CAPÍTULO 19 -- O CASAMENTO ENTRE MÚSICA E VÍDEO

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APTULO 19 -- O CASAMENTO ENTRE MSICA E VDEO

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CAPTULO 19 -- O CASAMENTO ENTRE

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Music and Video Part one -- FILM MUSICOn some level, nearly every type of drama is basically a programmed set of emotions that a writer is hoping to getacross to an audience. If the audience becomes successfully involved with those emotions, they will generally findit a satisfying experience, and the work will be considered a success.

At one time or another, every movie director has probably longed for some device that would automaticallytransmit emotions across to an audience. This device would greatly help in getting the message behind the imagesacross, it could enhance, it could give a sense of irony.

Imagine some kind of mechanical or electronic device that could be directly connected to the moviegoers. If you

wanted an audience to feel content, secure, happy, you would send the appropriate message across to them and givethem the images on the screen to complement it. If you want to scare an audience, give them a feeling of anxiety,of suspense--you just have the machine send the appropriate message to the audience. If you want them to feel sad,depressed, feel sympathy for the character, you press another button and they will instantly feel it.

It could serve to heighten and extend the feelings the actors are trying to portray. It could support the climax of thefilm and build excitement when necessary. It could give a sense of irony when a character on the screen isportraying one emotion and the device could send another.

And ideally, this device could do so without the audience realizing that anything was happening. They would justbe able to feel and sense the emotions. Getting the emotional program of the story across would be so much easier!

There is such a marvelous "device" that exists and can do everything stated above--it is the film score, oftenreferred to as the "soundtrack".

While the average moviegoer thinks of only going to "see" a movie, it really is a very complex multi-sensoryoperation and represents a collaboration of many creative artists all under the control of the director. These includethe actors, script writer, the costume designer, the lighting designer, the cinematographer, the special effectsdirector, the final editor--and the composer of the film score.

We hear so much music from the radio, the TV, background music in stores, malls, etc. that we have a tendency totune it out and not concentrate on it. Nevertheless, it affects us and changes our moods, often profoundly. For afilm composer, this can be both magnificent and maddening. Magnificent, because like the above fictitious device,a mood can easily and quickly be created without the audience being aware of what is happening. Maddening,because many of a composer's best efforts don't receive the proper recognition they deserve!

The first shots of a movie often will be simply titles over some kind of a setting--with the first music in thebackground. Many times it only takes a musical phrase or two to set the tone of the whole movie.

This idea of preparatory music actually goes back several centuries. A type of composition called an overture doesalmost exactly the same thing. One very good example of this is the "Egmont" overture composed by Beethoven toopen a play of the same name by Goethe. The music starts off very gloomy and oppressive. It takes on a feeling ofa little more "action", and even a little triumphant. Just before the end it suddenly comes to a halt with a few verysoft somber chords from the woodwinds. The music suddenly starts to build and ends in a blaze of triumph. The

curtain then rises.

In just eight minutes without the audience realizing it, Beethoven has told a story of political oppression, of acourageous character battling evil, of his death, and the eventual victory of his ideas. Beethoven kept the audience'sattention with a dynamic piece of music for eight minutes and managed to sneak the outline of the plot across to
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them.

Many Broadway musicals, operettas, operas, etc. will have some introductory piece of music at the beginning thatserves the same function as described above.

Most films do something similar in less time. The title music to the film Star Wars, composed by John Williams,presents a similar summary of the movie with musical themes representing the forces of good and evil, ending intriumph--just as the movie does. The title music to "North by Northwest" composed by Bernard Hermann presentsa picture of action, suspense, and perhaps even a little confusion, foreshadowing a plot that contains healthy

amounts of all three. You can probably think of many other outstanding examples of title music setting the tone forthe whole movie.

In addition to composing much orchestral and chamber music, American composer Aaron Copland scored anumber of highly acclaimed film soundtracks. His score for "The Heiress" won an Academy Award for best score.In his bookWhat to Listen for in Music, Copland lists six functions that music fulfills in a movie soundtrack.

I. CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF TIME AND PLACE. The title music is often where the creative team first "getsits foot in the door" with the audience. Title music can often suggest a time and place for the action. Is the movietaking place in the past? Perhaps a harpsichord and recorder will be playing a piece of music in the style of theRenaissance. While most audiences wouldn't be able to pinpoint the exact date and time suggested by the music, it

has given a fuzzy suggestion of antiquity--and that suggestion was all that was needed.

