how in order to get a job, it is important to say yes, no matter what, and if there’s something you don’t know, there’s a value in learning on the spot, whether it’s a new technology or software. If you don’t have this opportunity in a professional setting, he suggests giving yourself a reason to figure out a new technique by picking a scene from one your favorite films and giving it a whole new sound. Lennertz recommends learning all the DAWs that you can, because if you know the one that a film composer uses, they’ll be more likely to hire you.

ABOUT CHRIS LENNERTZ:
Composer Chris Lennertz has written music for an eclectic mix of storytellers, including Steven Spielberg, Seth Rogen, Mark Ruffalo, J.J. Abrams, and more. His scores can be heard on the big screen as well as the small screen in shows such as “Supernatural,” for which he was nominated for an Emmy, Marvel’s “Agent Carter,” and for shows on Amazon and Netflix. Chris has collaborated with artists including Pearl Jam, No Doubt, the Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews Band, Sheila E., and more. Chris is also one of the most in-demand composers for video games with hits like “Medal of Honor,” “James Bond,” and “The Godfather.”

About Berklee Online:
Founded in 2002, Berklee Online is the premier innovator and largest provider of worldwide music education, offering the renowned curriculum of Berklee College of Music at a fraction of the cost through award-winning programming and instruction. Contact an Academic Advisor today:
1-866-BERKLEE (US)
1-617-747-2146 (international callers)

Chris Lennertz | Christopher Lennertz | Film Composer | Film Score | Video Game Composer | Berklee College of Music | Berklee Online | Television Composer | TV Composer | Amazon | Netflix | Kevin Hart | Steven Spielberg | Medal of Honor | Seth Rogen | Sausage Party | Mark Ruffalo | Thanks for Sharing | J.J. Abrams | Revolution | Horrible Bosses | Bad Moms | Supernatural | Agent Carter | Marvel | Galavant | Musical | Ugly Dolls

[sorry]

That's how I learned how to use a multitrack recorder I downloaded the manual page by page and I learned how to use it I was up all night 🤓 thank you so much for the interview 😊

[yishihara]

I would argue that most modern media "composers" aren't actually composers at all. They fall more under the category of sound designers, experimentalists, and, dare I say, noodlers. If DAWs didn't exist, 95% of these people would be out of the business. DAWs allow people to "Frankenstein" things together as they play with their "digital Legos." There are things that become second nature to real musicians over the years that are simply foreign to the digital Lego people. For example, there is no possible way for someone who has just sat at a DAW most of their life to tell me that they are a better orchestrator than I am when I've been playing in numerous bands, orchestras, chamber ensembles, etc. since the 80s. So much has reached our subconscious, so we intuitively know what works, which combinations of instruments sound horrible in unison, general ranges of the instruments, and what actually works in the physical world. Some moron on YouTube who is confused thinking that she's "Joan Williams" wrote one hour's worth of tremolo parts for the strings while playing with her digital Legos. At the scoring stage, they told her, "Look, we can't do this anymore." Ignorance like that could potentially result in serious injuries that could have lasting effects on musicians. There is no substitute for real-life experience. How can you claim to be a champion swimmer when you have never jumped into a pool? It's simply not possible. People are using DAWs as a crutch to find out what might work rather than simply hearing it in advance. Since I have perfect pitch, I can actively tell myself, "Imagine the Principal Oboist playing a legato passage in this range, in this specific character, etc." I can also hear particular soloists in my mind as well or imagine the CSO's brass from their golden era under Reiner. Yet people like me are blocked from the business because many of you DAW people are like bulldozers. You don't know what you don't know, so you assume that you are armed with actual skills and then go and somehow get your foot in the door shamelessly working your connections. Unfortunately most directors and producers know nothing about music, so if you are a good talker or someone with strong industry connections since Uncle Bob supplies light bulbs to a major lighting director, it's only a matter of time before you will get in the door and start working, even if it's a bunch of really small projects at first.

The other major thing that's missing is the actual performance aspect. Dear God, if it's a big budget production where the digital Legos are transformed into parts, guess what? The live players end up sounding like digital Legos! It's a complete waste of money. Might as well install MIDI ports into the players' heads! And I have to laugh when a media composer counters by saying, "Well we have CC data, dude." Well that's just adding fuel to the fire because if you have never played an instrument at a very high level, then what the hell do you know about proper phrasing? The phrasing needs to be INTEGRATED! You can't just use a variety of CC data as a substitute. I've seen the CC data of some "big" LA composers and laughed my butt off because they just drew in whatever just to add some variety (excuse me, but....AHAHAHAHAHA). No, it doesn't work like that. A lot of the phrasing is already implied based on the melodic lines and harmonic movement. You can't arbitrarily go to your MIDI editor and draw in swells (well you can but it will just sound bad). All that tells real musicians is this: "I don't know what the hell I'm doing." Yet many of you working media "composers" act larger than life. If you are at some industry event and John Williams comes over and asks what you do, you should say, "I'm a professional barista, " because the gap is so wide that it's beyond ridiculous. This goes for you as well, Hans.