Filmmakers: Get the Best Music for Your Movie

Tips and Tricks About the Scoring Process
Hosted by Christopher Lennertz

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Christopher Lennertz

Webinar hosted by: Christopher Lennertz

Composer and Producer

Christopher Lennertz is a composer and producer for film, television, records, and video games. He first made a splash with his breakout score for Alvin and the Chipmunks, which has grossed over $360 million worldwide. Since then he’s proven his steadfast talent with films like the star-studded Horrible Bosses 1 & 2 Universal’s box office smash Ride Along 1 & 2, and the Screen Gems comedy Think Like A Man Too. Chris’ other recent scores include the hit comedy Identity Thief and the critically acclaimed drama Thanks For Sharing with Mark Ruffalo & Gwyneth Paltrow. Coming up next for Lennertz is Horrible Bosses 2 (Warner Bros), The Wedding Ringer (Screen Gems) and the ABC TV series Agent Carter from Marvel Studios. Lennertz’ adeptness for a multitude of genres has put him on the map time and time again. While his knack for comedy is undeniable in films like Think Like A Man, he’s also contributed his unique style to many hit family films including Hop and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Furthermore, he’s tapped into the indie world, scoring films like Alfred P. Sloan winner Adam (Fox Searchlight), Girl In Progress, and Tortilla Heaven, which garnered the very first FilmMusic award for Best Independent Score. While Chris has achieved huge success in lighter genres, his real start was in the action- adventure world with films like Clive Barker’s Saint Sinner, for which he was named Best New Composer by Cinemusic. He’s continued his work in that arena with projects such as Marvel’s Item 47. On the television side, Lennertz has written the music for NBC’s Revolution (J.J. Abrams, Jon Favreau) and his long time run on the series Supernatural led to an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Underscore. He is currently working with Oscar and Tony-winner Alan Menken on ABC’s new musical comedy Galavant. Chris is also celebrated for his video game scores with hits like Steven Spielberg’s Medal of Honor series, which won Best Original Score from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. He followed that up with work on James Bond 007: From Russia With Love, Quantum of Solace, the hugely popular Gun, EA’s Mass Effect 3, Starhawk and Warhawk for Sony, and the 25th Anniversary edition of the iconic Madden series. Lennertz has worked with legendary artists such as Basil Poledouris, Michael Kamen, Dave Grusin, Alan Menken, The RZA, and Alien Ant Farm. He has collaborated with members of Pearl Jam, The Beastie Boys, The Dave Matthews Band, Jurassic 5, and Jane’s Addiction. His groundbreaking collaboration with Ozomatli on Street Signs garnered a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Album. Still early in his career, he has already scored 43 feature films, 7 network series, many of the biggest interactive titles, and has spent weeks on the Billboard charts. Christopher Lennertz continually draws excitement as one of the freshest and most versatile young composers in Hollywood. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Learn directly from composer and producer Christopher Lennertz, who’s first breakout score on Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed over $360 million worldwide, and who has worked on such films as Rush Hour 1 & 2, Horrible Bosses 1 & 2, Ride Along 1 & 2 and Think Like A Man Too.

Filmmakers – in pre-production you went through somewhere around 75 revisions of the script… your 8 day shoot turned into 12… you had to cut a few scenes… but, you got the shots. Now, you’re in post. You’re combing through footage, the edit bay is in full overdrive and then you realize… you need music.

You didn’t budget for this, or, maybe you did and thought it would be easy, but there’s an awakening when you realize that without music, you’re missing the heart and the soul of the film. Where do you start to find music for your film? How do you communicate what you want and find the right composer? With so many options such as score, source or original, how do you know what is worth investing in? How does the process work so everyone is pleased with the product? In this webinar Chris will go over all this and more.

Composers – keep in mind that each filmmaker that needs music will have dozens of composers vying for their attention. Realizing that filmmakers go through a vigorous process before they get to post will help you understand their process. This can help you be a better and more marketable composer. This webinar will be invaluable insight into both the filmmaker’s side and the composer’s side.

