
“I’m Not Going to Let the Business Kill Me” | with Fil Eisler
About Episode
Fil Eisler, one of today’s busiest and most diverse award-winning composers, has projects that range from big studio action pieces and comedies to gritty independent films and hit TV shows. I know Fil from working with him on the first two seasons of ‘Empire,’ and he has since exploded onto the scene working on multiple big studio productions.
In this episode Fil and I talk a bit about his slow and steady rise to being an “overnight success” as a top composer, but more importantly we dive into his personal journey as an overworked composer with a young kid who decided enough was enough. He wasn’t going to let the entertainment business slowly kill him…and he decided to fight back.
Fil’s story is a true inspiration and testament to what can be accomplished no matter how busy you think you might be. He’s the hardest working person I know, yet he figured out how to introduce better health into his routine not only for his child’s sake, but for his own as well.
If you want to learn what finally compelled Fil to change his priorities, his routines, and his life and how to apply these strategies to do the same for yourself, this episode won’t disappoint.
Episode Highlights
- How Fil finds all the time to keep himself healthy and productive
- The trials of breaking into the composing game
- The project that put Fil on the map, and the twenty years it took him to get there
- Being able to master tradition musical composition as well work in an entirely digital workspace
- The unique difficulties of dealing with producers and directors while composing music
- Trusting yourself and learning when it’s okay to improvise
- Not getting overwhelmed by the big picture and distilling your tasks to whatever you have to do next
- Living productively in Hollywood with children
Useful Links
Episode Credits
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).