music The strength of music

[Velusion]

This is sort of an offshoot of a thread I was just reading.

Music is very illusive to me. Some movies have a nearly continuous score going on yet others have very little or none.

The Exorcist used a little incidental music but nothing much really. Everyone thinks of the Exorcist when they hear Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells yet that music only played for a matter of seconds and only in one scene (two if you count that someone was listening to side 2 in one of the Jesuit dormitory rooms)... In the one scene that the familiar tubular bells came to life, Chris McNeil was simply walking down the street on her way home after work but the music worked so perfectly that I can't imagine the scene without it.

I only bring up the Exorcist because, as a movie, it represents a near perfect in my opinion.

What I really want to discuss is the roll of music in a movie and what it means. Is it just a tradition born in the days of silent movies being shown with a live orchestra in the pit or has it evolved into something more quantifiable? Music is art and art is without bounds yet there must be some guidelines on when and how to use music in a movie. People must have opinions......... No, not really opinions. More like philosophies. A philosophy on what music is to movies and how it should be use.

What are your thoughts?

 

[CelticRambler]

Right! I was just wondering if there will ever come a time where music feels out of place in a film.

Doubt it! Music is so much part of our everyday lives (unlike laughter!) that any film without it would probably feel very unnatural.

Writing that, I'm reminded of a remark made by Robert Zemekis in his commentary on Castaway: other during than the opening sequence (a parcel's FedEx journey) there is no music at all until Tom Hanks escapes from his island. It's a subtle but effective technique to reinforce our understanding of how he is completely cut off from normal civilisation.

 

[Feutus Lapdance]

Doubt it! Music is so much part of our everyday lives (unlike laughter!) that any film without it would probably feel very unnatural.

Writing that, I'm reminded of a remark made by Robert Zemekis in his commentary on Castaway: other during than the opening sequence (a parcel's FedEx journey) there is no music at all until Tom Hanks escapes from his island. It's a subtle but effective technique to reinforce our understanding of how he is completely cut off from normal civilisation.

Its a good example. The score for No Country for Old Men, Festen or my dinner with Andre are also examples where the minimalism helps the story forward.

But I tink there are moments in certain movies that music that will get you out of the experience. Book smart is so full of pop music that it took me out of it.

 

[CelticRambler]

But I tink there are moments in certain movies that music that will get you out of the experience. Book smart is so full of pop music that it took me out of it.

I agree. Many low-budget movies (or rather "I need content, gimme a movie now" movies) do seem to use any old music instead of dialogue, and that makes you wonder why they bothered making the movie at all. I've noticed, too, that several recent TV series have adopted a formula that ends every episode with a long-drawn-out montage and a "powerful" song. The Blacklist is one that comes immediately to mind, but it's not the only one.

But IMO those are examples of bad film-making/bad post-production, not an inherent problem with the strength or weakness of the music. By way of contrast, another Tom Hanks example where I think the specific choice of song perfectly enhances the comedic moment:

 

[TheMusicBox]

Than I recoment you watch starfish. Soundtrack and the way the tape music is used is realy good in this movie.

Thank you! I'll be sure to check that out. Looks very intriguing.

Sometimes a big bombastic score is exactly what the audience needs and sometimes silence is golden

I agree, let's just take Psycho. A whole minute of silence and dripping water building up to the most iconic murder scene ever.

 

[GOLDENMORAL CINEMAS]

Music in films can make people feel any emotion you like. The purpose of music is to amplify the feeling that is on screen.
For instance if a character dies, that’s sad right. Add a really depressing and sad track to that. The sadness and emotion rises by %50 or more. That at least is what I think the true, deep meaning of music is. To amplify the emotions that are on screen. Or to amplify the ‘feel’ of a location.
And sometimes no music, a dead silence will amplify the tension as well.

It gets deeper than that though.
Something called Leitmotifs.
For instance what if there is a happy theme for a character at the start of the film.
Let’s say Billy has a happy theme with his girlfriend in a film. Then there is tension between them, maybe the girls old lover returns or something and she cheats on billy and goes with her old lover. Then that could be a good time to put the same theme again. The same theme that was played at the start, Love theme, but this time it sounds darker. Lower pitch violins, dark sounding love theme. Dirty to mirror her cheating.
Then maybe later Billy finds out she was cheating and there could be a little hint to the same love theme...but this time subtle, sad, and as he realizes more and more the sad love them grows louder. Until it becomes a broken love theme.
Then maybe eventually by the end of the film he forgives her and they continue on, always remembering the cheat but moving on cause they love each other. Idk maybe she ended up dumping her old lover and saying she was really sorry to him. While she says sorry desperately realizing she loved billy truly the love theme becomes desperate. Maybe there could be rain in the scene. The same love theme played but desperate.
After that he forgives her and they go on. Eventually getting over it.
Then the love them would be happy again but a bit more solemn and experienced, relieved.
So yeah you see how music can literally mirror the feelings, but music isn’t there just to “sound good” or “fit the scene.”
Music is in the film to amplify the emotion, to progress the story.
If your movie is amazing, if it’s a good movie. Put well placed Tracks, to amplify the emotion 10 times over. It really can make a difference.

But there are many other techniques too such as silence at points. Maybe only one theme at the end perhaps.
It all depends, but nonetheless that’s my opinion.
That music is there to amplify the (emotions) on screen.

 

[MooreEnt24]

Music effects editing, scale, tone and even performance. It's every bit as important as the lens you choose and the lighting you choose. It can make or destroy your film. So use it wisely and respect it deeply.

The only example of the "power of music in film" you'll ever need to see:

 

[Feathersmith_Music]

It's an interesting question. It reminds me of the laugh track. At one time, this we the norm for all sitcoms, and it has grown to be an annoyance and something that is not a part of modern comedies. When it's there (usually in network TV sitcoms except Modern Family), it seems out of place, tacked on, and cheesy. It started with live audiences and grew to be canned, cheesy, and out of place.

I bring this up because music is similar. The actors are not hearing the song (in most cases) or score. And it did grow from the live pit as you say. If not played right it could serve a similar fate. It requires THOUGHT! And not be tacked on. I can say I have become more aware of it in some cases, which is not a good thing, meaning, it feels separate. I think music will outlive the laugh track, but if taken for granted as something to add by default it will feel just as out of place. Some elaborate scores almost serve as parody.

I must agree with you indietalk... As a composer myself, I notice the "tacked on" music as you put it, and I do believe that part of the problem is stock/library music that isn't specifically written for the particular scene, having music scored specifically to a film is a much better fit, but must still be done with caution to avoid that cheesiness.