Dear Mr. Bellis,

I wanted to write to you following a lecture you delivered in London last year to a group of composers, regarding your views on the 're-sophistication' of our profession.It was a truly inspiring lecture, and I had the opportunity to thank you personally afterward as well as discuss a few points in further detail, which was an immense honour.I have pored over your book 'The Emerging Film Composer' time and again, it has become a staple reference for me and one of the primary contributors that led me to the career in full-time professional composition that I enjoy today.Your lecture delivered further priceless advice - the reason I'm writing is to tell you how pervasive an influence some of the things you talked about has had on not only myself but the filmmakers I work with!You used an analogy of the composer as a masseuse - keeping the one hand on the scene[sic] in order not to surprise them with the sudden and unexpected return of two hands. Also, you spoke of thinking of the music's contribution to the picture in terms of 'percentages' - what percentage of the emotional/informative/dramatic content are the visuals providing, and what percentage does the music need to bring in order to make up any shortfall.Both of these analogies have made it into the vernacular of my own working life and that of my collaborators (predominantly through me repeating them on such a regular basis)! Only today in a spotting session a director said 'Don't come out at this point - segue into the next cue, keep one hand massaging the scene!'. Another director I work with now talks about percentages of a scene, and how prescriptive the music should be as a result.I thought you might find it interesting just how pervasive these thought processes you introduced to me have become, not just to me as a composer but to directors, producers, editors and sound designers that I have worked with. Thank you for providing this unique slant on things!

Kind regards,

David 

David M Saunders | Composer, London

Testimonials

Dear Richard,I just want to say that your lecture today was so inspirational, interesting, informative, entertaining and just wonderful! You are the greatest teacher and lecturer and my number one mentor I mention everywhere! I want to thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience! I have learned so much from you!I've studied classical composition and orchestration, jazz-composition and media-composition for 7(!) years at the University of Music in Vienna and graduated with a masters degree. That's how long the regular traditional composition-study in Vienna is (or was, now it's 5 I guess)! But Richard -   I have learned more about our profession and craft from you within just a few weeks of the ASCAP workshop, 2008, and through your wonderful book and your lecture today! More useful things than I ever learned back in Europe during all my studies! Thank you so much for sharing your wise thoughts and advice again tonight!

All the best,

Gerrit Wunder, Composer, currently working in L.A.