TWO SUBJECT AREAS IN ONE DEGREE


Degree accredited and awarded by

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"I chose ThinkSpace because of the people. I did my research, and the lecturers are all amazing. If you're thinking about taking a course with ThinkSpace, I would highly recommend it. It has changed my life."

Jenny Bishop
Course graduate

MFA MEDIA COMPOSITION & ORCHESTRATION

DUAL PATHWAY POSTGRADUATE DEGREE WITH LIVE ORCHESTRAL SESSION 


Flexible online study with personal tuition

Full time – 24 months (30 hours a week)
Part time – 36 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 48 months (8 hours a week)


Accepting applications for Sep 2024 start. Apply now

Media Composition & Orchestration is for composers looking for a comprehensive preparation for a career scoring film, TV and games. You will learn to work in almost every sector of the media using a range of compositional techniques from live orchestral scoring to sound design and hybrid compositional techniques. This course gives you the skills needed to reach the top in media scoring, including a live orchestral session with a 50-piece orchestra and multiple chances to write for solo instrumentalists.

During this comprehensive Master of Fine Arts degree course, you will cover the skills taught in both our MA Professional Media Composition and MA Orchestration for Films, Games, and Television degree courses.


INTERESTED?

Register for more information about this course and studying with ThinkSpace Education.

Have questions? Our friendly team are here to help. Complete the form above, email us or call us on +44 (0)1243 256 049

Preparing you for the career you deserve

This course will give you all the technical and creative skills needed to realise your music as both professional grade sampled mock-ups and prepare them for live orchestra - all in the context of scoring for linear media music. You will learn to write for live players and prepare scores for live orchestral sessions, as well as building core DAW skills and learning what’s required of a professional media composer and orchestrator.

On this course, you will learn:

  • To write music that today’s market wants to buy.
  • The technical aspects of writing to picture, including spotting the film, working with hit points and markers, and responding to feedback by professional composers.
  • To develop a unique voice of your own so you can stand out from the crowd.
  • Composition for orchestra - creating and orchestrating awe-inspiring live and sampled orchestral film, TV and games music.
  • Sampled instrument techniques, including skills like creating and balancing your template, instrument placement, use of reverb, and using controllers to enhance realism and orchestral mixing.
  • Live orchestral session skills, including preparing a session-ready Pro Tools project and scores for live performers.

TAUGHT BY working INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

Our teaching staff and mentors are all current working professionals, many involved at the highest level in the business. Here are a few of the many who will be giving you individual feedback, either in writing, during weekly one to one mentoring sessions, or at the student workshops. This doesn’t include visiting lecturers - these are the people doing the teaching.

Media composition and orchestration credits include:

  • Justice League
  • Rocket and Groot
  • Invincible Iron Man
  • Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
  • The Thing
  • Alien vs Predator
  • Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
  • Batman: Arkham Origins
  • Splinter Cell
  • Planet Earth

They work for almost every major film and game studio, TV networks and production companies including Disney, Dreamworks, Marvel, Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros, Sky, BBC, ITV, NBC, ABC and many others.

See All THINKSPACE Teaching Staff

GUY MICHELMORE

Composer / ThinkSpace CEO (Marvel, Disney, Dreamworks, Lionsgate)

EMILY RICE

Composer & Orchestrator (Tomb Raider, The Mummy, Star Trek: Discovery)

GEORGE OLDZLEY

Composer & Orchestrator (Spy Kids, Greenland, Sin City, Kill Bill Vol. 2)

BILL BOSTON

Composer & Orchestrator (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, I, Robot)

PETER BATEMAN

Composer & Orchestrator (Justice League, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Shazam!)

ARHYNN DESCY

Composer & Pianist (Acclaimed music educator, Ivor Novello Award judge)

DOUGLAS BLACK HEATON

Composer (Angry Birds, Nadiya's British Food Adventure)

JONNY YATES

Composer & Pianist (Commercials for Santander, McLaren, British Airways, NHS)

KEVIN MANTHEI

Composer & Orchestrator (Batman: Gotham Knight, Resident Evil, Deep Impact)

"I totally recommend this course. You don't feel like you're on your own at all. There are people studying all over the world and you feel part of a community."

Pete Wiggs (Saint Etienne)
Course graduate

LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Your course falls into twelve modules plus a final major project which lasts three months. Each module focuses on a different area of media composition and orchestration, while at the same time developing specific compositional, technical and business skills.

Media composers are required to compose in a very wide range of styles. While most composers have a home style in which they can write fluently, being able to achieve the same level of fluency in a new style takes insight, skill and practice.

