Andrew Raiher discusses the role of temp music in film production and how it shapes the creative process for composers. While temp tracks guide filmmakers, they also create bias and limit imagination. Raiher highlights the skill of proposing bold ideas without undermining the director’s vision, describing the constant push-and-pull between artistic risk and professional survival.

Key Topics

• The framework of temp music in film scoring
• The problem of “temp love” in filmmaking
• Balancing creativity with production expectations
• The push-and-pull between artistic risk and job security
• How to break past preconceived ideas to bring something new

Quotes

• “One of the tasks is to not get stuck in temp music, because oftentimes filmmakers have ‘temp love.’”
• “For me, the fun is looking at it and going, how can I really blow this open?”
• “It’s a push and pull — pushing the creative envelope without upsetting the production and losing the job.”
• “They look at you like, why are you messing with my baby? And I’m like, because I think your baby could have a really cool outfit.”