Scoring a Commercial

In this chapter, we will explore how to score a Mercedes commercial from scratch using all the techniques that have been covered in Chapters 1 to 9. This chapter will give you the experience of scoring a project from beginning to end, and walk through the steps it takes to score to picture – not to simply write music for the sake of music, but to write it to support a story.

You will work through the example of scoring a commercial, using basic film scoring steps and methods. There are countless ways to score a commercial and music choices are subjective. You can certainly use any additional instruments if you find them suitable. There’s no perfect number of instruments but simply what a film composer prefers and what is suitable for the project.

We will explore how to select the right sounds and instruments, looking at the form, mood, and style, as well as the tempo of the commercial. We will also go over how to find, edit, and select instruments...