This fully updated and complete guide takes you inside the world of creating music for film, television, and—unique to this third edition—video games. Industry expert Jeff Rona addresses a wide range of topics including musical aesthetics, cutting-edge technology and techniques, and current business aspects.
It is packed with interviews with the most influential film, television, and video game composers, along with music editors, music supervisors, agents, contractors and studio executives. Packed with insider’s tips, the book also advises on how to nurture positive relationships within your creative team and business contacts.
Includes interviews with John Williams, Carter Burwell, James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, Mark Isham, Basil Poledouris, Ludwig Göransson, Marc Shaiman, John Powell, Wendy and Lisa, Joseph Trapanese, and Michael Giacchino. The book addresses:
The Creative Process
Making good musical choices
The psychology of a good score
Continuity and contrast, economy and musicality
The importance of styles
Technology
The best gear for film, TV and video game scoring
Home studio design
Synchronization
Mixing for film, TV and video game scoring
Career
Getting started
Industry politics
Demoing and finances
For the aspiring film, TV or video game composer, this book is a veritable cornucopia of useful information for pursuing scoring to picture as a career.
Jeff Rona is an accomplished and award-winning contemporary composer for film, TV, and video games, as well as a recording artist and producer. He has scored dozens of film and television projects with legendary filmmakers including Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Wong Kar-wai, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, Mark Pellington, Stephen Hopkins, Jonathan Demme, Frank Darabont, and many others. Ronas music appears in numerous Oscar, Peabody, BAFTA, and Emmy award-winning projects, in addition to countless film festival honors around the world. He is a recipient of several ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards and the Hollywood Music in Media Award.
The Reel World is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in making film music. Its one of a kind. — James Newton Howard, Academy Award-nominated film composer
As timely and useful a book on the subject as Ive seen.
— Robert Kraft, former president, 20th Century Fox Music
A must for anyone considering a career in film music. Informative and entertaining, it contains nuts-and bolts as well as big-picture thinking.
— Peter Golub, director, Sundance Film Music Program
The Reel World is simple and optimistic, designed to encourage and enlighten—never dogmatic. Jeff Rona’s techniques and information champion newer composers so they too can bring their musical magic to our storytelling. — Pen Densham, Oscar-nominated film producer, head of Trilogy Entertainment Group
Exceptionally wide-ranging and insightful, Jeff Rona covers every aspect of the craft in a straightforward and highly readable style. While the book is marvelously detailed, it does not overwhelm but flows with a sense of calmness. I definitely recommend this as a reference for both those starting out or those experienced in the world of the scoring composer. — Mychael Danna, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Oscar-winning composer
