Check out my students' fantastic work

Original scores composed by my students in collaboration with fellow students and filmmakers.

The Koi and the Frog - collaboration with KI

Brandon McLendon's Original Score Collaborating with VCU Cinema Talent

Animation | Original Score by Megan Sass

The Point of No Return (game) - collaboration with Communication Arts and Computer Science

Bystander | Original Score by Z. Salsberry,

Secret Horror | Original Score by Nicholas Cantwell

Shadows - Original Score by Justin Willbanks

Astro Parade (game) - collaboration with Communication Arts and Computer Science

Study Media Scoring at VCU

Immerse yourself in the art of creating cinematic music for diverse media projects.

Study Media Scoring at VCU and become the maestro behind the scenes, crafting the perfect musical accompaniment to enhance visual storytelling. At VCU, you will have the opportunity to collaborate on exciting visual creative projects throughout the School of the Arts and across the university. It's an immersive experience where you take the lead in shaping the future of scoring for visual media!

Unlock the art of modern music creation! Immerse yourself in Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and learn to master virtual instruments, loops, audio recording, MIDI, signal processing, plug-ins, as well as composition and arranging.

Explore the art of combining orchestral instruments to create captivating moods! Discover the distinct characteristics of various instruments and apply your knowledge to create a rich, full-score orchestration.

Master the art of creating realistic orchestral mockups with top-quality virtual instruments! Dive into advanced techniques, from classical masterpieces to cutting-edge film scores. Showcase your creativity by crafting your own compositions.

Break down the construction and application of scores in varied genres, and apply this understanding by creating music in the unique styles of scores for specific movie genres.

Unleash your creativity as you compose and bring to life diverse music for motion pictures, spanning film, television, and ads. Dive into the aesthetics and psychology of mood music, master sound-film synchronization, and learn the ropes of scoring procedures.

Explore the art of scoring while teaming up with filmmakers and producers to create music for media projects. Receive guidance from the instructor and constructive feedback from peers to shape your demo reel. Let's transform your creative endeavors into an impressive portfolio!

Rescored Movies

Caminandes | Rescored by Claudia Andrade

Sprite Fright | Rescored by Grace Fisherpoff

"Spring" rescored by Robert Rosenbrook | Filipe Leitão

"Sprite Fright" rescored by Devin Sullivan

"Spring" rescored by Miles Martell | Filipe Leitão

Action Trailer | Rescored by Rachel Perlish

Live Demo: Composing an Action Score at VCU

Dr. Leitão gives the students a plethora of resources to expand their skills in film scoring while still allowing them creative freedom. He’s particularly focused on how the content will serve the students beyond their time in the classroom during their careers.

From the Film & Media Scoring course evaluation (anonymous review)

The tools that I learned in Dramatic Scoring with Filipe Leitao will go with me through life forever, and I can’t wait to build on them even more. Now I can compose music for comedies, horrors, adventure, fantasy, action and more.

From the Dramatic Scoring course evaluation (anonymous review)

Professor Leitao is one of the best professors I have had at VCU! He is willing to help students learn in the best he can no matter what! He is also not opposed to sharing his connections/suggestions to things for students who are more advanced.

From the Digital Music Production course evaluation (anonymous review)

Compositions & Arrangements

Featured compositions and arrangements produced by my students.

This playlist features tracks produced by students of a variety of programs including Music, Kinetic Imaging, Psychology, Homeland Security, Marketing, Business, International Relations, Graphic Design, Sculpture, and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Who is Filipe Leitão?

Filipe Leitão is an award-winning composer, music producer, and educator.

He is Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, teaching a new collaborative program in Media Scoring. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The University of Alabama, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media at the Academy of Art University (San Francisco, CA), and a Bachelor in Art Education at the University of The State of Pará, in Belém, Brazil, where he served as an Assistant Professor at the Federal University of Pará. As an educator, he has taught composition, orchestration, music production, and film scoring.

Dr. Leitão has collaborated with many artists, creating original compositions and sound design for films and video games, as well as he has written electronic works, and concert pieces for varied ensembles. His works reflect his unique voice originated from a mix of classical music, popular music, Brazilian music, and film music, and have been recognized at both national and international levels, and obtained prizes and performances on renowned film and music festivals, including New York Electroacoustic Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, University of Tennessee Contemporary Music Festival, SCI Conferences, Belgian Saxophone Choir, North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, Cannes Short Film Corner, Toronto Film Week, Anima Mundi, and WorldFest Houston, to name a few.