Tempo Mapping for Film Scoring in Pro Tools

When scoring to picture, you often need the musical grid to align with specific on-screen events (called "hit points") rather than maintaining a static tempo. This workflow allows you to place MIDI clips and audio at precise moments that match the visual action, creating a tight sync between music and picture.

Industry Standard Approach: Tempo Mapping vs. Free Timing

There are two primary approaches to scoring to picture:

1. Tempo Mapping (Recommended for Most Projects)

• Create tempo changes that align bar/beat boundaries with hit points
• Allows use of MIDI clips, loops, and quantization
• Maintains musical structure (bars, beats, subdivisions)
• Enables collaboration with other musicians using click track
• Industry standard for most film/TV scoring

2. Free Timing

• Compose without regard to tempo/grid
• Record audio directly to picture timecode
• No click track or grid alignment
• Used for experimental scores or specific artistic choices
• More difficult for collaboration and revisions

This guide focuses on tempo mapping, which is what you're asking about.

Core Workflow: Creating a Tempo Map

Step 1: Import Your Video

1. File > Import > Video
2. Video track appears at top of session
3. Timecode display shows SMPTE time (HH:MM:SS:FF)
4. Enable Video track visibility if not shown

Pro Tip: Use ⌘+Option+1 to open Video Window in floating display

Step 2: Mark Hit Points (Spotting Session)

Create markers at every moment where music should align with picture:

1. Watch video and identify key moments:

   • Scene changes
   • Character entrances/exits
   • Action beats (door slams, footsteps, explosions)
   • Emotional shifts
   • Dialogue pauses

2. Create Memory Locations for each hit point:

   • Press Enter on numeric keypad while playing
   • Or: Window > Memory Locations (⌘+5)
   • Name each marker descriptively: "Door Slam", "Hero Arrives", etc.

3. Document timing reference:

   • Note the timecode for each hit point
   • Optional: Create a spreadsheet with hit points and desired bar/beat

Example Hit Points:

• 00:00:05:15 - Opening logo (downbeat)
• 00:00:23:08 - Character enters (Bar 9, Beat 1)
• 00:00:45:12 - Door slam (Bar 17, Beat 3)
• 00:01:02:00 - Climax (Bar 25, Beat 1)

Step 3: Map Tempo to Hit Points

This is the core technique. You'll use Identify Beat to tell Pro Tools: "This timecode location should be THIS bar and beat."

Using Identify Beat Function

1. Place cursor at a hit point (use Memory Location)
2. Event > Tempo Operations > Identify Beat
3. Dialog opens asking: "What bar|beat is this location?"
4. Enter the bar and beat you want at this location
5. Pro Tools calculates tempo change to make this work
6. Click Apply

What actually happens:

• Pro Tools inserts tempo change(s) to make the specified bar/beat land exactly at that timecode
• Grid lines now align with your hit point
• All downstream bars shift accordingly

Strategic Tempo Mapping Approach

Start-to-End Method (Recommended):

1. Set opening tempo (typically 120 BPM or project default)
2. Work chronologically through hit points:
   • First hit point: Identify Beat to desired bar/beat
   • Second hit point: Identify Beat again
   • Pro Tools adjusts tempo between hit points automatically
3. Review tempo changes in Tempo Editor (Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo Editor)

Anchor Method (Advanced):

1. Establish key "anchor" hit points (usually scene boundaries)
2. Map those first to lock structure
3. Fill in secondary hit points between anchors
4. Allows more flexibility for pacing

Step 4: Refine Tempo Curve

After mapping major hit points:

1. Open Tempo Editor (Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo Editor)
2. View tempo graph:
   • Shows all tempo changes as automation curve
   • Each tempo change appears as a node
3. Smooth tempo transitions:
   • Drastic tempo jumps can sound unnatural
   • Manually edit tempo curve for musical flow
   • Consider gradual accelerando/ritardando between hit points

Musical Considerations:

• Avoid tempo changes faster than 10-20 BPM between adjacent bars
• Use tempo ramping (gradual changes) for smoother feel
• Consider musical phrasing when setting bar boundaries

Step 5: Insert MIDI Clips and Compose

Now that your grid syncs to picture:

