ACTION MID INTENSITY

COMPOSITION

Harmony Melody
Plays a central role to set the tone/mood Mostly in minor modes
N

of the scene Follow closely the harmonic material

O

Usually in minor modes Repeated chord tones and

Moves slowly. Sustained pedals and slow chord arpeggiations are common
I

changes are common More motivic than thematic

T

Triads with added notes are frequent Enhance the dissonant note in the harmony
Dissonances and clusters* are welcomed
I

Frequent use of distant chord progressions

N

Tempo and Rhythm Orchestration

I

Rhythmic activity is a central element Fast ostinatos are primarily performed with
F

staccato strings
Tempo is typically around 105 BPM, but
E

can range from 95 BPM to 160 BPM Fast continuous patterns are frequently found
in woodwinds - using dovetailing technique
Mostly utilize continuous 1/8 notes,
D

1/16 notes or triplets, making the subdivisions Commonly utilizes accented figures in
range from 190 to 380 subdivisions the percussions
per minute Commonly utilizes sustained brass lines
E

Repeated chord tones and arpeggiation Commonly utilizes sustained chord in

are common, especially when the chord trombone section
L

progression is slow or static.

Low register is emphasized:
Y

Typically in 4/4
a) densed chords are favored
Meter changes possible but not frequent (closed voicings)
T

b) minor triads in low register are frequent

S

You may wanna slow down the tempo.

I recommend recording the notes
M O T O R

(not imputing them one by one)

1. Create the main pulse (record 4/8 bars)
2. Move the notes so they are aligned
w/ the grid
T H E

3. Quantize at around 60%

4. Quantize the first note 100%
NOTE: This style is action mid-intensity.
5. Cut the beginning and ending and make
C R E A T I N G

a 4/8 bars midi region that you can duplicate This music may go under dialogue. Don’t
expand each element (dynamics, range,
6. Start adding complexity (rhythmical and
orchestration, etc) to the max (ie. keep it
textural) to the simple main pulse
(tip: some time it’s hard to perform what you mp-mf, keep the register or the motor
hear in your head. Sing it out loud first) around the middle C, etc)

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 ACTION MID INTENSITY
COMPOSITION

Sketch the main chord/harmony The motor is everything (here’s where

- keep it simple you may want to spend your
Set the right tempo “composer” time ;)

Create the motor Tightness is crucial. (Make sure each

T R I C K S
pulse is perfectly in synch… it can get
S T E P

Start adding some layers on top. a bit tricky with synths and orchestral
Have fun! instruments… use your ear and the L-R
trick)
B Y

Half speed for fast staccatos. (record

just the 1/8th notes and duplicate the

&
16ths)
S T E P

T I P S
Don’t add more and more (make it
reacher instead… think timbre and
reuse motives)

Short UNBALANCE (but don’t

overdo it)

Brass swells

Low brass long notes (or chords)*

T O P

High strings fragmented short

M O T O R

melodies (motives)

Short brass melodies (motivic)

O N

Strings swells or long notes (sus,

trem, trills)
E L E M E N T S

*Low brass chords: you can use closed voicing for a

T H E

Call and response elements darker effect. Usually we will have opened voicings in the
low register and closed voicings in the high register. In this
Random percussive and/or
orchestral accents case though, closed voicings in the low register for brass
O F

instruments (ie 12 horns section performing a C minor

Electric guitars chord in their lowest register)

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COMPOSITION

Any musical passage can have up to five elements. These are not layers. They are more like musical components.
They can either be combined or not. The five elements are:
I N S P I R A T I O N

1. Direction 2. Movement
Anything that creates a tendency. Something An aspect of the music that creates flow or
that leads from point A to point B (a melody, a action (a rhythmic pattern, ostinato, harmonic
harmonic progression that creates more progression that repeats/modulates, call and
tension as it progresses, increasing/decreasing response between instruments or families, etc).
orchestration density or thickness, etc). This element creates motion and also aids in
This element makes the listener feel like the music creating direction.
is progressing from one point to another.

3. Background (Glue) 4. Enhancer

A N D

Anything that sits behind in the mix. It will usually Something that intensifies, augments or develops
be something that is not obvious, but it is there, a musical idea, helps connect sections, or adds
and you can tell when it is missing. This element sparkle and “ear candy” (textural flourishes like
M O M E N T U M

fills in the gaps and helps join the different runs, scales, and trills, woodwinds fluttering
musical ideas together. around behind a soaring melody, cymbal or
timpani roll swells, etc).

5. Bass
Anything that adds an extra low end. The contemporary modern orchestral sound requires an extra layer
of a solid, compact and controlled low end. It is important that you are able to create it. We have many
resources available like low synths, electric basses, sub-boom percussion hits, and well-recorded or
sampled double basses.

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