Dark Bridge Records

Pixabay / ninosouza

Film scoring

A score that serves the scene instead of competing with it for attention.

How the work runs

  1. Spotting session

    We watch the cut together and agree where music starts, where it stops, and what it is doing in between. The output is a numbered cue list with timecodes.

  2. Themes and sketches

    A few directions, each of them short. The decision gets made early and cheaply, before anyone has paid for a full orchestration.

  3. The score

    Full writing against the approved direction — orchestral, electronic or hybrid.

  4. Recording

    Live instruments at the studio, or an orchestral session through partners. Where a live recording adds nothing, we say so.

  5. Delivery

    Cues, stems and documentation for the edit and the final mix, in the formats your supervisor asks for.

When the edit changes

Rewriting to a changed edit is part of the job, not a disaster. Scores are built in modules so that a scene growing by twenty seconds does not mean a new cue — and the contract states up front how many such changes are included.

Common questions

Can you work with our music supervisor?

Yes. We deliver stems and documentation in the format your team asks for, and attend the final mix where that helps.

Do you record a live orchestra?

Live instruments are recorded at the studio. Full orchestral sessions run through partner facilities and appear as their own line in the quote, so you can see what you are paying for.

Who owns the score?

The agreement is written per project. Authorship normally stays with the composer while you receive the licence you need — but it is negotiable, and we put it in writing before work starts.