Week 4- 12/15-12/19

Lorde's Curated 'Hunger Games' Soundtrack Isn't Really a Soundtrack

Loring, A. (2014, December 8). Lorde's Curated 'Hunger Games' Soundtrack Isn't Really a Soundtrack. Retrieved December 17, 2014, from http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/movie-soundtracks-with-no-movie-music-lorde.php

Quotes:
"The word soundtrack is defined as the “sound recorded on a motion-picture film” or, more specifically, “the narrow band on one or both sides of a motion-picture film on which sound is recorded.”"

"Having one of the film’s main characters sing a song will certainly help get it attention, but more importantly, when music is allowed to play an active role in a film’s narrative, an emotional connection between the film and the music is created, instead of keeping the two apart as separate entities."

"But isn’t a soundtrack full of songs that have no real connection to the film itself (other than some lyrics that may reference certain plot points) really just a bonus feature like behind the scenes footage or commentary?"

Summary:
Lorde was the sole curator of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Soundtrack. Although she did a very good job on creating a song for the album, and compiling various artists to do work for the soundtrack critcs weren't sure if it actually counted as a soundtrack. Many films are recognizable for their soundtracks, however a soundtrack has to have music that was featured in the film. It would be strange to have a Lorde song in a post-apocalyptic society. This article then goes into detail about how a soundtrack shouldn't just be a companion piece, but it should have something to do with the film itself. 

Reflection:
I do feel like the Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack would be more effective if the songs were actually featured in the movie itself, however it did a really good job of creating hype for the film and the music was awesome. In a previous blog post I talked about The Great Gatsby soundtrack, and although a lot of the music on that soundtrack was created by popular artists most of the music was in the film. Although modern day hip-hop and pop music does not seem like it belongs in the 20's it was an artistic choice made by Luhrman. I agree that the Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack isn't technically a movie soundtrack, however I feel as if it did the same job as any other movie soundtrack. The purpose of a movie soundtrack is to set the tone of the movie, and help market the film which I believe this soundtrack did. So even if it might not follow the exact definition of a soundtrack it is definitely an risky thing to try that paid off. 

Week 3 - 12/8-12/12

Movie Marketers Love Music, Not Musicals

Sherman, H. (2014, August 3). Movie Marketers Love Music, Not Musicals. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.hesherman.com/2014/08/03/movie-marketers-love-music-not-musicals/

Summary: 

This article was based around the release of the trailer for the upcoming movie musical Into The Woods. It goes in depth into how movie musical trailers are made to manipulate audiences into overlooking the fact that it is a musical. Many theatre goers who know the show by heart are angered about not only not having insight into the music of the show, but that there are rumors that the plot has been slightly altered. Because theatre people aren't the general population who will be seeing this musical marketers try to make people who would not normally watch a musical view this movie. The article then goes on to describe various examples of movie musical trailers that don't show the characters singing and try and hide the fact that its a musical. Some of these examples are Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and Sweeney Todd. However in other movies like, DreamGirls marketers will add in cuts of performances because of the stars that were in that movie like Beyonce. 

Quotes: 

"superhero movies now arrive like clockwork, while movie musicals, though more common than in the 70s and 80s, are still infrequent events."

"The film studios are trying to reach a much wider crowd, for whom the sight of stars singing may be off-putting"

"Minimizing the musical theatre connection has certainly been true for movie musicals for some time. It’s almost as though marketers are trying to slip the fact that people sing past potential audiences."

Reflection:

Movie musicals are the one example where music isn't exactly a positive aspect of the film. Movie marketers try and manipulate viewers into seeing their movies in the hopes that they won't realize the movie is a musical. The actual music and film score isn't actually the problem, but it's the fact that the characters are the ones singing the music. This article particularly talks about how within the trailers for these movie musicals they never show the characters singing, but instead just play the music and maybe add in quick cuts of characters singing. Movie musicals have recently gained more popularity, and maybe it has something to do with the whole Frozen frenzy. However, there is still a huge dislike of movie musicals within the general population so the decision not to show the characters singing in trailers is understandable. In my opinion, though marketers should try and market the movie musical as the movie musical instead of trying to cheat the system and manipulate viewers. Although many viewers might be turned off to watching a musical when marketed based more on the plot, but including the music will also attract an audience who enjoys music. One example of a trailer that actually shows characters singing throughout the entire trailer is The Last Five Years, which is supposed to be released in 2015.

