SHR4C007R~001 24101433

by

Ben Perrins 24101433

Working as a Film Music Composer in the Creative Industry

Name: Ben Perrins

Word Count: 2051

Submission Date: 7/1/25

Introduction

A film music composer is a highly specialised career, one which requires a diverse set of skills. Their role is to fully score a film to add emotion and help make a film feel more real and relatable to the audience through music. They will often work with the director to fully flesh out the film musically and help fulfil its intent. They may work from studios, sometimes from home if they have access to the necessary equipment. I chose to investigate this profession because it is one I am personally intending on pursuing after completing the film music course at Leeds Conservatoire. Within this portfolio I will be investigating multiple aspects of the profession including professional, personal and legal factors that may affect someone in this area of the creative industry. 

What are the academic and professional qualifications and experience required to enter the profession?

There are no specific academic requirements for becoming a film music composer, however education can still be incredibly useful in this pathway. One example is having a degree in music composition, which would help to develop one’s skills in composing music, a skill invaluable and critical to someone in this profession. According to Indeed (2024), many film composers start by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in music composition. Undertaking a course such as this can also widen one’s knowledge of musical styles and genres, which can also be incredibly useful to a film composer, who may encounter a diverse variety of films that require radically different music to each other. In some cases, universities offer tailored film music courses, such as Music (Film Music) at Leeds Conservatoire – a course which teaches the specific skills required for a film composer such as composing and producing music, as well as film production. 

It is also useful to have an extensive knowledge of music theory when composing for a film, as this will provide an understanding of how musical aspects such as harmony, tonality and rhythm can be used to create different emotions which may need to be highlighted in the film. Therefore, working through the grades of music theory would be a recommendable qualification to obtain, such as the exams with boards such as ABRSM (2024) or Trinity (2024). 

What knowledge, skills and personal qualities or attributes are needed for success within the profession?

Much of the knowledge and skills required to be a film music composer come from the academic experiences discussed previously, however there are several personal attributes one should have if they are pursuing this career. Primarily, they must have a passion for and interest in music and composing – in order to be successful, one must love what they do. They should also have an interest in films, and some knowledge of how they are made in order to further understand their role in the process. Besides knowledge, it is important to be creative and innovative, and be driven to write a lot of music. Collaborative skills are also important to have, due to the need to effectively work with the director and team working on the film to make sure the music successfully enhances the story, involving understanding emotional tones in scenes and how music can amplify the narrative (Davis, 2010). 

A degree of emotional intelligence is necessary to have as a film composer, as analysing the emotions in a scene is a difficult skill, and one which has a significant impact on how the music for a scene is written. The composer should also understand the emotions portrayed by music, as they will need to tailor their music to the genre of the film. Every genre requires a different approach to composition. The effect on the audience should always be considered, as music should be written to dictate and enhance the emotion and psychological impact of a scene (Davis, 2010).

What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?

Generally, for a film composer, no two days would be the same. Different projects often require different approaches, however there is often a common process for writing film music and a series of responsibilities that the composer will have. Most of the time, the film will be finished before the composer begins working on it, as music is usually the last thing to be added before a film’s release. A composer generally will be given around six weeks to complete their work on a film, though this can vary.  

Typically, a composer will begin by watching the film through to get a feel for the emotions and where their music might be able to enhance the narrative. They will then re-watch the film in more detail, sometimes with the director to get their opinions, in order to ‘spot’ the film and work out where music should be placed throughout, as well as what kind of music will fit best. For instance, John Williams’ score for Star Wars (1977) best suited orchestral music, however for a film like The Social Network (2010), composers Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor opted for electronic sounds and piano. Once spotting has been done, composing may begin, typically taking around a week. Most composers will work in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) such as Logic Pro to mock up their score before they record it with live instruments, if it is intended for them. Once everything is recorded and approved, post-production takes place to make sure the music is mixed into the film properly, however this is often done by a sound engineer rather than the composer. 

What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?

