The more dollars the studio producers put in, the less freedom we have. If the budget hits $100m, they get scared - they'll take the existing score of a successful movie and expect composers to copy it, like wallpaper. The biggest challenge for any composer in Hollywood is to be as creative as possible within those boundaries.
Interpretation
In the film industry, higher budgets can limit creative freedom as producers tend to play it safe.
A. R. Rahman's quote highlights the tension between artistic creativity and commercial interests in Hollywood. As budgets increase, so does the pressure on composers to replicate successful formulas rather than innovate, which can stifle creativity. This reveals a broader issue in the art world where financial considerations often dictate the limits of artistic expression.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the challenges faced by artists in the film industry during a panel on creative freedom.
I want young Indian composers to be able to do more than just film music. I want to give them the skills that will enable them to create their own palette of sounds instead of having to write formulaic music. It doesn't matter if they become sound engineers, producers, composers or performers - I want them to be as imaginative as they like.
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