MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Spikey Horse wrote:My first venture into this forum
I'm just curious for all you prolific writers out there, who write for other people full time (which I certainly do
not), what the ratio is between using genuinely new vs. stored away ideas for these kinds of projects.
Have you ever even accepted / declined a project based on what you have/don't have in your library of ideas that may be suitable for it?
Getting back on topic...
I don't think a professional composer will accept or decline an assignment based on whether or not he has a piece of music ready to go - at least
this composer won't use that as a criteria. Certainly one might turn down an offer to write if the style is not within your experiences.
As far as using previously composed music vs. new music, that would have to be a decision based on the individual project, not as a "matter of course." On the plus side, it would appear that using extant music would save time in producing a score.. In fact, it can work against you more often than not and create a situation where you bang you head against the wall trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole.
You do see composers using the same theme over and over again on different projects. Thomas Newman has re-used the main theme from "A Beautiful Mind" in many other projects. You even hear it in commercials. This could certainly be thought of as thematic development over the course of a career, but in that case it seems like a direct quote and a simple repeat of a theme that (IMO) is really great. However, that is
not the way composers in the past have developed thematically over the course of their careers; Beethoven's 3rd Sym. is as different from the 5th, the 7th and the 9th as can be, yet they all have the imprint that clearly says
Beethoven.
So I think the thing to realize is that for many composers (and other artists as well) there are thematic ideas that we develop over many years; our
trademark(s) if you will. There are certainly themes that composers (myself included) rework, but not exactly recycle, per se - if that makes sense. How these themes make there way back into our (or my) work and how they develop into something new and progressive (hopefully!) is sometimes surprising and very unexpected.
Hope that answers you a little, at least from my perspective.
Nice post, MLC.
I have a very large library of my own music that I've done through the years. When a piece becomes "liberated" (by contract), and there's a project that might benefit from that particular piece, I will occasionally show it to the director (probably I'll make a re-arrangement to fit the project better). If he likes the theme then I will take it and use it as is, or if needed, I will develop it, twist it, abuse it, etc.
Same with orchestration devices. As we know, a composer not only gets his "sound" from his themes, but also from the orchestration, harmony, and general idiosyncrasies.
I LOVE discovering these in their music. Elliot Goldenthal, for instance, uses his typical orchestration licks all the time (major 7th intervals with sustained horns over ostinatos). The SECOND you hear that you know who wrote it.
Like MLC wrote, those trademarks are developed over years of writing. Personally, I think that developing your own sound and trademarks are one of the highest rewards a composer can achieve.
Although I'm probably still a long way from obtaining that, that's one of my artistic goals.
To answer your question, SH, I would not decline a project just because I haven't done something similar before. On the contrary, I embrace them as a great opportunity to try new things or become acquainted with unknown styles.
I would only decline the assignment if I just do not like the style needed for it.
Being able to do research, identifying and grasping quickly the most important elements of whatever style you're investigating, and being able to incorporate those unique elements to your own writing assignment are one of the most important skills a Film Composer can have (aside from writing nicely, of course).
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