I can't help but bring these quotes over here from my hero, Elmer. From Facebook:
Bear McCreary I was fortunate to work with legendary composer Elmer Bernstein for the last decade of his life. He was my mentor, friend & first employer. When I first arrived in LA, from the ages of 18 - 21, I sat in on Elmer's film scoring class at USC & wrote down every single word he said.
I recently discovered my old notebooks ...& found I had underlined 25 Elmer Bernstein quotes that caught my attention as a young composer. The quotes are as relevant today as they were then, and offer a glimpse into Elmer's creative process & political savvy.
For the next five weeks, I will post one Bernstein quote each business day, Quote Number One is...
"Respect the film. You don't have to like it." #ElmerWisdom
Daily quotes from my Elmer Bernstein film scoring notebooks return! Today's is a gem, one I think about on every project: "Avoid talking about music with the filmmaker. Instead, ask 'What should the audience be feeling?'"