During one scene in Shinji Higuchi's recent film "Attack on Titan," soldiers leap from building to building battling a carnivorous giant with nothing but swords. The horror is heightened by the music: razor sharp synthesizers accentuate a foreboding orchestral melody. It's hard to imagine the action being as intense with only the grunts of the actors to listen to.

When it comes to the basics of making a movie, the director, producer and actors are all essential. The person that takes the experience to a higher level of quality, however, is the soundtrack composer — and Shiro Sagisu is one of the best in the business.

"Directors have told me that a film's composer holds a very trusted position and that it's an unfair one," Sagisu tells The Japan Times during an interview at a restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza neighborhood. "They point out that music can be enjoyed as a stand-alone product, but a film cannot."