Drawing inspiration

I'm finding it hard to word this topic in paragraph form, so here are my questions in list form.

-I hear some of composer X's work somewhere and really like it.

-I want to draw from that style for my own compositions.

-In particular I want to apply these styles in a cinematic way. (In the near future, I may get to score some student films.)

-What is the best way to go about this?

-Should I buy some scores and analyze them?

-Are there particular analysis techniques that I should use for cinematic applications?

-Should I write "practice compositions" where I attempt to duplicate the styles I want?

-Am I over-thinking this?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

If I were you, I'd try to copy the sound of the music you want without looking at the score at all. That way, you will try to copy it, but you will likely come up with something completely different. That had been my experience, anyway, before I decided to just be as original as I could be in my music.

If, however, you do successfully copy it, just trash it and be glad to have learned a little something from another composer that may be useful to you in your future compositions ... don't use it. You may find you get overly-casual with other peoples' music :lol:

That's just my two cents -- I don't know what others will say.

-I hear some of composer X's work somewhere and really like it. I want to draw from that style for my own compositions. In particular I want to apply these styles in a cinematic way. (In the near future, I may get to score some student films.) What is the best way to go about this?

It depends on what you mean by style. Philosophy? Scores won't help initially; you'll have to read books, essays, and liner notes. And then do a lot of extrapolation from listening and score study.

Techniques? Score study and active listening are probably the best call.

Themes, etc? Don't actively steal. (Passively, you can't really stop it, nor should you.) But you can study their uses, etc.

-Should I buy some scores and analyze them?

Yes. Scores, multiple recordings, whatever you need to get out of the music what you want/need.

-Are there particular analysis techniques that I should use for cinematic applications?

You could think about the thematic implications of a given technique; not having done cinematic stuff, I'd say it's a matter of finding the right tool for the right job.

-Should I write "practice compositions" where I attempt to duplicate the styles I want?

I might be in the minority here. Never walk into a composition thinking it's not for real. Make a good piece of art, though work on what you want to work on. But you can't, I feel, get the same thing out of "OK I am going to write a fugue" before you've heard the starting material.

-Am I over-thinking this?

Short answer? Yes.