ASCAP kicked off its 31st annual film scoring workshop on Monday (July 8) in Los Angeles.
This year’s 12 aspiring composers hail from eight different countries, including Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Selected from hundreds of applicants, the composers will be mentored during the month of July by industry veterans such as John Debney (Elf, Iron Man 2), Grammy-nominated Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL (Mad Max Fury Road, Deadpool), Bruce Broughton (Silverado), Amie Doherty (Undone) and Joseph Trapanese (The Greatest Showman). Emmy-winning composer Richard Bellis, who had helmed the program for years, stepped down following last year’s 30th anniversary to devote more time to his other projects. The workshop is led and programmed by ASCAP Film & TV executives Michael Todd and Jennifer Harmon.
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ASCAP senior vice president of membership Shawn LeMone said the four-week program gives “composers the support and connections they need to take their careers to that next level, whether scoring for major Hollywood films or leading independent projects.”
The workshop will culminate July 29 with an individual scoring session for each composer at Fox Studios’ Newman Scoring Stage, where they will be able to conduct and record an original score with a 64-piece orchestra.
Workshop alumni include Matthew Margeson (Rocketman); Daniel James Chan (Legends of Tomorrow); Sherri Chung (Riverdale); Jim Dooley (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events); Cliff Martinez (Drive); Mateo Messina (Superstore); Trevor Morris (Vikings); Atli Örvarsson (Chicago Fire) and Erica Weis (American Housewife).