IT'S JUST MUSIC (Don't be afraid)
“Music is a mysterious mathematical process whose elements are part of Infinity†– Claude Debussy
Sounds daunting, right?
Creatives can become intimidated while briefing us on music. This is completely unnecessary, and I hope these few paragraphs will help.
We ALL love music. I’ve yet to meet someone who does not. So, I’m sure you could tell me how a certain song makes you feel, what it reminds you of, or where it takes you. You may not know how a song is constructed or what the different instruments are doing but (hint) that part really doesn't matter.
Part of our job as composers and audio producers is to translate your adjectives into music. We do it every day and we’re happy to discuss all aspects of it - so don’t be embarrassed, just describe the feels you’re looking for - and we’ll do the Magic.
Another decision we’ll make (together) is: what is the purpose of the music? Is it making up for a stilted acting performance, or subtly enhancing a great one? Is it telling the audience how to feel – maybe misdirecting them in some way? Maybe it’s simply providing a backdrop to the story– you don’t really notice it, but if it wasn’t there, you’d feel something missing.
It's nice to have vocals, and sometimes lyrics! Lyrics can be deeply poetic or they can mean nothing - and still be memorable! In fact they can be total nonsense and you’ll still walk away humming the song (more about this in a future post). This is due to that #1 superpower in music, MELODY. The melody is the thing. It’s why you remember the music, and your brain makes associations with this memory. It is also the reason why songs tend to get stuck in your head repeatedly. Even if you don’t like a song, if it has a good melody, some part of your body/mind will find it irresistible.
(This jingle will erase any song currently invading your thoughts).
?“Music’s so subjective though!†– a forgotten creative director?
This is only true in the way that all art is “subjectiveâ€; the reason it’s acceptable for someone to laud their 3-year-old’s colourful scribbles as genius, but also think that Jackson Pollack was just throwing paint around.
In our business however, there will always be one choice that is better than the other.
It’s why we make casting decisions, shot selections, final edits etc. Why would anyone think that it’s different for sound? We will discuss and have differing opinions and eventually there will be a clear choice, if we are not being selfish. It's a process. If you believe that our job is to serve the work, and not the other way round, then whatever is best for the spot is the only thing that matters.
?One last thing.
We genuinely appreciate the opportunity to create something from nothing, and there are infinite (!) ways in which to explore your ideas musically. We love what we do, but we can’t do it without you.
Thanks for reading and please, feel free to tell us what you want! And don’t feel intimidated. After all, it’s just music.
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1.??Lyrics (slyly reference lorem ipsum)
Voice Actor - former Corporate Media Public Relations Executive
2 å¹´You are so right that this business is “subjectiveâ€! But as a voice actor, ultimately the success of the “job†is the thing. You are so right…don’t be afraid of the music or the voice….we work together with the director and the composer!
Voiceover (radio/TV/Animation) and Radio Creative
2 å¹´Creativity is the brains holiday. And music is the evil genius behind it all. The hearts boomp boomp is the original beat.
Engaging, Entertaining & Unapologetically Me ? Behind the mic or in front of the camera, my goal is to collaborate with amazing folks who want to create something special, take risks and just have a ton of fun doing it!
2 年Not a thing I could disagree with here. Then again, I’m a musician and my children are musicians and we absolutely love anything and everything music! To your point, we watched, I think it was a documentary on John Williams, but the creator showed many of his clips without the music. Like Jaws for example, without that iconic sound, it just looks like a fake fin floating in the water. No suspense, no whimsy, no beauty in the melody to which you get lost in… and like you said, it wouldn’t matter what the people are saying, the music so often makes the moment ??