Did movies get you into movie music, or...

[Quintus 5,391]

... did movie music get you more into the movies? A simple question perhaps. I would like to know what you have to say.

As someone who puts the film itself before everything else, I ironically believe that it was first and foremost the music to those films which ultimately nurtured my fascination of the medium as a canvas for storytelling. When I was a child and I perhaps wasn't as interested in plot as much as I was the action and emotion of a given movie, my young mind subconsciously soaked up the music, which in turn helped me to fill in the gaps in the story which I may not have fully understood, from a script or spoken word perspective. The music for me, became the prominent instrument and element which dictated my emotional attachment and deeper understanding of events as they played out - I let the music tell the story and in time I became reliant on it, indeed I took it wholly for granted.

As I got older and I inevitably found out about John Williams, I suddenly began to take an interest in the wider inner workings of film; from conception to post-production, I was keen to learn how the filmic adventures of my childhood were actually put together and I suppose in some ways that time marked for me the moment when the magic of the movies matured into an analytical interest of the process. The innocence of my childhood allowed for an unabashed emotional attachment to the movies, yet I believe John Williams in particular made it possible.

[Datameister 1,394]

Movies got me into film music - the Star Wars movies, specifically.

[Quintus 5,391]

I was something of a late comer to Star Wars fandom. I was more of a Superman and Indiana Jones fan as a kid. Star Wars was newly appreciated by me when I was about 16. I was born in May '77.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I was into film before scores, although one could say it was a joint interest. Technically the movie came first but that lead immediately into the music.

[Trent B 317]

I would say that movies did get me into film score music. The music is what struck out at me the most when watching things like Star Wars, Star Trek and other good films.

Edit: Taking band in junior high helped get me more into film score music too.

[Datameister 1,394]

I should also add that while I was first interested in films, these days my opinion of a film is strongly influenced by the music. Too much so, even. A great score can dramatically improve my opinion of a poor film, and a poor score can dramatically worsen my opinion of a great film.

[Nick Parker 3,017]

I would say they form a mutual symbiotic relationship. Though I was often introduced to music through the likes of Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, or whoever, I have just as often to been introduced to films through the likes of John Williams, Danny Elfman, or whoever. If that makes sense.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I should also add that while I was first interested in films, these days my opinion of a film is strongly influenced by the music. Too much so, even. A great score can dramatically improve my opinion of a poor film, and a poor score can dramatically worsen my opinion of a great film.

I'm kinda the same. A score is a crucial part of a film, I believe that it's responsible for 50% of the emotional impact.

[Demodex 479]

If it wasn't for the SW:SE releases I doubt I'd be a big listener of film scores. Well, I'm still not a big listener, but I'd be even less so.

[Red 73]

I don't know. I think it happened all at once.

[John Crichton 4]

Movies got me into film music - the Star Wars movies, specifically.

Along with Star Trek.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

The music came first. I heard Star Wars on CD before I ever saw the films. Of course, seeing films as a child helped prepare me for the music (I remember taping the end credits of Ghostbusters, Gremlins 2 and LOTR off the TV), but I didn't "get into" films before I became actively interested in the music.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

The first live action film I saw was Jurassic Park, so I like to think that got me into films and music, but that's a lie I was like 3, I barely remember it. The Rock did it for my brother, and a few years later I got into it with The Phantom Menace, Spider-Man, and Signs. Those were the only scores I had, so I made those 3 composers the ones I would love. Unfortunately Danny Elfman lost his mojo, and Michael Giacchino took his place.

[Quintus 5,391]

I too remember loving the music to the old LotR animation, but hearing it again recently, I thought it was pretty bad if I'm honest. I wonder if there are more cases of bad film music being enjoyed as a child.

[indy4 152]

It was joining this site that really got me into films. Of course I liked them beforehand, but I didn't take as much interest in them as I do now.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

That's pretty recent then.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

Movies got me into film music - the Star Wars movies, specifically.

I'm the same. Or more specifically, it was the RETURN OF THE JEDI book and tape.

[Richard Penna 2,082]

I think it was movies, specifically Fotr.

But I've always been one for unusual hobbies (film-making being the exception - surely everyone's an aspiring director or writer inside them), so something like scores was inevitable.

[Ollie 859]

I've always had an interest in music, from TV shows to film. Star Wars really got me going as far as collecting soundtracks but I would have been a film score collecter had that movie never happened.

For me it's all about the music. I reached a point where I didn't care how the music worked in a film. If it sounded good then I bought the soundtrack. I also buy blind on quite a few composers because I know their style and they never disappoint. Once I realized you could listen to film music on it's own I started buying soundtracks regardless of whether or not I had even seen the film's they were composed for.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

I too remember loving the music to the old LotR animation, but hearing it again recently, I thought it was pretty bad if I'm honest. I wonder if there are more cases of bad film music being enjoyed as a child.

It was one of the first scores I noticed in a film, although at the time I assumed it was existing classical music.

