Category
Basic
Description
Music has always been an intricate part of film. Films like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Avengers are not simply recognized by their logos and characters, but also popular scores and theme songs that are tailored specifically to those films. Character theme songs, opening musical scores and more are used to create a communicative connection between the film and the audience. Previous research has primarily evaluated cognitive data such as attention level, or explored altering the music itself, such as a change in tempo, rhythm, and pitch. This study investigates how a film’s overall messaging to its audience is different or affected when the film’s musical score is removed from the film. Our research question: How does removing a movie’s musical score affect the conveyed message and communication between the audience and the film? We gathered eight individuals and split them into two groups of four. Group A watched a short film with background music while Group B watched the same short film but without the background music. After both groups watched the film, they were all given a form with the same ten questions all pertaining to the film’s messaging, conveyed emotions and musical effects (or lack thereof) in different scenes. After both groups filled out the forms, we analyzed the answers in order to pinpoint correlations and differences within and between each group as well as common themes both groups held. Our findings open the door to correlate this study’s data to further analyze new questions surrounding a film’s communicative messaging to audiences through the use of music and sound. This data not only opens the door for further studies but helps communicators and filmmakers understand the communicative tools in films that not only resonate with audiences but primarily assist in driving the film’s main message and theme. Keywords: Communicative, Musical Score, Messaging, Film, Tempo, Rhythm, Pitch, Emotion
When the Music Stops: How Removing the Musical Scores Changes the Message of the Film
Basic
Music has always been an intricate part of film. Films like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Avengers are not simply recognized by their logos and characters, but also popular scores and theme songs that are tailored specifically to those films. Character theme songs, opening musical scores and more are used to create a communicative connection between the film and the audience. Previous research has primarily evaluated cognitive data such as attention level, or explored altering the music itself, such as a change in tempo, rhythm, and pitch. This study investigates how a film’s overall messaging to its audience is different or affected when the film’s musical score is removed from the film. Our research question: How does removing a movie’s musical score affect the conveyed message and communication between the audience and the film? We gathered eight individuals and split them into two groups of four. Group A watched a short film with background music while Group B watched the same short film but without the background music. After both groups watched the film, they were all given a form with the same ten questions all pertaining to the film’s messaging, conveyed emotions and musical effects (or lack thereof) in different scenes. After both groups filled out the forms, we analyzed the answers in order to pinpoint correlations and differences within and between each group as well as common themes both groups held. Our findings open the door to correlate this study’s data to further analyze new questions surrounding a film’s communicative messaging to audiences through the use of music and sound. This data not only opens the door for further studies but helps communicators and filmmakers understand the communicative tools in films that not only resonate with audiences but primarily assist in driving the film’s main message and theme. Keywords: Communicative, Musical Score, Messaging, Film, Tempo, Rhythm, Pitch, Emotion
