#BIFSC

My entry for the 2025 BIFSC (Berlin International Film Scoring Competition), titled "Elegy for a Flower", reflects months of work refining both the composition and the mock-up.

This year's film proved more challenging to score than the previous one, given its sudden visual shifts and the varied range of emotional weight that could be compelling in a given scene; the sudden shifts in tone and development presented quite a challenge in preparing something that remains musically cohesive.
I had a lot more time to prepare for this year’s competition (I was a late entry last year with only 9 days to complete my score!) I approached this year with a more traditional focus on orchestration and a cohesive musical narrative.

My workflow combined scoring in Ableton, exporting MIDI to Dorico for tailored playback via Noteperformer, and integrating various VST libraries outlined below. Alongside the VSTs I opted to record live solo horn, clarinet, and soprano choir parts. The approach was quite time-consuming, but I am more or less satisfied with it.

I mixed and mastered the final audio myself.

This score is written for a full, large orchestra, with the ideal setup (if performed or recorded live) being as follows:

Strings: 16-18 first violins, 14-16 second violins, 12-14 violas, 12 cellos, 10 double basses
Woodwinds: 1 piccolo, 4 flutes, 2 oboes, 1 cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon
Brass: 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
Percussion: 1 timpani, cymbals, bass drum
Other: SATB choir (aprx 40 members minimum)

There is admittedly some 'DAW fluff' to achieve the cinematic sound. (Mostly some aggressive abuse of divisi in the string sections and abuse of volume automation for some clarity at moments)


Mock-up (from “heaviest lifters” to lightest)

Strings: Pacific Strings, Cinematic Studio Strings, Nashville Scoring Strings, (the rest were layered at given times to add detail) East West Hollywood, Spitfire Symphonic Strings, Berlin Strings First Chair, Musesounds, select sections rendered in Dorico using Noteperformer and the libraries above, then audio re-layered

Brass: Fillipo Tramo, Horn (Live-recorded solo horn for the theme and select melodic material + key moments), Cinematic Studio Brass, East West Hollywood Orchestra

Percussion: Kontakt Factory Library (timpani, cymbals, harp, various percussion), Darwin Percussion Ensemble.

Woodwinds: Ellie Brehme, Clarinet (Live solo Clarinet part), Cinematic Studio Woodwinds

Choir: Ellie Brehme (Live Soprano), East West Hollywood, Spitfire Originals Epic Choir, Kontakt Factory Library

Mixing and Mastering
DAW: Ableton 11
Effects/Mixing tools: Ableton stock compressors, Sonible SmartEQ, iZotope Ozone, WAVES Kramer Master tape, Valhalla Reverbs

#FilmScoring #FilmScoreCompetition2025 #CinematicMusic #bifsc #bifsc 2025