Music Theory and Scoring for Film
A course by Juan Dussán & Alex Wakim , Music Producers and Composers
Joined February 2022
Learn how to score a film collaboratively, using your music to convey a feeling and tell the story.
Learn how to score a film collaboratively, using your music to convey a feeling and tell the story.
A brilliant film score can make or break a film. It sets the scene for happiness, sadness, tension, and everything in between. Juan Dussán and Alex Wakim specialize in writing and producing music for a wide range of narrative films, advertisements, and shows. For them, scoring isn’t just about the music but the collaboration. Music helps tell the story, not drive it —making communication with your team of creatives essential.
In this online course, Juan and Alex teach how to incorporate a collaborative approach to your film scoring. You will learn how to create music from start to finish, all the while communicating with your fellow creatives. Discover the fundamental tools and knowledge to develop modern and original music ideas!
What will you learn in this online course?
25 lessons & 26 downloads
- 97% positive reviews (75)
- 4,961 students
- 25 lessons (6h 5m)
- 26 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
The final project consists of scoring a 2-minute music cue for a scene. Using an original sonic signature, you will write, revise, orchestrate, record, and mix.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Students with a rudimentary knowledge of music and music production, with an interest in visual mediums and who are looking to take the first step in combining the two.
Requirements and materials
To follow this course, you will need DAW software like Logic Pro X, a notation program like Dorico, virtual instruments or sample libraries, MIDI Keyboard (or an alternative), a fader port, headphones or studio monitors, and music paper.
Basic software skills are also required, as well as familiarity with keyboard or alternative writing tools.
Reviews
A course by Juan Dussán & Alex Wakim
Juan Dussán is a New York-based film composer. Since he was a young child learning the piano, he knew he was destined for a career in the arts. He graduated with a Master’s in Composition studies at New York University and has since worked on over 30 films as a composer, including Francesca Scorcese’s Crimson Ties, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, and Wells Watson Jr’s short film Wendigo.
Alex Wakim is a New-York based composer. He has worked on a wide variety of projects, from films to video games. He scored the Sony game Horison Forbidden West alongside Oleksa Lozowchuk. His music for the documentary film Glen Eden has been screened at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. It has been heard through the festival circuit at Raindance Film Festival, Doc NYC, Vail Film Festival, the Arab Film Fest, Tallgrass Film Festival, and more.
Juan and Alex co-founded an advertising music storytelling house called Dekatu Scoring. They have worked on commercials for Air Company, Hourglass Cosmetics, and ILIA Beauty.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Us
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Influences
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U2
The Idea of Scoring Film
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What It Means to Score Picture 1
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What It Means to Score Picture 2
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Linking Music and Film
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Modern Scoring Techniques
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Different Roles 1
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Different Roles 2
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Working with a DAW 1
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Working with a DAW 2
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U3
Getting Ready to Score the Scene
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Collaboration with a Filmmaker
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Preparing to Write 1
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Preparing to Write 2
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Composing from a Chord 1
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Composing from a Chord 2
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Composing from a Sound 1
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Composing from a Sound 2
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U4
Developing the Composition
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Getting Revisions and Cue Approval
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Cleaning Up for Orchestration 1
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Cleaning Up for Orchestration 2
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Enhancing the Cue 1
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Enhancing the Cue 2
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Editing and Mixing 1
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Editing and Mixing 2
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Finalizing the Cue and Exporting
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FP
Final project
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Film Scoring: Create Music with a Collaborative Approach
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
jorgen402
Gran curso!
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ali_vargas_media
PlusUna linda y útil introducción a la producción de banda sonora.
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andrewauric
Plusvery good! simple and inspirational..
saxoclasic
great curse!
ezequiassn
PlusCurso leve, fluído, com uma abordagem maravilhosa em cada etapa do processo de film scoring.
É de nivel Iniciante, mas com uma riqueza enorme nos detalhes apresentados.
Abordam aspectos e conceitos sobre a arte (além da parte técnica), que muitas das vezes passam despercebidos mesmo por grande profissionais que dominam a arte da composição.
Curti cada etapa, obrigado Juan e Alex!
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