How To Find Your Ideal Composer; The Do’s & Don’ts for New Independent Filmmakers

For many new filmmakers, music is often treated as one of the final elements to check off the seemingly endless list of tasks you need to complete. In reality a great soundtrack isn’t slapped onto a film at the end like a shiny bow on your gift. It is ingrained into the narrative of the film, working together as a creative partnership should be considered as you are thinking about the emotional arc of your story not after it is conceived.

Finding a composer is about bringing the right person in who can support your vision from start to finish. It is one of the many decisions that a filmmaker must navigate and understanding the broader do’s and don’ts when recruiting a composer will ensure your production and its soundtrack work together successfully.

Finding Your Ideal Composer

Do: Understand your film’s needs

A clear concept will identify the role music will play as a character of its own within your project. Do you want tension, emotions, momentum, time or place setting that isn’t conveyed directly in the film itself? Having this in mind will help communicate your goal to the composer and will filter out composers whose skills don’t align with your concept. 

Do: Listen beyond their showreels

A polished showreel can sound impressive, it shows what they can achieve in certain situations but ask yourself can I provide the situation to achieve a similar result. Look for films they have scored with similar budgets, listen for consistency across genres, and most of all listen for how well the brief is hit. A good composer can be a chameleon when it comes to hitting the mark for a sound world and consistent quality between projects is a good sign they are aiming to bring the director’s vision to life.

Do: Discuss budgets upfront

Budget constraints are a reality for nearly all new independent filmmakers and not setting aside an adequate budget for music is a costly mistake. Experience, reliability and developed skills often prove far more valuable than saving a small amount of money upfront.

Do: Set expectations from the outset

Set clear deadlines, revision procedures, how you want the deliverables. Get agreements signed with ownership, licensing and rights, even for zero budget films. Work professionally. Act professionally. Get the results. 

More often than not, this is the downfall of many new startups.

Don’t: Fall to ‘exposure/credit’ as a form of compensation

Exposure is not a form of compensation unless you are willing to formalise a clear structure for this. Exposure to whom, how many viewers, which festivals, distributors, directors, producers or studios?

Use of buzz-words such as “great exposure”, “amazing opportunity”, “portfolio piece”, “passion project” whilst omitting any mention of compensation actually reads “We need professional work but aren’t going to pay for it”. It sets you up for failure and puts you in a bad light within the industry.

Don’t: Expect a quick fix

Post-production is a marvelous side of film making but don’t expect it to make up for shortcomings within production. Go in with a ‘every element needs to be just right’ attitude rather than making any one department compensate for another and you will win every time.

Don’t: Pick one composer out of a pile

Speak to a number of composers about your project. Every one we know will offer guidance on what you can do with a story and a budget. The more composers you speak to the easier it is to spot red flags, over promises and refine what is going to be a good route for your film. 

Don’t: Overlook the value you can give and receive with your crew

It is super easy, if you show your crew you value them you will empower them and receive so much more in return. Care about your project, cast and crew, and care about the investment everyone is dedicating to your project.

A Caution on AI

It is an all too easy temptation at the end of your production, when you find the budget and energy levels have run dry, to resort to AI rather than a composer or sound designer. With the current legal ramifications in using AI generated music it would be wise to fully read up on what is happening in the world and copyrights before choosing this path. 

The last thing you want to find is that there are copyright issues when trying to sell your work.

A Final Thought

If after reading this you need some guidance on music in your project do reach out to us here. We will be happy to help you on the right path whether that is with us or recommending you to someone in your genre.

Go and make your film sound great!