: Film composition and tempo/cue matching Do film composers generally write standard tempo markings in the score (e.g. 120 bpm) even if this doesn't exactly add up to the write SMPTE cue? For example, a passage to get to the

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You record it at 122.87 bpm! Why would that be a pain?
The music editor wouldn't be expected to sort it out, much less the editor!
If the cue started and ended at 120 and there were no tempo-changes, the music editor could, after it was recorded, speed it all up to 122.87, but obviously that would also shorten the music. S/he wouldn't want to mess with it unless something had gone horribly wrong!
While writing the music the composer will have worked out all the tempi for each cue - it's rarely one tempo throughout a cue - and all the subtle slowing down and speeding up that's needed, making sure any audio/visual hits coincide correctly. All these tempi are written into the 'tempo track' of the DAW.
The metronome markings in the score and parts should give a rough idea of the tempi, but the musicians don't need to know precise speeds! Where they see poco rit., the tempo track may have a hundred tempo-changes: 92.00 - 91.90 - 91.80 etc." They don't want to see all that! They just want to see poco rit. and see the conductor's beat, and hear the slowing-down click track. So the metronome-marking is nearly always going to be approximate. For example, Crotchet=92 then poco rit.
Conductors scribble any additional marks they need into the score.