Film, TV, and Video Game Scoring Program in Los Angeles

Student conducting a film scoring session in a Berklee recording studio.

Learn how to tell a story and evoke emotions through your music at the Film, TV, and Video Game Scoring Program in Los Angeles. In this five-day program, you'll discover easy-to-learn, but powerful compositional tools to write cinematic music. Interact with high-profile composers in a close setting, study the basics of composing for orchestra, and develop production techniques to produce polished recordings using your laptop. Students will study in Los Angeles, the heart of the Hollywood film industry, on the campus of the Colburn School.

2022 Program Information

Program dates:	August 1–5
Registration fee:	$50 (nonrefundable)
Tuition:	$1,495
Payment deadline:	July 1
Registration check-in:	Monday, August 1, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.
Age range:	14 years and older

How do I enroll?

Take your first steps to joining the Berklee community

Submit your registration. Students begin by submitting their registration or application online. If applicable, you may need to submit additional supporting materials as well.
Make your tuition payment. All programs have limited capacity, so complete your full tuition payment, and reserve your space in the program.
Request housing. If you require housing accommodations, complete the housing agreement form in the "Next Steps" tab of your application portal .

Once you're registered you can explore parent and student resources.

What is the curriculum like?

You'll participate in core writing classes, visiting artist lectures from high-profile Hollywood composers, and hands-on technology sessions. By the end of the program, you will have a greater understanding of:

how to identify the right emotions of a scene;
how to compose cinematic music that dramatically supports a scene;
how to create realistic-sounding demos using your laptop;
the basics of composing for orchestra;
how to record with a professional ensemble; and
how to find work as a film composer.

What is the schedule?

Below is a sample of a typical day in the program.

Time	Event
9:00 a.m.–10:20 a.m.	Film Score Analysis
10:30 a.m.–11:50 p.m.	Composition and orchestration
12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m.–2:20 p.m.	Guest Artist
2:30 p.m.–4:50 p.m.	Music Production
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.	Lab Time or Recording Mentoring

Schedule subject to change.

What are the requirements to attend?

All students 14 and older with an interest in film scoring are welcome to attend.

Please note: This program has limited capacity. Submission of registration materials alone does not guarantee participation in the program. You will secure your spot by paying in full. When the program capacity has been reached, registrants who have not paid in full will be placed on a waitlist.

Where are the facilities?

Participants will study on the campus of the Colburn School. This program is conveniently located in the L.A.'s downtown arts corridor at 200 South Grand Avenue. Students are encouraged to commute to campus or stay in a local hotel with family.

Students must remain on the Colburn School campus during this program.

What do I need to bring?

Students will need to bring the following:

A laptop with a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as GarageBand (free), Logic, or Reaper* (free), and notation software such as MuseScore (free), Finale, or Sibelius already installed
A pair of professional headphones, if possible, such as the Sony MDR-7506 or AKG K24
Any 25-key MIDI keyboard

*Students with Reaper will need to download a sample library. Garritan Personal Orchestra is recommended.

Program Director: Sean McMahon

Sean McMahon is a film composer and orchestrator who has worked on films like Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, The Grudge, The Grudge 3, 400 Days, and Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas. He is chair of the Film Scoring Department at Berklee College of Music.

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Summer Programs

Film, TV, and Video Game Scoring Program in Los Angeles

2022 Program Information

How do I enroll?

What is the curriculum like?

What is the schedule?

What are the requirements to attend?

Where are the facilities?

What do I need to bring?

Program Director: Sean McMahon

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