Film, TV, and Game Scoring Program in Los Angeles

How to Enroll

Submit your registration by June 1.* Begin by submitting your registration online. If applicable, you may need to submit additional supporting materials.
Make your tuition payment by June 1.* All programs have limited capacity, so be sure to complete your full tuition payment to reserve your space in the program.
Request housing by June 1.* Students who are 15 years of age or older by the start of their program are eligible to stay in on-campus housing. If you meet the eligibility requirements and have indicated that you would like to request on-campus housing, please revisit your registration portal and submit a Residence Hall Agreement.

*Please note: This program has limited capacity. Submission of registration materials alone does not guarantee participation in the program. You will secure your spot by paying in full.

Curriculum

You'll participate in core writing classes, visiting artist lectures from high-profile Hollywood composers, and hands-on technology sessions. By the end of the program, you will have a greater understanding of:

how to identify the emotions of a scene
how to compose cinematic music that dramatically supports a scene
how to create realistic-sounding demos using your laptop
the basics of composing for orchestra
how to record with a professional ensemble
how to find work as a film composer

Schedule

Below is a sample of a typical day in the program.

Time	Event
9:00 a.m.–10:20 a.m.	Film Score Analysis
10:30 a.m.–11:50 p.m.	Composition and Orchestration
12:00 p.m.–12:50 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m.–2:20 p.m.	Guest Artist
2:30 p.m.–4:50 p.m.	Music Production
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.	Lab Time or Recording Mentoring

Schedule subject to change.

Performance Opportunities

The program will culminate in our big finale on Friday, with a screening of the clips scored by students. This will be an opportunity to share with friends and family what you have been working on over the course of your time with us.

Requirements

General Requirements

All students 14 and older with an interest in film scoring are welcome to attend.

Participants must possess a proficient level of English to enroll in this program. We do not require proof of English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) as part of the enrollment or application process; however, you are expected to have a sufficient command of the English language to understand class material and assignments.

Required Materials

A laptop with a digital audio workstation (DAW), such as GarageBand (free), Logic, Cubase, or Reaper (free), and notation software, such as MuseScore (free), Dorico, or Sibelius already installed
Sample libraries on your laptop or external hard drive. This can include Berlin Orchestra Created with Berklee, EastWest, Kontakt, built-in Logic or GarageBand samples, Garriton Personal Orchestra, and many others
A pair of professional headphones (that completely cover the ears), if possible, such as the Sony MDR-7506 or AKG K24
Any 25-key (or more) MIDI keyboard with a cable that connects to your laptop

Program-Specific Details

Participants will study on the campus of the Colburn School. This program is conveniently located in LA's downtown arts corridor, at 200 South Grand Avenue.

Stay on Campus at Colburn

Students enrolled in Film Scoring in Los Angeles or Songwriting Sessions in Los Angeles have the option to live on campus at the Colburn School. Enjoy the convenience of on-campus housing, access to practice rooms, furnished suites, and a supportive residential staff. To reserve your spot, complete the Residence Hall Agreement in your Berklee application portal after registering for your program. Visit our help center to learn more about housing at Colburn.

Residential students must remain on the Colburn School campus for the entirety of the program.

Commuter students must remain on the Colburn School campus from the start to end of classes each day.

Program Director

Dave Green

Sean McMahon

Class of 2000

Chair

"An original score is one of the most effective ways filmmakers can achieve their creative vision. In many ways, I feel film composing is less about creating a product (the music itself) and more about providing a service (the collaborative process)."

Once You've Enrolled

The Berklee Summer Programs Team is excited that you've taken the first step! Now that you've enrolled, here's what to know, to be sure you're prepared before and after you check in for the experience of a lifetime.

What to do first?

Important: continually check the email you used to enroll

Please regularly check the email you used to enroll in your program for important updates. A detailed check-in email, containing information about your assigned arrival location, housing assignment (if applicable), and program schedule, will be sent one to two weeks before your program's start date.

