How should I brief a film composer for a low-budget thriller: vision and temp tracks

[Oliver13]

I'm an independent filmmaker working on a low-budget thriller, and I'm in the early stages of discussing the film score with a composer. I have a strong sense of the emotional tone I want—a tense, minimalist sound with some electronic elements—but I'm struggling to communicate my vision effectively beyond referencing other scores. For directors or composers who have collaborated on similar projects, what does a productive creative process look like? How detailed should a temp track be, and what materials (edited scenes, mood boards, written notes) are most helpful for a composer? How do you navigate discussions about budget constraints regarding live musicians versus sample libraries, and what are the key contractual points to clarify regarding rights and deliverables before work begins?