One might think that composing a piece of music for film would be quite simple: find the cues (points at which the music will begin/end), and have it match each particular mood – happy, sad, tense, etc. However, too often, this becomes predictable & formulaic.
Chances are, if the music is predictable, the film will follow suit and the viewer will know it. There will be few or no surprises.
For example, the music for a gripping or disturbing Horror/Thriller scene need not consist of jagged, tense strings – something that is used quite often. In contrast, ambient sounds or textures with a dissonant string section could be even more effective. The mere unpredictability would keep the audience wondering, “What is going to happen; when and where?”
