Music for Film Networking Event and Contest, April 10 March 17, 2010

The Learning Center and the Film Scoring Department at Berklee College of Music will host the fifth annual Music for Film networking event and associated film scoring contest on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 1:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Media Center at 150 Massachusetts Ave. The event is free and open to the public. For further event information, contact Alison Plante, assistant chair of the Film Scoring Department at aplante@berklee.edu, or visit learningcenter.berklee.edu.

As the only film event of its kind in New England, the Music for Film networking event draws more than 200 Berklee students, faculty, and alumni, as well as film students from New England colleges and professional filmmakers. The event is "an opportunity for filmmakers and composers to meet, interact, and make connections that carry over into their professional lives," said Plante.

The event involves a speakers' panel, a film scoring contest, and an exposition where students will have booths and can network with industry professionals, exchange demos and business cards, and talk about their work.

The confirmed speakers include film scorer and Emmy award-winner Mason Daring (Lone Star; Sunshine State), and students from Berklee's Film Scoring Practicum. The practicum is a new course co-taught by Plante and film scoring chair Dan Carlin at Berklee, designed to teach students the business side of film scoring. As part of the curriculum, students are also paired with filmmakers from Emerson, Boston University, Rhode Island School of Design, Fitchburg State, and the New England Institute of Art in order to create a final scored film.

With more than 50 entries from Berklee students, the film scoring contest is sure to display a high caliber of talent. Prizes include nearly $2,000 worth of audio equipment and software from MOTU. The contestants will be judged by a panel consisting of NYU Tisch Asia graduate student Chris Martin, NYU Tisch Asia professor Allan Nicholls (Dead Ringer; I Am a Hotel), film and video game composer Wataru Hokoyama (Bean Cake; One), Berklee associate professor Jon Klein, and the winner of 2009's contest, Mark Hadley. In addition, the selected finalists will be invited to speak about their work.