Just a simple query: Do composers get paid when they are hired or do they get their cheques upon delivery of the final score after it has been recorded etc.? Just curious.
Everything is negotiable, and not all contracts are alike. But in general a composer will be paid in stages – part of his fee upon commencement, part upon delivery, generally with steps along the way. Steps could also include commencement of recording, completion of the film, etc.
But there are exceptions. Sometimes, composers are delivered a lump sum with which to provide a score in its entirety – that is, the cost of performing and recording the score comes out of that lump sum, and the composer keeps the rest.