However, this movie musical could easily come off as cheesy because the entirety of the trailer is the two characters singing or quick cuts of other scenes.There is not hiding that this movie is a musical. I do think more move musicals should include their music in their advertisements because music appeals to many people. In this particular circumstance the plot is kind of put to the side, and it is more focused on the music. Movie musicals have a population of its own, and many theatre goers will also take part in viewing movie musicals. The marketers motive for trying to take the musical out of the movie musical is understanding because they want more of a broader population viewing the movie. However, maybe instead of taking the musical out of the movie marketers can find a technique to actually make movie musicals appealing to the general population. Sweeney Todd, one of the examples that Sherman wrote about, appealed to many different fan bases. First of all having a well-known actor such as Johnny Depp and a famous director like Tim Burton already attracts a whole new audience. This movie musical also has the horror movie appeal. By finding other marketable aspects about the movie musical, the whole fact that is a musical can be more easily overlooked. 

Week 2- 12/1-12/5

B-Sides: Soundtracks have a potential to help in movie marketing

Bain, A. (2013, April 8). B-Sides: Soundtracks have potential to help in movie marketing. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://dailybruin.com/2013/04/08/b-sides-soundtracks-have-potential-to-help-in-movie-marketing/

Summary:
'The Great Gatsby' soundtrack was an anticipated release, and no one other than Jay-Z was the producer. This soundtrack contained many pop and hip-hop artists such as Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, and Jack White. Not only did the soundtrack have many well-known artists, but also many artists wrote songs specifically for the soundtrack. Granny winning, T-Bone Burnett, was one of the first producers that tried this technique out and it has since been successful. It is a unique marketing technique that can create even more success for a film. 

Quotes:
"It’s an ambitious project, no doubt aimed at encouraging more young moviegoers to see 'The Great Gatsby'"

"Burnett revolutionized the art of the soundtrack of 2000’s “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” which featured a wide-range of folk music and artists."

"the album’s biggest impact on the film may be as a marketing technique. It will be released on May 6, a few days before the movie, and will no doubt be a popular download in the days leading up to the film’s release."

Reflection: 
Recently many films have been using this technique where the soundtrack is almost as important as the film. This is especially done in young adult productions such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and Twilight. Although Twilight was a horrible movie, I will not deny that I did enjoy the soundtrack. By using these well-known artists it attracts the fan bases that those artists have, and in turn draws them to the movie that coincides with the soundtrack. When film soundtracks are released before the film it creates a lot more hype, and can attract people that wouldn't necessarily want to see the film. This is a really successful advertising technique, and a lot of the times the artists that work on the soundtrack usually create new songs specifically for the movie. This also creates success for the artist as well.  

Week 1 – 11/24-11/28 (2)

How do film-makers manipulate our emotions with music?

Stewart, H. (2013, September 13). How do film-makers manipulate our emotions with music? Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/0/24083243

Summary:
The way film-makers manipulate our emotions with music is not necessarily in the lyrics or quality of the music, but instead certain frequencies or sound waves can trigger certain physiological responses. When Bette Davis was starring in Dark Victory, she feared that Max Steiner's music would outshine her acting skills. Many scientists have studied how music and sound waves effect our emotions and sound triggers the same responses as sex and drugs. Certain low frequencies can trigger fear within audiences while watching a horror or thriller movie when nothing to excited is happening on screen. 

Quotes:
"A 2010 study by the University of California found that human sensitivity to non-linear alarm sounds, such as ones made by groundhogs to warn about predators, is being employed by film composers to unsettle and unnerve."

