The Atlantic: How do you score a film with no dialogue?

[Hlao-roo 388]

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/how-do-you-score-a-film-with-no-dialogue/282456/

I’ve heard film composers talk about the idea of being invisible, that a job well done means going unnoticed. The best film scores enhance what’s happening on screen, but never take viewers out of the moment. Do you feel the same way?

It’s a safe thing these days to want to be invisible because music is very easily corny and can easily be way too emotive and ruin everything. I think the response to that is a fear-based response where directors don’t even want to gamble on the whole thing. That’s the right thing for certain movies, but there are certainly many movies I can think of, including Jaws, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Mission, where the music is the story.

The music just has to be good. We’re in this state where everything is just hyperrealistic to the point of being unrealistic. Musicians are asked to simply do drone sounds or go far out of the way, but movies don’t need to be that neorealistic. The premise of movies is a dream state. I miss what happened in American cinema in the 1970s, when music was wildly juxtaposed against the image with tremendous results. We’re at a different time right now, and hopefully it’ll come back.

[Dixon Hill 4,229]

I think that's a very good assessment of things. It's easy to say film music is terrible these days, and it's also easy to forget just how aesthetically difficult the job of the film composer has become.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

This is a very good point:

"It’s a safe thing these days to want to be invisible because music is very easily corny and can easily be way too emotive and ruin everything. I think the response to that is a fear-based response where directors don’t even want to gamble on the whole thing. That’s the right thing for certain movies, but there are certainly many movies I can think of, including Jaws, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Mission, where the music is the story."

[Quintus 5,391]

The best film music feels intertwined with the imagery and wider audio elements, unnoticeable in as far as it seems almost impossible to separate the audiovisual fabric of the celluloid into individual components, their harmonious mechanisms being organic and dependent on one another like a flower's petals are to its stem and leaves. In that way the music is absolutely as noticeable as the accompanying imagery, but it is precisely that which makes it so profoundly subconscious.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

That seems to be the common mindset about film music, even with film music fans these days. and in many instances it's a solid route to take. But there really isn't any one criteria that dictates what good film music is or indeed what it's function should be.

The shrieking violins in Psycho's murder scene are anything but what you describe, yet it's effectiveness in the film is unparallelled.

[KK 3,202]

The shrieking violins in Psycho's murder scene are anything but what you describe.

Actually, it's a perfect example of what Lee was describing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Nope.

[Quintus 5,391]

No, it is, Steef. Psycho is almost the perfect example.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

In that case I apologize. You are a brilliant orator, and a prince among men.

[Quintus 5,391]

[Koray Savas 2,095]

Per Quint's PS4 voice message, a brilliant orator he is not

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Fascinating

[mrbellamy 5,231]

This is interesting, because I think that the score for All is Lost does fit in more with that very subtle, textural, and "invisible" type of scoring than with the films he references. I don't know if he's talking about his own work or not, but it's a little odd that he's lamenting about that kind of prominent dramatic function that music used to serve regularly, while here he was presented with a film completely devoid of dialogue and yet he still wrote quite wispy music that creates an atmosphere but mostly stays out of the way. This lost-at-sea movie is certainly much more about silence and quiet than Jaws, so a big, bombastic orchestral score would not have been fitting in any way, but I think the opportunity was there to perhaps go a few baby steps further into that kind of music/film relationship he's talking about.

[Quintus 5,391]

Per Quint's PS4 voice message, a brilliant orator he is not

You try sending a quick articulate and instructively helpful message when you have had 3hrs kip and are absolutely destroyed. I still await your reply actually (and the revelation of your real (gayboy) voice...!

Coward

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I didn't even know you could send voice messages until you did. Was just surprised by the thickness of your accent, completely audible to myself. I'll hapiily chat in a party whilst playing some Battlefield.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I've been told by a reliable source your voice sounded both smooth and manly, and strangely sensual, lee.

[Quintus 5,391]

I didn't even know you could send voice messages until you did. Was just surprised by the thickness of your accent, completely audible to myself. I'll hapiily chat in a party whilst playing some Battlefield.

We should do! You never seem to be on when I am though.

And yes, I am every bit from Liverpool.

[Koray Savas 2,095]

I didn't even know you could send voice messages until you did. Was just surprised by the thickness of your accent, completely audible to myself. I'll hapiily chat in a party whilst playing some Battlefield.

We should do! You never seem to be on when I am though.

And yes, I am every bit from Liverpool.

Most likely because you're 5 hours ahead. When I get home from work it's already 1am for you.

[Quintus 5,391]

I've been told by a reliable source your voice sounded both smooth and manly, and strangely sensual, lee.

My voice is completely normal but you would probably find my accent startling. Ren did. But yeah, she had a thing for it.

I know you and I have whatsapp'd in the past but I didn't save your details. PM me your number Steef and you can hear for yourself!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Unlike Ren I am far more used to the many assorted accents and dialects that exists in the North.

As for hearing your voice, it would ruin the illusion

I still have your phone number though.........

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

Om gunna throw moi boomarang at ya oi!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

But if you wanna send a voice message of Claire, I won't say no....

[Quintus 5,391]

Ren has just made it known to me that she is monitoring! She's such a lurking little... , you can never be too careful

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I know....

[Jay 27,216]

I have Lee's number as well

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Oh everyone has Lee's number!

Let's all call him for Christmas....

[Naïve Old Fart 6,637]

That seems to be the common mindset about film music, even with film music fans these days. and in many instances it's a solid route to take. But there really isn't any one criteria that dictates what good film music is or indeed what it's function should be.

The shrieking violins in Psycho's murder scene are anything but what you describe, yet it's effectiveness in the film is unparallelled.

Film music's function is to support the story. That there are so many ways to support a story, musically, is quite staggering.