How To Find A Film Music Composer
If you’re making a film, one of the most important parts of the film is going to be the musical score. However, if you don’t have the knowledge to sit down and write out an entire musical score yourself, someone else is going to have to do it. This is where you can look into hiring a film composer. Some of the greatest film composers make their living this way, simply by hiring their skills out to film directors. John Williams and Howard Shore come to mind, composers of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings film soundtracks.
So how do you go about finding a film composer to work on your film? Well, two of the more well-known ones are listed above, but odds are if you’re just starting in the film business you’ll need to seek someone a little less prominent unless you intend to devote a larger part of your budget to the soundtrack – Williams in particular has a well-deserved reputation for skill. First, what you should do is decide what type of music your film is to have. Different composers do different styles and types of music. After finding this out, you can then look online for a list of film composers who write that type of music, and look at their portfolio for similar films to yours. Many composers find it easier to stick to a single genre of film to write the same style of music.
Another way to do it is to shoot the film first, then talk to your composer of choice – this process is called "spotting" and is easier for the composer to tailor music for specific moments in film. This is called a leitmotif in music terms, or a theme used for a situation or character. An example of this is the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme. Becoming a film composer is a rather long process. As far as education goes, you’ll need to major in either music or film, preferably music. This will give you the necessary background as far as musical styles, instruments and common techniques used so you have a base from which to work.
Film education is needed so you can learn to time music appropriately to different types of scenes, learn how audiences will react to different music and learn what type of mood should be evoked from different music. After you get your education, it’s a good idea to make a portfolio of music, preferably with backing video, and begin looking for work as a film composer on a freelance basis. Once your name is more established, more prolific directors will begin seeking your services, if your scores are good and memorable enough. Being a film music composer can be on of the most rewarding careers, if not necessarily lucrative at first. Most arts based careers aren’t unless you’ve really established yourself. If you love music and love to write music, becoming a film composer is likely one of the most fortunate opportunities you’ll find.
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