1. Enable Grid Mode (F4 or click Grid button)
2. Set Grid Resolution to bars/beats (not samples or frames)
3. Create MIDI tracks and insert clips at hit points
4. Clips snap to grid which now represents your hit points
5. Use Memory Locations to quickly jump between hit points

Benefits of this approach:

• MIDI clips can be quantized
• Loops and Apple Loops follow tempo map
• Easy to copy/paste musical phrases between hit points
• Other musicians can use click track and still hit picture

Pro Tools Specific Features

Tempo Ruler Display

View > Rulers > Tempo shows tempo changes in timeline:

• Red tempo line shows changes
• Click on ruler to edit tempo values
• Option+Click to create tempo events

Conductor Track

Track > Conductor Track (⌘+Option+T):

• Enables/disables tempo map playback
• When disabled, session plays at single tempo
• Useful for composing sections in isolation

Elastic Audio and Tempo

Be aware: Elastic Audio tracks follow tempo map

• Audio with Elastic Audio enabled will time-stretch to match tempo changes
• May or may not be desired for score elements
• Disable Elastic Audio on tracks that should remain at original speed

Real-Time Properties

For virtual instruments following tempo map:

• Most MIDI instruments will automatically follow tempo changes
• Arpeggiators and LFOs may need manual adjustment
• Test playback early to catch timing issues

Alternative: Frame-Based Grid

If you prefer to work in film frames rather than musical time:

1. Set Main Time Scale to Min:Secs (View > Main Counter)
2. Change Grid to Frames (Bars|Beats menu → Frames)
3. Grid now shows 24fps/30fps divisions
4. Place MIDI directly to timecode

Trade-offs:

• More precise to video frame
• Lose musical bar/beat context
• Can't use musical quantization
• Click track becomes irregular

When to use: Sound design, Foley, or very precise sync requirements

Workflow Tips

Before You Start Composing

1. Watch video without sound multiple times
2. Mark ALL potential hit points before mapping tempo
3. Discuss with director which moments are "hard sync" vs. "soft sync"
4. Create multiple passes if needed (one tempo map per cue)

During Composition

1. Use Memory Locations heavily (numeric keypad Enter)
2. Solo video track to focus on specific sections
3. Loop sections between hit points while composing
4. Save versions before making major tempo map changes

Collaboration

1. Export tempo map as MIDI file (File > Export > MIDI)
2. Share hit point spreadsheet with collaborators
3. Lock tempo map once approved (prevents accidental edits)
4. Use Bounce to Disk to render reference mixes with video

Common Pitfalls

Tempo Map Becomes Unmusical

• Issue: Too many tempo changes create irregular feel
• Solution: Reduce number of hit points, allow some "drift"

MIDI Clips Don't Snap as Expected

• Issue: Grid resolution too coarse or fine
• Solution: Adjust grid value (⇧+ or ⇧-), ensure Bars|Beats mode

Tempo Changes Sound Robotic

• Issue: Abrupt tempo jumps in tempo editor
• Solution: Add gradual ramps, smooth tempo curve manually

Collaborator's Session Doesn't Match

• Issue: Tempo map not transferred properly
• Solution: Save session copy with "Copy Audio Files" enabled

Related Techniques

• Using the Grid - Grid fundamentals in Pro Tools
• Tempo Maps - Cross-DAW tempo mapping overview
• Using a Click Track - Click track setup in Pro Tools
• Quantizing - Quantization after tempo mapping

Additional Resources

Video Tutorials

Identify Beat in Pro Tools:

• Avid - Tempo Mapping Basics↗
• Film Scoring in Pro Tools↗ (search for current tutorials)

Documentation

• Avid Pro Tools Reference Guide↗ - Chapter on Tempo Operations
• Pro Tools Expert - Film Scoring↗ - Articles and tutorials

Summary Workflow Checklist

• Import video into Pro Tools session
• Watch video and identify all hit points (spotting)
• Create Memory Locations at each hit point
• Use Event > Tempo Operations > Identify Beat to map first hit point
• Continue mapping subsequent hit points chronologically
• Open Tempo Editor to refine tempo curve
• Enable Grid Mode (F4) and set resolution to Bars|Beats
• Insert MIDI clips at hit points using grid snap
• Compose music that aligns with picture events
• Review with video, adjust tempo map if needed

This approach gives you the best of both worlds: precise sync to picture with full musical flexibility.