What is a Spotting session in film making?

A spotting session is when the composer is shown the uncut, unpolished, rough-cut version of the movie. 

The director and composer watch the entire movie together, essentially to make notes of which scene requires what music or if the scene requires any music at all. Because sometimes, silence adds the greatest value.

Composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, John Barry and many more celebrated composers around the world, know the importance of these sessions. 

The composers actually get the feel of the entire movie and they take very precise notes as to where the music begins and where it ends, to the exact second. 

During this process, the composer also works out exact music cues. As in, how the music is incorporated into the film in a way where it doesnt clash or dominate the dialogues and the sound effects. 

It is not uncommon for music editors to be a part of these sessions. However, the very first session is usually with the director and the composer. 

Occasionally, the director edits the film to fit the music. 

Adding music to the film enhances it significantly! Hence it is very important that the director and composer have these spotting sessions to attain the perfect original score, to create that magical experience for the viewers. 

In simpler terms, a spotting session is a discussion and exchange of ideas, skills and creative instincts to create a perfectly syncronized audio-visual experience. 

Disclaimer:

I DO NOT OWN THE IMAGE.