The Best Time to Bring a Composer onto Your Film Project
The Best Time to Bring a Composer onto Your Indie Film Project
You're in pre-production. You've got your script locked, locations scouted, cast assembled. Someone mentions music and you think, "Yeah, we'll deal with that in post."
This is the mistake almost every first-time indie filmmaker makes.
By the time you're in post-production with a locked picture, you've already missed the best opportunities to use music as a storytelling tool. Your composer becomes a service provider scrambling to meet your festival deadline instead of a creative collaborator shaping your film from the beginning.
Here's the truth: the earlier you bring a composer onto your project, the better your film will be. And I'm not talking about hiring them in post. I'm talking about pre-production. Maybe even development.
Let me show you why, and exactly when to have that first conversation.
The Standard Timeline (And Why It's Backwards)
Here's how most indie filmmakers handle music:
Write script
Shoot film
Edit film
Lock picture
Panic about music
Hire composer with 3 weeks until festival deadline
Get generic score that's "fine"
This timeline treats music like an afterthought. Something you add on top of your finished film, like seasoning you sprinkle on at the end.
But that's not how music works in great films.
In great films, music is baked into the storytelling from the beginning. The director and composer have been thinking about the sonic world together. The edit has been shaped with music in mind. The final product feels cohesive because it was collaborative from the start.
The Ideal Timeline: Earlier Than You Think
Here's when you should actually be talking to composers:
Development/Script Stage (Best Case) Before you even shoot, while the script is still being refined.
Pre-Production (Still Excellent) After script lock, before you shoot a frame.
During Production (Good) While you're shooting, before you start editing.
Early Post-Production (Standard) Right when you start your rough cut, not when picture is locked.
Picture Lock (Late, But Workable) The traditional timeline. It works, but you've lost most of the collaborative benefits.
Two Weeks Before Festival Deadline (Emergency) Please don't do this to yourself or your composer.
Let's break down what you gain by bringing a composer in early.
Why Early Involvement Changes Everything
1. They Understand Your Vision From the Beginning
When a composer only sees your locked film, they're guessing at your creative intent. They can see what's on screen, but they don't know:
What you were trying to achieve in that scene
What got cut that changes the emotional context
What you struggled with during production
Where the story is heading
Example: Your script has a character who's secretly unraveling. A composer involved early knows to plant musical seeds of instability from the first scene. A composer hired at picture lock just scores what they see—and misses the throughline.
When composers are in from the beginning, they're not just reacting to your film. They're helping shape it.
2. Music Can Inform Your Shooting Decisions
This sounds backwards, but hear me out.
If your composer tells you in pre-production, "I'm thinking this film needs intimate, chamber music—maybe solo cello and piano," that affects how you might approach certain scenes.
You might:
Shoot quieter, letting scenes breathe for music
Hold shots longer knowing music will carry the emotion
Leave space in dialogue for musical moments
Plan scenes where music can take over
Directors who work with composers early make different (often better) creative choices because they're thinking about the complete audio-visual experience.
3. They Can Be On Set (Sometimes)
This isn't always practical or necessary, but if your composer visits set for even one day, they absorb:
The energy and tone of your production
How actors are interpreting characters
The visual aesthetic and color palette
The mood you're creating
They're not there to write music on set (though some do sketch themes). They're there to feel the vibe of your film before it's locked. That intuitive understanding is impossible to get from just watching a final cut.
4. The Edit Can Be Shaped With Music in Mind
Here's where early involvement really pays off.
If your composer sends you thematic sketches during the rough cut phase, your editor can:
Cut to the rhythm and pacing of the music
Know where music will live and leave space for it
Use temp music that's closer to the final sound
Adjust scene lengths knowing what the music needs
You're not trying to wedge music into a locked edit. You're building the edit and music together. This is how the pros do it.
5. You Avoid the Festival Deadline Panic
The number one complaint from composers: "I have two weeks to score a feature because they just realized their festival deadline is coming up."
The number one complaint from filmmakers: "My composer didn't have enough time and the score feels rushed."
Both problems have the same solution: start earlier.
When you bring a composer on in pre-production or early post, you have:
Time for creative exploration
Space for revisions without panic
Ability to try bold ideas
Room to fail and iterate
No artificial deadline pressure
The score gets better because everyone has time to think, not just react.
What "Bringing Them On Early" Actually Looks Like
You're not hiring them to deliver music in pre-production (usually, exceptions to every rule I post here). You're starting the relationship and creative conversation.
Pre-Production Involvement Might Mean:
One or two meetings to discuss the script and vision
Composer reads the script and shares initial thoughts
Spotting the script (marking where music might live)
Maybe sketching a thematic idea or two
Discussing the sonic world of your film
Being available for questions during production
Cost: Often minimal or even free, because they're not delivering music yet. You're establishing the relationship. I actually do this as part of their overall fee. Others might charge a small fee to help balance their time or commitment. Or collecting a deposit early to engage the partnership.
During Production Involvement:
Set visit (if geographically possible)
Checking in about how scenes are playing
Beginning thematic sketches
Discussions about temp music for rough cut
Cost: Still usually part of the overall package, though set visits might have travel costs.
Early Post Involvement:
Regular check-ins during rough cut
Thematic sketches for editor to use as temp
Spotting sessions as scenes get closer to locked
Iterative feedback before picture lock
Cost: This is when you're starting to pay for actual music composition, but spread over a longer timeline.
