Learning Center: Music and Sound for Visual Media Networking Event.

Get an inside view of this event that makes connections between film scorers and film makers.
December 6, 2011

In its sixth iteration, the Music and Sound for Visual Media Networking Event re-emerged with a new moniker and a larger scope. Previously focused on music for film, this year the event encompassed all sound elements for the video game, film, television and other visual media industries. A pioneering collaboration between Berklee student groups, and the Film Scoring, Electronic Production & Design, and Learning Center departments, the event offered a venue for visual media creators, composers, sound designers and audio engineers to meet, showcase their interests and talents, and develop future collaborations. With over 240 in attendance from schools all around New England, including CDIA at Boston University, Emerson College, Fitchburg State University, and New England Institute of Art, this year's highlights included a keynote by Oscar winning film editor Paul Hirsch (Star Wars) via Skype, a panel discussion with Shawn Robertson (Lead Artist) and Jeff Seamster (Senior Audio Designer) at Irrational Games, makers of Bioshock, a presentation by Diego Stocco (with credits in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Sherlock Holmes) via Skype, a panel with collaborators from the short film, Lover's Leap. 

Interviewed by Dan Carlin (Film Scoring Deparment chair), Paul Hirsch discussed the power of music in film for the keynote address. With a long and illustrious career spanning collaborations with Bernard Herrmann to Michael Giacchino, Hirsch's film editing credits include Star Wars (Academy Award winner), Ray (Academy Award nomination), Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Mission: Impossible, and recently Source Code, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, plus dozens of others. Hirsch told a story about the first time he saw Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. In a scene in the film, actress Janet Leigh is driving with the police in pursuit. Hirsch discussed that the scene cut between only three shots, one of Janet Leigh driving, one of her view of the road, and one of the police in the rearview mirror, yet was gripping because of Bernard Herrmann's score. Hirsch believes a great score should delve into the mental or psychological state of the characters, rather than just commenting on their physical actions. As an editor, it is important to Hirsch to consider rhythm as he is cutting film, between dialogue, cuts between shots, etc. He discussed its importance, not only to engage viewers, but to make scenes work better with music...

Learn more about the networking event at the Learning Center's site.