Day 35: Film Scoring — Plan and Start Building
Friday, May 8th, 2026
Objectives
- I can locate my group’s assigned film and project files on CTLS.
- I can contribute to a shared Microsoft Word planning document that assigns parts and lists the sound effects and Apple Loops we plan to use.
- I can share the planning document with Mr. Willingham.
- I can open my assigned video in GarageBand and begin placing sound effects and Apple Loops on the timeline.
Warmup — Find Your Assignment
Open CTLS and go to today’s assignment. Your group’s assigned film, the video file, and the provided sound effect audio files are all linked there.
The three films:
- Agent 327: Operation Barbershop
- Spring
- Lost in Time
Find your group, find your film, and download the video file and the sound effect files to your computer before you do anything else.
Work Session — Plan, Then Build
You have two jobs today, in this order:
- Plan — fill out a shared Microsoft Word document with your group.
- Build — open your video in GarageBand and start placing sound effects and Apple Loops.
Do the plan first. The plan makes the build faster.
Part 1 — The Planning Document
Create a new Microsoft Word document for your group. One person creates it and then shares it with every group member and with Mr. Willingham so everyone — including your teacher — can see your plan.
Create the document
One group member opens Word (online version is fine) and creates a new blank document. Title it with your group’s names and your film — for example, Smith-Jones-Lee — Agent 327.
Share with your group
Click Share in the top-right corner. Add each group member’s school email address. Give them edit access so they can type in the same document together.
Share with Mr. Willingham
In the same Share dialog, add Mr. Willingham’s email address as well. Give him edit access. This is required — if the document isn’t shared with Mr. Willingham, it won’t count as submitted.
Fill out the three required sections
Your document must include these three sections, clearly labeled:
- Part Assignments — which group member is scoring which part of the film.
- Sound Effects List — the names of the specific sound effect files (from CTLS) each person plans to use.
- Apple Loops List — the names of the Apple Loops each person plans to use for the music in their part.
Minimum Parts Rule
Your group must complete at least as many parts as you have members:
| Group Size | Minimum Parts |
|---|---|
| 3 members | 3 parts |
| 2 members | 2 parts |
If you want to do more than the minimum, go for it — that’s encouraged.
Ground Rules
- Music = Apple Loops only. No original MIDI melodies. No imported songs.
- Sound effects = the files provided on CTLS only. You do not need to find your own.
Part 2 — Start Building in GarageBand
Once your group’s planning document has a first draft of all three sections — and it’s shared with Mr. Willingham — you can open GarageBand and start on your own part.
Step 1 — Import the Video
Open a new GarageBand project
Launch GarageBand, choose Empty Project, and click Choose. Pick Software Instrument when it asks about track type — you’ll add other tracks in a moment.
Drag the video onto the timeline
Open Finder, find the .mp4 you downloaded from CTLS, and drag it directly onto the GarageBand timeline. GarageBand creates a Movie Track at the top with a thumbnail strip.
Test playback
Press Space. You should see the video play in a floating window. If the window doesn’t appear, go to Window → Movie to open the movie preview.
Step 2 — Create an SFX Track and Place Sound Effects
- Go to Track → New Track (or press ⌥⌘N).
- In the New Track dialog, click Audio.
- In the Input Source dropdown, choose No Input, then click Create.
- Rename the track SFX (right-click the track header → Rename Track).
- Drag each sound effect file from Finder onto the SFX track at the approximate moment it should land on screen.
- Play it back. Nudge the region left or right until the sound lines up exactly with the visual action.
Step 3 — Open Apple Loops and Score the Scene
- Press O to open the Apple Loops browser on the right side of the screen.
- Use the Genre, Mood, and Instrument filter buttons at the top to narrow the search.
- Click a loop to preview it — it auto-plays in sync with your project tempo.
- When you find one that fits, drag it onto an empty area below your SFX track. GarageBand makes a new track for it.
- Extend a loop by hovering over the upper-right corner of the region until you see the circular arrow cursor, then dragging right.
- Layer a rhythm loop (drums, percussion) with a melodic or pad loop for more depth.
Checkpoint: Work Session
- Our group’s shared Microsoft Word document is created and shared with Mr. Willingham.
- Part assignments, sound effects, and Apple Loops are listed in the document.
- I opened my video file in GarageBand and it plays back correctly.
- I have at least one sound effect and at least one Apple Loop placed on the timeline.
Closing — Save and Reflect
Save Your GarageBand File
Before you log off, save your GarageBand project: File → Save (or ⌘S).
Name it using this format:
LastName-FirstName-Film-PartN
Example:
Smith-Jane-Agent327-Part1
Save to your GarageBand folder (~/Music/GarageBand/) unless your teacher tells you to save somewhere else.
Reflection
Before you leave, think about one thing:
What is the first thing you will do next class?
Be specific. “Keep working” is not a plan. “Add the glass-break sound effect at 0:47 and find a tense loop for the chase at 0:55” is a plan.
The project continues next week. Today you laid the foundation — don’t rush to finish. Build it well.
Standards
- MSMTC8.CR.1 — Generate musical ideas for various purposes and contexts (selecting Apple Loops and sound effects that reflect the emotional tone and action of a specific scene).
- MSMTC8.CR.2 — Select and develop musical ideas for defined purposes and contexts (committing to specific loops and sound effects in a shared planning document and beginning to develop them on the GarageBand timeline).
- MSMTC8.CR.3 — Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work that meets appropriate criteria (listening back, nudging sound effects into sync with picture, and adjusting loop placement).