Film Composers
Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004)
- Most film composers on average are able to compose about 2-3 minutes worth of useable music everyday
- Composers are judged not necessarily on the quality of their work. They are ranked according to box-office success of the films they do. A common trend through out film history
- Some scores have stand alone quality and posses enough aesthetic and emotional charge to be enjoyed without the pairing of the film images.
- Composers need to be quick writers of music
- Have a great sense of drama
- Work many long hours for many days without adequate sleep
- Able to "sell" their talents to prospective employers
Qualifications for a Successful Film Composer
- Have the knowledge of all styles of music (similar to what other profession in film music?)
- Be a fast composer
- Possess a great sense of drama (presenting any human emotion through music only)
- Have great stamina (long hours of work)
- Good communication skills with filmmakers
- Ability to change and adapt quickly on the scoring stage (a composer may have to change a musical cue on the spot)
- Be able to accept rejection. Nearly every film composer has dealt with this
- Feel comfortable promoting yourself to producers and directors. Being the "right" composer for the job
- Know your strengths and weaknesses as a composer
- The true masters of film scoring are those composers who can move from one genre to the other with continued success
A Closer Look at Some of Today's Composers-Refer to pgs. 30-38 of the text