Why John Williams Prefers Not To Read Scripts

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Ryan Leach

There’s a great interview with John Williams from all the way back in 1978. He was already insanely successful, having done Fiddler on the Roof, Jaws, and Star Wars, but who knew how many more decades of amazing music he would continue to compose!

The whole interview is long but worth reading, but what stood out to me was his comments about reading scripts before seeing a film.

Will you work from a script initially, or do you prefer some kind of visual stimulus?

My own preference is not to read scripts. It’s like when you read a noveL; you envisage the locales, you cast the players in your mind. That’s the reason, I think, why people are so often disappointed by film versions of novels they have read — they don’t conform to their preconceptions. So I’d rather not read a script, and I tell producer thatl I’d rather go into a projection room and react to the people and places and events — and particularly the rhythm — of the film itself.

I have often struggled with this issue because although it is fun to get involved in a film early, there is very little a script can tell you about the music. So much of the music is based on how the film feels, not just what the story is about. The timing of the performances and editing, the hues of the color scheme, and so many other visual factors have such a demanding effect on scoring that reading the script for me is merely a way to become a part of the conversation when a cut of the film may not yet be available.

And now with the authority of JW I feel like I am justified in not always being so eager to read scripts!

How To Decide When To Score a Project For Free

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Ryan Leach

Being asked to write music for free is an unfortunate consequence of several factors: there are more composers than there are projects to score and thus competition is fierce; many projects have no budget, or at least no budget for music; some people simply don’t respect or value the time, talent, and decades of work it has taken you to even be able to write a good piece of music.

When just starting out, I believe scoring for free is a necessary evil. It’s often the only way to build up a portfolio. How can you convince someone you can score their film if you’ve never done it? Theoretically you score some projects for free and as you, and the directors/producers/etc. you work with, climb the ladder the gigs will start paying better and better.

This is generally how it’s worked for me, but I find that there are still situations where I’m either asked to write for free or even considering it. Here are a few thoughts on when I do and do not give it serious consideration:

Are you being treated fairly?

Was the entire project done pro bono, or did they run out of money by the time they got to post production? I find it revolting that people are happy to shell out thousands of dollars for a DP or an editor but then say to the composer “deferred only”. It’s extremely disrespectful and you hopefully learn early enough in your career that deferred payment doesn’t exist. I had a director try to explain to me once that he couldn’t possibly pay me to score his feature film because of all the money he was going to spend on the sound mixer.

On the other hand, if everyone is doing it for free it’s a different story. If it turns out that a lot of talented people really believe in the project and have given their time and talent to it, then I’ll start to pay attention.

To summarize, only do a project for free if it means you are being treated fairly.

Quality

Is the project any good? Does it seem like a Sundance home run or a viral sensation just waiting to be released?

Or is the script kind of lame, or the lighting poorly done?

If the film looks as good or worse than what you’ve already done and the performances are uninspiring, then what would you be getting out of this?

Portfolio

Will the project fill a category you’ve never done before (eg. animation, horror, musical theater)?

Much like getting your first scoring gig at all, getting your first “fill in the blank” job may require previous work to break into. Directors tend to think in categories; if your reel has a lot of horror you will be labeled a “horror composer”. If you are demoing for a romantic comedy it helps to be able to show a romantic comedy you’ve successfully scored in the past.

Conclusion

Even after considering all those factors I still might not necessarily do the project. Unless it’s starring Anne Hathaway, the best script I’ve ever read, and guaranteed to take me to new heights, it might not be worth it if I’m already too busy with other paid projects.

But the purpose of discussing the elements above is to suggest that at any level in your career scoring a film for free could be a possibility.

Applying the idea of Forward Writing to Composing Music

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Ryan Leach

I was recently inspired by a post I stumbled upon about the concept of forward writing. I’ve read several books on writing that preach the wonders of free-writing, but the post brought it back to my attention. Free writing is the idea that you let your writing pour out like a stream, keeping the pen or cursor constantly moving forward and not worrying about editing.

The article reminded me of an app called iA Writer that features a “focus mode”. Basically only the sentence you are currently writing appears in the center of the screen in full black text, everything else around it fades into soft gray. If you really had to, you could look back and read what you just wrote, but the fading is amazingly effective in getting you to only think about the current sentence. You are forced to pay attention to the present moment in your writing, not what you wrote before. Mindful writing.

I’ve been using the app for about a week now for journal entries and blog posts and I must say I absolutely love it. I’m able to write so much faster when I just let it pour out. Of course another thing to keep in mind is that whatever you are writing is simply a first draft. You can go back and make it good later, for now you just have to get the words out. This takes off any pressure that what you’re writing has to be any good and instead you can just let it flow. [Even this post is at least twice as long as anything I might normally write up here, but it didn't necessarily take twice as much work. The app just made it easier to write.]

