Sunday, April 17, 2016
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Post #"These go to eleven"- When Fiction and Nonfiction Collide, or The Very Real, yet Made Up Band, Spinal Tap
Many times works of fiction resemble real life situations. This is true in books and music. It is especially true in film however. One key example of this is the film This Is Spinal Tap.
Made in 1984 by director Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap is what is described as a mockumentary film. This is a genre that dates back to the 1930s with shows such as Orson Welles' radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds and continues today with TV shows such as The Office and Parks and Recreation. This film is what really brought the mockumentary to the forefront as a legitimate genre. This film was made purely as a parody and satire of the life of rock bands living on the road and touring together and the lifestyles and situations that that brings with it. What makes this mockumentary even more unique is that many real life bands have commented how accurate the film portrays the rock music scene, especially in terms of touring.
The music in the film is just as real. The whole film centers around the band touring to promote their latest album Smell the Glove, which in turn serves as the film's retitled soundtrack, is as much as real as the band is. It is full of songs that parody the rock scene, such as "Gimme Some Money," a reference to the Grateful Dead's cover of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Big Bottom," a reference to Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." The whole soundtrack is full of these types of parodied titles and references to rock bands of the '60s and '70s. These songs are very well done and written too.
Overall, the film This is Spinal Tap is an important one in terms of music in film. It ushered in the mockumentary as a legitimate way to tell a story. It also used original music in a way that was not utilized before and has since been used in films such as School of Rock.
Made in 1984 by director Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap is what is described as a mockumentary film. This is a genre that dates back to the 1930s with shows such as Orson Welles' radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds and continues today with TV shows such as The Office and Parks and Recreation. This film is what really brought the mockumentary to the forefront as a legitimate genre. This film was made purely as a parody and satire of the life of rock bands living on the road and touring together and the lifestyles and situations that that brings with it. What makes this mockumentary even more unique is that many real life bands have commented how accurate the film portrays the rock music scene, especially in terms of touring.
The music in the film is just as real. The whole film centers around the band touring to promote their latest album Smell the Glove, which in turn serves as the film's retitled soundtrack, is as much as real as the band is. It is full of songs that parody the rock scene, such as "Gimme Some Money," a reference to the Grateful Dead's cover of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Big Bottom," a reference to Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." The whole soundtrack is full of these types of parodied titles and references to rock bands of the '60s and '70s. These songs are very well done and written too.
Overall, the film This is Spinal Tap is an important one in terms of music in film. It ushered in the mockumentary as a legitimate way to tell a story. It also used original music in a way that was not utilized before and has since been used in films such as School of Rock.
Post #10- Woody Allen and Awkward Silence, or Films Without a Musical Score
This blog is all about music in film. But there is another dynamic in the film world in which to look at: movies with very little to no music.
Usually this tool of using no music is used for dramatic films and thrillers. Hitchcock's The Birds is one example of this as it employs mechanical bird sounds instead of a traditional musical score. More recently and famously was the Coen brothers film No Country for Old Men which does have music, but that music is only ever used for 16 minutes of the entire 122 minute long film.
One very different use of this tool is in the classic, Academy Award for Best Picture winner Annie Hall. This 1977 Woody Allen film is one of the very few comedies to not employ the use of a musical score. Many of Allen's films feature a lot of older music such as George Gershwin and also, very frequently, jazz music, as Allen is a very big fan of jazz. This film however has very little music outside of a few diegetic songs. This gives the film the realism and cerebralism it has. Many view the film as a psychoanalysis as Allen's character Alvy seems to narrate much of the film like a therapy session. The quiet moments of the film make it awkward for the protagonist and the audience alike.
Here is an example of one such awkward scenes with a lot of silence:
Usually this tool of using no music is used for dramatic films and thrillers. Hitchcock's The Birds is one example of this as it employs mechanical bird sounds instead of a traditional musical score. More recently and famously was the Coen brothers film No Country for Old Men which does have music, but that music is only ever used for 16 minutes of the entire 122 minute long film.
One very different use of this tool is in the classic, Academy Award for Best Picture winner Annie Hall. This 1977 Woody Allen film is one of the very few comedies to not employ the use of a musical score. Many of Allen's films feature a lot of older music such as George Gershwin and also, very frequently, jazz music, as Allen is a very big fan of jazz. This film however has very little music outside of a few diegetic songs. This gives the film the realism and cerebralism it has. Many view the film as a psychoanalysis as Allen's character Alvy seems to narrate much of the film like a therapy session. The quiet moments of the film make it awkward for the protagonist and the audience alike.
