ay attention to the differences in music and how it sets the tone.Toy Story
Mary Poppins
Sleepless in Seattle
The Shining
The Ring
Movies are such an integral part of our pop culture and movies are so influenced by music. Producers and filmmakers put much effort into finding the right composer who will make the right score. Music changes the movie.
Certainly the cutting of the scenes has a large effect, but the choice of music in each re-cut trailer has dramatically altered the mood. In Mary Poppins re-cut no dialogue is included and relies solely on the new choice in music to turn it into a horror film.
I first noticed this when I was told by my high school band teacher to watch a horror movie without sound. So much of the suspense and scares are lost without the music. I'd encourage you to try that for part of a scary movie, it can become almost comical.
When we control the music, whether at home or in the car, we are more acutely aware of this. We don't always have control over this. Restaurants, stores and other businesses select a specific type of music to instill certain feeling and ideas into the consumer. Depending on the type of music we may be happier or put at ease and more likely to do that which the business wants from us.
Do we realize this when we're watching the movies? What about in other instances of our everyday life? How much does music and its message influence us?
36 comments:
i think that the music we listen to has a huge impact on the moods and feelings that we have i think that this makes it all the more important for us to pay attention to the things we are listening to. instead of just passively listening to something negative that could be affecting our mood we should actively seek out good and uplifting music.
I easily get scared in movies, for example, in 'I am Legend' there is one part when Will Smith closes a shutter and there is a huge BOOM! when he shuts it. It was not scary at all, but becuase of the music and the sound effect, I jumped. Music messes with our mind for good and bad. In contrast during General Conference when MOTAB sings I feel really good inside, especially when it is one of those more powerful songs like "The Spirit of God." Music plays a large role in how we feel about others and oursleves and has for hundreds of years. We use it to celebrate, to mourn, to worhip and to entertain. Without it our culture would be very different.
Music has a huge effect on moods.
People listen to music to get them pumped up for a sports game, other listen to music to relax them while doing homework, and others have a favorite song they'll listen to when life is going well. Whatever mood a person is feeling, there is almost always a song they can play that will fit that mood.
Imagine society without that music to set the mood. Brett talked about General Conference. Would the spirit there be different without the opening and intermediate hymns? Would a football or basketball game be different if there was no music or band playing? In movies especially, watching scenes without much dialogue would be boring if there was no other sound present.
Sometimes we take all music and sounds we hear for granted. If you pay attention to it, you'll notice just how much music plays a part in influencing how we feel.
Music has the ability like almost nothing else to effect our emotions and draw feelings out of us, that in its absence, would not even occur to us. Because of that fact it is a very powerful tool that filmmakers use to help us feel connected to the drama or the fear of a scene without a lot of work. I almost think some filmmakers use it as a cop-out, an magical elixir of instant-emotion for their audiences. I think, in film expecially, that the absence of music then can be even more effective, when used correctly, to define mood and emotion of a scene because we are so used to being manipulated by music that when we are manipulated by silence it catches us off guard.
My mood and temperament are easily swayed by the music around me.
The movie trailers you showed were a perfect example of this.
This is why I have a hard time understanding how people feel like they can listen to tough-guy rap or violent metal all the time and not think that it affects their behavior, even their personality.
Music that makes you afraid or enraged might be okay in moderation, but to me it seems like listening to it all the time turns people into jerks.
-Michael Williams
Music definitely has an impact on the mood we're in. I have many examples of this. Here are a few: I usually listen to rock and when I worked downtown and had to deal with traffic coming home, I found that with that fast loud music I would be impatient and get a little road rage. I tried listening to the classical music station on the way home once for fun and it was a totally different experience. I didn't seem to care nearly as much about the situation around me.
Another example is the music we listen to when we workout, it can really pump us up.
Lord of the Rings. The music made the movie feel heroic etc to me. nd Rocky, When you hear eye of the tiger don't you wanna do something cool? I love the moods music puts me in. When I listen to the band Explosions in the Sky, who's like an orchestra with guitars and stuff, I feel like ni matter what I'm doing, it's amazing. MMM.
Just like the music in movies affects the mood of the movie, I think that music sometimes affects our moods/feelings. For example, if I'm feeling low and I listen to "Just Fine" or "Work that" by Mary J. Blige, I get encouraged to step on whatever it is and move on.
Funny enough, when my sister and I were younger, we would attach different songs to the different out-of-the-ordinary moments in our lives (You know when music is played in a movie when something out of the ordinary happens? For example, in a romance movie, when the guy finally gets to kiss the girl and there's a song that plays in the background/in the air). Well, my sister and I used to call say, "I wonder what song would be playing in the air right now."
I just thought that I'd throw this in there.
I feel that music is the language of the soul. It speaks to us on a level that no other media can.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about music used in advertising and how it contributes to our thoughts and feelings about the product. If we are able to relate the song with the product, there is a much greater chance that we will remember the particular product. Also, if that song that we remember creates a positive and warm feeling, the more likely we will be to purchase that product.
