As I approach half way through my contract at Films@59 I wanted to write a post just to take stock and think out loud. The things I was hoping to get out of being a post production runner have been better and more valuable than I could have ever expected: understanding workflows, different roles, the expectations that come of me as a composer, what editors, directors, dubbing mixers etc. need from me for the best possible outcome of a project. All these things have made me confident in my ability to slot into my role on a project seamlessly and make sure I can use my skills as a composer as effectively as possible.
But a lot of what I have gained I was not expecting at all, the sense of support and community within the film industry took me aback to see in person and feel the absolute passion for film emanating from everyone is something you can’t fully appreciate until you are around it. I’ve known for a while now that I am “all in” on film composing as I love the craft but hadn’t stopped to consider the community that I was knocking on the door of, and now, having a glimpse inside its one I can’t wait to become more and more of a part of.
On a practical note the offline editors letting me in on their processes such as choosing temp music has reframed my approach of how I use temp music and communicate with production teams. The dubbing mixers at Films@59 have been amazing, showing me parts of their craft that are relevant to mine whether its in the context of how to work with someone like them best like how they expect deliverables and how to set up sessions most effectively and tidy up my previously questionable bus routing practices! Or whether its parts of their process that are inherently musical in themselves that I can use and adapt into my work. The confidence I feel now taking on the technical side of the process is a level of competency I was not expecting to feel and be let into so early.
The experience has and continues to open my eyes to the industry and it really hits home the quote from Hans Zimmer “We are not composers’. We’re part of the filmmaking team.”
