January 23, 2008
Directing the Composer: A Workshop For Filmmakers

I was invited by the Park City Film Music Festival to present Directing the Composer at this year's PCFMF Music in Film Seminars.

The workshop was originally created for filmmakers at the Oxford International Film Festival at the request of program director JC Schroder, who invited me to be honored at his festival and speak to attendees. Rather than talk for an hour about my workI prepared for the engagement by interviewing filmmakers about working with composers. Overwhelmingly the filmmakers wanted to know how to speak to - or direct - the composer more effectively. And so the workshop was born.

Many of the interviewee's comments confirmed what I already suspected, which is that filmmakers are taught everything but how to deal with music and a composer. Yet most every director I've talked with recognizes how important music is to the cinematic experience. I also see that many film festivals include concerts and panels with bands and artists, but very few address the topic of original underscore in their programs. So, one of the most important aspects of filmmaking is also one of the least understood and discussed. Could be a problem, no?

To help remedy the situation I came up with a presentation that begins where every film begins - with drama. As I point out, drama is the common language in film, regardless of what arena of creativity we work in, be it writing, directing or composing. Using examples from my work in television and independent film, I discussed the various ways music is used to convey dramatic concepts and laid the foundation for communication between director and composer.

The workshop I gave during the OIFF went well. I received some good feedback from several of the attendees, including director/composer agent Richard Kraft, who knows a thing or two about film music. I look forward to presenting the workshop again at the PCFMF. I'm sure I'll end up learning as much as anyone else. For some reason, having to verbalize what it is I do makes me much more aware of the process and the choices that are available. A big thanks goes to all my directors who participated in the survey I sent out - your perspective was invaluable.

“Douglas' workshop is the missing link from most college curriculums. I recommend it to all filmmakers.”
John Putch, Director, MOHAVE PHONE BOOTH

“Sitting in Douglas Romayne's workshop made me wonder why we didn't have a class like this in film school. I went through film schools in both England and California, but I learned more about working with a composer in this one workshop than I did in school...”
Jon Gustafsson, Director, WRATH OF GODS

“ Douglas was able to touch on material about the Director-Composer relationship that you just can't hear elsewhere, speaking from years of experience in both film and television and on projects of all sizes, from block-buster movies to low-budget short films, television and animation. It was not only a unique and greatly enlightening workshop, but also an entertaining look into the scoring process and the importance of music. His workshop was truly a great addition to the Festival.”
J.C. Schroder, OIFF Festival Coordinator and Director, FREEDOMLAND

Contact

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