Composer/director interaction

[Jeff Hayat]

Hi David - thanks for taking the time to do this.

My question centers around how a young composer should deal with a director who is not very good at giving direction. Assume here, that the composer and director have no prior working relationship.

For ex., you write a cue that is right along the lines of the temp score. It gets rejected. The dir says, "yeah - it sounds like the temp score, but the pic. editor threw that in there, and I never really liked it anyway." So, in trying to get an idea of what the dir would like, you hear, "I am looking for something that is - you know....pshycoacousticalorganic music - you know...like the kind of music that is typically heard in most films today." You ask if there are any examples you can be pointed to. "Don't know of any". Any scores from film, tv, etc? "No." Any composers as a reference? "No." Even tho you know the dir has final say, you try the producer for some advice. "Just do the best you can". You write a few cues - all get rejected by the dir: "Eh, that's not what I am hearing in my head."

What advice can you give, David, on how to handle this, and what to say/not to say?

Thanks again!

Jeff Hayat

[David Newman]

Funny you should ask this. I am in Sundance at the composer's lab and I was talking to the Fellow's about this kind of issue. They all had to deal with young (or inexpierenced) film makers. what I always try to impart is that you don't want to talk to a director about MUSIC!! You want to talk about the MOVIE!!! Talking about music is almost pointless as you are finding out. You should talk about the scene you are scoring. what is it about? Who is it about? How does it fit into the movie structurally? In other words, try to think like a writer, director, film maker. Think of yourself as a "filmmaker" first and composer 2nd. And listen INTENTLY to everything the filmmaker says. As crazy as it might sound. There are clues everywhere. But also, remember, not everyone will like your "asthetic" your music. it's a very personal thing. All you can do is do your best and then hope for the best. Also, one of the "best" things about scoring films is you never know what is going to happen. Sometimes the worst situations turn out the be the best. Just never give up. If you are let go, so be it. Feel bad for a while and then move on. But when speaking with a director, try to steer the conversation to his orbit. That is literature, filmmaking, character, structure, etc. I told the fellows up here that they should be reading great books as much as possible as there are so many references that movies make to these books and western culure in general. Good luck. Sorry it's so insane...We have all been there.