Here is an example of one such awkward scenes with a lot of silence:
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Post #9- "Once" a Singer Always a Singer, or Using Professional Singers in Films Centered Around Music
Whether to use professional singers or actors who can sing is a very interesting dynamic in the film industry. Some film actors, especially those that come from a theatre background, are very accomplished singers. However, there are many actors in the film industry that are not that great at singing. This issue has come up many times in the history of film. One notable example is that of the 1964 film My Fair Lady. Audrey Hepburn's singing voice was considered not good enough for the movie so the producers had Marni Nixon dub over the songs in the film.
There is a terrific example of the flip side of this dynamic from a little independent Irish film that came out in 2007. In an earlier post I gave my favorite winners for the Best Original Song Oscar. My number one choice was the song "Falling Slowly" from the film Once. The film is unique in the fact that the two leads were not professional actors, but instead professional musicians instead.
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová play the unnamed characters of "Guy" and "Girl," respectively. Irglová, is a Czech singer and pianist. She joined the film when the director and writer, John Carney, was looking for a Czech singer for the role, as the original idea had Irish and Czech leads in mind. Hansard, an Irish musician and lead singer of The Frames, had worked with Irglová previously and brought her to the director, who immediately asked her to join onto the project as both a songwriter and lead actress. Hansard himself was actually not originally going to be in the film. He had worked with the director on the music for the film when the original star, Cillian Murphy, decided to pull out of the film. This departure led Carney to ask Hansard to step into the role, which he agreed to do.
Because they had worked together previously, the dynamic and chemistry of the Hansard and Irglová was incredible. This is something that is not always found with onscreen relationships and this helped make the film that much more realistic and musically good.
Here is a scene from the film that shows just how natural it is to use professional musicians as actors:
When Your Mind's Made Up - Once (2006) from spedkey on Vimeo.
There is a terrific example of the flip side of this dynamic from a little independent Irish film that came out in 2007. In an earlier post I gave my favorite winners for the Best Original Song Oscar. My number one choice was the song "Falling Slowly" from the film Once. The film is unique in the fact that the two leads were not professional actors, but instead professional musicians instead.
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová play the unnamed characters of "Guy" and "Girl," respectively. Irglová, is a Czech singer and pianist. She joined the film when the director and writer, John Carney, was looking for a Czech singer for the role, as the original idea had Irish and Czech leads in mind. Hansard, an Irish musician and lead singer of The Frames, had worked with Irglová previously and brought her to the director, who immediately asked her to join onto the project as both a songwriter and lead actress. Hansard himself was actually not originally going to be in the film. He had worked with the director on the music for the film when the original star, Cillian Murphy, decided to pull out of the film. This departure led Carney to ask Hansard to step into the role, which he agreed to do.
Because they had worked together previously, the dynamic and chemistry of the Hansard and Irglová was incredible. This is something that is not always found with onscreen relationships and this helped make the film that much more realistic and musically good.
Here is a scene from the film that shows just how natural it is to use professional musicians as actors:
When Your Mind's Made Up - Once (2006) from spedkey on Vimeo.
Post #8- New Music in an Old Film, or Jay-Z's Hip Hop Soundtrack of The Great Gatsby
There have been a few different films based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The most recent was in 2013 directed by Baz Luhrmann. As many know, the story of The Great Gatsby takes place in the the Roaring Twenties. It was a time full of flappers, speakeasies, bootleggers and so much culture.
What's different about this interpretation of the time period is that instead of the usual big band and swing, the music has been replaced with modern, yet re-imagined hip-hop and R&B.
While the use of modern music might seem out of place for a period film such as this, it actually works very well. Since a lot of modern hip-hip music and culture is about growing wealth, this particular film works well with it as it depicts the Twenties as a culture of prosperity and wealth itself. Songs such as Jay-Z's "100$ Bill," and Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock's "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" have lyrics that depict the lavish lifestyle of Gatsby and his party patrons and the much of the modern hip-hop culture.
In contrast to some of the modern music, there are also covers of older songs that have been re-imagined to sound like older big band and swing classics. One such example is the Roxy Music song "Love is The Drug," performed by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra.
The film's soundtrack was in fact produced by Jay-Z. As a true mogul and figure in the hip-hop industry he was able to gather a group of musicians that is a great representation of the times. Artists such as Kanye West, Beyonce, Jack White, Lana Del Rey and Florence + The Machine.
Overall this Roaring Twenties period film works extremely well in its use of much more modern hip-hop and R&B in its soundtrack. Jay-Z compiled a line up of artists and songs that complement the characters and settings in the film.
