Download August 24, 2008 Alain Mayrand Definitions, Scoring Process The

August 24, 2008
Alain Mayrand
Definitions, Scoring Process
The spotting session is when a director and composer get together to watch the film and decide where the
music is going to be and what it’s going to do. This occurs before the composer starts writing the music.
People present should be the director, the composer, the music editor and perhaps the producer.
Many composers like to see the movie before a spotting session, I know I do. That way the composer is
better prepared to bring well thought out ideas and insights which leads to a more productive and
meaningful exchange between the director and composer.
A composer who knows his stuff, understands film music and has a strong grasp of storytelling is worth his
weight in gold here. I mean, let’s face it, a director needs someone he can count on and the spotting session
is where the foundation for the score gets laid.
Exact SMPTE time codes for the entry and exit points of each cue need to be written down. This provides
the total number of cues and duration of the score to be written, an important element of time management
for any project.
So, where should a music cue start?
 At the start of a new act
 At the start of a scene
 On an emotional beat
 Anywhere you can imagine…
The possibilities for the entrance of a music cue are as endless as there are stories to be told! And
furthermore, it is an aesthetic decision (meaning it is open to personal interpretation) so it is impossible to
set it down in a list. Spotting will be the subject of many future blog entries.
Spotting a movie is an art that requires the following:
 Knowledge of story telling in film
 A solid understanding of the story being told
 Awareness (on the composer’s part) of directorial an editorial decisions
 Understanding off what music can bring to a scene
(And by the way, good spotting is not just where the music is present, of course, but where it is absent.)
Finding the entrance and exit of a cue is the easy part, the hard part is deciding what the music will do
during that time period!
I can’t give you a list of all that music can bring to a scene here, but I can say this.
 Consider the arc of the film, not just the scene as an isolated event.
 Avoid discussing musical specifics
 Discuss what the music should do as if the composer was an actor
The length of a spotting session varies, but I personally like to take as much time needed to really pick the
brain of the director so I can fully understand the story, the film and the director’s intent.
At the end of the session I always want to be 100% clear on what the director’s goals are for the film. I also
want to have a vision of what I can bring musically to the film and to have expressed that as clearly as
possible so that the director and I are on the same page.
Having a clear vision for the score, a mutual understanding and trust, and knowing how much work there
needs to be done, those are the goals of the spotting session.