The Subtle Art Of Film Scoring

Translating a story onto images on the silver screen is an art in itself. Any decent film director must have the ability to bring characters and situations to life on the reel. But a major part of the film that makes it to the final cut isn’t something that can be seen. There’s a presence that lingers on the edge of the senses of the beholder, performing the intricate function of setting the scene and bringing emotions on the screen to life.

A film's soundtrack is a vital part of the movie experience. The dramatic visuals become alive only when surrounded with the apt music. Some people are of the opinion that the best film scores are the ones you don’t notice. The quiet, subtle effects that heighten your senses and make you wait for the next event in anticipation, the quiet background sounds that reflect what the characters are going through, the silences used with precision to highlight the lack of sound in the scene.

Such critics always bring up examples such as the random, violent changes in the soundtrack of ‘No Country For Old Men' and the brutal bluntness that the music reflected from the visuals.

Still others prefer epic, dramatic film scores, such as Hans Zimmer's work in ‘Interstellar’, the thumping adrenaline rushed music of the ‘Mission Impossible' movies or the mysterious yet magical score of the ‘Harry Potter' franchise.

So what makes the perfect film score? The truth is we will never have a formula for making good soundtracks, because a soundtrack can only be called perfect when it reflects and accompanies the visuals perfectly. Film scores can be as grand as the ‘Star Wars’ soundtrack or as elegant as in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel'. But at the end of the day, the film’s score must reflect the film itself. That is the subtlety of Film Scoring – The art of walking the rope between being completely free to create music, and being bound by the parameters that are required by the film. The art of bringing out emotions in the hearts of the listeners when the emotions aren’t yours. The art of creating memorable music infused with life and movement.

For what is life if not movement, and what is art if not life?