I'd like to touch upon a subject that most people have come across in one form or another, and is very close to my heart - music in film. I think most of us have, at some point, gotten the chills from a scene in a movie. That reaction can come from a variety of different types of scenes and emotions, but what usually pushes you over the edge is the cinematic score. Just try to imagine that emotionally intense cinematic moment without the score to back it up and you're usually left with a rather flat experience. I know this isn't always the case, but it usually is.
One examples of a scene where the music really takes everything over the top is this one, that you probably recognize:
This is a great example of what I'm getting at, and the music really does go over the top to make us feel that this is epic. The musical piece builds upon the Rohan Fanfare and starts out slow with brass and drums before the charge, then changes to a solo violin playing during the initial charge. It eventually leads to an awesomely epic crescendo, with the brass section playing triumphant fanfares as the rohirrim clash into the orc army, and we're in shiver country.
There are many examples like this that really speak of the importance and capacity of music when it comes to conveying emotions in film. And naturally, this phenomenon isn't restricted to the shivers you might get from an epic battle on screen, but also more subtle and tender emotions you might get from a lone piano playing in the distance as a loved on is lost.
This is all well and good, but why am I writing this?
During my work with film scoring and film work altogether I've come across a growing contempt and skepticism regarding conventional film scoring, which I find troubling. Fine, there is a lot of overplayed tropes within film music and I will admit that certain clichés are played out beyond the point of tedium - however this can be said about all the other aspects of a film, from writing to acting.
Film music is a powerful tool in that it lets us manipulate a viewers feelings. It lets the film maker dictate what emotional response he should get. In that regard it is a much more powerful tool than the the actual images are. I was made very aware of this when, in class, we were shown a video clip - which was the intro sequence from Emmerdale Farm - where the original, pastoral theme was replaced with suspenseful strings, conveying a sense of menace and dread rather than the peace and harmony of a rural english village.
But with power comes responsibility, and it's up to us who compose music for films to act responsibly when scoring. I've also come across the temptation of really laying it on thick in my compositions, because I want the audience to have an intense experience. The problem with this, however, is twofold.
Firstly, we get an emotional inflation. This is generally discovered and avoided in all other areas of film making. If the main characters entire family dies, one at a time, we just cannot maintain an appropriate emotional state throughout all the calamity. If that mournful string section or lone flute just tries to yank at your heart strings at every opportunity it ends up getting less and less effective.
Secondly, we get a buildup of familiarity and a general sense of cliché about the entire phenomenon of film music. The audience knows that the composer wants you to feel dread, or delight, or sadness and it just takes them out of the moment.
So, with most things, moderation is key. Moderation and the courage to break free from the tropes and the clichés that we've built around film music. Twenty years from now, we still want to be able to feel that tingle down our backs when mounted riders are charging their enemies - not just go "hum, again with the horns?". We must at all times avoid to be too on the nose, so to speak. We must dare to go against what people immediately expect, musically. An example of this from the Return of the King is when Gandalf rides out to save Faramir from the attacking Nazgûl, musically accompanied by the gentle singing of a young child.
So, either if you're a film maker, film music composer or a film fan - be aware of and treasure the moments in film when the music is done just right, and adds to the experience without coming off as cheesy. There is a lot of artistry as well as self control and holding back that makes those moments come alive.
