Watch Two Master Film Composers Explain Their Creative Process

Every movie soundtrack tells a story—and few composers know more about musical storytelling than Hans Zimmer and Clint Mansell. Zimmer, whose films include everything from The Lion King (1994) to The Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Dark Knight trilogy, and Mansell, who is best known for his work on the films of Darren Aronofsky like Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010), are two of the most prominent film composers in Hollywood today. And, in a new video released by the synthesizer company Moog, Zimmer and Mansell spill their secrets.

In the video, the two legendary composers describe their creative process, show off their personal studios, and express their appreciation for great gear and big speakers. Though their sounds are vastly different, both composers share a passion for movies—and for the process of film scoring, which they say presents unique challenges and requires some pretty creative problem solving.