By Nazer Lagrimas Jr.
SGA Film Scoring Ambassador

A common response I get when telling people that I’m a Film Scoring  major is, “Oh, you write background music,” but it’s definitely much  more than that.  Composing for film is more than writing catchy  melodies and lush, sometimes even disturbing harmonies, its about  working with your team to help tell a story.  Film Scoring at Berklee  is an entirely different animal from the rest of the school.  Writing scores, finding players for film sessions, creating and distributing  sheet music, editing audio, working with film directors, all for a one  minute cue can be a pretty hefty task, but fortunately the Film Scoring department at Berklee is fully equipped with faculty members  who are here to guide you along the way.

Faculty members of the Film Scoring Department have been working in the industry for years.  Department Chair Dan Carlin has an endless amount of connections in Los Angeles, and has a ton of insight in the industry.  The department has also been incredibly open when listening to the students desires.  Professor Sheldon Mirowitz shows movies every couple weeks, discussing not only the music of the film, but what was going on in the composers life at the time.  Recently they hired faculty member Michael Sweet who specializes in interactive audio and audio for video games.

The department supports two of the most active student clubs on campus, the Film Scoring Club, and the Video Game Music Club.  The Film Scoring Club, led by student Jason Parks, is the one place where student composers can get film scoring gigs in Boston.  They hold a strong standing connection with Emerson College, collaborating on
various projects week after week.  With the Berklee Learning Center, they also host the Film Music Networking Event, where students all across the Boston area can meet fellow film makers and composers.  The Video Game Music Club also meets every week, talking about everything gaming related.  Whether it be the challenges of interactive audio,
the music and sound of the most popular games, or networking with game developers in Boston, its the place where Berklee students can open up and express their opinions on this revolutionary industry.  The best part about these clubs is that they’re open to everyone, regardless of major, and you can learn a ton of valuable information.  More info on these clubs can be found on Campus Cruiser under Student Life  > All Clubs.
If you’re interested in Film Scoring, the Film Scoring Orientation is on Thursday November 5 from 6-8 in the Film Scoring Department.  Students can get an overview of the major, and ask questions to Film Scoring faculty members as well as upper semester students.  Being a Film Scoring major at Berklee has been an incredibly rewarding experience thus far, and as a huge fan of TV, video games, and film, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.