Degree accredited and awarded by

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"If you're considering this course – go for it. The course material is phenomenal, the tutors are great and the support staff are fantastic."

Vincent Pace
Course graduate

MA ORCHESTRATION FOR FILM, GAMES & TELEVISION

POSTGRADUATE MASTERS DEGREE WITH LIVE ORCHESTRAL SESSION


Flexible online study with personal tuition

Full time – 12 months (30 hours a week)
Part time – 24 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 36 months (8 hours a week)

Accepting applications for Sep 2024 start. Apply now

If you want a career composing for the orchestra, this course will give you the technical and creative skills to turn that dream into a reality. MA Orchestration for Film, Games and Television takes you from first sketch through to sampled mock-up, then onto your final goal — recording your music with a live orchestra.

Unlike other film scoring Masters, this is an orchestration course that will also teach you the craft of telling stories with music, mentored by current working composers and orchestrators. We'll even help you find work after you graduate with our Employment Support Programme.


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

Students on this course go on to work as film, television and games composers, orchestrators, copyists, and composers’ assistants. If you are already a professional composer, this course opens up a wider range of work involving live orchestra and professional grade sampled mock-ups. If you’re looking to start a career, then by graduation you will be ready to tackle real-world composition projects involving both sampled and live orchestra.

On this course, you will learn:

  • Orchestral composition: Creating and orchestrating awe-inspiring live and sampled orchestral film, TV and games music.
  • Contemporary commercial standard practice where the emphasis is always on speed and efficiency.
  • 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.
  • Writing to picture using live and sampled orchestral resources. Your optional film scoring assignments will be drawn from real-world film and video game projects.
  • How to prepare a record-ready Pro Tools session.
  • The requirements of different sized orchestral ensembles.
  • The research and critical thinking skills to help you put media music in context.

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 just the people doing the teaching.

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

KEVIN MANTHEI

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

EMILY RICE

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

SAM WATTS

Composer & Orchestrator
(BBC Planet Earth, The Sarah Jane Adventures)

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)

LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Your course falls into eight modules plus a final major project which lasts three months. Each module focuses on a different section of the orchestra or lineup, while at the same time developing specific compositional, technical and business skills.

This module introduces some essential in-depth technical skills and knowledge that a modern professional orchestrator or composer must possess. It will provide students with an introduction to sampled instruments, how they work, the numerous technical challenges they present, how to balance the demands of the instruments with the available resources and how to make virtual instruments sound more realistic.

Sampling technology pushes computers and software to their limits and a detailed knowledge of how they work is essential for any cinematic orchestrator hoping to bring scores to life using samples alone. It is a constantly evolving area of professional practice where, through independent research, students may join in the debate with those at the forefront of the field.

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.


WHAT COURSE ALUMNI SAY

"This course brought my music to a level I didn't realise it could go to... There is just so much information packed into each module, and it's broken down in a way that's easy to follow."

Robert Rodriguez
Course graduate

"This course has been the perfect springboard for my career. I'd highly recommend it to any amateur or professional musician looking to cultivate their skills."

Andrew Weeks
Course graduate

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 – 12 months (30 hours a week)
Part time – 24 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 36 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. (*36 month option not available to UK students on a postgraduate student loan)

Learn more about SCHEDULES

FinancING

Price for the whole degree:

£12,500

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, or email or call us on +44 (0)1243 256 049.


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