If you've seen the documentaries Earth (2007) or Chimpanzee (2012), you might have noticed that nearly every scene in these films feature background music. While these soundtracks are beautiful, here is a question: do you remember the tunes?
Even though both Earth and Chimpanzee have wonderful music, the "tragedy" may be that the tunes go by unnoticed.
This video by Tony Zhou explores why it is that music becomes forgettable or sounds alike in Hollywood movies:
As Zhou explains, filmmakers should, ideally, choose music that fits a scene while straying from editing the footage around temp music or creating tunes that convey exactly what goes on.
Failing to add a unique musical touch or "playing it safe" results in forgettable tunes. Worst case scenario, audiences may even start to think of the background music as background "noise."
The opening intro of Wall-E is an example of unexpected music in film. The tunes of "Hello Dolly" play as we watch a dystopian, post-human landscape unfold on screen. The music takes us back in time and makes us nostalgic for a time when humans inhabited the earth.
The contrast this music serves up, between image and sound, makes the scene interesting. You certainly "notice" the soundtrack! If the filmmakers were to have inserted dark, melancholic music, the music would literally iterate what the images already evoke.
But even though the music conveys a different feeling from the images, the music still "fits" the movie -- its quirky, fun nature mimics the personality of Wall-E and goes along with the more light-hearted nature of the film.
Can you think of more movies where the music added a unique, memorable touch to the film? Or emotional scenes that conveyed the story without any music at all? Let me know your thoughts.