Music Choices

Music adds to the emotional quality of the film. Loud music arouses, slow and soft music calms. Motion and emotion are often entwined. Obviously my short is not an action-packed film with chase scenes and the like, so "loud" is off the table. Alternatively I've found a few song options that fall under the "slow and soft" category to act as emotional cues and "silence fillers."

1. Teddy- Anxious 
2. Kevin MacLeod- B- Somber Ballads
3. Chris Zabriskie- I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor 

Option 1 has lyrics and originally drew me because of its slow melody, somber notes, and unique voice, however, the most effective soundtracks are those which operate just below the consciousness of the moviegoer and overall I think it may be too distracting for my onscreen image. Option 2 is solely instrumental but it is less introspective and "sadder" than anything else. After all many in the film industry, including the composers, feel that music offers a kind of sub-text; it serves as thought bubbles on screen-- I not looking for that level of emotion. Option 3 offers a perfect balance between "filler," "introspection," and depression, listening to it actually gave me a few ideas for the film (key: introspection)-- I may have to recruit my actor one last time if he doesn't decide to kill me first. Anyway, the track is 11 minutes long which gives a lot of raw audio to work with-- even better? It's royalty free.

In general this music is going to be a guiding factor. While my mise-en-scene is carefully chosen and directed my piece is based in emotion. This is especially complicated due to actor availability. I can't call up Jake Gyllenhaal to act in my short film. Don't get me wrong... my main actor was surprisingly a good option but amateur teenage acting can only go so far in evoking an emotional response for the audience.  Interestingly, I was watching a video that showed music as reminiscent of the Kuleshov effect where the editor placed different soundtracks over a scene (Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean) and close up of a actors face and with each new soundtrack the emotions we associate with the actor changed despite the footage being exactly the same. Music will need to underscore emotion (depression, anxiety) for my film which I think music Option 3 does well.

Furthermore, without a film crew and teams of editors it is more difficult for the visual product to shine. In our culture, the eye is thought to be more superior than the ear but music, used skillfully, can cover up otherwise weak directing and/or cinematography. We typically underestimate the power of music because we over-trust our eyes, by adding the subconscious (or at least underestimated) music cue into my short, hopefully I can add an extra layer of emotion and dynamics to my piece.


Sources:
http://nofilmschool.com/2015/10/5-ways-you-can-use-film-scores-make-your-films-more-dynamic

https://youtu.be/bCpYbSz1KqE
http://www.e-filmmusic.de/article1.htm