Here’s a great example of how music is important, both in and of itself and used in other creative mediums. I particularly like how music can change a scene or really add to its depth.
To really show what I mean, I have devised a little experiment. The first video in this article is a trailer for a film called What If, starring Daniel Radcliffe. I can’t speak for the film, but the trailer isn’t very good – largely because it’s one of those trailers that seem to feel the need to give away every plot development in the actual film. It’s a romantic comedy, meaning that it’s supposed to be funny.
HOWEVER, this is where the fun starts, because the second video I have in this article is from a film that I’ve already discussed and that I genuinely thought was excellent: Gone Girl. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross sure know how to make strange, atmospheric and creepy music and this soundtrack is a good indicator of that. I’ve chose ‘The Way He Looks At Me’ because it’s one of the more darker songs on the soundtrack, and it has thematic resonance with what I’m showing you.
Play the trailer for What If and you get a romantic comedy. But turn the sound down on What If and play ‘The Way He Looks At Me’ and suddenly the whole thing changes. Is it really a romantic comedy or a thriller about a man driven to the edge of insanity for a woman? Instantly, the knife scene has a new edge and the scene where Wallace pushes that-girl’s-boyfriend out of the window now seems like it could have been intentional. It now looks like it is more to do with Wallace trying to replace the-guy as Chantry’s boyfriend. It suddenly seems more like a psychological thriller than a comedy and, at its best, that’s what music can do: if you want to set a certain tone or give your scene that little bit extra, it can really do that. Don’t overuse it though – it still shouldn’t be used often because it can dilute its effect.
faultycharacters 