I grew up with music in the house 24/7. It is such a huge part my life. One of the things I love most about movies is the music in them. I love how simple themes become an iconic part of our culture (ie. Indiana Jones theme, Star Wars). The music in movies manipulates how we feel and react. In Indidana Jones the music has an upbeat, triumphant feel. When you hear his theme, you know he's about to do something undeniably heroic. It amazing how music can so easily manipulate our emotions. I think, for the most part, it's good.
I think music completely sets the tone wherever we're at. A fancy expensive restaurant isn't going to play heavy rock music. It's going to play soft, piano music. If we are eating at that fancy restaurant, the music (and tone) influences us to mind our table manners, and make a good impression on everyone there.
One of my favorite movies with matching music is "Halloween" from back in the '70s. That suspenseful music that plays whenever the victim is running away, along with the killer's heavy breathing really sets the tone, and you know the victim is going to eventually get killed.
The world just wouldn't be the same without music. Life would just be too quiet.
Music is so tied to emotion that without music much of what we feel enjoy is lost. You are right when you say that movie producers put lots of effort into the sound track and songs in a movie. A lot of times they change the film to better fit the soundtrack.
I agree that music makes a huge difference for movies, especially horror and actions (especially heroes movies). I've thought about the idea of what a horror without its background music would be. I really think that music in movies is undervalued by most audience. They can easily spot out the visual effects and its impact on the movie. But to think of Lord of the Ring, Harry Potter, Transformer or The Dark Night without the scores, they probably won't make its way to be the blockbusters anyway.
Music definitely heightens emotion. Movies without music would have a hard time appealing to an audience. I LOVE scary movies, but I definitely get freaked out. I can't really handle blood, but the suspense gets me every time. Think about it, the movie "Jaws" was made with 2 notes. Without those 2 notes, Jaws would be nothing.
I'm a Film and Theatre Studies student, and that means that I never really can just watch a movie with my brain turned off.
That means that, yes, I am always aware of the music, and I am aware of how much of the emotion in the scene is dependent on the music to make it work.
I hate it when the emotion in a scene comes purely from the music, and I love it when we have long scenes with no music at all. Watch Rope by Alfred Hitchcock for that one.
Of course, if you want to see something really freaky, go watch "Un Chien Andalou" with the sound turned off. It is only 15 min long, so go ahead.
Music definitely impact my moods. When I'm happy I mostly listen to upbeat stuff, when I work out I have to have loud fast music playing, when it's a rainy day I listen to more mellow stuff. Also the music that I listen to when I don't have control of what I'm listening too affects my mood. When I'm stressed out and there is loud fast music playing it plays up my stress, when I'm tired and there is slow music on I get more tired.
It's funny how you pointed out the scary music in scary movies, my sister used to tell me just to plug my ears in scary movies and it would be less scary, that totally works. Music adds to the mood.
I think that I definitely realize this in my personal life. I know I listen to a lot of different music when I am in different moods. I love listening to hard music when I am working out. I love listening to 80s music when I am dancing. Sometimes I just like to listen to soft music when I am in a chill mood. I always knew that the music they put in movies was a big part of it, but it was interesting to see that a movie can change like what happened with Sleepless in Seattle. Music is so important.
Music is a large part of why I watch movies. I think music plays a huge role in setting the tone of the film and our emotional reaction to it. I often find myself seeking out the music from movies after I see them...hearing it again allows me to both recall how the song was used the movie and (this sounds cheesy)it almost becomes a track in the soundtrack of my life to fit along with how I am feeling.
i think that music in film creates the story. without music, suspense wouldn't exist in scary movies and they wouldn't be scary. the other night i watched disturbia and randomly thought about the music tones in the background and how important these were to coincide with the story.
I definitely would agree that music has a great power to set the mood in any situation. I used to love heavier, more "irreverent" music, but I found at an early age that listening to such music literally affected me in, as my mom would put it, "horrible ways." I have since found an even deeper liking for more mellow, positive music.
I am realizing this a lot right now as I am creating a commercial for my Video Production class. As we are experimenting with different types of music to use, it is so unbelievable how much the music alone can change the feeling of the commercial, the impact, the strength, and even the character of the actor in the commercial. Also, when I worked at Red Robin, I could tell a complete change in my mood when there was a change in manager, not because of their managing styles, but because they turned on different music, and it single-handedly changed the mood of the restaurant.
Directly to the point of "Music and Movies" for the most part if you're noticing the music during a movie, that's a problem. Generally movie music is meant to enhance a scene and give a feeling. Sadly many contemporary movies have stooped to adding music video like scenes filled with popular music. In the long run these movies are going to get dated quick.
Those videos were pretty good, props on finding those. I never realized how intense the music is for films! I almost cried in the Ring remix. But I do know that music affects us, its like saturday night im ready for some dirty ghetto rap, but then sunday is Motab, and depending on what i listen to, is what i act like.