Years later, when I got it on CD and listened to it again, I was surprised (and still am) that a score that complex/dissonant could appeal to me so early. I still consider it one of the Great Scores nowaday.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I still consider it one of the Great Scores nowaday.

What constitutes a "Great Score"?

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

One that ranks highly even among others scores I rate highly. One I favourably single out time after time for its qualities.

[Jacob 0]

Movies got me into film music - the Star Wars movies, specifically.

Revenge of the Sith is the first movie I remember actively anticipating the score of.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

Revenge of the Sith is the first movie I remember actively anticipating the score of.

For me, that would have been David Arnold's Godzilla.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

Johnny Williams got me into tv music which got me into movies and movie music.

[Jay 27,216]

Movies got me into film music - the Star Wars movies, specifically.

You took the words right out of my mouth!

[John Crichton 4]

Revenge of the Sith is the first movie I remember actively anticipating the score of.

Mine was The Phantom Menace.

[Datameister 1,394]

I'm actually not sure what was the first movie I really anticipated the score for...how sad... =( I'm sure it was a Williams score, but I don't know which one it was.

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

It all goes back to seeing Jurassic Park over and over again...

[Luke Skywalker 1,284]

It all goes back to seeing Jurassic Park over and over again...

yes it was that movie that made me notice 'orchestral' film music (i think most kinds notice the disney songs). then Lucas did the Special editions, then wow, then i notice the same composer did it, and indy, and superman, ET, etc... and i ended collecting all his works...

[Quintus 5,391]

Which for many lead to the scores themselves taking priority over the films they accompanied. For me it was the opposite. The film comes first every time and a good score is merely a bonus.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

I go with the 50/50 theory. A poor film can still have a great score, while a poor score can have a hugely negative effect on a film. Of course, there are exceptions, but it's a much more important part of the process than some people would give credit for.

As for the first score I really anticipated, it was STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. And the earliest real score-geek moment was in the theater for STAR TREK V, when I turned to my friend during the main titles and said 'You know, this is the first time they've used this music in a film since The Motion Picture...'

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

As for the first score I really anticipated, it was STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT.

I didn't like Goldsmith back then, so my first anticipated score was probably The Lost World.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

As for the first score I really anticipated, it was STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT.

I didn't like Goldsmith back then, so my first anticipated score was probably The Lost World.

Funnily enough, it wasn't Goldsmith that I paid attention to, it was the fact that it was a Trek score, and that I'd played the hell out of the GENERATIONS score in the previous year.

[Williamsfan301 11]

I think for me it was a happy alignment of the stars - so to speak. I've been involved in music since a very young age - I won't say how young since I'll sprout another gray hair. As a kid, I watched alot of Evening at Pops, which JW was conducting of course so that was definitely part of it. But, I also watched alot of Bugs Bunny cartoons which was undeniably an influence as well. But, I was surrounded by music, by GOOD music my whole life. When it came to media (TV and movies) I was always more interested in the music than anything else and I think that - coupled with a greater knowledge of who JW was - just expanded my interest.

Having read what I just typed, I think what I'm saying is the music came before the movies, but with a GREAT predisposition to JW. However, the first soundtrack I ever purchased was Star Trek V.

Here's a good question, then. For how many of us was a Bugs Bunny or Warner Bros. cartoon are first introduction to orchestral music?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

Movies got me into film music!

[Nick Parker 3,017]

I would not say that they introduced me to orchestral music, but I remmeber liking them a lot more than the Disney cartoons.

To Blumenkohl....

LYNCH HIM!

[Williamsfan301 11]

I would not say that they introduced me to orchestral music, but I remmeber liking them a lot more than the Disney cartoons.

Rhapsody Rabbit made me want to learn piano so I could eventually learn how to play Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 (which I never did, but still want to)

Rabbit of Seville made me interested in opera.

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are brilliant, but they're not for kids, at least to me that is. I was very disinterested in Fantasia as a child. It was only after I matured (both age wise and as a musician) that I appreciated it better.

[Datameister 1,394]

Fantasia 2000 interested me when it came out, and I was fairly young, with little interest in classical music. Heck, that was what introduced me to Stravinsky's "The Firebird" - for which I am eternally grateful! The original Fantasia is still of limited interest to me, though, I'm sad to say.

[Nick Parker 3,017]

I will say that "Fantasia" introduced me to Mussorgsky, though.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

Funnily enough, it wasn't Goldsmith that I paid attention to, it was the fact that it was a Trek score, and that I'd played the hell out of the GENERATIONS score in the previous year.

I had Generations and liked it a lot, and a friend showing me the main titles of Undiscovered Country to hear Eidelman's score was what made me watch Trek in the first place. But I must already have known Goldsmith's Final Frontier, because I didn't like his take on the Courage fanfare back then. So I was looking forward to First Contact purely as a Trek movie.

[Williamsfan301 11]

And Dennis McCarthy's Generations score is actually a pretty good effort considering. I found it enjoyable and I think had the movie itself been a bigger success, McCarthy's might have broken through to movies.