A discussion with renowned composer Gary Chang By Richard J. Grula Email to a friend To anyone who believes film music equals a few well-chosen pop songs, the composer's art of creating a score probably looks like a black science. It's easy to dismiss film composers as glorified sonic grips, providing noises here and there to fill the voids. But a good score can be almost as influential as directing or acting when it comes to a movie's prospects for success.
Music can serve as the narrator, an extra character, or even the emotional heartbeat of a film.
Anyone interested in moviemaking needs to understand the role and mindset of a film composer. Chang's portfolio offers a slice of everything from electronica to civil war music to edgy, neo-serial string quartets. His friendly personality is equally flexible, no doubt a huge asset when your job consists of providing musical expertise while bouncing from project to project. The basic gestalt of music is similar to filmmaking. But you're not going to get everything you set out to get, just as in filmmaking.