The only times I've worked with video was way, way back. If I was lucky enough I'd have a VHS copy of the video before I started writing, otherwise I'd start working from the script and vague instructions.
 
At this point, I'm not looking for any esoteric/philosophical/what it's like to be a composer and how not to get screwed by the people wearing suits type of thing. 
 
I'd like to learn more about the technical/mathematical aspects of it - frame rate and such.
 
I could look up info on the web, and I also know that there are folks there who could answer any question, but books just work better for me when I start digging into theory.
 
Thanks in advance.

You could start with some interesting reading from Sound on Sound:
 
http://www.soundonsound.c...les/practicalaudio.htm
 
http://www.soundonsound.c...es/audioforpicture.htm
 
Are you keen from a music point of view or a sound design for film or video point of view.
 
I have got a good book by Jeff Rona as well.
 
http://jeffrona.com/reel-world/
 
Not a bad idea to research working in Logic and using timecode:
 
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul07/articles/logictech_0707.htm
 
There is technical stuff in terms of timecode and how that relates to tempo. Then there is the artistic stuff coming up with the best music to fit the visuals. Then there is the technical adjustments in order to fine tune the music to the hit points etc..
 
It is smart to get into the concept of timecode early on. A film's edit relates to timecode. Sometimes they edit the visuals to (music) temp tracks. So the vision edits still relate to time code but also to a tempo.
 
It is important to know what the important times are. Start of a music cue for example. You need to then work with music ideas against the vision and come up with a tempo early on. Your chosen tempo will then relate to the important vision timecode hit points.
 
Modern software will let you see where important times hit in relation to the grid you have set up with your tempo. Tempos can be adjusted slightly in your cues so the vision edits land on much nicer beats etc.. So first it is important to set up tempo and understand how that relates to the vision points. Then comes the job of creating the most suitable music for the vision.
 
Tempos in your cues may change after your initial tempo. That will alter where hit points land in the new tempo. Music for film is about a lot of time stretching and adjustments in your music to fit. A better tempo may work but the music will need to be altered accordingly. Balance of technical and art.
 
Search for things like 'books on working with music and timecode in modern DAW’s
 
Things have changed in this area and it is easier now in many respects. Make sure you are learning about music and timecode and film in modern DAW environments.

Thanks a bunch Jeff!!
 
As for film vs Logic in particular, I'm expecting to have some of the basics covered in the second (Logic Pro Advanced Music Production) certification book which I'm currently studying and working with, as some of it pertains to working with film. This should at least serve as an introduction to some of those things, but I know that I'll have to dig somewhere else to find more information.
 
Luckily enough for me, one of the scoring guys I look up to works with Logic and he's been answering questions, among other things about his gear and his workflow, on Gearslutz, so I've learned some things there as well - like the fact that you can have up to 8 different complex tempo maps for one project in Logic, enabling you to switch from one to another and try out things easily - which can be handy.) Plenty of little tips.
 
Again, thanks a lot. :)
 

Hi Rain yeah thanks.  I love all this stuff and have been involved with it for years.  The good thing now is the playback method for the visuals and how it connects to our DAW is much better now than before.  In the old days it was a Betacam SP machine or something generating timecode and that feeding into a synchroniser which in turn could control your DAW.  We were freeze framing a lot on video VHS machines and things.  Today we just import the vision (composers copy that is) into a track and it plays back. Reliably too. We can do this all day long and the vision will always be in sync and in the right place with our DAW time ruler.
 
It is easier to change tempos after the fact now as well. The first frame of code that starts your DAW is important, as well as the tempo of your cue. In sound design though you can stay at 120 BPM which is cool because that all relates to time really well. Every beat falling exactly every half second.
 
There are different frame rates for film and TV/Video. Film is nice neat 24 frames per second which is the most logical from a music perspective. For video and TV we are lucky in Australia because we have chosen the mains frequency of 50 Hz we can fit a neat 25 frames into every second. In the US, 60 Hz is the reference instead and you guys are squeezing 30 frames into each second for TV/Video. You guys have to do some timecode trickery to make it all work. You do have slightly finer resolution. Here our frames are 40 mS apart. In the US they are 33.3ms.  The idea is to align the timecode in the vision you are working with and the timecode in your DAW and the good news is it is all much easier now.  You can scrub in slow motion now around the vision hit points and see hit points in slow motion which also makes it easier.
 
The number of frames that fits into a 4/4 bar say at a certain tempo varies all the time. How frames relates to 1/16th notes changes. The film composer has got bigger fish to fry though and that is what is the music going to be saying under any given cue at any point.  It is all about starting and moving at a certain pace and the music full filling its role very well along the way.  You don't have to sweat the individual frames so much but rather hit points which are much further apart like many seconds.  The music can cruise over many vision edits.  It has the effect of smoothing out things visually.  You can see hit points coming along way ahead so it is about how you lead up to it and land on it musically that the technical part creeps in. Adjusting your tempo at various points so you land on it where you want to.  eg Beat 1 of a bar.  Modern DAW's have got this all sorted now which is great.
 
For some reason the TV/Video guys like all their audio at 48 kHz so you need to get into the habit of making music sessions and productions at that sample rate. (not critical because they can up sample when importing 44.1kHz music cues into their own video edit software.)
 
It is not a bad idea to get right into how your own DAW software handles all the video stuff. Tempo maps, how timecode is embedded into your music tracks and the relationship etc.. There will plenty of Logic tutorials around on the subject. A good book is OK too. Make sure it is up to date in terms of how we work with vision right now. As I find them I will post some links. Logic handles it very well. I have spent most of my music for vision experiences in Logic.
 
If it's music then it is really about making the most appropriate music for that vision. If it's (realism) sound design it’s about atmos and Foley effects to re build the scene sound wise.  A new sound designer has emerged concentrating on unusual  effects and out of this world effects.  I see some territory in between music and sound design too. You can incorporate sound design into music cues and visa versa.

Jeff Rona's book covers it all, and I can't recommend it highly enough!
 
And while I'm at it - check out Jeff's web site (http://jeffrona.com) for a very cool ALS Ice Bucket challenge, including a Kontakt sample library!

Jeff - Thank you so very much again for taking the time to write such an elaborate and insightful reply. Priceless.
 
Personally, I don't see myself as a composer in the classical sense of the term, but there seems to be a niche for things like I do, which are halfway between sound design and music as you mentioned. Basically, if one wishes he could hire one of the fellows from Nine Inch Nails to do their soundtrack of their budget movie but don't have the $, I'm their guy.
 
That being said, I'm learning to work on different things, outside that comfort zone. Spending so much time w/ Cirque people and listening to the music from the shows, I'm beginning to develop an ear for the genre and I've written a few things which encourage me to go further in that direction. I don't suck as much as I thought. :)
 
Bill - thanks a lot for the suggestions - I'm checking that out. :)