Movie writing

I'm just curious, how does movie music writing go? I would guess you come up with some themes, then the movie gets made, then you write a score to fit the movie. Is that how it goes?

Before the actual movie is done, do you come up with a ton of transitions? Most of the good movie music will have some sort of transition, one to the other, but you must have a lot unless you want to get boring.

Ok zero. Let's take it from the top! :D

Music is almost the last thing to be put to film in most cases, unless the director and the composer have this extra nice and fruitful relationship, in which case editing, croping, and composing go hand in hand.

But usually towards the end of production, when everything has been shot (dead :D) and the visual fx are starting to appear, and post production, the composer kicks in and works for less than a month, most of the times to get everything done. How is this possible? Well, the composer is present from before hand and can get clips, or give (hand in) ideas, and themes. In addition a good LA orchestra can record around 15-20 minutes of music in a day. So the whole recording process takes... a week at most. And can start the minute the first scores appear. Even if the... credits for example are not composed, or not on score, the orchestra can still be recording other tracks.

Of course the composer will use the theme + tens of variations ideas, as well as concetrate on the important themes first and deal with the fillings later on, when dead tired and wishing he was sleeping instead of working! :D

In addition to all the above, you need to remember that big products (like the situations I'm describing), go along with big budget, which goes along with a big team for audio. So the composer has to... compose. Someone else might orchestrate (although some composers hand in, VERY detalied drafts, like Williams, and others didn't (<-past) know how to orchestra even, the so called... whistlers), someone else will produce the scores, other the parts, someone else will make a mock-up to give to the director, BEFORE they pay the orchestra, so that they can try it in film to see how it fit, etc. You get a team of many people working for the same job.

Smaller productions usually are lacking the urgency of big triple A productions. But still, it's very convinient for the composer to NOT deal with scores, engineering, etc (almost a definete). I mean it's enough hussle to compose and do a good job, but being responsible for recording an orchestra is simply a shity situation.

And of course, composers, have their receipies ready, exactly like a chef. You don't go to a restaurant and think that the chef in the kitchen is doing your plate first time, or that he came up at THAT minute. Sure he may make variations, sure he may create something new if bored, but he will be based on what he knows works, already. A chasse scene is a chasse scene. A love scene, is a love scene. Based on the themes that you have for the movie, along with temp tracks (which will provide a VERY precise idea on what the director/producer want in that particular scene), it's 'easy' to know where you're heading.

...and Nikolas nails another one....three points!!

...great post! Hope you're paying attention, Theo! ;)

...Theo! ;)

I'm SO sure that TH30 will make up a new signature by the time we're done with him! :toothygrin:

Actually, I don't really care. It was something my friends and I were making fun of when we made the name up. So it's all good man. Just historical, that's all.