Request accessibility accommodations (if needed)

Accommodations are provided for students with documented medical needs, offering services such as academic accommodations, academic coaching, special housing arrangements, dietary adjustments, and referrals to on-campus support, including adaptive technology and tutoring.

Accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, faculty, the Office of Housing and Residential Education, a dietitian, and Accessibility Resources for Students staff. Requests for academic, housing, and dietary accommodations can be made by following the steps outlined in this Help Center article.

Request on-campus housing

On-campus housing is limited, and spaces will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis based on the completion of the following steps:

Read, sign, and submit the residence hall agreement on the registration portal.
The Summer Programs team will review your signed residence hall agreement within 3-5 business days. After review, we will send you an email inviting you to return to the registration portal to view your on-campus housing decision letter.
If your request has been approved, secure your spot by accepting your offer and paying the housing fee in full.

Important Considerations

For students enrolled in multiple programs, please complete a separate residence hall agreement (along with the accompanying housing fee payment) for each program.
To be eligible to request on-campus housing, a student must be 15 years of age before the start of their program.
If a student is under the age of 18, the request for on-campus housing must be filled out by a parent/guardian, and both the student and parent/guardian must agree to all the terms and conditions.
Applicants for Musical Theater Acting Intensive (MTAI) and Vocal/Choral Intensive (VCI) must first be offered admission and accept their offer before their residence hall agreement submission will be considered.
Since space in our residence halls is limited, a spot in our residence halls will only be guaranteed once a student has fully registered for their chosen program and paid the program tuition in full. Any housing requests or payments made before the completion of both these steps do not ensure a guaranteed place in on-campus housing.

Learn more about housing and campus life by exploring the Help Center.

Complete These Tasks by June

Complete the items in your Magnus Health account by June 1

We require up-to-date health information, documentation for the required immunizations mandated by Massachusetts law, as well as conduct and consent forms for all students. Instructions on accessing your Magnus Health account will be sent via email to all registered students in mid-spring.

If you have more questions you can review our help center. Here are some articles that might be helpful:

Prepare to Arrive and Check In

Download the Guidebook app

A few days before your program starts, you will receive instructions to download the Guidebook app. This app enables you to access your program schedule and connect with fellow Summer Programs students.

What to pack if you’re staying on campus

All of our on-campus residence halls follow a standard college-style layout, with each room equipped with a closet, bed, and desk for each resident.

Students staying in a Berklee residence hall should bring the following items:

Bedding (sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket) for an extra-long twin bed (36 inches by 80 inches)
Towels (bath towels, washcloths, hand towels, etc.)
Toiletries

We also recommend bringing the following:

Alarm clock
Clothes hangers
Earplugs
Extra spending money for snacks, drinks, or public transportation (costs for Berklee-coordinated events will be covered by the school; students are responsible for additional expenses during events)
Headphones
Laptop computer, tablet device, cell phone, etc., including chargers
Laundry detergent and quarters (coin-based laundry facilities available in every residence hall, although we recommend bringing quarters)
Plastic bin for storing snacks or food
Prescription/first-aid needs
Small refrigerator
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Umbrella
Water bottle
A fan

Items available upon request from the resident advisor's office:

Basic cleaning supplies
Games
Movies
Toilet paper (for private bathrooms)
Vacuum cleaners

The following items are not allowed in a student’s residence hall room:

Candles/incense
Weapons
Cooking appliances (hot pots, toaster ovens, grills, popcorn makers, or anything with a visible heating element, etc.)
Air conditioners
Bicycles
Futons, chairs, couches, or any other non-Berklee-issued furniture
Wall hangings
Pets (including fish)
Halogen lamps and holiday lights

Directions, parking, and hotels for Los Angeles Summer Programs

Parking: Parking on the Colburn campus is reserved for students, faculty, and staff. However many convenient public parking options are nearby. We recommend Athena Parking, located on 2nd Street between Olive and Hill Streets. Parking is also available in the nearby Walt Disney Concert Hall garage.

Hotels: Browse this list in our help center to find hotels in the Los Angeles—Colburn School Area.

Access the Summer Programs Help Center

Explore some of these top articles from the Summer Programs Help Center.