Art Starter: Greg J Walker

How different is it composing music for screen as opposed to writing music for your day to day band/project? It's pretty different. Working on a film or TV show I'm fitting into a story and an aesthetic that started well before I came onboard. I have to put my narcissistic rock'n'roll attributes in a safe storage area and be a team player – it's a collaborative process at heart.

What are the challenges of composing for the screen? Coming up with something new that doesn't involve soft ethereal synth pads. Trying to understand what the adjectives the producers and director's use actually mean. Keeping my narcissistic rock'n'roll attributes in the safe storage area.

Does the television or film director give a specific brief or a general outline for you to explore creatively? Almost always a scene-by-scene brief. Occasionally you get the luxury of writing before they start editing and you can actually influence the editing process and the musical direction the whole thing will take. I try to get as much of my stuff to them as early on as possible – this limits the amount of times they will throw in something from American Beauty as a temporary track.

How much creative input does the director have? On a movie, lots. On a TV series the director often gives you the brief and then you never see them again – the producers are usually the ones that have the stylistic overview on a series. Some of these people give you lots of freedom, others want to micromanage every little thing… it just depends on the personalities and the project.

What (emotions) can music add that is not already present in a film or television piece? Irony, restlessness, regret, fervour, imminence. Sometimes a scene doesn't work very well and you get asked to make a musical band-aid for it so it can limp home.

The Screen Music Awards will be held in Melbourne on Monday 19 November.