Was the title music Big Band Music? Early rock and roll? Rap? These could respectively work well to introducemovies from the World War II era, the 1950s, or a 1990s urban setting.

Not all film music is original. Sometimes, as in movies such as "Manhattan", and "2001: A Space Odyssey", verylittle original music is used. In the above two cited examples, their directors chose to use music composed decadesbefore the setting of the movies--music of Gershwin, Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss, etc. In each case, the musichelps to create the appropriate general mood. The images on the screen will use these to perhaps create irony, orlink two otherwise disparate thoughts, which the director will then build on.

II. PSYCHOLOGICAL REFINEMENT--CONVEY THE UNSPOKEN THOUGHTS OF A CHARACTER OR THEUNSEEN IMPLICATIONS OF A SITUATION. Sometimes in a film score the composer will present the audiencewith a musical equivalent of a slap in the face. However, most of the time the process is a little more delicate, alittle more subtle.

A common trick that works wonders is when a composer creates music that conveys the emotions of the story asecond or so before the actors "feel" them. When used effectively, this can help create a closer bond between thecharacters in the drama and the audience, certainly an important objective of most writers.

The element of suspense and surprise can very effectively be portrayed though music. In horror movies, a commoncliche will be to have a very loud and dissonant chord blast though the speakers when a character finds orexperiences something horrible, or the director decides it's time to give a powerful shock to the audience. The moredissonance and the louder the volume, the more fright will be given.

Milder and more subtle, suspense is also relatively easy to convey--soft music in constant motion, in a minor key,and a melody that rises and falls in certain patterns will create a feeling of anxiety in an audience without themrealizing it. Alfred Hitchcock made use of some of the best film score composers of all time, creating shock andsuspense using the above.

Irony and deceit are also equally easy to accomplish. The character is presenting one mood through the dialog,facial expressions, and physical actions while the music is conveying something completely different. Again, thescore will often precede the visual action by a second or so.

Horror and suspense are not the only things that can be conveyed through a subtle psychological sense, althoughthey are some of the most powerful. With very few changes, the above situations can become hysterically funnythrough the use of music.

There is a delicate balance that needs to be achieved here. If done heavy-handedly, it is possible for the music to


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detract--but when that happens, the problem can usually be solved by lowering the volume of the score in the mix.As important as when to add music, the composer and director also need to understand when NOT to interfere--attimes silence can be more effective than any background music. As the saying goes, sometimes "less is more".

In particularly tense or involved moments, the music works so well in a subliminal manner that many audiencemembers--who have been deeply affected by the scene--aren't even aware they have been hearing music!

III. SERVE AS A NEUTRAL BACKGROUND FILLER. Often a film is tested before preview audiences before itsgeneral release. The audience's reactions are very carefully watched and last minute changes are sometimes made if

a particular segment loses their attention--something that can be very critical to a film's success if it happens at akey moment.

Background music can help with this, keeping the audience from daydreaming. While it would be ideal to reshootscenes that seem a little slow, it would represent financial disaster if the cast and crew had already been released, orif there was a very costly location shot.

Perhaps there is no deficiency, but instead there is a scene change necessary to establish a change of locale--background filler music will be able to keep the audience's attention from wandering. Or, perhaps the director ispresenting a plot clue that will be very important later.

If there is any controversy involved in creating film music, it would be whether or not the audience is meant toactually hear and concentrate on it. There are certainly times when it is possible to have music that is too good orobtrusive--one wouldn't want it to draw the audience's attention from some critical elements on the screen.

IV. BUILD A SENSE OF CONTINUITY. Many good scripts consist of a number of ideas and subplots that are vitalin the telling of a complex story. If a director isn't careful, a complex plot can become a series of unrelatedepisodes that cause members of the audience to scratch their heads in confusion. Music is very effective at linkingideas together. A composer will often create several musical themes, each representing a situation, character, oremotion in mind. When that situation or character returns, the music returns also. If the character has undergonesome kind of development or transformation, the music will sometimes also undergo a similar transformation.

A very excellent example of this is John Williams' music for the Star Wars Trilogy. Williams not only uses themusic to link together the various parts of each movie, but there is some music common to all three movies,helping to weave the dramatic thread that connects the very long and involved story.

