14 tips about filmmaking from Darren Aronofsky. This entire list sounds like it was written by Richard 
But, more importantly, all of this really applies to directly to composers as well. I particularly love this one:
“”I have a saying: ‘The film isn’t done until you cut your favorite shot,'” said Aronofsky. “Usually, it’s your favorite shot for the wrong reason. Either it’s your favorite shot because it’s so much more beautiful than every other shot in the movie—so it’s so beautiful that it makes every other image look crappy—or you remember how much pain you went through to get that shot.”
“You have to be completely open to losing everything in the edit room. The main thing to remember in the edit room is to constantly think about your audience. My mentor would always say he had a sign on his desk that said, ‘Where is my audience now?” That’s what you should be thinking about. You’re not thinking about your own ego.””
Change “shot” for melody / theme / progression etc etc and it’s dead on.
