Composing : Why do you love composing music for film? by Michael Teisan

I just don't know, why i love scoring films majorly more than even video games ( I mean i haven't got the opportunity to work on real film with director yet, but i have cuetube short films and actual video games projects.), Its such a weird lovely and satisfying feeling of enhancing the emotional touch of what you see, through your art. Its also the curiosity for finding ways to enhance emotions maybe through instrumentation and maybe melody and maybe some subtle textures. Maybe listener wont be able to listen or notice it but can surely feel it.

I think for me, it's because most of my life has been a musical. LOL! I seriously seem to have a soundtrack playing in my head at all times, so composing for film is just a natural extension!

For me, the magic is when a motif sneaks up on you by the end; you didn't realize you'd learned it, but now it's inseparable from the character. What's the most satisfying "invisible" cue you've ever written or heard?

Michael Teisan I love that perspective—the idea of elevating a scene without needing to stand out.

I haven’t had the chance to compose for film yet, but I have played my music to certain scenes, and when it lines up… goosebumps. There’s something really powerful about that moment when everything just clicks.

So I think my lane leans more toward fitting my music to a scene rather than composing from scratch for it—but I love the magic of it either way.

I’ll be honest though… it’s a little surprising to hear someone doing it at a high level say they don’t love it. If you’re shaping the emotional core of a film like that, it feels like something you’d want to be all in on.

Michael, I really connect with that idea — especially the notion that the score works best when it isn’t trying to be noticed, but felt.

In many ways, it mirrors how I approach tension in writing. Sometimes the most powerful moments come from what sits underneath the surface rather than what’s overtly expressed.

A strong score can guide that emotional undercurrent in a way that feels almost invisible, but completely shapes the experience.

It is a medicine to the mind and a release of creativity. It is therapy and community.

It always add another layer to every scene! Almost like a cue and I love it!

Michael Teisan I love what you say about 'enhancing the emotional touch'. It's what I feel about it too. I love the whole process of writing music in a collaborative project, where everything done (from all departments) is in service of the story. I find that extraordinarily satisfying.

I have some thoughts about your friend's experience - it may be that he is working on projects that don't have that really collaborative aspect, in which the contribution of music is appreciated and respected. And maybe he is better off in the concert space. But, in my opinion, one doesn't write music for the listener or the reception of it or for the fans, for being noticed etc. One writes music to put something into the world that is from one's unique voice or to serve the story in a media project. How it's received, who it impacts is out of our hands and if it happens to be noticed, all good. The effect of the music is felt by the audience or touches the listener anyway - even if not consciously.

Charmane Wedderburn it sounds like you have a very subtle approach to scoring, which is fabulous. I would add that sometimes the music really does need to drive the scene, dominate it or be very obvious. It's all about the story and what the story needs. There does seem to be a misconception out there that music is film is good only when you don't hear it. I would reframe that as music in film is good when it doesn't distract you from the story or pull you out of the story. That might mean being very subtle or even very loud.

Charmane Wedderburn I understand what you mean in relation to writing. Since I'm not a screen writer can you educate me on how you might let a scene breathe with space and silence in a script? Are you just writing in "pause" or "Silence" or is it more than that?

Arhynn Descy you're totally right. The musician I'm talking about fully acknowledges that he prefers a concert space! That's what I was attempting to imply. You have some great points!

I tend to prefer scores that function more as a Greek chorus than those that are atmospheric afterthoughts--what I call slop-tracks, which are way too common in movies & TV, today. My favorite scores can also function as standalone pieces that can be performed without the movie. A classic example is the music Leornard Bernstein wrote for "On the Waterfront": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojnVIW3wRJo

However, the Greek chorus approach isn't always better. The corny score for "The Pacific" was an annoyance, and there was too much of it in the background. That series screamed for a score in the style of the American composer, William Schuman, who made a name for himself, during WWII. Here's the 1st movement of his 4th Symphony, which he started on shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7kZPWlbgps

Michael, great question — it’s a bit more than just writing “pause” or “silence.”

