As part of recent research in my media studies class, we viewed film openings created by students from past years. One in particular really caught my attention. The story follows a mad scientist going through the process of creating an experiment, and I was especially struck by the film’s mise-en-scène, particularly how the music was used to highlight the pressure the scientist was feeling. The student filmmakers chose fast-paced classical music to not only show the character's stress tension but to make the audience experience it alongside them. As a viewer, I really appreciated the effect the music had on me and how it completely enhanced the viewing experience.
As someone who has loved the art behind movies long before taking this class, I’ve always personally believed that music has a profound impact on the audience, just as much as cinematography does. One example I often think about to remind myself of the importance of music in films in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. During production, the mechanical shark frequently malfunctioned, despite being the central plot device of the film. While this could have been a setback, Spielberg turned it into an advantage by relying on suspense and, most importantly, the film’s score. The music ultimately transformed the movie into something far scarier and more intense than it might have been otherwise.
Although Jaws and my film opening belong to completely different genres, the same principle applies, music has the power to shape the audience’s emotional experience. I also noticed a similarity between this student’s film and my own project, as both main characters are striving for perfection in their craft. However, one thing I want to approach differently in my film opening is the manipulation of music. The other students' project simply put one track of intense classical music onto her project and left it without any edits to the music. While certain parts of my story, such as flashbacks, would not work well with fast-paced classical music as that type of music doesn’t fit her old lifestyle but her current one, simply adding the track of classical music without editing out certain parts would mess up the storytelling a bit in my case. Instead of abruptly playing a major musical piece, I plan to experiment with pausing the music during these moments and fading it in gradually into soft piano instrumentals. I asked some friends for some advice on the topic and here’s the feedback I received:
I want to include the use of heavy classical music throughout my film opening because I believe it can completely transform the viewing experience. The music can take the audience from simply observing the character’s stress, pressure, and overwhelming emotions to actually feeling them, evoking similar emotions through sound. According to research, “fast-paced classical music aggravates nervousness and suppresses mental health,” which is exactly the effect I hope to translate in my film.
Now the only issue I have to overcome is finding exactly what song to use for this and if I can get permission to use it…. That however will be a problem for editing me as I will have the pace of the video set out in front of me.
(Updated to do list)
Sources
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-35659-124
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