HOW TO WRITE TRAILER MUSIC
a thinkspace interactive course
DISCOVER THE NEW ERA OF TRAILER MUSIC
LEARN COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTION FROM THE PROS
An expert team of working trailer music composers will show you how you raise your game and create music that is structurally and compositionally designed for trailers. They'll also teach you the production skills needed to really elevate your music to the standard required for this line of work.
Between them, this A-list team have written trailer music used for Top Gun: Maverick, Avengers: End Game and countless other blockbusters from major studios.
HARRY LIGHTFOOT
Trailer Music Composer
(Top Gun: Maverick, Avengers: End Game, Encanto, Soul)
DAN GRAHAM
Trailer Music Composer
(Marvel, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Sony)
ED COX
Trailer Music Composer
(Louder Music Productions — Hollywood)
TIM JOHNSON
Mixing Engineer
(Cinematic Mixing)
GUY MICHELMORE
(COURSE HOST)
Composer, ThinkSpace Founder and CEO
(Marvel, Disney, Dreamworks)
BRADLEY JORDAN
(COURSE CO-HOST)
Composer and Music Editor
What you'll learn
STRINGS & SYNTHS
Trailer music is synonymous with string ostinatos and synths — often used for bass and pads. Here we will be introducing you to these musical and technical devices, and how you can impart your own sound and style on these crucial elements.
EPIC & HYBRID PERCUSSION
In trailer music, percussion still reigns supreme as the dominant force in creating impactful and memorable trailer tracks. This module will show you how to blend percussive layers and create unique and impactful rhythm sections in your trailer music.
SOUND DESIGN EFFECTS
Creative sound design can create a sensor of atmosphere and establish a tone or mood that emphasizes the drama and tension on screen. The combination of sound effects, music, and dialogue will all need to work together to truly create a cohesive audio experience
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
We're reaching the end of the trailer music writing journey! Here we're going to put all of what you've learnt to the test and build a complete trailer track from scratch
MIXING TRAILER MUSIC
To mix trailer music you must have a deep understanding of the song's compositional elements as well as well as music production and audio manipulation. Here you'll learn how to manage your projects, apply effects conscientiously to your music, and mix and master your music.
String production with harry lightfoot
In this video from the course, Harry Lightfoot deconstructs one of his tracks to show how he writes and produces string parts. Here we explore his choice of sample libraries, layering tracks to create unique sounds, and his approach to arranging realistic string lines.
“I want to create music for trailer music, advertisements and jingles. There is no other tutor who can make the composing process as transparent and entertaining as Guy does.”
– Christian, ThinkSpace student
“You’ll never find yourself being either overwhelmed or bored during Guy’s masterclasses. It’s the exact opposite, actually – you really feel inspired.”
– George, ThinkSpace student
This course is powered by ThinkSpace Interactive – offering so much more than just great video tutorials. We have developed exclusive new technologies to help you understand topics more easily, progress faster, and bring us closer to you.
INTERACTIVE VIDEO
Interactive video and quizzes mean that you can not only test your knowledge as you progress, but we also give you the opportunity to introduce yourself and tell us what you're looking for from the course. The course remembers your choices and will be relevant throughout the program when analysing your progress.
MinusONE ASSIGNMENTS
Learning how to write your own music can be overwhelming when starting from scratch. Now we provide you with stems that build most of a track, but "minus one" important stem. This allows you to focus purely on the one instrument group that module is focussing on, without thinking too much about the composition or its structure.
Learn at your own pace with on-demand video tutorials.
In-video questions personalise your learning journey.
MinusONE assignments provide downloadable stems to help you focus on particular parts.
Lifetime access to our DiSCORD community of composers
We want to bring our students closer together, as we understand online learning can be isolating at times. With this course you will also get access to our exclusive ThinkSpace Community Discord channel.
This vibrant community connects you with fellow students, industry alumni, tutors, and professionals across the globe. There's always someone to help, offer advice, provide encouragement, or share work opportunities.
Interested? Get Started TODAY
- Taught by industry-leading game composers
- Master the creative and technical skills required to write music for games
- Interactive videos and quizzes for personalised learning
- Lifelong access to our worldwide Discord network of composers
Lifetime access. Start, finish and revisit anytime.
30-day money-back policy
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are thinking about taking the course, there are some requirements you may want to consider. Here are the most frequently asked student questions to help you to assess whether the courses is right for you.
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