Technical
PC: Intel Core Duo or AMD Turion. Windows XP 32-bit SP2 or later, or Windows Vista 32-bit SP1 or later, 1Gb RAM, 5Gbs hard disk space, DVD-ROM drive
Mac Intel Core Duo or better. OS X 10.4.9 or later or Mac OS X 10.5, 1Gb RAM, 5Gbs hard disk space, DVD-ROM drive
The video tutorials come as high definition MP4 Quicktime Movies. There are over 40gbs of files in total and you will need to copy them onto your hard drive in order to watch them otherwise they will stop and start all the time. However you won’t need all of them on your hard drive at the same time.
A broadband internet connection in order to upload assignments and download updates.
Software Required
• Apple QuickTime 7 or above
• Apple iTunes - preferably with access to the iTunes store
A sequencing package like Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer or Sonar
A set of orchestral samples. You can wait until you start the course to buy these as you will be able to make a better choice and some suppliers offer a substantial discount to students.
Minimum: Garritan Personal Orchestra or Philharmonik
Recommended: EWQL Gold Complete
Optional: A score writing programme like Finale or Sibelius.
Sibelius is recommended.
Time
The course lasts 12 months and assumes approximately two hours a week. You are required to submit 8 projects, each of which should take very roughly 4-8 hours of work. These are very approximate and vary greatly from student to student.
If you are not able to complete the course in the time you can extend as long as you like by paying the annual tuition fee, currently £150 or $300. Please check online for the latest pricing information.
Musical Knowledge
We are assuming you can read music to some degree in both treble and bass clef. You have a good understanding of keys, scales, and the basic principals of harmony. This is roughly equivalent to Associated Board Grade 5 theory. Good knowledge of four part harmony is an advantage although not essential to start with. The ability to produce a printed score is a big advantage.
We offer courses in both music theory and harmony if you need to acquire or improve these skills. These course can be taken either before enrolling in Cinematic Orchestration or run concurrently.
We do not exclude students who want to concentrate largely on sampled orchestration and have little or no music theory. However you won’t be able to follow the course scores and some of the video tutorials and some tutors are not prepared to work with students who don’t meet the minimum music theory requirements.
Technical Knowledge
We assume you are familiar with basic computer operation and can use virtual instruments and a sequencing programme to produce a basic audio demo of your work in MP3 format. Ability to create zipped archives and upload through a website. It is possible to complete the course just using a score writing programme like Sibelius or Finale as long as you are also able to create MP3 files for your work as well.
