The Music of Film opens up the world of film music from the inside. Through a series of interviews and conversations with professional composers, music supervisors, music editors, and picture editors, this book shows how music for film and television works according to insiders in the industry.
Here we find a comprehensive collection of techniques and personal insights and get a unique perspective on how these key players in postproduction interact, collaborate, and successfully build their careers.
The Music of Film is essential reading for composers, editors, directors, and producers—aspiring and established alike—or anyone interested in learning how to start or manage a profession working with music in feature films, television, and other media.
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Introduction
- Composers
- Music Editors
- Music Supervisors
- Picture Editors
1. Nathan Barr
2. Tyler Bates
3. Kris Bowers
4. Joseph DeBeasi
5. Anne-Kathrin Dern
6. Rupert Gregson-Williams
7. Lolita Ritmanis
8. William Ross
9. J.J. George
10. Earl Ghaffari
11. Angie Rubin
12. Jason Ruder
13. Del Spiva
14. John Houlihan
15. Amanda Krieg Thomas
16. Maggie Phillips
17. Alan Edward Bell
18. Lisa Bromwell
19. Patrick Don Vito
20. Craig McKay
Selected photos, screenshots, and documents
Index
Biography
Steven A. Saltzman is a music editor, composer, and educator. He has earned a Bachelor of Music in composition and film scoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston and composed numerous films and television scores. Additionally, Steven has been music editing for over twenty years with a Golden Reel award and seven Golden Reel nominations. With over ninety films and television shows to his credit, some recent feature film work includes: Lansky, After, Mary (starring Gary Oldman), The Package, 24 Hours to Live (starring Ethan Hawke), The Revenant (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), and Tides of Fate, a David Ellison documentary. He has worked with many composers, including Tyler Bates, Klaus Badelt, Laura Karpman, Bryce Dessner, Mark Mothersbaugh, Pinar Toprak, and Nathan Furst. He enjoys teaching music editing and postproduction audio for composers, editors, and filmmakers, most recently at American Film Institute, and his ongoing course at UCLA Extension. Steven is also a recent member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the advisory council of the Entertainment Industry Professionals Mentoring Alliance (EIPMA).
'Steven Saltzman is able to illuminate a little-understood profession by speaking with those who know it best. He has worked closely with so many talented colleagues who are able to shed light on the practices at the heart of the film music world. Personal stories can reveal much about the workings of this business, and Steven is perfectly suited to bringing these stories to us from a wonderful array of inspired sources.' Charles Bernstein, Composer
'There’s really no better way to truly learn about navigating the world of music scoring and editing than hearing from those on the front lines - their inspirations, their trials and tribulations, their creative and diplomatic struggles, and their solutions to those struggles. This collection of interviews is as close to being a fly on the wall as it gets and is an invaluable read for anyone searching for insights and inspirations that can never truly be gotten from a classroom.' John Ottman, Composer & Award-Winning Film Editor
'Through revealing interviews, Steven Saltzman pulls fascinating insights on the art and technique of modern soundtrack creation from a diverse group…This holistic approach to the necessary and often over-looked ways in which these four key professions interlock is pivotal reading for all who aspire to work in film, television and streaming media.' Roy Finch
'The Music of Film, is a thoughtful and indispensable guide for anyone desiring to work in the entertainment industry [and] goes beyond what can be taught in a traditional film school program…a practical guide for job seekers and anyone wishing to learn more about the innerworkings of the entertainment industry, it is destined to become the "go-to" reference that provides insider industry knowledge from experienced professionals.' Professor Joel Krantz, California State University, USA
'For all of those who want to understand the real-world challenges, joys and complexities of making film music, Steven’s book has you covered. The interviews are genuine, informative and provide a much-needed reality check about what it takes to successfully work with directors and create film music that’s emotionally resonant…I’m so glad that he has created this useful resource for all those who want to learn from him and his collaborations with film music professionals.' Pascale Cohen-Olivar, UCLA Extension, USA
'A very well-crafted and conceived book full of insights and revelations [which] does an excellent job at lifting the hood on and revealing the process that goes into the process of creating music for movies…There is no doubt that this book will be of great value to anyone interested in the creative process that goes into making movies.' Michael Kowalski, Chapman University Dodge College, USA
'Saltzman has over three decades of experience in the business himself, but also has extensive experience teaching it as well. So he guides and coaxes unexpected and illuminating insights from his conversation partners. A great read for aspiring professionals in the business, as well as any lover of cinema.' Mark Waters
'This new book will pair nicely for my course on Music Editing as well as for courses on Composition for Film, but more importantly, this is a great book for filmmakers of all job titles who want to understand the process of creating music for film. The interviews cover a wide range of experiences from all points of view, and I am glad to see that it includes some reactions to tough questions from industry professionals.' David Bondelevitch, University of Colorado Denver, USA
'Anyone who has been on the post production side of the film industry and especially music will tell you that Steve Saltzman is as good as it gets. Not only is he a world class music editor he is an amazing team member and an even better communicator. That’s why I highly recommend this book. If anyone can reveal the intricacies of this crazy world Steve would be the guy. With the great cross section of interviewees in the different areas you’ll get a true sense of what life is like behind the curtain. I only wish he added mixers because I would love to be interviewed by him.' Alan Meyerson