V. SUPPORT THE THEATRICAL BUILD-UP OF A SCENE, AND ROUND IT OFF WITH A SATISFYING SENSE

OF FINALITY. One of the most important places for music in a movie is at the climax of the film. If the filmrepresents a conflict between good and evil, the right music at the right time will help heighten the tension createdas the two opposing forces reach their climactic battle, giving some kind of a definite closure to the ideas. Likemany other mediums (including absolute music itself), films often are a very carefully controlled program oftensions and relaxations. Tense and relaxed music can powerfully augment what the director is attempting tovisually convey.

VI. UTILITARIAN MUSIC. This is the music that the characters "hear" and react to, such as music played at adance, circus music, cafe music, etc. Unlike other categories of film music, this one needs to be composed beforethe shooting starts. Many film scores (except for the utilitarian music) are composed after the filming is finishedand are added in the final editing and mixing.

I'm going to add one more to Copland's list, a function that has become more and more important in recent years--VII. PUBLICITY AND MARKETING. As the trend of "sending part of the movie home with the viewer" (throughmarketing, souvenirs, toys, shirts, logos, etc.) has grown to unimagined heights, music has become an importantelement in many films' successes. Modern soundtracks have become an integral part of the publicity campaign tosell every ticket possible--a necessity when the cost of some films exceeds $50 million. The use of big-namemusical stars, along with the carefully coordinated timing of the release of the movie and songs (many of whichbecome hits, helping the movie, which then helps the music, which then helps the movie, etc., etc.) is vital to thesuccess--or failure of the project.

John Williams, James Horner, John Barry, and Jerry Goldsmith are four of the most active composers inHollywood. Past outstanding composers include Bernard Herrmann, Miklos Rozsa (who have both scored many


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Alfred Hitchcock films), Henry Mancini, Richard Rodgers, Erich Korngold, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin,among many others.

A number of composers known for their "classical" works have tried their hands at the new medium, includingPhilip Glass and Sergei Prokofiev. Prokofiev's music from the 1938 Eisenstein movie "Alexander Nevsky"eventually became so popular that he arranged a suite for orchestra, chorus, and soloist that is now far more wellknown than the film.

Before sound was added to film scores, there was nothing BUT music that accompanied the film. These movies,

known as "silent movies", sometimes had a written out score that accompanied the film. At other times, a pianist ororganist would improvise during the film, suiting the character of the music to the mood of the images beingprojected at the time.

An experiment that seems to have had limited potential--at least at that time--was the Walt Disney movie,"Fantasia". Taking a number of standard classical compositions, the Disney animators created their own set ofimages to interpret, or add to, or heighten the experience of the music.

While not really ever repeated, Fantasia is almost a forerunner of music video (more on this below). Music videosrepresent almost a complete role reversal for the music and images. In these miniature dramas, the music is writtenfirst, and then the scenes are shot and edited in to essentially do what music does in a movie.

Music and Video Part Two -- MUSIC VIDEOS AND MTV

Music videos represent the latest in a series of communication/media forms that owe their genesis to the electronicage. They're quickly evolving into a new type of composite art form consisting of the elements of music and visualimages. Other artistic elements are also important--those of staging, acting, lighting, makeup, etc. but videosremain different from other mediums--with the music being the primary element (in most cases) and the visualimages complementing the music. They represent a complete reversal of the roles found in the traditionalrelationship between music and the images. Where movie soundtracks complemented the images, the videoelements are filmed to function in support of the music. (Reread Aaron Copland's six functions of the movie score

and compare them to the function of the visual images the next time you watch a video.)Although music videos haven't been around for too many years (MTV began its U.S. broadcasting on August 1,1981), their artistic forerunners go back several decades.

"Soundies" were black and white short features shown along with the main feature in films of the 1940's. Theyconsisted of odd juxtapositions of music and visual images as warmups to the main feature. When televisionbecame a viable medium, similar excerpts would appear in the middle of a scene. These were some of the first tiesof music and the electronic visual medium (opera is a much earlier union of the NON-electronic visual mediumand music).

Early rock and roll movies (with Elvis Presley, etc.) and later movies (such as "Help" and "A Hard Day's Night",both by the Beatles) included popular music in the soundtrack with the visual images not so much resembling alive performance, but distinctly like those of a modern music video with a wide variety of camera shots, edits, andspecial effects.

Before Bob Pittman convinced Warner Communications and American Express to back and operate the MTVchannel, some of what we would call music videos had been shot, but they were played only in a few exclusiverock clubs and on European television--Americans had no outlet until the 1981 birth of MTV.

