Music is one of the most important elements in a movie or TV show. The right musical score can evoke strong emotions and set a mood, whether it’s triumphant, melancholy, whimsical, breathtaking, etc. The rhythm of the narrative. Familiar melodies and themes guide the audience as to what will happen next. Production companies also use music in a variety of other ways in TV shows and movies, which is what this article will focus on.
Marketing based on nostalgia
Nostalgia is one of the most powerful marketing tools because people want to be transported to or reminded of past experiences, places and people they have met before. It’s no surprise, then, that film and TV show marketing departments use music to evoke nostalgia in their audiences.
Nostalgia can also make TV shows and movies instantly recognizable to fans. This is especially true for reboots of past TV shows and movies. Shows like “Hawaii Five-0” have well-known soundtracks and thus receive good ratings when they are aired again. This realization may be why these types of shows often have so many seasons. The audience is already there and locked in to see what this new iteration will bring.
It’s important to realize that marketing departments don’t just use music for nostalgia-based marketing. They also use original soundtracks as independent marketing tools. Perhaps the best example of this is the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. It featured classic rock songs and quickly rose to the top of the charts. This helped it and the films associated with it appeal to a wider audience.
Music helps create the brand image of a movie or TV show
While this can happen in movies, music in the form of theme songs can make them instantly recognizable, and some themes are so iconic that they are now part of pop culture. Some of the best examples in this case are the openings of Friends, The Simpsons or Game of Thrones. The theme songs for all of these shows are so iconic that most people recognize the show they relate to without having to see it when it’s on.
Using music to influence emotions
Research shows that music can evoke complex emotions in humans. It can make us feel emotions such as fear, sadness, excitement, joy, etc. Interestingly, this can also happen subconsciously. Almost all modern films acknowledge this fact.
A great example of a production studio using music in this way is in the horror genre. The creative use of dissonant sounds, tense strings, and other sounds that we think of as scary can create feelings of fear or unease. This can happen even if anything terrible happens or is on the screen or is about to happen.
Another creative use of sound to evoke emotion is in the romance genre, where soft melodies can create feelings of longing or tenderness.
Sometimes, studios use sound to deepen the emotional connection between the film and the audience. The TV show Stranger Things does this brilliantly by using The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” The song’s appearance on the show led many to associate it with the supernatural struggle and the tense relationship between brothers Jonathan and Will Byers.
Sound is a great tool for creating the right atmosphere
Producers can also use sound to set the tone for a scene or entire production. In the action genre, directors and producers use fast-paced electronic music to create a sense of urgency. They can also use ambient sounds to create surreal or dreamlike experiences.
For budding filmmakers who want to use music in this way, the most important thing to consider is making sure they choose the right style, rhythm, and instrumentation. Take Stranger Things again as an example, its use of synth-heavy music created the 1980s feel that Netflix was going for.
Filmmakers can also use the right type of music to create an atmosphere that people who use assistive devices such as hearing aids can appreciate. They can do this by simplifying the sounds and instruments used so they don’t confuse these fans, while also introducing bass that causes vibrations on the surface or in the body.
Many people with hearing loss or impairment enjoy feeling music vibrating through their bodies and appreciate filmmakers who understand this and use it when creating their films.
Music can also provide narrative support
Filmmakers have many narrative tools they can use to create something memorable or make their film better. One is music, which they can also use as a storytelling tool.
Filmmakers can use it to emphasize different plot points, such as when a major event is about to happen. But be aware that many filmmakers use music in this clever way so that you notice what’s happening on screen rather than focusing on when the music changes.
They can also use different types of music to foreshadow events or provide subtext not included in the dialogue between characters. If you watch enough movies, you’ll notice that filmmakers use movies to hint at impending trouble for one of the characters.
Use music to show character development
Filmmakers can also use different types of music and themes to provide insight into a character’s personality or development. Whenever a character appears or walks into a room, they may start with a melancholy or brooding melody and have a different “soundtrack” by the end of the movie or TV show.
While the changes in the music associated with them will be subtle as the characters change, rewatching the TV show or movie may cause viewers to see the changes again.
The best example of a filmmaker using music to represent a character is Darth Vader’s “Imperial March” from Star Wars. It immediately conveys his threatening presence, which is perhaps why it is used in social media culture to represent a negative or evil personality.
Even if you’ve never paid enough attention to the music used in your favorite TV shows and movies, you can at least recognize some of the ways it’s used, as mentioned above. You may not realize how music affects your mood, brings a sense of nostalgia, or helps you instantly recognize a piece, but you know it happens. All of this music is one of the most important elements of art that most people enjoy on screen.
