The fun for me musically is that you never quite know what works and why. So why pretend you do? Why not just put things together and discover, in the creative process, if and why they work? That approach has served me well.
Thomas NewmanRead
You want to say as little as you can and get the most punch out of it, always with the knowledge that people are not in the theater to listen to your music so much as to respond to the movie. You're a part of that experience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of brevity and impact in artistic expression, suggesting that the audience's emotional response is paramount.
Thomas Newman highlights the necessity for artists, particularly composers, to convey impactful messages through concise means. He suggests that when creating music for a film, the goal should not only be to showcase musical talent but to enhance the overall experience and emotional journey of the audience, who are primarily there to respond to the cinematic story.
Themes
MusicFilmAudienceExperienceImpactBrevity
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about film scores, you might use this quote to illustrate the role of music in enhancing viewer engagement.
More from Thomas Newman
All quotes →Music is one of the last elements in the creative process. It can and hopefully should tie a bow around an artistic concept, how a story moves forward, the pace of that storytelling.
Thomas NewmanRead
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