Noun
exercise in futility (plural exercises in futility)
A course of action doomed to be futile.
So, it becomes an exercise in futility if you write something that does not express the film as the director wishes. It's still their ball game. It's their show. I think any successful composer learns how to dance around the director's impulses. Danny Elfman
My life as a professional musician is a joyless exercise in futility. Robert Fripp
Promoting health without encouraging others to seek wholeness is an exercise in futility. Not until we realize that our bodies are mirrors of our interpersonal, spiritual, professional, sexual, creative, financial, environmental, mental, and emotional health will we truly heal. Lissa Rankin