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Media Composition & Orchestration at ThinkSpace Education - UCAS

ThinkSpace Education

Degree level: Postgraduate
Awarded by: University of Chichester

Media Composition & Orchestration (Taught)

Course options

2024 - 2025
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Media Composition & Orchestration is for composers looking for a comprehensive preparation for a career scoring film, TV and games. You will learn to work in almost every sector of the media using a range of compositional techniques from live orchestral scoring to sound design and hybrid compositional techniques. This course gives you the skills needed to reach the top in media scoring, including a live orchestral session with a 50-piece orchestra and multiple chances to write for solo instrumentalists. During this comprehensive Master of Fine Arts degree course, you will cover the skills taught in both our MA Professional Media Composition and MA Orchestration for Films, Games, and Television degree courses. This course will give you all the technical and creative skills needed to realise your music as both professional grade sampled mock-ups and prepare them for live orchestra - all in the context of scoring for linear media music. You will learn to write for live players and prepare scores for live orchestral sessions, as well as building core DAW skills and learning what’s required of a professional media composer and orchestrator. On this course, you will learn:

  • To write music that today’s market wants to buy.
  • The technical aspects of writing to picture, including spotting the film, working with hit points and markers, and responding to feedback by professional composers.
  • To develop a unique voice of your own so you can stand out from the crowd.
  • Composition for orchestra - creating and orchestrating awe-inspiring live and sampled orchestral film, TV and games music.
  • Sampled instrument techniques, including skills like creating and balancing your template, instrument placement, use of reverb, and using controllers to enhance realism and orchestral mixing.
  • Live orchestral session skills, including preparing a session-ready Pro Tools project and scores for live performers.
Our teaching staff and mentors are all current working professionals, many involved at the highest level in the business. Here are a few of the many who will be giving you individual feedback, either in writing, during weekly one to one mentoring sessions, or at the student workshops. This doesn’t include visiting lecturers - these are the people doing the teaching. Media composition and orchestration credits include:
  • Justice League
  • Rocket and Groot
  • Invincible Iron Man
  • Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
  • The Thing
  • Alien vs Predator
  • Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
  • Batman: Arkham Origins
  • Splinter Cell
  • Planet Earth
They work for almost every major film and game studio, TV networks and production companies including Disney, Dreamworks, Marvel, Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros, Sky, BBC, ITV, NBC, ABC and many others.

Modules

Your course falls into twelve modules plus a final major project which lasts three months. Each module focuses on a different area of media composition and orchestration, while at the same time developing specific compositional, technical and business skills. Writing in Styles Writing to a Brief Research Skills and Critical Reflection *Elective 1 Orchestration 1 Session Preparation Orchestration 2 *Elective 2 Final Major Project or Dissertation *Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

  • Orchestration in Practice
  • Advanced Composition
  • Career Development for Musicians
  • Composing for Drama
  • Musical Sound Design
  • Composition: Telling Stories
  • Sampled Orchestration
  • Music Editing
- Contemporary Game Composition

Assessment method

For the vast majority of the course, you will be entirely graded on your practical ability. All assignments come with written write-ups where you will detail your approach. Each module will have at least one 'Formative' assignment, which is considered research and practice for the final 'Summative' assignment, which will be your final grade for that module. All Summative assignments are marked at least twice.

Entry requirements

Applicants are required to have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in any subject. A limited number of places are available for non-degree holders (See website for more details).

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

Sponsorship information

ThinkSpace Education tries to provide exceptional value to all students both in the UK and the rest of the world. Our fee structure is extremely competitive and, as such, does not allow us as much room for bursaries or scholarships as some providers. However, on occasion, we do award part scholarships to exceptionally talented applicants, particularly those from disadvantaged or under-represented groups, to help them fulfil their potential. If you would like to be considered, please make this clear in your application by filling in the accompanying 'Bursary Application Form'.

Media Composition & Orchestration at ThinkSpace Education - UCAS