Workshop "Music on a Budget" - Christopher Caliendo

Workshop "Music on a Budget: Getting the Most Out of Your Indie Film Score" - Christopher Caliendo

Directors! Learn how your indie film can have a big-budget sound without breaking the bank. Emmy-nominated, 2x Heritage Award-winning composer Christopher Caliendo will take you behind the scenes of his indie projects—Natural Selection, Snow Bunnies (animation), and fanfares composed in the style of John Williams—showing exactly how he creates professional, emotionally powerful scores on a limited budget.

Through live discussion with a moderator and exclusive documentary footage, you’ll discover how to hire and collaborate with an experienced composer, ask the right questions—even if you’re not musically trained—and maximize the impact of your music. Walk away inspired and empowered to give your film a soundtrack worthy of the big screen.

Bio:
It is my pleasure to introduce a composer whose work seamlessly blends artistry with practicality for filmmakers of all budgets: Christopher Caliendo.

Christopher is an Emmy-nominated, 2x Heritage Award-winning composer, Henry Mancini Film Award recipient and the first composer in Hollywood to rescore an existing film for SONY Pictures, tackling Sam Peckinpah’s Major Dundee. His music has been performed by the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, earning praise from The New York Times as “an excellent orchestral score.”

Christopher has conducted his scores at international festivals including Venice, New York, and San Diego, and led a two-and-a-half-hour multimedia opening gala of his music to film at the Irish Film Festival.

Today, he’ll share behind-the-scenes insights on how to achieve veteran-quality scores for indie films, from practical collaboration tips to budget-friendly orchestration strategies. Directors, get ready to see how your next film can sound like a Hollywood feature.

Please join me in welcoming Christopher Caliendo.

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Host or Publisher Chandler International Film Festival