---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Film writing and concert writing are two…"
description: "\"Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it tells you what to write. I have to stay wi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg"
---

#  Film writing and concert writing are two very different…

![“Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it tells you what to write. I have to stay within the parameters of the film. In writing concert music for the stage I can write anything I want and in this day and modern age rules can be…” quote by Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg)

> “Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it tells you what to write. I have to stay within the parameters of the film. In writing concert music for the stage I can write anything I want and in this day and modern age rules can be broken.”

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Film composition follows a narrative and visual constraints, while concert composition allows unrestricted creative freedom, reflecting differing artistic goals.

**In simple terms:** Film music follows a story; concert music is free.

Key Takeaway

Adapt your approach to the medium’s demands.

Themes

creativity constraints artistic freedom

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

advice observational

When to use this quote

- film scoring
- concert programming
- collaborative projects
- personal compositions

Key Concepts

narrative structure musical expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide when to follow rules versus break them?
- What defines success in each context?

A Different Perspective

Balancing audience expectations with artistic vision can be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Concert Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert-writing-4276136/) [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-things/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-writing/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-age/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Parameters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parameters/) [Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Stage Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage-write-2295892/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [This day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-day/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Concert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-concert-4276137/)

## Related quotes

> [My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i-d-write-movies-they-d-be-a/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [It's hard to explain why exactly, but I think that when I began writing plays, it was from an actor's point of view more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/it-s-hard-to-explain-why-exactly-but-i-think-that-when-i-began/)

[Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/)

> [Writing is like acting on stage because when you write you have to make sure that your readers or audiences will really be entertained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/writing-is-like-acting-on-stage-because-when-you-write-you-have-to/)

[Christine Mae Sajo Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/)

> [I can only develop a stand-up show by being on stage. I can't write it. Whenever I see comedy written down, it very rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/i-can-only-develop-a-stand-up-show-by-being-on-stage-i-can-t-write-it/)

[John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/)

> [Believe it or not, I write on stage. I can't write anywhere else; I have to be in a moment. I also have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/believe-it-or-not-i-write-on-stage-i-can-t-write-anywhere-else-i-have/)

[J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/)

> [Usually with film writing I start with characters, and set about writing their story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/usually-with-film-writing-i-start-with-characters-and-set-about/)

[Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/)

> [Both sex and death are eternal themes. You could make thousands of movies on this theme, and whether you have a human being who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-almodovar/both-sex-and-death-are-eternal-themes-you-could-make-thousands-of/)

[Pedro Almodovar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-almodovar/)

> [Look, I'd take a suggestion from my grandmother if I thought it would improve a film I was writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ol-parker/look-i-d-take-a-suggestion-from-my-grandmother-if-i-thought-it-would/)

[Ol Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ol-parker/)

> [I spent a lot of time on Diane Arbus film, not only writing it, but running around talking through various production issues. All this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-on-diane-arbus-film-not-only-writing-it-but/)

[Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/)

> [I want to start a thing that encompasses music, film and writing as well. I dont think Ive established myself enough in film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-want-to-start-a-thing-that-encompasses-music-film-and-writing-as/)

[Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/)

> [I think television is moving more into movies, particularly with serialization and almost cinematic proportions and expectations. A show like 'Game of Thrones' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-think-television-is-moving-more-into-movies-particularly-with/)

[Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/)

> [It's interesting going between small parts and then bigger roles where you carry the film. If the writing is good, and if the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/it-s-interesting-going-between-small-parts-and-then-bigger-roles/)

[Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/)

> [My original goal was just to do stand-up but then I became interested in films - writing a film, shooting one someday, and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/my-original-goal-was-just-to-do-stand-up-but-then-i-became-interested/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [The nuts and bolts of shooting a film and writing a film are still really difficult. But what makes it easier is the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-shooting-a-film-and-writing-a-film-are-still/)

[Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/)

> [Making really great music, making really great films, writing great books is an antidote to all of that. And, as people, as artists, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/making-really-great-music-making-really-great-films-writing-great/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

## More by Aaron Zigman

> [When I lost a tennis match that made me upset or hurt emotionally I would find myself going to the piano and playing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/when-i-lost-a-tennis-match-that-made-me-upset-or-hurt-emotionally-i/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [The thing I learned from playing tennis is that I know what competition is. I can handle rejection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/the-thing-i-learned-from-playing-tennis-is-that-i-know-what/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [When I create I don't think in technical or mathematical terms until the idea is formulated Musical composition is formulated in improvisation. Once a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/when-i-create-i-don-t-think-in-technical-or-mathematical-terms-until/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [There is competition. It's almost like I'm back in tennis competing in a way. There are usually about twenty composers vying for the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/there-is-competition-it-s-almost-like-i-m-back-in-tennis-competing-in/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [You try and nurture the relationship. This day and age we have to do a little more networking than we used to do. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/you-try-and-nurture-the-relationship-this-day-and-age-we-have-to-do-a/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [You cannot do what I do for a living without having a thick skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/you-cannot-do-what-i-do-for-a-living-without-having-a-thick-skin/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [When you play competitive tennis you are competing against someone else and you have to win. Playing music I didn't have to win I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/when-you-play-competitive-tennis-you-are-competing-against-someone/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [Sometimes it's very hard to turn off my brain especially when I have an eighteen hour day. I try to stop working by 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/sometimes-it-s-very-hard-to-turn-off-my-brain-especially-when-i-have/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [Composers can do things that weren't allowed in the 17th century. Until we had composers like Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff to break the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/composers-can-do-things-that-weren-t-allowed-in-the-17th-century/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [I have a huge record and cd collection of all kinds of great classical, jazz and all music but I find the internet very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/i-have-a-huge-record-and-cd-collection-of-all-kinds-of-great/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [Sometimes I just listen to classical pieces of music to take me away from my work. That's what I kind of do to wash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/sometimes-i-just-listen-to-classical-pieces-of-music-to-take-me-away/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

> [I was an accomplished junior tennis player up to around fourteen years old. At fourteen or fifteen I made the decision to venture off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/i-was-an-accomplished-junior-tennis-player-up-to-around-fourteen/)

[Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

[Explore all 13 Aaron Zigman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it tells you what to write. I have to stay within the parameters of the film. In writing concert music for the stage I can write anything I want and in this day and modern age rules can be broken.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Aaron Zigman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two-very-different-things-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two-very-different-things-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/aaron-zigman-36194_age_film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two_2113343.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it…” — Aaron Zigman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Aaron Zigman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Film writing and concert writing are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two-very-different-things-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two-very-different-things-in/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