"Far from being a purely aural experience, scans suggested that the regions of the brain that light up with music are those linked to euphoric stimuli such as food, sex and drugs."

"Science writer Philip Ball, author of The Music Instinct, says soundtracks can produce the same reaction in us whether the music is good or bad."

Reflection:
I believe many of the responses that music triggers can also be triggered by other things. Science is immensely involved with how music can manipulate our feelings. In film we have our visuals being stimulated as well as our sense of sound. The psychological impacts that those two factors have on an audience can influence the way they respond. By creating a certain frequency or by using a specific string of sounds the audience is almost expected to have a certain response. Whether it's fear during a horror movie by using sharp and unpleasant sounds or compassion in a drama or comedy by using pleasant components of music. A composer or a soundtrack curator's job is to specifically put together a well-made score or soundtrack to convey the certain emotions the director wants to get out of the audience. 

Week 1 – 11/24-11/28

A Brief History of Film Music

Paterson, J. (n.d.). A Brief History of Film Music. Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://www.mfiles.co.uk/film-music-history.htm

Summary:
This article discussed the progression of film music, and the various roles that music plays in film. The primary angle that this particular resource took on was by looking at the history of film music. Beginning with silent films in the early twentieth century, the film industry knew right away that seeing a film with absolutely no sound wasn't going to catch on and so they would have live musicians in the theatre either improvising or playing a selection. The article continues to address the differences in music when it comes to the various genres in film, and how composers use different techniques to create more of an emotional response from the audience. Throughout the years the film industry has grown and so has the artistry of film scoring, and many composers have created iconic music that people associate with films that has remained intact over the years. Music is also used as a marketing opportunity for film and music. Music in film can be used either to create hype for an upcoming film or to reboot an musician's career. Overall film music has progressed from musicians playing live in the theatre to the use of computers and technology to compose full length film scores. 

Significant Quotes:
"But a silent movie without a musical accompaniment seems totally empty, so music was typically provided in the theatre by a musician on piano or organ (or a group of musicians) to give emphasis to the story."

"Note also the unusual examples of films where the music comes first and the pictures are created to fit the music such as Disney's Fantasia, recently resulting in a sequel."

"The thriller demanded its own unique style of music to assist with the tension building, and of course playing a part in the "false alarm" devise for shocking the audience on those occasions when the menace isn't actually there. Key in this genre must be the man who so ably supported Alfred Hitchcock in many films, Bernard Hermann, whose screaming strings in Psycho and dizzy arpeggios in Vertigo were an effective ingredient in the final mix."

"The potential for marketing opportunities was recognised, an early example (still in the Western category) being High Noon in 1952 with song, "Do not forsake me, oh my darling" by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington."

"A simple but effective mix of specially composed soundtrack and pop tunes can be found in the time travel flick,Back to the Future (Alan Silvestri), which used popular music to help conjure two different periods in the present and the past"

Reflection:

Some of the earliest figures in the film industry have also been some of the most driving forces in the formation of music in film. Films haven't always had soundtracks and full length film scores to accompany the visual. If it weren't for some of the early filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin, who composed his own music for his films, music might not play such a prominent role in film as it does today. Nowadays we have films with soundtracks full of popular artists writing songs specifically for a movie. In Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby, the soundtrack was just as popular as the movie and created publicity for the film because of artists like Beyonce and Fergie being featured on the soundtrack. A film wouldn't be the same without accompanying music. Although moments in film can seem more intense and lifelike without music, silence tends to make audiences uncomfortable which is why even silent movies had to have some sort of music. Music has played a crucial role in making some films such as Jaws iconic. The associated theme songs and film scores that are specifically made for that certain film and genre create a way to identify a film and make a film more memorable. Composers over the years have adopted specific techniques for various genres of film, and use music to create an emotional response from the audience. This emotion that music adds allows audiences to have a stronger memory of a film or have a stronger opinion of a film, so music is an important aspect of a film that can make or break it. 

Hans Zimmer: the Conscious of Creating the Film Score