In Brief: Why Music is Important for Film and TV

Many films and tv shows feature original scores and/or licensed tracks from popular artists or composers. This is because music is an important part of film and television. Soundtracks are used to create emotion, helping to set tone and mood, whether by enhancing dialogue or underscoring a scene. For example tension, anxiety, conflict, romance and more, may all be conveyed by the magical combination that is sight and sound.

A good score needs to match the visual style of the film.

A good film score needs to match the visual style of the film. For example, if you're making a quirky comedy set in New Orleans, you might consider using a jazzy score that complements the tone of the movie. Or, if you're making a thriller, you might want to use more ominous music with plenty of bass and drums to add tension to scenes.

For even closer audio-visual matching, consider 'mickey-mousing'. This denotes scores that react to the film in real time, for example a xylophone glissando when something falls over, or a horn 'parp' when someone's nose is squeezed.

They also allow audiences to connect with characters.

Good scores can also allow audiences to connect with characters on an even deeper level. For example: if one character is going through a breakup, it wouldn't make sense for him or her to have happy-go-lucky music playing in their background while they're crying over their broken heart; a sadder tune will instead complement the drama so that the audience can relate better with what's happening on screen—this will result in them feeling more connected than ever before!

You can even employ specific motifs for certain characters that recur throughout the film, evolving the to reflect changing character moods.

Silence can also be powerful.

Oppositely, well placed silence can also be used to create tension, for example, there could be moments when the viewer does not hear anything but the sounds made by nature around the characters. This could make you feel like something terrible is about to happen, or perhaps as though the character is having a peaceful or contemplative moment, depending on the type of story that is unfolding. It allows the audience to momentarily emotionally think for themselves, which is an interesting musical effect in of itself.

To conclude...

It’s important to remember that the music should serve the story, not the other way around. A great film score can help elevate a film from good to great, but it can also ruin an otherwise perfect movie if it doesn’t fit well with the visuals. The best part of this process is finding out what works and what doesn't!

And as always... get in contact!

If you would like in-depth 1:1 film scoring guidance, don't hesitate to get into contact with me, Iona Catherine, here at learnhowtomusic.com. I would love to chat with you!