The Dramatic Film Score in the Modern Film Production Sector

The Dramatic Film Score
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The Dramatic Film Score
Music plays an essential role in spicing up a movie. The scores and the soundtracks that accompany film events help to stir up the audience, increasing their suspense and engaging them more. It has been a significant component of film since the ancient time of silent pictures, including in theatrical shows on stage. Orchestral music is a component of nearly all classic Hollywood films of the 1930s to 1950s (Kern, 2017). Movie studios featured full orchestras and utilized them more often as they had to score every film they made. The production theatres churned them quicker than they do in the contemporary world. Therefore, dramatic film scores evolved from back in the 1930s, through producers such as Max Steiner in the movie "King King," to modern films, including animated movies. Movie music is almost as old as cinema, having transformed from live performances in the silent era to original scores to popular songs and eventually to compilations.
Dramatic film score has often assumed different forms during their incorporation into film production. This linking between music and visual images, practiced by Steiner in his "King Kong" score, involved matching the characters' every move with the gestures in a manner that makes them be in sync with the music. This technique was called “Mickey Mousing.” At first, the technique did not appeal to many composers. Consequently, these critics perceived the technique as unsuitable for the music and wanted Steiner to retract it. However, it increased in popularity in the 1930 and 1940s, despite the fact that it has faded with time and has almost disappeared today, possibly because of its overuse. However, some producers still find a way of creatively incorporating it in the production of movies, making it continue holding its value.
The synchronic nature of this technique can improve the structure and the experience of the movie, showing how a specific event should excite the viewer and drawing the viewer to something more important in the film. It does not only make the music become a part of the action but also intensifies the viewer's experience, making them remember the performance more. The impact of the technique on the viewer is often so strong that one remembers the film whenever they hear the music associated with the performance (Vasic, 2020). for example, in the film "King Kong," one cannot fail to notice the way Steiner emphasizes the knife thrusts and then how he contemplates his wounded finger. The beats are magnified with every thrust, which makes the viewer perceive the pain that the Gorilla feels when the knife pierces through him.
The film scores of this classic Hollywood period often utilized musical techniques to assist in presenting the story of the film. This thought contradicted the previous perception of music in films by ancient directors, who thought that any music would be a distractor to their plot. Consequently, even though music helps in telling the story of the film, it is also important to choose the correct music for a specific scene. The wrong music can either negatively or positively affect a scene. Conseque...