Filip Sijanec, Composer and Professor at NFTS and the Royal College of Music, on the Power of Perseverance (Part 1)

Filip Sijanec may have earned an Oscar nomination for scoring Detainment (2018), but he maintains an impressive air of humility, emphasizing the importance of lining up meaningful work. For the London-based composer, creating music for film, video games, online digital content, theater and other mediums is all about balancing creativity with business acumen.

Beyond the studio, Sijanec lends his expertise as a senior composing professor and exam committee board member at the National Film and Television School in London, ranked the top global film school by The Hollywood Reporter in 2024. Sijanec also teaches film scoring at the Royal College of Music, an award-winning institution outside London, and offers private lessons for composers on his website, Sound Arcade.

Alexa Pellegrini for FilmSchool.org spoke with Sijanec about the technical and entrepreneurial aspects of being a composer, plus strategies to excel in the constantly evolving industry.

Editor’s note: This interview took approximately 1.5 hours and is a total of 13 pages. In this section, British currency is referenced; 20,000 pounds is roughly 30,000 dollars. Part 2 (7 pages) is available to our Supporting Members, without whom in-depth articles and interviews like this one would not be possible, as FilmSchool.org is 100% advertisement-free. Supporting Members also enjoy access to our database that tracks upwards of 4,000 film school applications and the full Acceptance Data statistics for each film program that helps demystify common questions about how to construct a winning portfolio, ideal GPAs and GRE scores, and much more.

AP: What inspired you to become a composer?​

Filip Sijanec: I started as a jazz musician. Actually, I was a blues guitarist — that was my first passion, and that led to jazz school. I was always enthusiastic about film and music.

After I finished my jazz guitar studies, there came an opportunity to score a film. It was the ideal fusion of my ideas and passions, fusing film and composing together. I’ve enjoyed everything about it, mainly the process of trying to enhance and support the narrative with the work that I do.

How did attending the University of Music and Performing Arts as a dual major lay the foundation for you to become a composer?​

FS: Everything was valuable. It helps having [...] some kind of formal education, which I got through jazz studies. There were a lot of studies of harmony, arranging, et cetera, and I had a lot of opportunities to play with different musicians. I think that the improvised media was very helpful because as film composers, we need to adapt very quickly to changes, either in the cut in the film or requests from directors. I think all of this is very useful knowledge.

However, I don't think it’s imperative for someone to kind of start with that route. Furthermore, I think I was a bit over-educated — I would have hoped to compose for films a little bit sooner. But any knowledge in any branch you have, that kind of makes you an interesting person, and that’s very helpful with composing for film because it's primarily a medium where you share your experiences. Your experiences are really what make other people feel and connect with whatever you’ve helped create.

What was the first film you scored?​

FS: It was actually back in Slovenia, one of the graduation films created by my friend, Milan Urbajs. I think it was called "Escape" in Slovenian. My girlfriend at the time helped me find it — she introduced me to the director. I just started composing and fell in love with it, as they say. I just couldn't stop after that.

Why did you choose the National Film and Television School's MA Composing for Film and Television program?​

FS: As you can imagine, after getting my BA and MA in Jazz Guitar, I was pretty exhausted by any kind of theoretical formal training. So, I was really looking for something that would kind of let me immerse myself in the practical side of things. The National Film and Television School stood out because it has many different departments, and all of them work together in a practical way to create films.

During the two years that I studied there, I managed to make 23 projects, if I remember correctly. It was like working in a film studio while being guided. So, that aspect was something that drew me towards NFTS, and I was not disappointed. I actually got more than I anticipated out of the program.

Besides building a strong portfolio, what was another highlight of attending NFTS?​

FS: Because NFTS is a film school with a composing department, the majority of the instructors allowed us to feel like filmmakers rather than composers, sound designers, et cetera. I appreciated the school’s general understanding of film, of narrative and story — it does have a particular affinity to narrative-driven, fictional films. You become a part of a filmmaking community, which I think is unique.

So, if you study in this kind of environment, you can become a better film composer, or a sound designer, or whatever it is you aim to be, because you share common ground with like-minded people.

In what ways did NFTS help you transition to working full-time in the industry?​

FS: I often talk about this with my students. When you afford yourself the possibility of studying for two or more years, you need to secure the majority of your needs to survive those years. So, you should be open to establishing connections during that time.

What I'm saying is that I worked quite a lot on outside projects during those years, and NFTS supported that. As long as it isn’t interfering with your work, you can use the school’s facilities to create other films, which is amazing. Basically, [...] all the stuff that would kind of get me out there, I did during the two years that I was studying. Obviously, there were quite a lot of things to do. However, I managed to finish school with three or four regular clients.