Write first, edit later has been a mantra of mine for a long time, but when it comes to writing music it’s much easier said than done. I often advise students to work on their sketches first, to plan everything out, to avoid orchestrating before the actual composing part is done. But I can have a hard time following my own advice at times.

When working in a program like Logic it’s just so easy to go back and play what you’ve done so far. And when you know that you want to use the french horn on that sweet melody you just wrote, avoiding the temptation to drag your region onto the horn is nearly impossible. Of course you want it to sound good right away! I won’t get into the reasons here for why this becomes a dangerous trap.

The important point is that writing first and editing later produces better results, but what can we do to make that happen? iA writer is a fantastic tool for using this technique when writing words, but what about music? Composing at the piano helps considerably, because you can’t get tempted by all the gizmos and toys enticing you in Logic. Want to hear that melody on the horns? Well you’re just going to have to wait.

I suppose a musical cousin to free writing is improvisation. Just set record and improvise your heart out, let the piece flow out of your fingers. This is useful to me when I’m just trying to come up with ideas, but I’m not sure if it’s really the best way to compose a piece of music. Maybe I just need to try it more, but it seems like there would be a lot of fluff to cut out just to get to the good stuff. It seems like there has to be a middle ground between bar by bar (and previous bars) composing, and free improvisation, but what is it? Where is the equivalent “focus mode” that allows you to see what you’ve just written if you need a guide, but also prompts you to keep the line moving forward? Is there such a thing, or can there be?

Unfortunately I’m not providing the answer in this post, at this point I’m merely posing the question and putting it out there. Perhaps someone reading this has encountered this problem and solved it themselves? Or at least it will get someone else thinking about it with me.

How do you turn the “stream of consciousness” benefits of free improvisation into practical use in structured composing?

Improving Your Music by 1000%

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Ryan Leach

I read an article today from Wired about Google CEO Larry Page and how while most companies focus on improving by 10%, he strives to improve by 10x (or 1000%). If you’re not thinking big, you’re just keeping up.

As always, it got me wondering about how the idea might apply to film scoring. What are some things that a composer could improve 10x over?

Compose 10x faster
Produce 10x more music
Record with 10x more live musicians
Write pieces that are 10x longer (production music tends to require 1-2 minute pieces, when was the last time you wrote a 10-20 minute composition? And I don’t mean to picture.)
Get 10x more material out of a single piece of music. This could mean develop your motive further or also using a single piece to inspire 10 more pieces (a slower version, a minor version, etc)

Of course the 10x principle can apply to just about anything, but those are some of my first thoughts on writing film music. What do you think? What aspect of composing music for film could you improve 10 times over?

Also be sure to check out the original article.

The Hitchhiker with Stephen Tobolowsky

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Ryan Leach

A brand new episode of The FlipSide is out now and stars one of my favorite character actors, Stephen Tobolowsky (Glee, Heroes, Groundhog Day).

I wrote the original score and the film was written and directed by Ben Shelton.

“King of the Nerds” on TBS

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Many of my tracks will be featured in the upcoming reality series King of the Nerds.
The series airs January 17th on TBS.

Check out a trailer for the show which is currently running in theaters before screenings of The Hobbit:

Special thanks to Russell Spurlock and Whatnot Industries!

This Month in ryanleach.com History – December 2012

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Here’s a look at some blog posts from the past few years!

One Year Ago

December 7th, 2011 - Composing is Decision Making
December 28th, 2011 - 2011: The Year In Review

Two Years Ago

December 4th, 2010 - Devils Racecourse

Four Years Ago

December 2nd, 2008 - Disney Princess Official Homepage

The Flipside – Music from Seasons 1 & 2

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ryan Leach

I’ve put together a playlist of music from The Flipside, the original narrative series from Rainn Wilson’s SoulPancake written and directed by Ben Shelton.

This Month in ryanleach.com History – November 2012

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Here’s a look at some blog posts from the past few years!

One Year Ago

November 2nd, 2011 - Towards a New Theory of Music
November 8th, 2011 - The Filmmaker’s Guide to Giving Feedback on Music
November 23rd, 2011 - Five Years

Two Years Ago

November 5th, 2010 - SCOREcastonline: Is Musical Form Relevant to Film Scoring?
November 19th, 2010 - Pastor Shepherd Screening
November 29th, 2010 - Maverick Movie Awards

Three Years Ago

November 2nd, 2009 - So You Think You Can Dance

Five Years Ago

November 7th, 2008 - The Dark Knight

Happy Halloween! – Two Halloween Flipsides

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Happy Halloween! We had two Halloween related episodes of The Flipside this month, Halloween Costume Crisis starring Alyson Stoner (Step Up, Cheaper By The Dozen, Phineas and Ferb) and Dark Night of the Soul featuring Casper Van Dien (of Starship Troopers fame).

Check them out below and have a spooky night!

