If you’re a new filmmaker, chances are there are a fair number of things that you’re going to need to get good at – fast! You are learning how to direct a scene, how to guide your actors and help them project the right emotions. Maybe you’re learning how to edit and even fund your film. You’ve probably agonized over camera angles, lighting, and effects. Maybe you’ve even considered the importance of costumes and props. But there’s one important aspect of filmmaking that is often overlooked until the very last moment – music. Music is of paramount importance when it comes to creating and editing your film. Want to know why? Look no further; we’re here to help explain the often overlooked importance of music in films.
Take a read to find out why music is so vital to filmmaking, and see how you can get better at choosing film music in the future.
Importance of Music in Film
How Is Music Used in Film?
To truly understand the impact music choices can have on your film, you need to understand the different ways in which music can be used in a film.
The primary way is through the soundtrack. The soundtrack often contains either pre-released songs that feature in the film or music specifically created for the film itself. Often, they contain a combination of the two. When the songs are pre-released, however, you’ll have to think about the royalties associated with using a particular song.
The music in the soundtrack can of course be very different depending on the film itself. For example, the soundtrack could contain music from a specific historical context for a period piece. In that case, the music would help to further the authentic feeling of the film’s setting.
Alternatively, the soundtrack could go the opposite way and have modern songs in the same a historical setting. Baz Luhrmann’s films like The Great Gatsby are a great example of this technique.
But music doesn’t just feature on the film soundtrack. There can also be specific sound design choices or effects added to a film to help with the atmosphere. Though not as wide-reaching as the soundtrack itself, you should also consider how the overall sound design of your film helps create a coherent work of art.
Music as an Emotional Signifier
Now that you know the basics, we’re going to go into why a film’s music is so important. Music is a powerful emotional signifier to your audience when watching your films. This means that music can help to convey a particular emotion in a scene. Think about the following scenario as an example.
In your film, you have a close-up of a clown who is crying through their makeup. Now, if you have a depressing, slow song in your soundtrack, this scene is going to evoke sadness in your audience.
But if you play a slapstick, cheerful song over this scene, the audience is going to assume that this is a part of the clown’s act and will find it funny or even charming.
This is just one of the countless instances where the film’s music has a direct impact on the emotions of your audience. This is why music in films is so important in the filmmaking process. It is an essential creative tool to instigate an emotional response from your audience.
Music as Atmosphere
But it isn’t just in the emotional responses of the audience where music shines in filmmaking. Music is also a quintessential part of building the atmosphere of a film.
Different soundscapes can cause us to perceive things differently, much like with our emotional responses above. But a film soundtrack can work to build a particular mood or style around a film.
Think about Blade Runner’s soundtrack by Vangelis and its sweeping, timeless score. The soundtrack is so good in that movie that it is considered an intrinsic part of the film’s atmosphere and identity itself.
As a great example of how this works, take a look at this YouTube video where a Star Wars scene is shown without the soundtrack. See how empty this scene feels without any music? That’s because so much of the atmosphere and feeling of a film can be conveyed in the music choices you make as a filmmaker.
Without music there’s no rhythm to how a scene progresses, the audience is left feeling awkward and confused.
Music as Identity
Music can help you create the identity of a film or character in certain cases. Consider James Bond’s theme and how it immediately helps audiences to conceptualize the entire mood of the film with just a few notes.
Or, think about the opening theme songs to particular television shows or film series that build the identity of the series itself. Certain music choices can help to encapsulate whole themes, characters, or emotions with a single well-placed song choice. In the truly iconic cases, music transcends the film it’s contained in itself, like with the tension-building sounds of the shark approaching in Jaws.
In this respect, you need to treat your music choice with as much care as you would choosing actors or when writing a script. The importance of the music in your films is that it has a similar power over how your audience thinks and feels as well as how they relate to what you’ve created.
Where Can I Find Quality Music as a Filmmaker?
The above examples show some key ways in which the importance of music in film cannot be overstated. But they are just some of many, with other aspects including how music can transform or comment on the action within a scene.
Now that we’ve hopefully convinced you of the importance of a film’s music is, you’re wondering where to find high-quality and usable music for your films. We’re here to tell you that you’re already in the right place.
At Comma, we have an unprecedented library of award-winning music tailored for filmmakers, ad campaigners, content-creators, and more. Not only that, but you can get unlimited access to this library for a single monthly fee.
To find out more, take a look at our pricing page where you’ll find a handy video letting you know just how Comma can help with your next masterpiece.