Like many careers in the creative industry, a film composer is more than likely to work freelance. In this case, there are some financial factors that affect the profession. For instance, they would have to pay taxes themselves. They would have to declare any payments made to them annually and pay income tax and national insurance contributions depending on profits they make (Barclays, 2023). Secondly, they would have to put aside money themselves for a pension, compared to an employed worker who would be given a pension by their employer. Besides this, there is the potential for unstable income, as earning money relies on them getting work, so there are no paid ‘sick days’ or holidays. 

There are also some legal challenges involved in this profession, predominantly related to copyright and ownership of music. Just because the composer wrote the music, doesn’t necessarily mean they own the rights to it. Often, the film production company will own the rights to the score, though this depends on the contract that the composer signed. If the composer wants to keep any of the rights to their work, they would have to sign a ‘shared ownership’ contract that will allow them to use their music outside of the film. Composers can also earn money through royalties in certain circumstances, such as when their music is performed, or when it is used in another media such as an advert. An example of this would be the song Let It Go from Frozen (2013), composed and written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, which has earned lots of royalties from streaming, downloads and radio play. 

What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?

Like any independent musician in the creative industry, it is important to advertise oneself as a film composer. This is primarily done online, as this is how most potential clients will search for someone to work on their project. A personal website is one key way into an online presence. This should feature a short biography and personal background to let people know who they are and what they do, including any notable projects or achievements they may have and want to be known for. It should also have examples of previous work from their portfolio to show clients what standard they work to and the quality of music they can expect to receive. Lastly, contact information should be included for potential clients to reach out if they are interested in working with the composer. 

Social media is another key way of gaining a following which can attract potential clients. Having a presence on sites such as Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube can be very useful for connecting with others and advertising oneself. For example, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have content on YouTube where they discuss their music for films such as The Social Network (2010) and Gone Girl (2014) (GQ, 2024).

Thirdly, simply networking through word of mouth is highly effective, as if one builds good relationships with directors they work with, then they are more likely to have a good word put in about them with other potential clients, thus earning them more work.

What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with? 

Intellectually, a film music composer may be challenged by the constraints of the project they are working on. As they are making music for a film, the music must serve a specific purpose, often working subtly in the background. This can sometimes mean that the composer cannot fulfil their creative vision for a piece of music because it detracts from the music’s purpose. This can be challenging for the composer, especially when their ideas are rejected by the director because they don’t believe it fits the video, despite the composer liking the music they have produced. It requires a great deal of creativity and adaptability to overcome these challenges (Wierzbicki, 2008).

Film composers also face personal challenges due to workload. They are often given tight deadlines to work to, meaning they sometimes have to work incredibly long hours late into the night in order to get the work done. This can negatively impact their personal life as they lack sleep and don’t get time to spend with their friends and family. They may also have a physically inactive lifestyle due to how long they spend working on their computer, which can negatively impact their health. On top of the potential for financial instability previously discussed, the life of a film composer can often be strenuous. It is highly important for a good work-life balance to be maintained in order for this to be overcome, taking time to look after oneself to stay happy and healthy. 

What career-progression and development opportunities are available within the profession?

Typically, film music composers will start out by working on lower budget short films and student-made films. This can help them to gain experience and build a portfolio of work that they can advertise to attract directors of bigger productions. Another way a composer may build a reputable portfolio is through library music – composing a large quantity of music across different styles and moods and uploading them to a music library so that they may be found by film makers and used in their productions. This can be a good way to expand one’s repertoire and make some passive income if the music is used enough.

Once they have become more reputable, a composer may progress onto writing for television programmes on streaming platforms such as Netflix. The budget is higher, allowing for a greater production standard. This provides a composer with the experience necessary to reach the ultimate point of their career: composing for major studio’s films and blockbusters. Hans Zimmer allegedly earned $2million for his score for the movie Dune (2021), showing that a composer can reach incredible success at the peak of their career. 

Conclusion

Overall, being a film composer can be a highly successful career, and very rewarding. It does come with several challenges; personally, financially and legally especially at the earlier stages of the career, however if one is successful it can lead to a very prosperous life within the creative industry. There is lots of opportunity for progression and collaboration, as well as a range of different experiences to be had. Whilst being in the profession does bring many of the struggles associated with being independent in the creative industry, it can also bring benefits that allow for a highly fulfilling career if successful. 

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