What does an Orchestrator (Film and TV) do?
A film and television orchestrator turns a composer’s sketches, MIDI mockups, or reduced scores into detailed notation for an ensemble. The orchestrator chooses instrumental combinations, voicings, articulations, registers, and textures while preserving the composer’s intent and meeting the project’s timing, budget, and recording requirements. The work is closely coordinated with the composer, copyists, music editor, conductor, and scoring-stage team.
At a Glance
Most film orchestrators find their feet in the industry by working film or TV sessions as an orchestral musician or copyist, or by becoming an assistant to an established composer or orchestrator. Becoming well-known as an orchestrator affords the opportunity to expand one's orchestration studio and team. Some orchestrators might switch careers to become composers, conductors, music directors, or performing musicians.
Working as assistant to another film and television orchestrator or composer is the best possible way to develop the initial industry contacts, skills, and experience required to find work as an independent orchestrator.
- Orchestration
- Reading and writing music notation
- Notation software
- Music transcription
- Conducting
- Booth reading
- Deep knowledge of instruments
MIDI Orchestrators:
- MIDI
- Sample libraries
- Synthesizer programming
- Deep knowledge of instruments
Although the work of orchestration is often solitary in practice, the primary skill for any orchestrator is collaboration. Composers entrust orchestrators with their creative work, which also happens to be their professional product. A good orchestrator needs to know exactly what a composer is trying to accomplish with each note, and facilitate that in the final score, even if the two don’t exchange a single word.
Most orchestrators work freelance out of a home office or private studio. Established orchestrators are likely to have their own teams who assist with the orchestration process. Even if all work up to that point has been remote, and it frequently is, all orchestrators are expected to travel to and participate in recording sessions.
