Orchestration - Film Orchestration

Film Orchestration

Due to the enormous time constraints of film scoring schedules, orchestrators are employed. Some film composers have made the time to orchestrate their own music; most notably Howard Shore, Ennio Morricone, Don Davis (who started as an orchestrator in the film business). Howard Shore orchestrated his own music for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (and wanted a rare front end credit stating this). Shore continues to orchestrate all of his own film scores.

Although there have been hundreds of orchestrators in film over the years, the most prominent film orchestrators for the latter half of the 20th century have been Herbert W. Spencer, Edward Powell, (who worked almost exclusively with Alfred Newman), and Alexander Courage. Some of the most in-demand orchestrators today (and of the past 30 years) include Jeff Atmajian, Pete Anthony & Brad Dechter (James Newton Howard, Christoper Young, John Powell, Hans Zimmer), Conrad Pope (John Williams), Eddie Karam (John Williams), Tony Blondal (Rolfe Kent, Henry Jackman, Chris Young, Ramin Djawadi et al.), Bruce Fowler (Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt), Robert Elhai (Brian Tyler, Klaus Badelt, Elliot Goldenthal) and J.A.C. Redford (James Horner).

Conrad Salinger was the most prominent orchestrator of MGM musicals from the 1940s to 1962. Jonathan Tunick is the most prominent orchestrator on Broadway and is one of twelve people (and the only orchestrator) who has won an award in all four categories of Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony.