Anyone can participate in Film Score Fest for free, including novice filmmakers/animators and all types of music-makers (not just orchestral composers).

Signups for the next fest will begin in Fall 2024, for our Spring 2025 screening. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook, join our Facebook community, or sign up for our email list to stay posted about the upcoming fest!

Overview

  1. Sign up for free to participate.
  2. Filmmakers and composers are randomly paired up to work together on an under-5-minute film (or you can sign up with a partner). Films can be narrative, documentary, animation…
  3. Filmmakers have 3 months to create their film and send it to their composer partner.
  4. Composers have 1 month to write music for the film and submit their score.
  5. A panel of judges reviews the films & scores.
  6. The chosen films are screened at History Theatre in Saint Paul with our orchestra performing live, plus any guest musicians/composers performing their own score.

The Details

  • If you’re interested in making a film or a music score, sign up and we’ll help partner you with a filmmaker or composer. Sign up early; we’ll partner you on a first come, first served basis.
  • We’ll email you with your filmmaker/composer partner info.
  • If you have a filmmaker or composer in mind you’d like to work with, please list this in the sign-up. Filmmakers are encouraged to talk with their composer partners before making the film, to get inspiration and see what role the music can play.
  • By signing up, you are making a commitment to create a film or score. If you find out you can no longer participate, let us know ASAP, so we can partner your filmmaker/composer with someone else.
  • Our orchestra has a limited amount of scores they can learn, so we have a panel of judges select 18 films to be performed at the screening. The films that aren’t selected will be shown with their digital mockup scores in a virtual screening.
  • All music-makers are welcome to sign up, even if you don’t write sheet music. You can:
    • Write sheet music for the orchestra
    • OR get paired with an orchestrator who can help write sheet music
    • OR create music live on stage yourself
    • OR write music for a guest musician to perform live

Guidelines for Filmmakers/Animators

  • Video must be under 5 minutes
  • All styles welcome (narrative, documentary, animation…)
  • Based on the chosen theme for Film Score Fest 2024-25
  • .mp4 or .mov format
  • By Date TBD: Send your film to your composer (cc info@filmscorefest.org)
  • By Date TBD: Submit your final film here along with your composer’s score materials (see below).

Guidelines for Composers/Music-Makers

  • If you’re writing for the orchestra, you may use any or all of these instruments, with one player per instrument:
    • flute
    • oboe
    • Bb clarinet
    • saxophone (alto or soprano)
    • bassoon
    • French horn in F
    • Bb trumpet
    • trombone
    • tuba
    • drum set
    • piano (electronic)
    • violin
    • viola
    • cello
    • double bass
    • percussion – one player to play:
      • marimba – 4.3 oct
      • crash cymbals (18″)
      • suspended cymbal
      • crotales – high octave (struck or bowed)
      • 3 Chinese small opera gongs (8″)
      • triangles
      • tambourine (hand or mounted with foot pedal) 
      • woodblocks
      • vibraslap
      • claves
      • shakers
      • finger cymbals
      • 6 temple bowls (not singing bowls)
      • mark tree
      • bamboo wind chimes
      • doumbek
      • djembe
      • frame drum
      • bongos
      • cajon
      • high pitched bird whistles

If you sign up to perform your own score or write for guest musicians, we’ll be in touch to talk through the logistics of your plan.

By Date TBD: Submit your score and final film here and include:

  • The final video with your score demo audio (for the judges)
  • The final video WITHOUT your score demo audio (for the video playback)
  • 8.5″ x 11″ PDFs (vertical layout) of your score and parts if writing for the orchestra
  • A metronome click track that fits the timing of your score (for the conductor to listen to during the performance). Include 2 measures of click before the start of the score.

Need Help?

Here’s a presentation from our 2019 kickoff that includes helpful composing and filmmaking tips for your submission. If you have more questions, feel free to email info [at] filmscorefest [dot] org.

You can also join our Facebook group to learn from other participants.

2019 Videos for Reference