Welcome to the next installment of The Filmmaker Files, where we break down the director’s relationship with various crew members to help first-time directors better understand how to communicate effectively. I’m James Kicklighter, a Stage 32 Thought Leader and multi-award-winning director and producer of The Sound of Identity, Angel of Anywhere, and the upcoming 2024 film, The American Question.

Today’s guest is my composer of over 10 years, Nicolás Repetto, an Argentinian-American television, film, and concert composer who has uplifted many projects with his diverse musical voice. He recently composed and conducted his original music performed by a 50-piece orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall for the unveiling of two new Omega watches, collectively worth $1 Million Dollars. Repetto also composed an original score for the feature documentary, A Run for More, which was broadcast on PBS on May 15, 2023. A Run for More is directed by Pulitzer-Prize winning director Ray Whitehouse; the film chronicles the story of Frankie Gonzalez-Wolfe, a transgender woman running for city council in San Antonio, TX. Nicolás has also composed an original score for director James Kicklighter’s documentary feature film, The Sound of Identity, which chronicles the life of transgender opera singer, Lucia Lucas. The film premiered on STARZ, and is currently playing on The Roku Channel, Plex, Prime Video, and available On Demand. It has been featured in The New York Times, as well as being the winner of the Programmers Award of Excellence at the OUTshine Film Festival. He also scored director Phil Harding’s feature drama, The Reunion which was recently acquired by Gravitas Ventures, and the Slamdance Film Festival premiere of the episodic/pilot Tijuana, directed by Mary-Lyn Chambers.

In our discussion, we covered everything from how to communicate what a director is looking for from a composer, the pros and cons of using temp music in an edit, and how to give feedback to accomplish your goals for the score.

I hope that the lessons I have learned over the years will be informative for you on your filmmaking journey. As ever, I look forward to seeing your feedback in the comments below and the Stage 32 community lounges!

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