Members zakadams Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Hi everyone, I have been asked to write *most* of the score for a film my church is making. I have some experience with scoring and orchestral writing from college, but I've never actually done a film. How does this usually work? I haven't even seen the script yet (just a short story that the film is based on) and the director is asking me how the music is coming along. Are film composers expected to write before and/or during production, or do they get to work with a finished product? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 I would say the answer is all over the map. In commercial productions, there is a wide range of approaches. Everything from people who score the movie from storyboards or outlines and then count on subsequent work to fit the already recorded score into the film to those who write from a more or less final visual cut. And everything in between. And off the side, as well, as some productions have no original music in them, drawing instead from library music and/or other previously recorded music. Sounds like the director assumes you'll be creating music that he can fly in or adapt -- but perhaps he's thinking you'll give him demos that he can then request changes on... but that's just guessing from what little you've said here. But I would say that there would be no shame in asking him precisely what he wants. That, seems to me, would be the professional thing to do, since there is no one way things are necessarily done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zakadams Posted April 24, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 I was afraid that would be the answer...I think you're right about the demos. I don't think the director really knows what he wants though (or at least he doesn't want to color my work with his opinion) so he's basically just told me to "go for it." So I'll just do that then and see what happens Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Just between you and me (and I could certainly be wrong)... but it sounds like the film maker may have similarly little practical commercial experience as you -- in which case, it sounds like you have a lot of latitude -- but you may have to exercise extra diligence to help him integrate your music with the visual material. If he isn't the most experienced filmmaker around, it gives you more latitude but it's also not quite the same as gaining the experience of working with an experienced industrial/commercial filmmaker. OTOH, this guy will probably be willing to spend the time to get things right where someone who pumps these things out might have little patience for your lesser experience. I say make lemonade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Johnny-Boy Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Hey Zak, Has the director heard any of your work yet? It wouldn't hurt to prepare a sample CD for him. I'd give him several :30 cuts in an assortment of music styles (and tempos). If he hasn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zakadams Posted April 24, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Yeah, it's basically the growth of our church drama team doing a few live play/musicals and short skits for dvd. This "making a film" thing is new to everyone. The director knows my work, but mostly in a rock/pop context. I guess I just had this assumption that I would present things to the director in the context of an edited visual instead of working the music in as we go. I don't have a problem either way, I just didn't expect that it would work that way. Thanks for all the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.