Ethereal Journey Music scoring for Visual Media
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Abstract
This paper centers on my personal experience in film scoring, with a particular focus on the creative journey behind the original score I composed for the short film Ethereal Journey. The project culminated in a live recording session at the legendary AIR Studios in London, conducted by myself. It represents a synthesis of the knowledge and skills I acquired over the past ten months during my master's studies at Berklee College of Music’s Valencia campus. This includes the interpretation of cinematic narrative, the creation of polished MIDI mockups, orchestration, the preparation of industry-standard orchestral scores using notation software, and the technical setup for recording in Pro Tools. Beyond a practical application of these competencies, the project also embodies my evolving artistic reflections on the craft of film scoring. This paper not only outlines the conceptualization and production process behind the project but also offers an in-depth discussion of my use of musical elements, form, thematic development, orchestration techniques, and their role in supporting the film’s narrative.
Publication Date
7-1-2025
Campus
Valencia (Spain) Campus
Keywords
film score; composition; analysis; MIDI; field recording
Recommended Citation
Sun, Zezheng. “Ethereal Journey Music scoring for Visual Media.” Master's thesis, Berklee College of Music, 2025. https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-scoring/330.