Music and films have a very strong relationship which has continued for decades now. Right from the time, when we were habituated to watch black and white movies, we are used to listening to music during various scenes in the movie. No doubt, the use of music in movies has changed over the years but the main purpose remains the same.

Music has the power to enhance a scene in the movie. Filmmakers leverage this power to make their movies better to watch. Can you imagine a movie without a single song or musical tone? Of course, not! If such a movie is ever made, it would be the most boring movie ever. Music not only sets the right mood in the scene but it also plays many other great roles that we will be discussing shortly.

With the advancement made in technology, we have the perfect resources to get music supplies. The use of music back in the days and today is completely different. You can see the change if you would watch a few of the movies from that time. To everyone, who wants to know how music helps in improving a movie scene should read the text given below.

Evolution Of Music In Movies Over The Years

Music is been used in movies for ages. Filmmakers started using music in movies since the silent film era and it is still going on strong. One fine example would be the movie of Charlie Chaplin. Whether it be English movies or any movies of any other language, music always plays an important role.

Back in the days, the music featured in the movies was not recorded with the film. These films were projected onto a big screen where hundreds of people used to gather to watch the movie. Since the movies had no sound, it was very boring and awkward to sit quietly for the whole time. To kill the silence and make the audience lively, live music used to be played at such screenings.

It was instrumentalists and composers who made sure that the music they are playing matches with the movie. This helped them create a nice mood and ambiance for the audience in the movie hall.

With the rise of talking pictures, music was once again brought into the limelight. This led to the growth of the music industry. Max Steiner was the first one to write the first original score for the movie King Kong in 1933. This motivated the filmmakers and composers to experiment with music in the movies. They started developing music that would match with the characters and plots of the movies and this soon became a trend.
Now coming to the 1950s when the film industry was all taken over by the magic of Jazz music. Later in the 1980s, people saw the rise of synthesized sounds which made it possible to film scores with just one performer. A single synthesizer was used to create the sounds of multiple instruments by the professionals.

But with the development of technology (See the evolution of technology here), music composers and filmmakers can now utilise the right resources to create the perfect music for the movies. The kind of music used these days properly accentuate the movie characters and plots.

How is music used to improve a movie?

Now coming to the main part of our discussion, how are filmmakers use music to improve or enhance a scene? As you may already know the use of music in the movies has continuously changed in the past. It will continue to change with the development of new technologies.

Filmmakers love to play with our minds. After all, that’s what they do the best with their creative movies. They can make use of countless ways to manipulate their audience. They do so with the help of various camera angles, lighting, lenses, dialogue, or the actors’ movements. Everything, they do is to manipulate us to believe what they want. The same way they use music to manipulate and play with our minds in the movie.

Music is used in the movies for various purposes. You already know the different instances where music is implemented. But we would still like to put it in words for you. That being said, now let’s look at how music can affect a movie.

1.Helps create an atmosphere

The main purpose of using music is to create the perfect atmosphere in a particular scene in the movie. This helps the filmmakers to set the right mood and tone the plot. It helps the audience to understand the kind of mood or atmosphere to expect in the scene.

For example, if there is a hospital scene, there will be some sad tune playing in the background. So you know that this scene is serious where the characters are sad. Without music, the scene would feel incomplete and unsatisfactory.

Every film industry in the world has their special way of using music in the movies. Like in Hollywood, they hardly have any songs where the characters start dancing with other background dancers. You will get to see such instances in Bollywood movies in India

2.Helps create an impression

Another important use of music is that it helps to create an impression or about a particular scene in the movie.
Music is used to label movie scenes. However, the moviemakers have to keep in mind that they should not overdo it. The main aim here is to let the viewers understand and figure out the content by themselves. Filmmakers also use music to build up suspense.

Its music is used correctly in a scene, it can help direct the viewers in the right direction. Not just that but it also evokes the right emotions.

3.To portray emotions

Music is also used to effectively portray or reveal the emotions of the characters. Just using facial expressions are not enough. That’s because sometimes it can be interpreted wrong by the audience. But when an expression is backed by a tune or music, you exactly know what the character is trying to say or feeling.

By infusing music, you can make the emotion more clear. By using music, the movie makers take control of making you feel emotions that they want you to feel.

4.Referencing Geographic, Social, or Cultural Factors

Music can also be used to refer to the tradition or legacy of a place or group of people. By incorporating the right music in the film, the cultural or social heritage of movie characters or real-life people can be nicely communicated to the audience. Not just that but you can also refer geographic settings with the right music.

For instance, you can use music that is associated with a particular geographical location to show the audience where the scene is taking place. It becomes much easier this way. This also eliminates any chances of your audience getting confused.

5.Referencing Time Periods

Filmmakers also use music to effectively reveal a particular period or era in a scene. Playing music from that particular era or period will help the audience recognize that particular period during which the scene is set.

Not just that but it also helps movie makers to show scenes in flashbacks. They play a tune or music back from that period of the flashback to make it clearer to the audience.

6.Helps Create suspense

One of the main uses of music is that it helps create suspense in a movie. Almost every filmmaker is known to take advantage of music for this purpose. When music is used properly, it helps to guide the audience in the right direction.

For example, when something’s wrong, filmmakers play the music that sounds more intense and serious. This helps stroke the alert senses of the audience. This is just one example, there are several such instances when dramatic music is played to give you the feeling that something is not right. The music also speeds up which helps create a tense mood amongst the viewers.

7.To Connect Scenes

Lastly, music is also used to connect movie scenes. With the use of the right music, filmmakers can relate or connect different movie scenes.

For example, if the hard scene is changing into a softer one, the filmmaker will make sure to play the perfect music that helps smoothen this transition. This also makes the audience comfortable.

It is needless to say that music has a very intimate relationship with movies. In today’s time, you simply cannot imagine the film industry existing without the music industry. When music is used properly, it can help guide the audience in the right direction. Not just that but it can also evoke the right emotions within them. Learning to use the right music in the movies is nothing less than an art. It requires understanding, learning, and practice to become perfect. At the same time, you also need to make sure that you are not compromising on the quality or the plot of the movie.