Subjects

The programme follows a threefold structure divided into:
1. Technical
2. Drama - Theoretical & Practical
3. Scoring - Theoretical & Practical

In order to reproduce their scores and synchronize them with the movie fragments, all scores for the assigned films of the practical part should be produced with MIDI equipment. For students less experienced in the use of MIDI equipment, the Technical part functions as a preparatory step for the Practical lessons. It involves acquiring certain technical skills in the sound studio that are necessary to be able to start working on the assigned films. During these lessons, the students will work on learning essential aspects of equipment as well as programmes that are commonly used in film music industry.

Students who have experience in composition and orchestration may submit samples of their work for evaluation in order to be exempt from part or all of the preparatory stage of the programme. Samples will consist of CD and/or appropriate transcripts.

Theoretical

The theoretical part involves the analysis of films focusing on music scores, aiming at study and awareness of music functionality as well as the role of music in the communication of meanings and emotions in different film categories.The film corpus is distributed in categories in such a way as to address different narrative styles and different modes of representation in the cinema. Each category involves two films, the first one to be analyzed in class and the second one to be analyzed by the students as a homework assignment once the first one is concluded during the lessons.

Practical

Identification / Spotting / Sketching / Creating a Temp-track* The students will be given an assigned film and will be working on the identification of different moods and spotting of important moments by making a sketch of music cues throughout the whole film.* The next step involves selecting stock music from the Composing for Film workgroup section at the CvA library, matching the music cues and editing them on the film as a temp-track.

Composing Themes & Motives
* This second stage involves learning how to deal with film as a unity. In this context, simple themes/motifs will be composed to accommodate the selected music cues decided upon during the previous stage. Themes may be built around specific a) character(s), b) mood(s), c) idea(s) / situation(s) and will further provide the main thematic / motivic material of the assigned film (See 3. Scoring - Practical).

Theoretical

Arrangement & Development
Several film scores will be analyzed in context of different thematic approaches.  Example of film score analysis dealt with during the theoretical part: Bernard Hermann's Vertigo: breakdown / analysis of the score, deconstruction of thematic material and study of the ways of development of its motivic material.
Readers, powerpoints and musical written scores will be used during the lessons to facilitate a multilayered understanding of the different issues that will be approached. The students will be expected to watch the films intended to be studied in class beforehand, in order to not only be aware of the plot but also of different mood settings, turning points and layers of meaning.

Practical

Assigned Film
As a next stage to the Drama - Practical, students will proceed to work under the supervision and guidance of the teacher on actual scoring. This will be done progressively on three different levels which will all involve:
* learning to work from certain thematic/motivic material adjusting and arranging it for different purposes
* learning how to make choices with respect to rhythm, harmony and instrumentation
* learning how to extract motivic material from a basic main theme and to build upon it.

1. Scoring for isolated film fragments
Learning to deal with diverse moods and score accordingly for assigned film fragments addressing different dramatic settings. Students will be asked to score for assigned fragments from various films and they will be expected to produce MIDI recordings of these scores, ready for synchronization with the assigned fragments. After completion, all results of the same assigned film fragment will be evaluated in class. This way, the students will learn from each other's approach while at the same time they will experience a simulated situation of evaluating scoring results with a director.

2. Scoring for fragments within film context
This next stage addresses a more unified approach towards film where film fragments are treated as part of a filmic context and not as isolated units. Various films that have been dealt with during the Drama - Practical will be re-addressed for the purposes of working on thematic development and arrangement with the goal of producing scoring results that are interrelated both musically and dramatically within their filmic context. This practical will be a preparatory stage for the final exam of the master's degree programme.

3. Scoring for NFTA students film projects
Under the supervision of teachers involved, students will partake at an early stage in short film projects by NFTA students. This will help them develop a deeper understanding of constructive collaboration relative to other film disciplines.

4. Scoring for an Assigned Final Exam Film
During the last semester of the programme, the students will be assigned a complete film including sound (dialogue & sound effects). This will be the main material for their final exam, for which they will have to compose a full film score.