For me, it’s about how the scene is structured on the page. White space, short lines, and minimal dialogue create a natural sense of breathing room, where what’s not said carries the tension.

I’ll sometimes use silence or a pause, but more often it comes down to rhythm — controlling how information is revealed so the reader feels that quiet tension even without sound.

I love the storytelling, the way each element in a film's score makes you feel. The strategic automation of depth in each element, hence a creative decision made by the supervising sound editor or re-recording mixer. One of my favorite examples of that are Skip Lievsay's work on Avatar: Fire and Ash, and on Alan Richardson's work on Despicable Me 4. I am not an expert when it comes to composing but I have a deep level of respect for the craft. Ludwig Göransson, Daniel Lopatin, and Hans Zimmer are my favorite film composers of all time. Scoring is an art form that comes in many forms. An ambiguous form of expression that demands every move to be made with a purpose to hold a meaning. Every element holds a meaning.

I love composing overall but what is different with the image is that it give us an instant inspiration which of course will be further tuned to the expectations

I've always had an interest writing music for film since undergrad at Belmont Univ. - Nashville.

With all the classes and percussion focus, it was school work.

Then I did a Master's in Jazz - one year - definite responsible and discipline to go through the program.. Granted, there were mentions of certain Jazz artists who wrote for Film - Quincy Jones comes to mind 1st.

I think I like orchestrating instruments to help create the final product (not arrangement; arr. are from a previous score or music work). Orchestrating is adding instruments to the score.

Trying to create the right vibe or emotion is the trick, or challenge. (I like challenges at times - not all the time, LoL. :~).

Another aspect is creating another source of income for my business, Kennard Music.

Performing drums isn't all week, so learning the craft and making the music is def. Full time work.

I've enjoyed learning from Michael Whittaker's Online class and free class on Fridays !!

https://scorecraftacademy.com/ - Look for FreeZone in top Right corner.

I made three short videos last year; two are on my website and the 13 videos over time are on my

YouTube channel. (since beginning this journey).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEjEcQpqO6g&list=PLQ1rLO8UJMBpJfRgmfOCH5...

www.kerrykennard.com

As a screenwriter, the score of a film helps me to work through the storytelling by enhancing the emotional content of the work. When writing, /i always watch movies relevant to y script concept and the score just gets me pumped when watching the movie.

For me it's all about possibilities. I love writing music in general, but if you're working with a great team, scoring to picture opens up so many different possibilties. Music, or lack of it, can impact storytelling in the same way writing, acting, editing, and cinemetography can. The sound and feel of a film/tv show is just as important as the look of it. Music can provide various kinds of support, whether it's drama, comedy, epic,etc. Music, itself, can be a character or simply a bridge to advance the story. The opportunities for exploration and creativity are exciting. Possibilities, man. Possibilities.

I love film scoring because it lets me feel like I’m inside the story, not just watching it. There’s something special about using music to make a scene hit harder or say something that dialogue can’t. It just feels natural to me... that’s how I connect to stories the most.

Being a film maker and sound designer/composer puts me in a unique situation, but also adds an extra heavy work load per project. To me it's all one piece, one creative entity. I decided recently that my favorite artistic medium is the short film/music video. Writing a song with the visuals in mind gives me total control of my vision. Music videos are a distinct audio-visual medium that combines music and film to create a new, hybrid artistic form. I miss the 80s-90s era MTV. We are trying to bring some of that back.

Listening/hearing is an important sense that audiences may not even realize when watching a film. IMHO, a well-done score/music enhances a film by subtly subconsciously reinforcing an emotion portrayed on the screen through the visuals and dialogue.

I am drawn to projects that embrace a polyphonic approach to storytelling—where the eyes follow an outer journey while the ears trace an inner one. In this interplay, music assumes its own role, subtly revealing what remains unseen.