film scoring
Composing cinema soundtracks
Film scoring is the art and craft of composing original music for movies.
The score accompanies and enhances the visual narrative—building tension, signaling emotion, establishing setting.
A film scorer works closely with directors to create music that serves the story without overwhelming it: John Williams's film scoring for Jaws made two notes terrifying.
- leitmotifRecurring thematic phrase
- love themeRecurring romantic melody
- orchestrationScoring for instrumental ensemble
- brass sectionOrchestra's wind-blown metal instruments
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
synthesizer · cue sheet · hit points · musical cues · tension · chase scene · Hans Zimmer · main title · end credits · underscore · session musician · string section · counterpoint · soundtrack · modulation · sound engineer · melancholy · nostalgia
- film musicsoundtrack, movie soundtrack, underscore, background music, incidental music
- music majorsmusic education, music performance, composition, music theory, vocal performance
- music termsmelody, tempo, rhythm, harmony, beat
- amateur mediahome movies, home videos, family videos, DIY videos, student films
- music artalbum cover, sheet music, concert poster, album artwork, band posters
- musicologymusicology, music history, music theory, ethnomusicology, music criticism
film scoringimprovisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
jam session · free jazz · live performance · concert performance · jazz improvisation