Some practices and attitudes
Film composer John Williams said that, beginning to write a score for a movie, he starts by writing the ending credits. Then he takes what he finds more fruitful?, as he says, in that finale, and he develops that material to write the theme and he takes groups of notes coming from the finale to insert them into new pieces that constitute the rest of the score. The time he has to compose a whole score for a movie varies. For example it can be 12 weeks.
Is it necessary, for the composer, to watch a movie from the beginning to the end before composing the score? No, and it is often not even possible, as the score must be ready for the premiere of the movie. The composer reads the script, meets the cast and may obtain some scenes of the movie to advance. In that case, how does a specific movie bring something that the composer can express, at the musical level? It is all a question of the characters that are drawn by the script. Some lines may be appealing, refreshing, provocative, and so on, inspiring and moving the composer. The first chords and melodies are written, then reshaped in order to form a complete orchestral work.
Following the masters
What does a composer choose to write music for movies? Once music composers have played music in a group and studied orchestral music in a school of music, they learn alongside composers in locations like Hollywood, in places where music for movies is created: they arrange and conduct the scores written by the masters for orchestras. When they begin to write themselves, they discuss the scripts with film directors, at least for the main scenes of the movies, in order to give a good rendition of the atmosphere.
Film music is written to evoke emotions amongst listeners: fear, fervor, joy, happiness, etc. Each situation may be depicted in music by using a specific technique or instrument. For example, the use of choirs may easily create an atmosphere that is linked to the sacred sphere and is for instance particularly convenient for science fiction movies, where fights between the forces of good and evil are frequent.
The main musical theme in a movie actually advertises it. It is for example the case for ‘Chrissie’s Death’ in ‘Jaws’, still famous for having inspired terror on both the large and small screens: here the music announces the attack of a shark that is starting to lurk around two reckless friends swimming in the sea. The music being perfectly adapted to the visual scene, anguish was ensured, and so was success for the producers of the film.