Awkward! Don’t forget the importance of music!

12 Sep

Have you ever watched the deleted scenes on a DVD and scene your favorite characters having a conversation in a dance club? Awkward! It’s nothing but the dialogue fighting to be heard over the shuffling feet of extras pretending to look sexy while dancing with no music.

It should be pointed out that there is an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were there is no background music- when Joyce dies- but it’s still gone through post production and had those awkward none relevant sounds removed so as not to pull focus from the rest of the emotionally driven episode.

Background music, or the score, is that key character in a television show or movie that we aren’t supposed to notice, but we do in the back of our minds. It’s that element that can make or break a scene. A piece of trivia for the film Practical Magic includes the note that the original score did not connect with test audiences and it was subsequently replaced. This changed the overall feel of the film and audiences connected with the supernatural story.

There is a joke in a Family Guy episode about wanting to see a mafia film called “Distracting Trumpet”; the clip of the film being shown with the mob boss attempting to set out the most recent plan while a trumpet player stands nearby playing louder and louder. Sometimes the background music becomes more than the project that it is a part of and thus it truly does become its own character. The problem here is that while the music should be enjoyed, it should not take away from the rest. The elements need to work together.

Recently the final scene from Star Wars has been circulating on the internet and was the inspiration for this post- John Williams epic score is not part of this clip. Instead, the audience hears the awkward walking of the characters across the great room, the fidgeting of the extras in the crowd, and even the rustling of cloth.

Just reminds us of the importance of music… really cuts back on the awkward moments!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-GZJhfBmI]