Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program's
Pictures to Pitches Competition​
Introducing our first ever Pictures to Pitches competition! Composers will write a 1:30 - 2 minute piece of music inspired by a piece of art. Enter today for your chance to win a professional recording with a 52 piece orchestra. More details below.
The Artwork
Red Hand - A symbol of solidarity with missing and murdered indigenous women.
The Artist
Misti Boland is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and artist who lives and works in Lawrence, Kansas. Her watercolor works are meditative snapshots of life.
The Ensemble
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2 Flutes (second can double Piccolo)
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2 Oboes (second can double English Horn)
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2 Clarinets (second can double Bass Clarinet)
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1 Bassoon
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4 French Horns
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3 Trumpets
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2 Trombones
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1 Bass Trombone
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1 Tuba
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Timpani (4 standard drums)
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2 Percussionists (available instruments listed below)
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1 Harp
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1 Piano
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8 First Violins
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8 Second Violins
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6 Violas
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4 Cellos
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3 Contrabasses
Available Percussion
Please Note: The instruments below are all available to use but they must be playable by two players max at one time with no overdubbing.
Mallets:
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Marimba
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Vibraphone
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Xylophone
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Glockenspiel
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Drums & Cymbals:
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Snare Drum
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Orchestral Toms (2-3)
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Gran Cassa
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Suspended Cymbal
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Hi-Hat
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Piatti
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Gong/Tamtam
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Auxiliary:
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Triangle
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Woodblock
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Mark Tree
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Cabasa
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Shakers
Additional auxiliary percussion instruments may be requested if needed, please reach out to program director Sammy Applegate to verify availability.
The Process
Fill out the official entry form and pay the entry fee. You will receive an email with more information and specifics such as naming conventions. You will also receive a separate email from program director Sammy Applegate with a unique identifier number that you will use to label your final deliverables for judging.
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Turn in all required deliverables by the deadline of May 17th.
Required Deliverables:
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PDF of the finished score
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Audio of the music mockup as an mp3
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A brief description of the music and how the artwork inspired you
The mockup does NOT need to be a high quality production. It needs to match the sheet music, but we do not need a fully realized virtual instrument recreation of the ensemble. Bouncing the MIDI from your notation software or DAW will suffice if you do not have access to libraries of orchestral samples.
The Rules
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Pieces should be about 90 seconds to 2 minutes long, absolutely nothing over 2 and a half minutes!
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You can only use the instruments and doubles listed in the given ensemble, don't try throwing in a rogue saxophone or guitar
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The score must be entirely orchestral, no synths or sound design allowed
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No pre-records or pre-lays of other instruments, electronic or acoustic
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No AI
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You do NOT need to write for the full ensemble, but we encourage composers to try to make use of as many of the players as possible
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All required deliverables must be submitted by the deadline of May 17th in the correct formats and using the correct naming conventions, entries not meeting these requirements will be disqualified (these specifics will be emailed to the composer upon entry)
The Fees
The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program's 2026 Pictures to Pitches Competition is open to everyone no matter their age, background, nationality, gender, education, or skill level. Entry fees are based on the date of entry as shown below:
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By February 28th - $45
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From March 1st to 31st - $55
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From April 1st to 30th - $65
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From May 1st to 15th - $75
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Deadline to enter is May 15th, deadline to submit deliverables for judging is May 17th, entry fees are nonrefundable.
The Prizes
The Grand Prize for the composer of the overall winning score will receive:
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Permission to use the artwork in conjunction with their music
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Recording of the score by a 52 piece professional orchestra in a world class studio
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Videography and photography of the session
Additional prizes for exceptional runner-up scores will be added as we go, including scholarships for PNWFS programs and one-on-one music advising with professional film composers and orchestrators, stay tuned!