Upcoming Screenings in San Francisco, Seattle and Boston

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Upcoming screenings for two recent films I have scored:

The filmmakers of Two Shadows will personally present the film at the Admiral Theater on Sunday, November 4, 2012. The theater is located at 2343 California Ave SW, Seattle, Washington 98116. Showtime 1:40pm. Tickets $10 advance/door. Get your tickets now: seattle2shadows.eventbrite.com

Two Shadows celebrates its San Francisco premier on Sunday November 11, 2012 at the Vogue Theater, 3290 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94115. The show starts at 2:00pm, followed by a Q&A with director Greg Cahill. Tickets $10 advance/door. Purchase advance tickets here: sanfrancisco2shadows.eventbrite.com.

The Commitment will have its hometown premiere at the Boston Asian American Film Festival on October 28, 2012 at 3pm at The Paramount Center. The film is featured in the session “Reel Food: A Shorts Program”; click here for tickets. BAAFF empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a program of the Asian American Resource Workshop, a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions, respond to current Asian Pacific American issues, and promote Asian Pacific American identity.

Brand New Video Showreel Now Online

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Ryan Leach

I just completed a video highlights showreel with an original composition. The video is a two-minute montage of short clips from many of the great projects I have been fortunate enough to work on over the past few years.

This Month in ryanleach.com History – October 2012

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Here’s a look at some blog posts from the past few years!

One Year Ago

October 5th, 2011 - Teleportation Doesn’t Exist (On Growing Organically)
October 19th, 2011 - Artisanship vs. Artistry
October 26th, 2011 - Aaron Dignan: How to Use Games to Excel at Life and Work

Two Years Ago

October 12th, 2010 - Back from Serbia!
October 12th, 2010 - Author Interview at Audiotuts
October 17th, 2010 - Photos from the “Skinning” Red Carpet Premiere
October 18th, 2010 - The Great Marcusio
October 25th, 2010 - “Anacapa” with Nicholas Tolkein

“Peel” Kickstarter Campaign

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ryan Leach

I wrote a track in classic 1980s John Carpenter style for Peel, an old-school horror film that is currently raising funding on Kickstarter. Check out the track I wrote in the video below, and Kickstarter campaign here.

Thank you to director Marc Samson for bringing me on board!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0747UdrMPZo

“The Commitment” Premiere in Palm Springs this Saturday

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ryan Leach

The Commitment, a short film I scored written and directed by Albert Chan, is having it’s premiere screening this Saturday September 22nd at the Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Following the screening I will be participating in a Q&A with the filmmakers.

“The Commitment screens on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 11am in Theatre Two as part of Short Series: All About Gaybies, three very different takes on gay adoption that provide a humorous, and sometimes poignant look into life with and without gaybies; click here for tickets. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, the festival is a presentation of the Palm Springs Cultural Center and is dedicated to presenting the best in LGBT cinema. With the current gay and lesbian population in Palm Springs estimated to be about seven times the national average, a concentration even greater than that of San Francisco, Palm Springs is a fitting location for the premiere of The Commitment.”

The film has also been accepted into The 27th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and The 60th Annual Columbus International Film + Video Festival.

This Month in ryanleach.com History – September 2012

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Here’s a look at some blog posts from the past few years!

One Year Ago

September 7th, 2011 - How I Became a Composer’s Assistant
September 14th, 2011 - Deane Ogden: What Directors Want from Their Composers
September 21st, 2011 - On Keeping the Aspects of Composing Isolated
September 28th, 2011 - “What do I do next?”

Two Years Ago

September 13th, 2010 - Serbian Premiere of Skinning October 6th, 2010
September 17th, 2010 - Premium Tuts now available on the Envato Marketplace
September 21st, 2010 - Pastor Shepherd DVD available for pre-order on Amazon
September 21st, 2010 - New trailer for Skinning
September 23rd, 2010 - 5 Orchestration Lessons from John Williams’ Flight to Neverland
September 24th, 2010 - New Poster for Skinning
September 27th, 2010 - Two Shadows

Four Years Ago

September 19th, 2008 - Audiotuts: How to Create a Custom Instrument with EXS
September 26th, 2008 - Audiotuts: How to Create a Compelling Ostinato

The FlipSide on SoulPancake – Episodes 3 and 4

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Ryan Leach

Two new episodes of The FlipSide, a web series from SoulPancake, have been released.

Episode 3: “Unexpected Visitor” stars John Ross Bowie aka “Barry Kripke” from The Big Bang Theory and Episode 4: “Second Chance” stars Paul Adelstein from ABC’s Private Practice.

SCOREcast: How to Create Tension with Climbing Scales

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Ryan Leach

My latest article for SCOREcast Online has been released: How to Create Tension with Climbing Scales

“Among the many primary functions of film music, tension is near the top of the list. Wether it’s to generate feelings of suspense, anticipation, or even a false sense of danger, creating tension is a major part of our work as film composers.

In this article I’ll discuss one of the tools you can add to your bag of tricks for creating tension, the technique of stretching out a scale.”

Click the link to read the full article.

Also be sure to check out my other articles for SCOREcast: