The Studio Orchestra at FSU presents second annual ‘Screen Spectacular’

Second Annual “Screen Spectacular,” a family-friendly affair featuring a unique collaboration between the Studio Orchestra and the College of Motion Picture Arts, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. 
The Second Annual “Screen Spectacular,” a family-friendly affair featuring a unique collaboration between the Studio Orchestra and the College of Motion Picture Arts, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. 

The Studio Orchestra at Florida State University is gearing up for the Second Annual “Screen Spectacular,” a family-friendly affair featuring a unique collaboration between the Studio Orchestra and the College of Motion Picture Arts.  

The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. 

Attendees are invited to come as they are, or even in costume, to enjoy a night of fan-favorite media with live performances of some of the most iconic and beloved pieces from popular movies and video games like “Final Fantasy,” “Avatar,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Witcher 3,” and “Space Invaders.” 

An incubator program designed for students by students, the Studio Orchestra at FSU was founded three years ago to provide hands-on opportunities in every aspect of the ensemble for students who are interested in administration, performance, conducting, composing, arranging, audio engineering and mixing.  

Through a partnership with the College of Motion Picture Arts, the Studio Orchestra also celebrates aspiring filmmakers and composers. For the second consecutive year, the “Screen Spectacular” will bring together student composers and filmmakers to present original films and compositions live for the audience. This year’s student films, “Loki’s Mistake,” directed by Artemis Phipps with music by Marisa Meglino, and “The Tale of Two Blades” directed by Alana Faby with music by Wood Simon, are both animated. 

Preparations for the collaboration started last fall when student film directors were matched with student composers. The composers worked closely with the film directors to create original soundtracks, which were then recorded with the musicians of the Studio Orchestra at FSU. 

For the live performance, the College of Motion Picture Arts has modified the films to remove the recorded music and the Studio Orchestra will provide the soundtrack in real time. The musicians and conductors must carefully coordinate so the music matches up with the film. 

“Composing for ‘The Tale of Two Blades’ was a truly captivating experience as I witnessed the collaborative efforts of the team to diligently enhance visuals while I worked on the music,” Simon said. “Each draft brought immense satisfaction as we strived towards a shared goal, making it a truly enjoyable and rewarding journey.” 

“Teaming up student composers and filmmakers to create original scores is one of the highlights for me,” said Nathan Haines, the co-founder and music director of the group. “For many of the musicians it was their first experience in a recording session and being part of that creative process between film and music has been inspiring for everyone.” 

In addition to the live music performance, the event will also feature video projections and other multimedia elements, creating an immersive and engaging experience for audience members of all ages.  

“Working with the FSU Studio Orchestra in collaboration with the College of Motion Picture Arts has been a one-of-a-kind experience for me,” Meglino said. “It has given me a special opportunity to take my love and passion for film music and work with other students on a large scale.” 

Tickets are $20 for adults and free for FSU students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.music.fsu.edu under Upcoming Events.