Do you still keep in contact with NFTS alumni?​

FS: Absolutely. The majority of the people I studied with became my colleagues, so we are in regular contact with each other. We’ve worked on numerous projects. It is like a generation of people growing up together and then venturing into the world after that. So, I think this is definitely one of the positives of NFTS. Because when you finish, you know your Facebook or Instagram or whatever is full of people who are [...] going to supply work, and also, you are going to supply work for them.

How do you approach composing for different mediums? Is one medium exceptionally challenging?​

FS: They're all different. I don't think any one of them is easier or harder — I think that depends on your particular skill set. So, some [mediums] will come easier to you than others. But I think that once you're kind of reaching for a certain level of work, you really want to make it good. They're all difficult, but they're just different. If you want to properly score a fictional film [...] then you really need to go into the micro details. So, accounting for every look, every movement, and asking questions like, ‘Should I change the music when the actor looks that way?’ It’s really detailed.

I would say that the fun difference between linear and non-linear media in general is what these words suggest: the absence of time. In a linear narrative film, you know where the scene is going to start, and you know when the scene is going to end. But in video games, you often don't. You don't know how much time the player is going to need to finish at a certain level, et cetera. So, the absence of time creates interesting challenges where you need to rely more on prediction and to try to make seemingly random things fit together. So, composing for games uses a slightly different part of the brain — there’s a lot of temporal ambiguity, I would say.

You were nominated for an Oscar for scoring the short film "Detainment." Can you talk about the experience and how it impacted you as a professional?​

FS: I can tell you exactly what happened in 2019. I didn't even get a chance to go to the Oscars because I was wrapping up other projects. That said, it was incredibly gratifying. Of course, this type of thing happens maybe once in a lifetime. I'm happy with it because I surpassed my expectations for myself.

I changed my career a couple of times beforehand. The one thing I realized is that it's crucial for any artist to determine how much you really want it. Because if you really, really want it, you're going to stick with it. And if you stick with it, incredible things can happen. So, don’t abandon things too early. Try not to give up. I think both those things matter because succeeding in the industry is more of a marathon than a sprint, and it’s really going to test you.

The reality is you really need to to take care of the current gig that you have while securing the next gig. It doesn't help you if you won an Oscar and then you don't have a gig afterward, right? I mean, it can happen. I was lucky. I stayed home; I had a gig to work on, and that ended up getting me another gig. Even being nominated for an Oscar should not be the main goal. It's an incredible pat on the back and puts the wind in your sails, but you don’t need that to make something of yourself.

What factors do composers need to consider to develop music that complements the director's vision and enhances the narrative?​

FS: There's the practical side, the artistic-discussion side, and the general side.

For the practical side, both people need to inform each other. So, when I ask what the budget is, I will know what tools I’ll have at my disposal. If I have a limited budget, I might go for a lot of live musicians, who are going to bring something unique to the film. I'm going to try to make the best with the amount of money I have available to me. There is a lot on the practical side because films need to be created on deadlines and on a certain budget.

However, the artistic side is something that shouldn’t be confined by budget. This is where I try to understand what the director wants out of their film. There is also an additional dimension to that — directors are counting on their creators to bring their original perspective to the table. So, I need to be open to what the film is actually telling us rather than necessarily relying on everything the director says. That can be problematic in some instances, namely if directors are really possessive of their film, which is fine. I'm not against it. I just don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. But different people do it a different way.

With experience, you tend to see what kind of composition a film needs. I can present that as an option, and that can be a discussion. Sometimes, the director, the scriptwriter or the other creators never see what I do, and it ends up working out well. That isn’t because I'm special in any way, but because I'm a different person with a different outlook. It’s difficult to explain, but I think there is no set way of doing things on the artistic side.

Apart from listening and being nice, there is also no set approach to the general side, either. After that initial collaborative relationship is established, you’re moving forward, all engines go.

What digital audio workstation (DAW) do you use?​

FS: I pretty much consider my DAW to be my instrument. Now, specifically, I'm prone to using Logic because England is kind of more Logic-oriented, whereas in the states, you would see more Cubase users. I think Logic is a good DAW to learn when coming to the United Kingdom, even though there are more and more Cubase users coming around.

I love my DAWs, so I test quite a few. I was dabbling with Digital Performer, and now, I'm really fascinated by Reaper. Pro Tools is one of the things that is very important when it comes to recording, editing music, or for any other thing. So, I think it's a necessity today to learn how to use it. The DAW is very important in the sense that it is your instrument. However, it can also be something you fall too deep into and lose track of what should be the most important thing, and that's writing really good music that helps the film.

Do you use notation software for demos or mock-ups?​

FS: Notation software is useful for preparing scores and parts for musicians to play. It is useful to learn Sibelius or Dorico.

