Most moviegoers consider cinema a visual medium; however, it is undoubtedly also an aural experience. Talk to any director and they will tell you that music is just as important as the look of a movie. In film study, the term “film aesthetic” refers to a movie’s visual and aural features that are used to create its non-narrative aspects — specifically, a film’s tone, style, mood, or look.
In a film, music serves several important functions: it can influence a viewer’s interpretation of a scene, evoke a specific emotion, foreshadow certain events, identify a specific character, or link together certain scenes or themes of a film. In some cases, a movie’s soundtrack becomes as iconic as the film — think of the themes of the following movies: Star Wars, The Godfather, Titanic, Chariots of Fire, Saturday Night Fever, The Bodyguard, and The Lion King. You can hear them in your head, right?
If you search “Importance of Music in Film” you will find a few examples of a film sequence with and without music as well as a specific film sequence that is accompanied by different types of music. The juxtapositions are clear and striking — in this manner, you can appreciate the added layers of meaning that music brings to film and how those layers subtly change your perception. That nuanced meaning is exactly what writers of captions (also referred to as “closed captions”) attempt to convey for viewers who cannot hear the audio track of a film. (Incidentally, a subtitle is not the same thing as a caption. A subtitle is simply a translation of the spoken dialogue into another language, while a caption includes dialogue and non-speech elements, like music and sound effects). The next time you watch a movie or show on a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime, turn on the captioning feature and see how descriptive and clever captions for music can get. Here is a sampling from several recent films, series, and documentaries that were featured on these streaming platforms:
ambient funk music
atmospheric music
brooding music
classical choral song
dark music
delicate, haunting music
dramatic music
dreamy, ethereal melody
droning music
eccentric music
eerie music
eerie, discordant music
elegant aria
emotional music
epic music
foreboding music
frightening music
frivolous music
funky music
gentle music
gentle comforting music
grand orchestral fanfare
harsh discordant music
inquisitive music
instrumental orchestration
intense music
intense musical buildup
intriguing music
jaunty music
jazzy music
lilting cryptic music
lofty classical piece
majestic music
majestic orchestration
melancholy music
mellow music
menacing theme
mid-tempo music
military music
mournful music
music decreases in tempo
music ends
music increases in tempo
Muzak-style music
mysterious music
ominous music
pensive music
propulsive music
quirky music
reflecting music
rousing music
sentimental music
sinister music
slow tempo music
soft dissonant soundtrack
soft dramatic music
soft melancholy music
soft music
soft music playing
soft pensive music
soft rousing music
soft tense music
solemn music
somber instrumental
somber music
somber orchestration
sonorous music
spirited folksy music
suspenseful music
sweeping dramatic music
sweeping orchestration
tender music
tense music
tense dramatic music
tense erratic music
triumphant theme
triumphant classical music
uneasy music
upbeat music intensifies
uplifting music
uplifting orchestration
urgent menacing music
unsettling music
wailing orchestral strings
whimsical music
wistful music
What music description captions caught your attention?
ENJOY THE BOOK. If you love reading Atkins Bookshelf, you will love reading the book — Serendipitous Discoveries from the Bookshelf. The beautifully-designed book (416 pages) is a celebration of literature, books, fascinating English words and phrases, inspiring quotations, literary trivia, and valuable life lessons. It’s the perfect gift for book lovers and word lovers.
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoyed this post, please help expand the Bookshelf community by FOLLOWING or SHARING with a friend or your readers. Cheers.
Read related posts: How Many Music Genres Exist?
How Much Do People Spend on Music?
Do Dogs Have a Music Preference?
What Are the Most Popular Music Genres?
To learn more about Alexander Atkins Design please visit www.alexatkinsdesign.com
Atkins Bookshelf 