Here's a playlist of the songs featured in the soundtrack:
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Post #007- Charlie's Top Seven Bond Songs
The James Bond series has been around since 1962's Dr. No. Each of its 24 films has a unique theme song. Collectively these songs, as mentioned in the previous Oscars post, have created almost their own genre of music. I have decided to rank my top "007" of these themes.
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service, John Barry- This is one of two, the other being the original James Bond Theme from Dr. No, to be completely orchestral. It is absolutely classic sounding Bond too. Part of this theme was even used in the first trailer for the 24th installment, Spectre
- Skyfall, Adele- The first Bond theme to win an Oscar, it brought the series' themes back to the style they once were
- Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney and Wings- This theme brought a new trend of bringing rock and roll into the series which brought a lot of commercial success to the films themes.
- The Living Daylights, A-ha- This theme is perhaps the most upbeat of the series and very catchy
- A View to a Kill, Duran Duran- The first, and currently only Bond theme to hit number one in the US, this theme revitalized the rock and roll nature of the series themes
- Goldfinger, Shirley Bassey- A staple of the Bond Themes, this is quintessential Bond and one of the most recognizable of the series
- Nobody Does it Better, Carly Simon- Like Goldfinger, this is another fan favorite. It too was a top ten hit in both the UK and US.
Post #6- An Analysis of Casablanca's famous La Marsillaise scene, or Diegetic vs non-diegetic music
Diegesis is a Greek word meaning the interior of a narrative fiction. In other words, the part of a story that is within the story and known to the characters of the story.
When it comes to film music, diegetic music is music that comes from a source seen on the screen, such as a song playing on a radio or a character singing. Non-diegetic music on the other hand would be a score or a song played over a scene that is from an outside the scene source.
A terrific example of the two is in the film Casablanca. In the following, extremely famous, scene both diagetic and non-diegetic music is present:
At around the 20 second mark we hear German soldiers begin to sing the song Die Wacth am Rhein while Rick and Laszlo are talking upstairs. Clearly disgusted by this, Laszlo comes downstairs and has the band play La Marsillaise, which the rest of the club join in and begin to sing and drown out the Germans. All of this music is diegetic as it is coming from a source directly shown on screen, the instruments playing and the people singing. At about the 2:12 mark we hear the orchestra playing part of the score. Starting here we are hearing non-diegetic music, as the orchestra is off the screen and not a part of the space of the story.
Hopefully this post has helped you understand the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic music.
When it comes to film music, diegetic music is music that comes from a source seen on the screen, such as a song playing on a radio or a character singing. Non-diegetic music on the other hand would be a score or a song played over a scene that is from an outside the scene source.
A terrific example of the two is in the film Casablanca. In the following, extremely famous, scene both diagetic and non-diegetic music is present:
At around the 20 second mark we hear German soldiers begin to sing the song Die Wacth am Rhein while Rick and Laszlo are talking upstairs. Clearly disgusted by this, Laszlo comes downstairs and has the band play La Marsillaise, which the rest of the club join in and begin to sing and drown out the Germans. All of this music is diegetic as it is coming from a source directly shown on screen, the instruments playing and the people singing. At about the 2:12 mark we hear the orchestra playing part of the score. Starting here we are hearing non-diegetic music, as the orchestra is off the screen and not a part of the space of the story.
Hopefully this post has helped you understand the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic music.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Post #5- The Steven Spielberg/John Williams Dynamic, or Frequent Director/Composer Collaborations
Many people are aware of the very frequent, and very famous, collaboration of director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. In fact, since 1974 Williams has composed all but two of Spielberg's films. This director/composer dynamic goes far beyond just Spielberg and Williams however. This is found all throughout cinema.
Hans Zimmer has composed many a number of films. He is well known in the film industry for his scores to many epic films including The Lion King, Gladiator, and Interstellar. He is also however, one of the most frequently used composer for a number of directors today. He has worked with Christopher Nolan on many films, including partial or total composing credit for all three films of The Dark Knight trilogy. Zimmer has also worked with Ron Howard on a number of films including those of the Robert Langdon series, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. The Scott brothers, Ridley and the late Tony, have also employed Zimmer for a number of their separate films.
Another very famous collaboration of director and composer is that of director Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. Elfman has composed all but two of Burton's films. His unique and somewhat quirky sound lends itself well to Burton's unique and quirky visions. Their work together includes such classics as Batman, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
These collaborations are nothing new either. Alfred Hitchcock employed composer Bernard Herrmann for a number of his films. Many of Hitchcock's classic horror and thriller moments have very distinct music that was done by Herrmann. In fact, possibly the most famous sound in cinema history, the violin screeches during the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho was composed by Herrmann:
The list of director/composer collaboration goes on and on. I could make a completely separate post (which I might do later) with even more. Collaborations such as Michael Bay/Steve Jablonsky, the Swedish collaboration of Ingmar Berman/Erik Nordgren, or even the many collaborations with newest Oscar winner Ennio Morricone. This topic is an old one and something I'm sure will continue as long as friendships are made and movies with music are produced.
