At BMI’s Roundtable Discussion: Music and Film, the Creative Process, 17 composers, directors, and producers gathered to chat about their experiences working with music in film. American music rights organization BMI, which has long been a sponsor of the Sundance Institute Composers Lab, hosted the event. BMI VP of Film/TV Relations Doreen Ringer Ross wrangled the group and encouraged panelists to share their stories.

The idea of “communication” between directors and musicians dominated the event. Director Amy Redford described working with composer David Mansfield on her film The Guitar and said that as a first-time filmmaker, she didn’t have the technical language in music to describe what she wanted, so she reverted to a language she understands. “I would have to say things like ‘Less honey, more salt,” and David would go make adjustments,” she said. “It’s a huge thing to be able to have that dialogue with a composer.”

“I always try to get [directors] to talk to me like they would an actor, in dramatic terms that would mean something to them,” said veteran film composer George S. Clinton, who serves as an advisor to the Lab. “It’s the composer’s job to translate ‘honey and salt’ into music.”

Other ideas discussed at the panel included how the story of the film influences the music, and also the importance of the composer’s relationship with the editor. Mark de Gli Antoni shared that he got the composer’s job on Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired because editor Joe Bini knew him well and had confidence in his work. “He said, ‘It’s a film about Polanski, you know what to do.’”

To which Ringer Ross commented, “Composers in the room – get to know a lot of editors. Seems a lot of careers are made that way.”