On a trip to our local IMAX cinema to witness Denis Villeneuve’s take on Frank Herbert’s 𝘋𝘶𝘯𝘦: 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘛𝘸𝘰, we were reminded of the power of film music. The esteemed Canadian filmmaker recruited none other than music deity Hans Zimmer to bring the space-cum-desert adventure to life through sound. The formidable score instantly transported us to the planet Arrakis and prompted us to care for the characters to the point where we grew fearful of the story’s high stakes. It took us on a journey and gave us clues about certain twists along the way. After to our cinema trip, we decided to remind readers why music is important to film.
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Read on to learn about the importance of music in film and how Audio Network could play a musical part in your film production. In case you didn’t know, we’ve got over 175,000 tracks to brighten up your next project – high-quality, ready-to-licence songs from all different genres, moods and styles, sorted into specific playlists for your convenience.
What Is Film Music?
Film music is, quite simply, music that features in a film. The term ‘film music’ is an umbrella term that covers two types of movie music: the score and the soundtrack. A film score is a collection of mostly instrumental music that’s created specifically for a film by a composer. A film soundtrack is an album of pre-existing songs chosen to be featured in the film.
Below, you can find an example of a song from the Guardians of the Galaxy score and the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.
Guardians of the Galaxy Score
Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack
How Can Music Change a Film?
Film music can transport viewers, trigger their emotions and leave them hints. Without music, viewers would find it difficult to invest in and digest a narrative. Just imagine watching Harry Potter discover Hogwarts without the magical music (‘Hedwig’s Theme’ is a downright classic), or reading through a Star Wars opening crawl without the big, bold sounds of John Williams’s iconic score.
Functions of Music in Film
As mentioned above, film music has three primary functions:
- Transport
- Trigger emotions
- Hint
Allow us to explain each of these functions.
Transport
Right from the beginning of a film, music has the power to whisk you away to different lands, planets and points in time. Film producers use music to encourage an audience to imagine they’re part of the on-screen events, which, in turn, allows them to immerse themselves in the story.
One of the best examples of a transportive soundtrack is Ludwig Göransson’s score for Black Panther. When watching the scene in which T'Challa returns to Wakanda, audiences feel part of the journey across Africa thanks to a composition that’s tribal, majestic and awe-inspiring. Most importantly, the music makes the viewer feel welcome, almost at home, in Marvel’s futuristic city.
Trigger Emotions
Film music can trigger emotions, from sorrow to nostalgia. If certain characters, conversations and settings cause viewers to feel a certain way, they are likely to connect with the film and become a fan.
Pixar’s Toy Story 2 contains one of the most emotional scenes in film history – naturally, we’re talking about Jessie’s ‘When She Loved Me’ scene. As viewers learn of Jessie’s tragic backstory, they feel sorry for the character, and, therefore, more connected to the cowgirl. Over time, this one emotional scene has been the reason viewers return to watch the film. It turns out we all want to feel something, even sadness.
Hint
Music is trustworthy: a viewer can depend on the music of a film to hint at the vibe of a setting, the intentions of a character and the purpose of a scene. Upon hearing the music, an active audience member will know how the director requires them to read and comprehend a scene.
In an early scene from Disney’s first Star Wars effort – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII) – John Williams’s score hints that viewers are about to meet the film’s primary antagonist. The dramatic, alarming music plays as the wicked Kylo Ren arrives on the planet the protagonists are on. Instantly, we’re fearful of the masked villain.
How Can Good Music Contribute to the Overall Success of a Film?
Different people measure success in different ways. Here are three ways one may consider a movie successful, if the film music hits the spot.
- Film reviews
- Awards
- Audience reaction
Film Reviews
If you read film reviews, you’ll know critics almost always share their opinion on the music of the film – and the music will have a part to play in the critic’s overall rating. Poorly rated films often struggle to attract audiences; thus, it’s paramount that music is carefully considered when producing a film, to ensure the critics are on board.
Awards
Music can increase a film’s chances of receiving awards, and every film studio in the world is keen to showcase any Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA or Grammy they can get their hands on.
When you Google Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, you will see the words ‘Academy Award-winning’ attached to the title multiple times. Unless you’re a film buff, you probably wouldn’t know that the only Oscar the film took home at the 91st Academy Awards was for Best Original Song. The award was won on the night by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt for ‘Shallow’.
Audience Reaction
A movie has to make a viewer feel something – whether that’s happy, sad or simply grateful to be alive – for it to deserve to be labelled ‘successful’. Personally, we appreciate the kind of films that leave a lasting impression.
As you now know, one of the functions of music is to trigger emotions; hence, music is paramount to a film’s success as a single beautiful composition – say, for example, ‘Married Life’ from Pixar’s UP – can create a huge impact. If a viewer establishes a relationship with a particular piece of music, they’re likely to re-watch the film again and again. And some would argue that repeat viewings are the ultimate indicator of a successful film.
How Audio Network Can Play a Part in Your Film
We supply high-quality music to businesses worldwide, and our music has been used in a plethora of projects, including The Mauritanian, Kevin Macdonald’s award-winning movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jodie Foster.
Check out our latest releases, updated every 2 weeks, and visit our YouTube channel for exclusive content and the best musical inspiration for your projects.
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