Does learning multiple instruments increase your chances of becoming a successful composer?​

FS: Here’s what I think: Learn one instrument and run one instrument well. Preferably, if that instrument is a piano, you're in luck.

At the Royal College of Music, we like to see that people know music, that we can have a conversation where they know [...] a little bit of music theory at a decent level. So, we can talk about [harmonic] approaches and so on, and they're not lost. This is an MA course, so we shouldn't be explaining what a tonic is, what a subdominant is, and all those things. Then again, we don't expect you to be this fully fledged, brilliant classical composer or virtuoso on your instruments. Furthermore, those things can sometimes hinder your ability to learn new things.

If you do play more than one instrument, it's cool because you can see music from different vantage points. You know how violinists would look at a piece of music, you know how guitarists would look at it, and you know how pianists would look at it, which is helpful because it enriches your understanding. However, as I said at the beginning, learn one instrument and learn one instrument well, and I think you’ll be in a good position.

Besides the DAW, what else is in your toolkit?​

FS: It depends. I love my gear, like my synths. But it comes down to personal preference. You need a computer, a sound card, a set of decent speakers, headphones, and sound libraries — that's the absolute minimum. Everything else is kind of an addition, especially if you're just starting out. I wouldn't invest too much into the gear. I would let it grow with your needs.

Now, as for the microphone, that can be a problem. You can buy the best mic in the world, but if your room is not treated for recording and doesn't sound right, you're kind of wasting money. At the end of the day, it can be cheaper to go into the studio and have someone record you. Then again, when you buy a microphone, you try it in different positions, you hear and see how it sounds, and this process is very, very useful [...] to your development as a film composer. We are part sound engineer, too. We need to do a lot of things ourselves, so it is informative to record with your own mic — I definitely suggest trying it.

However, I don't want anyone to feel that they need to have invested 20,000 pounds* and budget for X amount of equipment in order for them to be a successful candidate at RCM or NFTS. Actually, I did have a couple of students that pretty much didn't know anything about recording, but they had other qualities that made us push them to kind of develop themselves — to become a viable candidate.

What sound libraries do you prefer to use?​

FS: Honestly, none of them. I prefer the sound of live musicians.

What essential composing techniques should NFTS students expect to learn?​

FS: The aim is to let you go into the wild with all the necessary skills and knowledge you need. Plus, we want to enable you to have good conversations — let's say, during a spotting session or something like that — so you can effectively communicate with all the creative roles. So, you would know how to speak with the editor, the director, et cetera.

Because of the experience you gain making films, you also develop techniques to communicate your ideas better so that they can easily be understood. Technically, I would say you learn a lot just from the composing side. I mean, you are definitely going to be in a position not only to create music by yourself but also to elevate the potential of someone. You also have the experience of recording with a large orchestra in your studio, which is quite specialized, I would say. So, you can expect to finish NFTS with a pretty decent [toolkit] to just jump in and do stuff.

Can you share a few differences and similarities between the Royal College of Music and the National Film and Television School?​

FS: First of all, both schools are amazing. I say this not just because I'm teaching there, but because they are really top schools with top professors and top facilities. Either one is great.

The profound difference between them is that NFTS is a film school, so the majority of your colleagues and friends are going to be from different parts of the cinema world. The Royal College of Music is a music school, so the majority of your colleagues and friends are going to be incredible instrumentalists, composers, et cetera. So, you’re surrounded by a slightly different bunch at each, and that gives you unique opportunities.

So, your access to filmmakers is greater at the National Film and Television School. However, your access to musicians and learning different types of composing techniques is greater at the Royal College of Music. I think it's also a practicality thing — the National Film and Television School is located in Beaconsfield. It's half an hour away from central London, whereas the Royal College of Music is just opposite Albert Hall. That also plays a role. Ask yourself, ‘Do I want to be based in London, or do I want to go slightly outside of London?’ I would say these are the practical differences.

Thank you for reading! The interview continues for our Supporting Members:​

In the second and final part of our interview, Sijanec shares tips to successfully apply to the National Film and Television School and the Royal College of Music, along with advice about the high points and challenges of working in the field. Become a Supporting Member to continue reading, plus receive access to 4,500 film school applications and additional perks.

For more information about Sijanec and his one-to-one coaching lessons for composers, follow him on Instagram @soundarcadeacademy.

Thinking about applying to the National Film and Television School? Read FilmSchool.org's exclusive interview with the admissions department:


FilmSchool.org is 100% advertisement-free, and Supporting Memberships make articles and interviews like this one possible. Supporting Members also enjoy FULL access to our Application Database (GPAs, test scores, portfolios...), full Acceptance Data statistics, private student clubs and forums, and other perks.