Exclusive to Stage 32 we bring you an incredible Next Level Webinar with Producer and Composer Christopher Lennertz (Ride Along 1 & 2, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Horrible Bosses, Ride Along and Think Like A Man Too.) Chris will educate you as a filmmaker on how to find the best music for your film.  In this on-demand webinar, which is available for immediate download, Chris will cover topics for you such as how to find the right composer, examining the relationship between the composer and filmmaker, exploring the different job responsibilities of the scoring world, and hopefully enlightening you with some tips and tricks about each step of the scoring process to make your job as a filmmaker easier.


What You'll Learn

  • Who’s Who and What Do They Do: Job Titles & Descriptions
  • Finding the Right Composer for Your Film
  • Budgeting and the Cost-Quality Tradeoff
  • Communicating What You Want: Film Terms vs. Music Terms
  • Navigating the Spotting Process
  • Temp Music: A Necessary Evil?
  • Difference between Score, Source Music and Original Song
  • The Do’s and Don’ts of Score Reviews, Play Backs, Revisions & Deadlines
  • Communicating with Post
  • The Recording Process: MIDI vs. Man
  • Deliverables: What We Need from You and What You Need From Us
  • The Dubbing Process: Where Music, Dialogue and FX Meet
  • Recorded, in-depth Q&A with Christopher!

About Your Instructor

Christopher Lennertz is a composer and producer for film, television, records, and video games. He first made a splash with his breakout score for Alvin and the Chipmunks, which has grossed over $360 million worldwide. Since then he’s proven his steadfast talent with films like the star-studded Horrible Bosses 1 & 2 Universal’s box office smash Ride Along 1 & 2, and the Screen Gems comedy Think Like A Man Too. Chris’ other recent scores include the hit comedy Identity Thief and the critically acclaimed drama Thanks For Sharing with Mark Ruffalo & Gwyneth Paltrow. Coming up next for Lennertz is Horrible Bosses 2 (Warner Bros), The Wedding Ringer (Screen Gems) and the ABC TV series Agent Carter from Marvel Studios.

Lennertz’ adeptness for a multitude of genres has put him on the map time and time again. While his knack for comedy is undeniable in films like Think Like A Man, he’s also contributed his unique style to many hit family films including Hop and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Furthermore, he’s tapped into the indie world, scoring films like Alfred P. Sloan winner Adam (Fox Searchlight), Girl In Progress, and Tortilla Heaven, which garnered the very first FilmMusic award for Best Independent Score.

While Chris has achieved huge success in lighter genres, his real start was in the action- adventure world with films like Clive Barker’s Saint Sinner, for which he was named Best New Composer by Cinemusic. He’s continued his work in that arena with projects such as Marvel’s Item 47. On the television side, Lennertz has written the music for NBC’s Revolution (J.J. Abrams, Jon Favreau) and his long time run on the series Supernatural led to an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Underscore. He is currently working with Oscar and Tony-winner Alan Menken on ABC’s new musical comedy Galavant. Chris is also celebrated for his video game scores with hits like Steven Spielberg’s Medal of Honor series, which won Best Original Score from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. He followed that up with work on James Bond 007: From Russia With Love, Quantum of Solace, the hugely popular Gun, EA’s Mass Effect 3, Starhawk and Warhawk for Sony, and the 25th Anniversary edition of the iconic Madden series.

Lennertz has worked with legendary artists such as Basil Poledouris, Michael Kamen, Dave Grusin, Alan Menken, The RZA, and Alien Ant Farm. He has collaborated with members of Pearl Jam, The Beastie Boys, The Dave Matthews Band, Jurassic 5, and Jane’s Addiction. His groundbreaking collaboration with Ozomatli on Street Signs garnered a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Album. Still early in his career, he has already scored 43 feature films, 7 network series, many of the biggest interactive titles, and has spent weeks on the Billboard charts. Christopher Lennertz continually draws excitement as one of the freshest and most versatile young composers in Hollywood.

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Reviews Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5

  • Would have liked more info on how to communicate with a composer, especially when you may not have the background or musical "language" to convey your ideas. More details on how to approach your film's score.

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