This analytical thinking, when focussed on their own music, helps to develop a self-critical sense of objectivity which is an important part of mastering new genres and new areas of work. In this module we first explain how some common styles work and then ask students to reproduce and extend work in a given style.

YOUR LIVE ORCHESTRAL SESSION

Working with a live orchestra is an unforgettable experience. At the end of your course, some of your music will be performed by a live, professional, 50-piece film orchestra. You are welcome to attend in person or follow the session over the internet via livestream. This is included within the price of your course. Sessions take place in Europe (most likely Prague or Budapest) and are subject to availability.

LIVE INSTRUMENTAL SESSIONS

Throughout your course you will also have the chance to have your music performed by some of the world’s best session players in our live solo sessions. You write a cue, they play it, we film the session and the player gives you feedback and advice. You get a world-class performance for your demo reel.


UNSURE ABOUT STUDYING ONLINE?

Concerned about feeling disconnected or lacking individual attention from home? Don't worry. Our online music campus connects you with fellow students, industry alumni, tutors, and professionals across the globe. There's always someone to assist, offer advice, provide encouragement, or share work opportunities.

Discover what our degree alumni have to say about their connected experience with ThinkSpace, the friends they've made, and the networks they've built.

"I love the community. I've made friends for life and I look forward to working with many of them in the future."

FLEXIBLE Schedules TO FIT AROUND YOUR LIFE

We offer three different schedules so you can pick which best fits around your life. It is also possible to switch between these schedules at certain points during the degree, should you find that that you have more or less time available than you anticipated. You can also pause your degree altogether if life gets in the way.

Full time – 24 months (30 hours a week)
Part time – 36 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 48 months (8 hours a week)

Please note that these weekly hours are estimates based on previous years' students. It will vary from student to student, depending on your rate of work. These times estimates include every element of the course: live workshops, one-to-one tutorials, reading and watching the course materials, and time spent on assignment projects.

Learn more about SCHEDULES

FinancING

Price for the whole degree:

£17,500

You will be invoiced in instalments at the start of each term. (For courses lasting longer than 12 months, please budget for an annual inflation linked increase on the remaining balance of fees, based on UK RPI, capped at 8%.)

UK and International students pay the same. For those paying in other currencies, the exact price is subject to exchange rate fluctuation.

STUDENT LOANS

In parts of the UK you can apply for the following student loans to cover postgraduate tuition:
- Up to £12,167 in England. More info
- Up to £18,770 in Wales. More info
- Up to £6,500 in Northern Ireland. More info

PAY-AS-YOU-LEARN OPTIONS

We offer interest-free payment plans, where you can spread the cost of your course across the duration of your studies. The payment plan you are on depends on the schedule you are on. You will be required to pay a deposit upon enrolling.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCING

HELPING YOU SECURE YOUR FIRST ROLE

This degree not only equips you with the necessary skills for your desired career but also offers valuable assistance in securing a great job once you graduate. Our optional Employment Support Programme (ESP) is provided to graduates of this degree at no extra cost.
 
This bootcamp-style program helps you enhance your demo reel, refine your website, build your professional network, identify job prospects, and improve your pitching abilities. Through a combination of live workshops, video tutorials, and course materials, it provides you with the essential support, training, and motivation required to embark on the fulfilling career you deserve.


accredited by Arts University Bournemouth

Your degree is accredited and awarded by our academic partner, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). Home to the prestigious Bournemouth Film School – whose alumni include film director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) – AUB is a public university on the south coast of England. Its history dates back to the 1880s.

AUB provide academic oversight across our degrees, which are subject to the same rigorous quality checks as degrees taught by all UK universities.

How to apply

To make an initial application you will need to fill out the application form, write a short cover letter and provide a few examples of your music / sound design. You will find a detailed explanation of the process on the applications page.

You do not require a high level of music theory for this course, just the ability to write great music and lots of potential.

Start your application

"AM I GOOD ENOUGH?"

We are asked this question all the time and we’re happy to help and advise. Get in touch and we'll discuss your musical ambitions and ask for some examples of your work. Then we can tell you where you stand. Simply complete the form below, email us or call +44 (0)1243 256 049.


"The lecturers are all amazing and all working in the industry – some at the very highest level. Plus, I'm a mum of four, so the flexible time commitments was really important for me."

Jenny Bishop
Course graduate

Frequently Asked Questions

For more FAQs, and more information please visit the Applications & FAQsStudent Finance and Study With ThinkSpace pages.

have a question? contact us

Need some advice? Or just want to talk music? We’re always here to lend a professional ear.

postgraduate@thinkspace.ac.uk

+44 (0)1243 256049