Hans Zimmer has composed many a number of films. He is well known in the film industry for his scores to many epic films including The Lion King, Gladiator, and Interstellar. He is also however, one of the most frequently used composer for a number of directors today. He has worked with Christopher Nolan on many films, including partial or total composing credit for all three films of The Dark Knight trilogy. Zimmer has also worked with Ron Howard on a number of films including those of the Robert Langdon series, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. The Scott brothers, Ridley and the late Tony, have also employed Zimmer for a number of their separate films.
Another very famous collaboration of director and composer is that of director Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. Elfman has composed all but two of Burton's films. His unique and somewhat quirky sound lends itself well to Burton's unique and quirky visions. Their work together includes such classics as Batman, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
These collaborations are nothing new either. Alfred Hitchcock employed composer Bernard Herrmann for a number of his films. Many of Hitchcock's classic horror and thriller moments have very distinct music that was done by Herrmann. In fact, possibly the most famous sound in cinema history, the violin screeches during the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho was composed by Herrmann:
The list of director/composer collaboration goes on and on. I could make a completely separate post (which I might do later) with even more. Collaborations such as Michael Bay/Steve Jablonsky, the Swedish collaboration of Ingmar Berman/Erik Nordgren, or even the many collaborations with newest Oscar winner Ennio Morricone. This topic is an old one and something I'm sure will continue as long as friendships are made and movies with music are produced.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Post #4- Bringing History to the Silver Screen, or The Music of Wes Anderson Films
Wes Anderson is probably my favorite director. His films truly feel like works of art with very symmetrical framing for nearly every shot.
He also has a very distinctive type of sound for the music he uses, most of which comes from the 60s and 70s. Each film he makes also typically features one artist multiple times throughout the film.
Here's a look at just three of the films Anderson has directed and the way music plays into the experience of them all.
Here's a comprehensive playlist of the music featured in Anderson's films (SPOILERS possible):
He also has a very distinctive type of sound for the music he uses, most of which comes from the 60s and 70s. Each film he makes also typically features one artist multiple times throughout the film.
Here's a look at just three of the films Anderson has directed and the way music plays into the experience of them all.
Rushmore
Rushmore features a lot of music from the British Invasion of the 1960s and 70s. Bands such as The Kinks, The Who, and famously ends with the Faces song "Ooh La La". This choice of genre appears to be a deliberate choice as the main protagonist, Max, exemplifies the rebellious nature that was perceived by many with the British Invasion.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
In The Life Aquatic, Seu Jorge, a Brazilian singer/songwriter, plays the role of a Brazilian singer who acts as the safety officer aboard Belafonte, Steve Zissou's research ship. Because of this, a lot of the music in the film is sung by Jorge himself, mostly David Bowie covers including "Life on Mars," "Five Years," and "Space Oddity." Other bands such as Sigur Rós, and The Stooges are also featured.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Finally, in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson departs from his typical musical style of using 60s and 70s genres. He instead utilizes music mostly scored by French film composer Alexandre Desplat. The film itself takes place mostly in a fictionalized 1930s Europe. Thus, Desplat's music consists of various traditional Eastern and Central European folk sounds. Desplat was awarded many accolades for his original score including the Academy Award and Grammy Award.
Here's a comprehensive playlist of the music featured in Anderson's films (SPOILERS possible):
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Post #3- The 7 Best Academy Award for Best Original Song Winners
Tonight is the 88th Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars. They are taking place for the 15th straight year at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA.
Every year since the 7th Awards ceremony in 1935, the Oscars has chosen the best original song from the previous year's films.
Here is a list of the top 7 of these winners according to me:
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)- I had no idea that this was originally in this film until doing research for this post and I am actually quite happy that it has cemented itself well into history past the film itself.
"Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)- Another song that is has endured long past it's appearance in the film it was originally featured in. This song is now a staple of the winter holiday season.
"Lose Yourself," 8 Mile (2002)- Eminem created the lyrics to this song as a way to describe his time growing up on the streets of Detroit. It is also the first winner to come from the hip-hop genre.
"Skyfall," Skyfall (2012)- Adele has the perfect sound to bring this song alive and bring back Bond themes into almost their own distinctive genre.
