Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Composer Simon Franglen takes you behind the scenes of Avatar: Fire and Ash in this in-depth NAMM 2026 interview, revealing his incredible workflow with Avid’s Pro Tools and Sibelius. Discover how one of the world’s most accomplished film composers creates, orchestrates, and produces music for the massive scale of James Cameron’s blockbuster.
For Avatar: Fire and Ash, Simon composed over three hours of music, recorded four hours of orchestral performances, demoed nearly seven hours of material, and generated a staggering 1,907 pages of Sibelius score with over 1,500 tracks in his mix sessions. He shares how he managed this immense workload and kept everything organized and playable for live orchestras.
In this video, Simon breaks down his Avid workflow, Pro Tools for dialogue, sound effects, and music, and Sibelius for the orchestra. Learn how he integrates MIDI from Pro Tools into Sibelius, constructs highly detailed demos for directors, and crafts hybrid scores combining orchestral textures with synthesizers. He explains his approach to scoring, orchestration, stem separation, and workflow optimizations that make creating for Dolby Atmos and stereo effortless.
Simon also shares his composition philosophy: why playing instruments and layering performances matters, how to write music that tells a story even without the picture, and why sophisticated demos are essential for clear communication with directors. Whether you’re an aspiring film composer or simply fascinated by the making of cinematic music, this video offers a rare glimpse into the meticulous craft behind one of the biggest films of the decade.
Get ready to explore the creative process behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, hear tales from the studio, and pick up practical tips to take your own scoring, composing, and music production to the next level.
YouTube Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
02.19 – Early Start into music
03.45 – Vision for Avatar: Fire and Ash
07.18 – Pro Tools & Sibelius Workflow
16.30 – Copy & Paste into Sibelius
18.17 – Playback
28.33 – Advice from Simon Franglen
▶️ avid.com/sibelius
▶️ avid.com/pro-tools
Follow Avid Sibelius:
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twitter.com/avidsibelius
linkedin.com/showcase/avid-sibelius
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tiktok.com/@avid.sibelius
Follow Avid Pro Tools:
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linkedin.com/showcase/avid-pro-tools
snapchat.com/add/avidtechnology
tiktok.com/@avid.protools
#avatarfireandash #protools #sibelius
Composer Simon Franglen takes you behind the scenes of Avatar: Fire and Ash in this in-depth NAMM 2026 interview, revealing his incredible workflow with Avid’s Pro Tools and Sibelius. Discover how one of the world’s most accomplished film composers creates, orchestrates, and produces music for the massive scale of James Cameron’s blockbuster.
For Avatar: Fire and Ash, Simon composed over three hours of music, recorded four hours of orchestral performances, demoed nearly seven hours of material, and generated a staggering 1,907 pages of Sibelius score with over 1,500 tracks in his mix sessions. He shares how he managed this immense workload and kept everything organized and playable for live orchestras.
In this video, Simon breaks down his Avid workflow, Pro Tools for dialogue, sound effects, and music, and Sibelius for the orchestra. Learn how he integrates MIDI from Pro Tools into Sibelius, constructs highly detailed demos for directors, and crafts hybrid scores combining orchestral textures with synthesizers. He explains his approach to scoring, orchestration, stem separation, and workflow optimizations that make creating for Dolby Atmos and stereo effortless.
Simon also shares his composition philosophy: why playing instruments and layering performances matters, how to write music that tells a story even without the picture, and why sophisticated demos are essential for clear communication with directors. Whether you’re an aspiring film composer or simply fascinated by the making of cinematic music, this video offers a rare glimpse into the meticulous craft behind one of the biggest films of the decade.
Get ready to explore the creative process behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, hear tales from the studio, and pick up practical tips to take your own scoring, composing, and music production to the next level.
YouTube Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
02.19 – Early Start into music
03.45 – Vision for Avatar: Fire and Ash
07.18 – Pro Tools & Sibelius Workflow
16.30 – Copy & Paste into Sibelius
18.17 – Playback
28.33 – Advice from Simon Franglen
▶️ avid.com/sibelius
▶️ avid.com/pro-tools
Follow Avid Sibelius:
instagram.com/avid.sibelius
twitter.com/avidsibelius
linkedin.com/showcase/avid-sibelius
snapchat.com/add/avidtechnology
tiktok.com/@avid.sibelius
Follow Avid Pro Tools:
youtube.com/avidprotools
facebook.com/avidprotools
instagram.com/avid.protools
twitter.com/avidprotools
linkedin.com/showcase/avid-pro-tools
snapchat.com/add/avidtechnology
tiktok.com/@avid.protools
#avatarfireandash #protools #sibelius
