British composer Tim Atack did not always see himself writing music for feature films and television; in fact, the musician found his entry into the filmmaking industry by being "in the right place, at the right time". With recent credits including the Ricky Gervais' helmed Cemetery Junction (2010) and The Invention of Lying (2009), he seems to have found his niche. Here Atack talks about his favorite tools and some of his experiences as the man behind the music.

How did you start working in film and video?

Tim Atack: Quite by chance actually! I was a touring musician working at the time with singer Des'ree which started in 1994. We were writing together on the road and whilst in Australia on tour wrote "Kissing You", which was then intended for Des'ree's third album. The director Baz Lhurmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge) had become a fan of Des'ree's and asked her to send him a song when he was putting the music together for Romeo + Juliet. She sent him "Kissing You" (lucky for me) which found its way into the film. It then became a big part of the soundtrack, which as the guy responsible for the music became my entry into scoring films.

Do you have any favorite audio tools, and why?

Tim Atack: I work totally on Pro Tools as I find working with picture requires great flexibility in spotting cues and moving things around quickly. The audio editing is very intuitive and smooth, and the new features in version 10 are really handy (particularly the new clip gain facility). Also, as all major studios are also on Pro Tools, I can just load up my session and pre-record audio immediately into another system without converting from another platform.

Sound wise, I think it's crucial to have great orchestral samples, and I have a large number of virtual instruments for this. I particularly like and use EASTWEST/ Platinum orchestra as it has fantastic brass and woodwinds, as well as strings. I also use LA scoring strings and have recently started using CS 2 (Cinematic Strings 2).

What is it like composing music for television versus films?

Tim Atack: To be honest there's not a great deal of difference creatively for me as I always try to adopt a cinematic approach, whether it's for film or TV. However, I do find the schedules tend to be a lot tighter in TV, so you probably don't get as much time to make a lot of elaborate musical arrangements to the cues as you would for film. TV budgets usually limit the composer to working completely in the sample domain which is also a big factor, especially on orchestral cues. Having said that, a lot of movie scores seem to be going that way too!

What do you find is the most difficult emotion to express in music?

Tim Atack: I think scenes that are in themselves highly emotional are always challenging. I'm always careful not to overdo sad music on sad scenes for instance, as it can sometimes be just a bit 'too much'. I kind of learned this lesson the hard way and have to say some of the emotional scenes I've scored in some films I would do differently now. You never want to hit the audience over the head with the score.

"I'm Kissing You" is one of the most recognizable parts of Romeo + Juliet. What was that experience like? How did the song come about?

Tim Atack: It was very much a case of being in the right place at the right time. As I said earlier I was working with singer Des'ree who'd been approached to have a song in the film. Actually she was also appearing in the film to sing the song at the Capulet ball. It was a great experience as I also got to record the piano with the film orchestra so it was a great first experience in working with film music.

What sort of research do you typically do before films?

Tim Atack: Typically the process starts with a meeting with the director and producers and I'll usually have a look at other films the director has done to give me a sense of the style he or she usually works with. Once I know the background of the film I'll read the script and look at some scenes if they have some ready. I think it is really important to get to know the shape and geography of the film thoroughly. I'll then think about instruments and palettes that will create the sound that will serve the film the best way. Once I hit on something the filmmakers really like, I'll develop it from there.

How is composing for a comedy like The Invention of Lying different from a drama, such as the short film Devil's Dosh? How do you approach the different genres?

Tim Atack: I can't say I have a stock approach, but I think the biggest difference is made by the choice of instruments for a given music cue. For instance, with comedy you might only have to play a few short staccato notes on a bassoon and add a few violin pizzicatos and it immediately sounds like it belongs to something funny, much like in the scene in Lying where Mark (Ricky Gervais) gets fired. Having said that, there are no rules as sometimes the most unlikely music can work brilliantly well as it's very unexpected. I used a lot of choral sounds in The Devil's Dosh to create a strange almost 'other worldly' score, even though the film was quite violent. It had a very 'unobvious' quality which I liked.

Who would you cite as your main inspirations?

Tim Atack: It's strange as the things that inspire me are changing all the time. At the moment I'm really inspired by English classical composers like Elgar and Vaughan Williams. This may have something to do with fact that I'm working on the score to an English period Christmas movie.

Do you have any advice for aspiring composers?

Tim Atack: I would say, find your own voice with your music as you're going to have to stand out in an ever expanding sea of like minded people. Learn to be a great programmer as scores are becoming more and more sample driven. You stand and fall by your demos!

If you get a meeting with filmmakers about scoring a project, remember they will probably be seeing a number of people, so make sure you're well prepared. Try and read a script before you go in. They won't mind you asking and will be happy to make one available if there is time. This will also give you an insight to the story that will help you develop some ideas and hopefully convince them you're the right person to work with. Once you sit down with them you should start by listening hard to what the filmmakers have in mind before you start presenting your thoughts.

Trust your instincts and, above all, never ever give up!