The MTV format adopted the tried and true radio DJ (VJ or 'video jockey') elements with a little conversationbetween songs and lots of commercials to support the operations. Although MTV lost $50 million in its first threeyears (most innovative concepts don't turn a profit initially) it is now a thriving operation with many spinoffs,

including a host of local music video shows in many U.S. cities.

Among the effects of MTV and music videos in general have been what some consider to be a completerevitalization of the recording industry. Early bands and performers who produced music videos noticed anincrease in record sales. This facet drastically changed record marketing procedures--the performers' public


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exposure and self promotion were achieved by way of national and world tours. With the exposure given in amusic video, some performers are finding it unnecessary to go on tour.

You may not have noticed it because it's been a subtle change, but the average television commercial has taken ona lot of the high-gloss, fast-moving visual imagery of the music video. The selling power of the format cannot bequestioned whether its intent is to sell the music of a particular performer or Jordache jeans. Many televisionprograms and even full length movies are praised (or criticized) for taking on the appearance of a long music video.

The average cost of producing a music video is $60,000 with some of them more to produce than whole movies

cost a decade or so ago--that's a lot for a five minute musical commercial that gains little or no income on its own.Some of these may even be rejected by MTV (which has a policy of avoiding anything too violent or sexuallyexplicit), so the investment could be a very costly one.

Music videos have become another in a series of dizzying communication changes in the 20th century. Theyrepresent what some interpret as an almost alarming decline in attention span (TV commercials have even beenshortened to 30 and 15 seconds); they represent an obsession with "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll"--ideas that havecaused the music industry to be placed under congressional scrutiny, and an accession to what many feel is a toocommercial approach to the music market. Although there are many debates as to the effects of the medium,historical precedent shows us that music and art reflect what is already around its creators and audiences and notquite the driving force of change that its detractors label it. . . on the other hand, if these people are right, this

makes a rather disturbing statement about how artists that powerful are looked down on by society. You wouldexpect that anyone that powerful would be treated with a little more favor. At any rate, one must keep an openmind in the process. A very old Chinese proverb states that the only constant in life is change.

In its short existence, the medium has already seen a startling change from one of a simple commercialpromotional tool to one that makes use of the highest technology of the medium in a direction that some wouldcall. . . artistic???

Why not? Art has always reflected the inner workings of the creator/audience in a way unique to its time. Videosare making statements as clearly as anything imaginable about life in the 20th century. We are seeing a newmedium growing up within our own lifetimes--one that is now a thriving industry on its own. Video companies are

marketing selected videos, performers have assembled video albums parallel to their audio albums using some ofthe finest directors in the entertainment business, and even compact discs are getting into the act. Research hastaken place showing that a CD can be encoded with the necessary video signal in addition to a stereo audio signal.

The visual, electronic, even the computerized effects (Mick Jagger's "Hard Woman" video from spring 1986consists entirely of computer graphics) are all part of the electronic potential of the medium. Marshall McLuhan, amedia philosopher, once concluded that the medium was becoming the message itself. We are seeing that happendaily. On occasion twentieth century man has found himself glorifying NOT just in the communications that hisnew tools bring, but in the sophistication of the MESSENGER--the electronic boxes that bring him all of these.Operating, understanding, and creating with them has become a special artistic endeavor.

Even more to the point, we often don't just sit down and watch a program such as "Miami Vice", "BeverlyHillbillies" or even "Star Trek" as much as we watch television. We don't listen to specific music or performers asmuch as we listen to the radio or stereo. This is one of the ways that our whole communication experience haschanged through the near-universal availability of our media arts. My guess is that someday historians will lookback at our obsessions with less than noble motivations, our reduced attention span, our high gloss product andaccurately gauge some of what we find important in our current electronic media art. They will also find a lot aboutus. Even if the art doesn't represent everybody equally well, it tells much about the times that we live in. Being art,it will also tell much more.

We sometimes look back at an older masterpiece and marvel that in addition to accurately representing the time, italso contains universal human ideas and truths. It represents what makes us distinctly human. It sums up ourexperience (or at least our questions about our experience!). I expect that time will probably sift through thethousands of works and a few of these will rise above the rest. They will tell our story--of 20th century man aswell as the story of timeless and universal man.

That is what art is all about.


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CAPÍTULO 19 -- O CASAMENTO ENTRE MÚSICA E VÍDEO

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