Conceptualisation is the step of the film scoring process that focuses on defining the musical identity of the film project in question. It consists of determining the key ideas at the core of the musical language that will be developed in the composition of the film’s soundtrack. In this thesis, I will define and demonstrate my view on what a film score concept is and how the conceptualisation process can be designed to create unique musical identities that support the singularity of each project. My research objectives for this thesis are to examine how the different stages and aspects of the filmmaking process can inform the definition of the film score concept, and how, through processes of abstraction and restriction, I can determine a compositional toolbox that answers the specificities of each project and each story.

The thesis is articulated around the exploration of multiple facets of the filmmaking process (such as working with the screenplay or the relationship of music with sound design) and of specific narrative elements (such as the setting and characters of the story), that may inform the elaboration of the film score concept. These observations and discussions about creative processes are based on a body of work of eleven short film projects at different stages of their development and from different film genres. While the core of this work is in the reporting of my experience in those short film projects, the ideas discussed in the text are also discussed in relation to existing cinematic works and film music theories.

This thesis serves as a consolidation of my current views on the film scoring process, the learning outcomes of the projects I participated in during my studies and the directions towards which I wish to develop my ideas and practices in the following steps of my career.