"Falling Slowly," Once (2007)- This song is exactly the type of song that deserves to win this category. The film is really brought together perfectly when this song is played. The film itself is also one of the few times, and probably the best examples of, when using musicians instead of professional actors to tell a story enhances the experience.
Every year since the 7th Awards ceremony in 1935, the Oscars has chosen the best original song from the previous year's films.
Here is a list of the top 7 of these winners according to me:
7.
"Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)- This song perhaps best exemplifies this particular category. It is the best song from a film that is almost universally loved by men, women, and children across generations.6.
"When You Believe," The Prince of Egypt (1998)- It seems like every time a Disney animated film comes out, there is a song from it nominated. This is the only song from a non-Disney animated feature to win in this category, and it is terrific.5.
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)- I had no idea that this was originally in this film until doing research for this post and I am actually quite happy that it has cemented itself well into history past the film itself.
4.
"Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)- Another song that is has endured long past it's appearance in the film it was originally featured in. This song is now a staple of the winter holiday season.
3.
"Lose Yourself," 8 Mile (2002)- Eminem created the lyrics to this song as a way to describe his time growing up on the streets of Detroit. It is also the first winner to come from the hip-hop genre.
2.
"Skyfall," Skyfall (2012)- Adele has the perfect sound to bring this song alive and bring back Bond themes into almost their own distinctive genre.
1.
"Falling Slowly," Once (2007)- This song is exactly the type of song that deserves to win this category. The film is really brought together perfectly when this song is played. The film itself is also one of the few times, and probably the best examples of, when using musicians instead of professional actors to tell a story enhances the experience.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Post #2- From 1980s Gangsta Rap to 2010s Hollywood, or The music of the film Straight Outta Compton
Director F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton is a film about the origins of the gangsta rap group NWA. It specifically looks at the early careers of NWA members Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre. Because of this, obviously, there is a lot of music by NWA and these former members. The title of the film itself comes from a song and the debut album of the group by the same name.
Many of the songs featured are written, in the film anyway, because of the life and experience of the members of the group. One such instance of this it the song "Fuck tha Police," written in response to an intense moment depicted in the film where the band is harassed, unprovoked, by members of the police while taking a break in front of a recording studio. More instances of these experiences coming to life in song are the few songs written and rapped by and about NWA members after they left the group.
The rest of the soundtrack features staples of the NWA catalog as well pieces from the solo careers of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.
Integrated throughout the mostly gangsta rap soundtrack is a pretty amazing score composed by Joseph Trapanese, whose other works include that of Insurgent, and Oblivion and various other films and video games. This score consists mostly of a traditional orchestral sound with some infused electronica ambiance. It is definitely a departure from the hip hop of the rest of the film. These two differing musical styles of the soundtrack and the score work extremely well however as the contrast blends together and make for a musically excellent film.
SPOILER ALERT: A few of the songs on this score are titled with potential spoilers. Although this film and the spoilers are based on true events in history, you have now been warned.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Post #1- Introduction to Sounds from the Silver Screen
Welcome to my blog, Sounds from the Silver Screen. My name is Charlie Rankin and I am currently a student at Washburn University in Topeka, KS studying Mass Media with an emphasis in Contemporary Journalism. One of my classes has given me the opportunity to create a blog which is something I have been wanting to do for a long time.
I was thinking for a while about what it is exactly I could blog about. My original idea was to have a generic film centered blog, where I would review films I had seen recently. The internet is oversaturated with film review blogs however so I decided I needed something more specific in the film world. I have, in the past few years, really gotten into film scores and soundtracks. I decided that I could incorporate that recent interest into my blog. Therefore, this blog will be centered around how music is used in film.
Posts here will include everything from reviews and thoughts of various film scores and soundtracks, discussion of techniques that are implemented regarding music in film, looks at different film composers and the films they make music for, and many other topics.
Also included will be a list of some of the movie music I'm listening to taken from Spotify. This ever changing playlist can be found on the right. This week's playlist is the score from the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road.
(SPOILER ALERT: Although this particular playlist doesn't include any, some film scores include track titles that may contain spoilers for the film if you haven't seen it. I will try to include the above warning/alert for any scores or discussion of scores which may include spoilery track titles)
(SPOILER ALERT: Although this particular playlist doesn't include any, some film scores include track titles that may contain spoilers for the film if you haven't seen it. I will try to include the above warning/alert for any scores or discussion of scores which may include spoilery track titles)
I hope this blog will be something you can come to and enjoy reading and perhaps gain some knowledge about and a better appreciation for the music we find in the films we watch.
See you soon and keep listening,
Charlie
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