Some of the most interesting contemporary film music was written by Toru Takemitsu. In just under 40 years he composed the scores for over 100 films.
Although some of these were written to earn money (such as for, the composer has said, director Nakamura Noburo) and others as favors (he gave me jazz tapes that I used for "Atami Blues"), all were written because Takemitsu wanted to write them. This created music of exceptional quality and made Takemitsu something of an anomaly among modern film-score composers.
Shinoda Masahiro, a director who often worked with Takemitsu has said: "Takemitsu always read through the script before deciding whether or not to take on a job, even with me, after our having worked together many times." Once decided, Takemitsu became a part of the creation of the film. Most composers content themselves with doing their work after the final cut is made. Takemitsu, however, was often on the set, "breathing the atmosphere," as he said.