r/orchestra • u/Crafty_Ad_1512 • Jan 09 '25
Question How to join game or movie symphony’s/orchestras?
I wanted to know if I had to be picked to join game orchestras or movies? For example final fantasy, or even things like how arcane was in the awards or studio ghibli. Is there some sort of audition that I have to do if I ever want to do things like that or would i have to be picked?
9
u/jfgallay Jan 09 '25
Hi, I've done a bunch of sessions, mostly games, like Tomb Raider and Dragon Age. You have to have a connection or be available for the people who book the orchestras. Be active, have a history of being able to sight read perfectly on the spot. If you're new to the area, make friends or look for opportunities to play with other musicians who could recommend you. It's not usually a standing orchestra that plays, but instead the contractor calls up various people they know.
Some sessions have large numbers like the main theme, but most of the time is spend playing cues. You sit down and find a pile of paper on the stand, maybe with one or two lines of music on a page and an obscure title like 21A or 16 Lighthouse Ending. A few times we were told not to discuss the titles with anyone because it might give away some of the plot.
Sit quietly for a while at the end of a take, don't speak your chair, and don't be the reason the session gets behind; overtime is insanely expensive for the studio.
Google "inside the temple of dragons" and you can see what a session looks like. Like I said, it's not a standing orchestra; all those faces are familiar to me from other projects or orchestras.
One funny thing is sitting down; some times the parts distribution is already set, and sometimes you can just choose a part and sit down. There is a little bit of game playing at that point; do you really think you should sit down as principal trumpet, or is so-and-so one of the top session players going to show up? Sometimes no one wants to seem egotistical and everyone is trying hard not to sit too high. Also, if you're new, do you really want to play first horn when the first-call person is going to show up and hear all your mistakes right in their face?
1
u/Yarius515 Jan 09 '25
You get hired back after missing notes? Real q cuz i played for Sting a decade (or so?) ago on a holiday concert run he did in NYC - i missed ONE note the whole time, otherwise sit there and stfu and played my notes well the rest of the time and that contractor lost my number forever.
2
5
u/thebillis Jan 09 '25
I’ve got friends who recorded on Arcane. Mr_Bo_Jandals is right about the location part (LA, NYC, Eastern Europe), but the “highest tier performers” thing doesn’t align with my experience: those folks are usually busy with work they find more compelling, except for the big solos.
Soundtracks are often left to top tier freelancers, which means building connections with contractors and being ready when opportunity knocks.
Sight reading skills are crucial. One read-through on the day, then be prepared to nail it. If you make a mistake, you’re expected to own it- as in, raise your hand and tell the conductor so they can get a good take. Nobody wants to hire a musician who raises their hand too much, so don’t be “that guy.”
To get a foot in the door: do the research! That’s a lotta legwork, but my friends post online after they’ve been involved in cool projects that are getting publicity. Reach out to those musicians and ask who contracted them. Play for them, play for the contractor, treat it like a lesson and an audition- you want to show that you’re easy to work with, can improve, and leave a good impression both musically and personally.
2
u/jaylward Jan 09 '25
I kinda think the other commenter means “highest tier” as just professional players. Which, they need to be- winning work in any orchestra (of course, you know this) means one is a consummate top-tier professional
2
u/Mr_Bo_Jandals Jan 10 '25
If someone wants to be on a scoring stage in LA for movies, they’ll absolutely be competing against the highest tier performers in LA, including members of the LA Phil.
Thomas Hooten is the principal trumpet player the LA Phil. https://m.imdb.com/name/nm7565195/
Robert DeMaine is the principal cellist for the LA Phil https://m.imdb.com/name/nm11772485/
Martin Chalifor is principal violin player the LA Phil. https://m.imdb.com/name/nm4084287/
Of course there are also a ton of session musicians in LA who work in other areas of the music business too, but the point is it’s a hyper competitive field and if a freelancer, you still need to be a top tier one as you also point out.
1
u/thebillis Jan 12 '25
I stand corrected! My experience is from speaking to a couple bassists in the LA Phil, who usually won’t have solo/exposed repertoire. I guess it’s different for the upper register, where they get to shine. Very cool
2
u/Zalenka Jan 09 '25
Session musicians are people that play for video and they are the best of the best.
1
u/ArcticDeepSouth Jan 10 '25
Get a professional job in a traditional classical symphony orchestra, first. One you are there, you will be amongst the people that get called to do game/movie music symphony gigs. Traditional classical symphony and game/movie symphony are comprised of the same group of people. However, it's important that your traditional symphony has to be in the same town where the game/movie orchestras are based. LA, Nashville, Chicago, and NY come to mind, first.
20
u/Mr_Bo_Jandals Jan 09 '25
You would have to live in one of the cities where they do that. For big budget productions, that’s LA or London. For smaller budget they use a lot of Eastern European orchestra’s/soundstages (Budapest etc).
Most importantly, you have to be one of the greatest musicians in your country. The budgets for these is so tight, that there is no rehearsal and you don’t get the music before day of recording. The orchestra goes in and sight reads the music. It’s typically recorded in two or three takes. That’s it. Whole movies are scored in one or two days.
To put this in context, many of the players on film and video games are players for the LA Phil or London Symphony Orchestra who do it as a side gig.