The key: You're likely not paying more. You're just starting the conversation earlier and spreading the work over a longer period, unless that early work is going to include more formal composition and rounds of revisions.
When Early Involvement Isn't Necessary
Like I said earlier about exceptions to every rule, not every project needs a composer involved from day one.
You probably don't need early involvement if:
Your film is dialogue-driven realism with minimal music
You're doing a doc where music is sparse and functional
You're using mostly source/licensed music
Your timeline is extremely tight and you're shooting in two weeks
You genuinely can't afford to think about music until post, when you'll be fundraising again
But you probably DO need it if:
Music is central to your storytelling
Your film is genre-based (thriller, horror, sci-fi, drama)
You're doing something experimental or unconventional
You want the score to be a character in the film
You have time to do it right
The rule of thumb: if music matters deeply your film, bring the composer in early. If music is just background, you can wait.
How to Start the Conversation
You've decided to bring a composer on early. Now what?
Step 1: Find composers who work this way
Not all composers are set up for early involvement. Some prefer the traditional timeline. When interviewing composers, ask:
"Do you ever get involved in projects before picture lock?" "What's your ideal timeline for collaboration?" "Have you worked with directors from pre-production before?"
You want someone who's excited about this, not someone you're convincing.
Step 2: Be clear about the timeline and budget
"I'm in pre-production for a feature. We shoot in three months. I'd love to have you involved early for creative conversations, but I won't need finished music until we're in post next year. What would early involvement look like for you?"
Transparency prevents confusion about what you're asking for.
Step 3: Establish what "involvement" means
Are you asking for:
Monthly creative check-ins?
Script reads and feedback?
Thematic sketches?
Set visits?
Temp music for rough cut?
Be specific. "I'd love you involved" is vague and leads to mismatched expectations from my experience.
Step 4: Agree on compensation
Even if they're not delivering music yet, time is valuable. Options:
Include early involvement in the total fee
Pay a small monthly retainer during development
Offer backend points if budget is tight
Trade: they get first look at the project, you get early input
Just don't expect free creative labor for months. Respect their time.
Early Involvement Examples That Work
Example 1: Thematic Prep
Director brings composer on during script stage. Composer reads script, identifies three key themes. During production, director occasionally references "Friendship theme" when shooting close-ups. By the time they're in post, everyone is thinking about the same musical concepts. The final score feels inevitable because it was planned from the beginning. No need for temp or uncertainty of the score's vision.
Example 2: Set Visit
Composer visits set for 1 day during production. Watches blocking, observes performances, talks to actors about their characters. In post, the composer's music captures the exact tone and energy of the shoot. Director says, "You just got it" because the composer was there. Formed relationships with the team, and got more insight into "what the actor was actually thinking" because they were there in person. The composer is incentivized to promote the film due to the relationship formed when on site.
Example 3: Custom Temp Music
Composer delivers thematic sketches during rough cut. Editor uses those instead of random temp music. When it's time for final score, the editor isn't attached to the latest viral temp track. They're attached to music the actual composer can deliver. Fewer surprises, happier team.
The Downsides of Early Involvement (Yes, There Are Some)
Being fair: there are reasons some filmmakers wait.
Potential downsides:
1. Your film might change drastically: If your composer develops themes for a character you end up cutting, that's wasted work. Solution: Keep early conversations conceptual, not too specific.
2. You might change your mind about the composer: What if you realize in month three that this isn't working? Now you have to break up after they've invested time. Solution: Have honest check-ins. Don't let problems fester.
3. It requires more meetings and communication: Early involvement means more Zoom calls, more emails, more collaborative time. If you're already drowning in pre-production tasks, this adds to the load. Solution: Set clear boundaries about communication frequency.
4. Some composers aren't good at it: Not every composer is great at collaborative development. Some are better at receiving a locked film and executing. That's okay. Find the right match for your process.
My take: these downsides are manageable if expectations are clear from the start.
What If You're Already in Post?
You're reading this thinking, "Great advice, John, but I'm already in post-production. Did I screw up?"
No. You're fine.
If you're in early post (rough cut stage), you can still bring a composer on earlier than picture lock:
Send them the rough cut now. Or text your editor right now and have them send it.
Have spotting conversations while you're still editing (in my process, we do spotting from the script if we can, or at least from the assembly cut)
Get thematic sketches to use as temp music
Build the final edit with their input
If you're at picture lock already, that's the standard timeline. It works. Thousands of films get scored this way. You haven't ruined anything.
Just make a note for your next project: start the music conversation earlier.
The Bottom Line
Most filmmakers wait too long to think about music because they're taught to treat it as post-production.
But music isn't something you add to a finished film. It's part of the storytelling fabric, and fabric is woven from the beginning, not glued on at the end.
Bringing a composer on early doesn't necessarily cost more money (it could). It costs intentionality and commitment. It requires thinking about music as a creative priority, not a technical task you outsource when you're "done."
The filmmakers who do this get better scores. Not because they spent more money, but because they gave the composer what every artist needs: time, context, and collaboration.
If you're in development or pre-production right now, please start having music conversations! Your future self in the editing room will thank you.
Next Steps:
Identify 2-3 composers whose work you admire
Reach out and ask about their process and timeline flexibility
Be transparent about your budget and timeline
Start the creative conversation now!
Read my guide to the seven questions every filmmaker should ask before committing to a collaborator.
Ready to start the conversation about your film's music? Let's talk about your project.
