Organised and Moderated by film music journalist and the festival’s Head of Industry, Eleni Mitsiaki, this Q & A and masterclasses took place during the Film Music Prague 2018 festival.

In this exclusive masterclass, Matt Dunkley provided an in-depth, practical look into the role of an orchestrator and on the invisible art of film orchestration and conducting. He explored the crucial, high-pressure role of the orchestrator—the person responsible for translating a composer’s initial sketches, MIDI mockups, or piano demos into fully realized, complex sheet music for an entire orchestra.

Through exclusive before-and-after video demonstrations, Dunkley walked the audience through the real-world evolution of a film score. Attendees saw exactly how a basic electronic mockup transformed into a sweeping, emotionally charged symphonic piece. The session also addressed the technical challenges of conducting live musicians to tightly synchronized film cues on the scoring stage, offering an invaluable insider’s guide for aspiring film composers and music enthusiasts alike.

Matt Dunkley’s masterclass was explicitly grouped alongside other professional industry-focused panels that weekend, such as sessions on film music publicity, agent networking, and tracking trends in scoring outside of Hollywood.

Matt Dunkley is one of the film industry’s most sought-after orchestrators, conductors, and composers. With a career spanning over three decades, he has shaped the sonic landscapes of major Hollywood blockbusters, including The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Matrix sequels. Known for his frequent collaborations with legendary composers like Hans Zimmer and Craig Armstrong, Dunkley bridges the gap between a composer’s raw creative vision and the power of a live symphony orchestra.