It is inevitable when working in film-music that on occasion (or sometimes quite often) we are subject to critiques and commentary of our work. Whether we’re soliciting input from someone, or the criticism is offered uninvited, it is something we must all deal with.
Being able to take criticism gracefully is a useful skill to have, and one which can be learned. There’s really not much to it. First you must keep in mind that musical taste is entirely subjective, and therefore so is all feedback relating to it. So if someone doesn’t care for your music, or your choice of a temp track, or your choice of how to edit something etc., they are simply expressing their opinion, which in the grand scheme of things matters no more or less than yours.
Second, keeping the first thing in mind, if the comments are coming form your director or producer (or other employer), then it is their opinion that counts for that particular project more than yours. And naturally they will criticize what they don’t like more readily than praise what they do like. They’re there to tell you what’s wrong so you can fix it, not to stroke your ego. So keep in mind that the criticism is not personal, but professional. After all, they hired you in the first place, so they like you enough to have given you the job, and they expect and trust that you can handle their notes and address them.
If you disagree with a note or criticism, ask yourself – do you disagree because your feelings are hurt? Or based on your professional opinion. If it is the latter, by all means discuss your thoughts regarding the criticism. The best way to do it is to ask leading questions – i.e. “so when you say it’s not doing it for you, do you mean it’s not exciting enough? Not energetic enough? Not hitting picture right?” Help them explain the issue in more detail – you’ll be surprised at how often what seems like a huge criticism at first turns out to really be just a request for a minor tweak.
If your feelings are hurt, then you’re not able to be objective at that moment, and it’s best to leave it alone and come back to it after you’ve had some time to think. Just respond gracefully with something like “Thank you for your notes” or “I’ll see what I can do” or “Let me think about it” and move on. The worst thing you can do is confront the person offering their criticism and tell them they’re wrong.
If they are just a friend or colleague or professional critic offering their thoughts about your work, then it really doesn’t matter. If you disagree that’s fine, who cares? It’s just their opinion, remember the first thing I told you – it’s subjective. If they are your employer, or someone you reached out to for input and advice, confronting them will only make you seem stubborn and unwilling to listen. Taking some time to gather your emotions and then revisiting the cue at a later time can do wonders.
Finally, if you reach out and ask for someone’s opinion, you should just accept it and thank them for taking the time to critique your work, even if you think their feedback is completely wrong. It is just their opinion. And if you really can’t handle criticism, then you’re in the wrong business.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, or add a comment.