I think music truly can effect our moods. We listen to different music for different occasions. If you are watching a scary movie, they are definitely going to have a different soundtrack then if you are watching a chick flick. Producers spend countless hours trying to fit the right music to a certain scene. This helps to develop the plot as well as bringing the audience into the film. Music is a very powerful tool that can easily lift us up, help us to feel the spirit, and get get us pumped up at sporting events! Music is everywhere, and it makes our days a little bit better!
People tend to listen to different music depending on the mood that they are in. I love when I am driving and I see people driving by me rocking out to their music. You can tell the mood that they are in by their body language and facial expressions. I do get worried when I see people driving with closed eyes when they get really passionate about signing to the music.
Those clips were great! I don't think we always realize the impact music has on us when we are watching movies. Finding the right songs for each scene must be very difficult. You know the director has struck gold when they have chosen a song that fits so perfectly that any time you hear that song afterward you are reminded of that scene. For example-
"I Say a Little Prayer," My Best Friends Wedding,
"Ohhhh Yeah," Ferris Bueller's Day Off,
"Tequila" Pee Wee's Big Adventure,
"Afternoon Delight," Anchorman,
"Bohemian Rhapsody," Wayne's World...
music in movies is very powerful. it makes a huge difference. i don't know what else to say. it's a given that music makes all the difference. if you didn't know this by now, i wonder if you have thought about the movies you've seen.
Music always has a huge impact on our moods and our feelings. I love the way directors play with music in films, making us scared, warm, jolly, whatever. It can give us a false sense of security or give us anxiety in a normal situation. And if music can so easily play with our emotions in films, of course it does in life. Just think of elevator music. Or how about the music in Italian restaurants? But I think ultimately, music just has the capacity to trick us and people can't be distracted too long by a pretty song.
That is a good point how restaurants and stores use music to get consumers do what they want. I think this is important for us to understand since most consumers are really very oblivious. I think the re-cut trailers are hilarious and show great examples of how the music score of a movie, when changed can change the whole feeling during a movie. Music does have a great impact on us emotionally and that is why as you said most producers of a movie will spend a lot of money to find the right composer and score to go along with the mood they are trying to convey through their film.
Music definitely has an effect on moods. There is a reason why the music we sing in church on Sunday and the music I listen to while running are completely different. Music can make or break a movie in my opinion. For instance, I don't think I would have liked the movie Juno near as much without the music in the movie. It set the tone for the whole story. Music has so many ties to memories for me as well. There are songs that I love to this day mostly because when I hear it I remember great times that I have spent with people that I love. Without music, for me at least, life would be much too quiet.
i realized the whole scary movie music thing a few years ago and it made watching scary and suspenseful movies so much better because i wasn't scared out of my mind anymore.
i definitely realize how much i CAN'T control music when i'm out, like when i'm shopping and there's obnoxious music playing (i.e. american eagle, most of the time). i avoid it by just not going in those stores anymore.
messages in music don't affect me very much unless the song actually means something to me. if i hear a random song with some message i don't like or agree with, i either won't listen to it or just brush it off.
Yeah. Music is definitely poweful! I think the Mary Poppins gone "Scary Mary" probably the funniest thing i've ever seen. Music in movies is absolutely amazing. I mean take Oceans 11 for example. The 11 of them have just robbed millions of dollars. The last time I checked we all believed in the Judeo-Christian ethic "thou shalt not steal" (name that movie!). Granted they did steal it from a bigger dirtbag, but really they are theifs: people we generally look down upon. But after they are done, they all are walking past the water fountains in front of the Venetian and what comes on...? Oh probably the most beautiful piano song ever written "Claire de Lune", giving us a sense of relief and accomplishment. Our beliefs and moral standards are temporarily forgotten as we are happy with our friends who have just robbed millions... but don't worry I love the movie too, but don't we feel like that in part because of the beautiful notes of claire de lune...? I do...
Music is powerful...what more needs to be said.
I would agree with the class, there is a huge effect. Sunday music creates the sabbath feel. Would we play that at a party? No, there is party music, to create the party feel. I love christmas music, because it starts to influence the feeling of the season. My friend watches tons of scary movies to prepare for halloween. The entire month of October, they watch nothing but scary movies. The music in those movies really create a mood, but not just a mood, a setting for everyone to connect with.
I think we're constantly allowing ourselves to be manipulated by music all of the time. I think that depending on how we react to this manipulation determines its success; so just because a certain song makes me want to feel tense in a movie or want to buy christmas presents at REI, doesn't mean i have to succumb to either - but i usually do.
I think everyone in the class needs to read the latest study from BYU about the effects of music on young children if they are in doubt about the emotional effects.
The article states:Babies as young as five months old can distinguish between upbeat and gloomy music, providing more evidence that the brain's ability to detect emotion develops early, researchers report.
For more info go to:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101601430.html
Post a Comment