Student Film Composers and Directors Collaborate at the 2008 ASCAP/Columbia University Film Scoring Workshop

The 2008 ASCAP/Columbia University Film Scoring Workshop is well underway. As part of the invite-only submission process, the Columbia Film School selects 10 to 20-minute short films from a pool of 65 grad student submissions. ASCAP then handpicks 20 to 30 appropriate film composers, each of whom submitted to be "hired" by the filmmakers. Alex Steyermark (Columbia faculty; director, One Last Thing, Prey For Rock & Roll; music supervisor for directors Ang Lee, Spike Lee, etc.) walks the filmmakers through the process of looking at the film with music in mind, determining how they envision the music in their films, and making an appropriate selection of film composer. He then guides the filmmaker-composer pair through the process of spotting the film, mocking-up the score, and the director-composer collaboration. In the final portion of the Film Scoring Workshop, Steyermark prepares the directors and composers for a recording & mixing session with professional studio musicians at NYC's Legacy Studios, and guides them through the music editing and final sound mix. Each of the finished films will be screened, along with many other student films, at the Annual Columbia Film School Film Festival in New York and Los Angeles.

The 2008 ASCAP/Columbia University Film Scoring Workshop is generously supported by the ASCAP Foundation, and sponsored by the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund, AFM Local 802, and the RMA.