Chapter One Score vs. SONG: ART, COMMERCE, AND THE H Factor IN Fitm aND Tetevision Music Robb Wright Since the late 1970s, the formal averlap among the various forms of populat culture, especially those distributed dhrough mast media, has been expanding seadily. This crud is most evident inthe increasing presence of popula muse in ‘the visual media -song-driven movie trailers, music video, television commercials crafied to tescmble music videos, trendy themes t topical television shows, and the gradual encroachment of popular songs in the soundtracks of dramatic fila and television production ‘There are numerous factors ~ demographic, technological and economic ~ driving this development, although they ate difficult to isolate. And, as is the tendency with any cultural expression, as ane formal avenve for pop songs lows in prominence, others mimic, quote and iste from it. Music videos, Far ‘cample, are the cultural offspring of variety show performance and story-form television spors the visual and structural Ianguage cicy have spawned bas ia eae. Ihcen co-opted by computer games, theme park rides and by laer television spots, This cross-pollination is, of course, natural ard inevitable, But there is a fanecional difference among the various forms threugh which populae music kas 8 ronan music AND FL sade its way into the visual media. While most are more or les overt tools for marketing, only in dramatic film and television are popular songs used in order ‘help tell a sustained narrative story ~« role that has craditionally been played by commissioned musical score. Today, the musical landscape of a feaure film may contain a full score, a soundtrack of radio hits, or different con source music and score, including commissioned music composed to resemble nations of sucessful pop songs. The displacement, partially or entitely, of score by popular Imusic in dramatic film and television constiruces 4 significant departure from ‘the raditional narrative language of film. It merits a thorough examination of the mechanies ofits execution, is qualitative effect, she economic, cultural and technological faccors shar concribuce 1 the decision to use popular musi, and the moxivation of is proponenes and its detractors. ‘An informed discussion of music For film and television must encompase an “understanding of the larger production proces inco which its purveyors must ft themselves: However we may tegard che fat, sutking a film is not fundamentally different from any other collaborative construction, such as building « house. The process does afford great variation in oxer,timefeame and priorities, according 10 the production's budget, genre, and delivery medias, but a heart iis a complex assembly of co-ordinated elements, most of them provided by outside supplies This remains tue, spective of any artistic meri we ascribe to the sript or its is a characteristic dictated by the time, money and labour involved in flm-iaking, In this sense, those thar provide music for film and television are among a production's sub-conteacrrs. Iris important here to make the fst distinction between films whose music is composed and dhose for which some component of the music is pre-secorded, Pre-recorded onic isin principle a ‘prefabricated!’ element, It enters the process already formed, and the options for manipulating it are limited. For whacever reasons producers may elect 10 use pre-recorded music, itis a decision tha is typically made (atleast ventaively) carly on in the process, ofien well before any film has been shot. Ic is quite common for picture editors ta place the music ist and edic the picture to i, allowing che shyt and pacing of the music co drive thar of the picture edit, thus giving the whole piece certain unity that would be harder co achieve by merely adding music o a fished edit. Whether or not the Pictuce is edited co the music itis often necessaey o edit the muse fr lengths but in most cases, pre-ecorded music comes with its own contours to which a piceure ‘edie must generally confortn, (On the other hund, music composed fora film is designed in place, its form and content determined exclusively by the needs of the production. ‘The facerin the production process a musical clement is provided, the more enshrined is the films structure, and the more the music must be sallored or altered co accommodate it. Composers are often engaged for a film much lace chat hey would prefer: consequently shir contribution must adapt to a atuetre thac fs already essentially complete. By the time a composer is brought on to a project, the picture edic is generally locked, and the director and picture editor ~ and thers ~ have discussed and offen confirmed the character and placement of all ‘the musical cues, While s good composer will review these decisions and make the ‘ase for desired changes, ie ean be an uphill bce ‘So iewould appear tha score and pre-recorded music offer different approaches tw the post-production process: one is wilored to the picture, the other has the picture tailored to it. The question of whether cither of chese approaches bestet serves the dramatic interests ofthe film is more complex than i may appeat ‘The most fundamental observation that can be made about music in any audio/ visual mediuen is chat it enjoys a rather direct route to our subconscious. Humans are by nature visually oriented, Our evolutionary development i such that we are primarily aware of the visual world, and of subtle changes in what we see. While wwe ate also aware of wh we hear, we digest visual information more consciously ~ and moce critically ~ than we do aucal information. This tendency has long been ‘understood and exploited by sound editors and miners for film and television. Many dramatic film soundracks contain 4 remarkable amount of sound that cannot be instfied, in any rational way. by the filme’ visual or dramatic content. Seenes with substzacial emotional weight are often rife with exteancous elements, usually mised at low volume telative tothe other tacks ~ animal sounds, thunder, heartbeats, babies crying, Such sounds are not chosen atbirarily, but Forth 1 evocative power ~ their ability to trigger an emotional response, As long as a sound is quiet enough ‘nor to broach the threshold of direct, conscious perception, it escapes our anaecical radar, and we accept its associations unfiltered. Used judiciously, this process can have a considerable effect on a film's impact on a viewer, ‘The access that sound has to our subconscious is not something that applies uniformly. Among the theee general teas oF sound in flo, dialogue is for the most part, interpreted rationally and is usually delivered in steaightforward rmannet, Ambiences and soune effects ate less the Focus of a viewers attention and ths have more porentia for emotional provocation, Bus it is mesic more than anything shar caries emotional freight. precisely heranee im most caer icf ‘completely removed from the specific logic ofthe film's story line. “Mosicis the primary instrument of emotional direction in film ~ it ells ux har ro fel abour a character a place, a situation [also reinforces the identity of 10 rorosan Music an FM a place or time specific ehythms, dynamic patterns, ranges, timbres instrumental cextures and other musical devices are used to evoke a mood, 2 season, «historical period, a location, an ethnic Bavour. Crucial to the emotive power of music in genstah bus expecially in fli, thi ailey to evoke ~ eo subtly call ea the viewer mind a related of comparable situation, to act asa shorchand to steer the viewer ‘morionally. Ae with any sich shorthand, its successful execution depends on a shared context, a body of ideas, experiences, asociations and cultural couchstones to which the composer can refer, even obliquely, to strike a desired emorional Some emotional triggers are universal. Certain natural elements ~ breath, birdeals, thunder ~ ean be evoked musically and will lcie a (broadly) similar emotional response in vrwally any listener, as an experience of these things is common among humans. Other references are effective only among a cargeted audience whose background includes the suggested material. To a typical contemporary Canadian viewer, for example, trumpets and snare drums will reliably eolegeaph 4 miliary eeting, Fanfares and. marches ate so established in ‘our collective musical car that even a viewer who bad never heard one directly would have heard its quotation in countless orchestral pieces, adverisements, and other film scores. By contrast, viewer from a traditional village in Borneo might have no such associations, and her eaetion to the cue in question would be very diferent ‘This represent « major qualification tothe disewesion ofthe evocative capacity ‘of music: te culeutally and historically relative ~a shared experieatial vocabulary iscsrential and the gromer that shared experience, the more effective is associative power. Music and film ate, afterall, forms of communication, and their message is necessarily mediated by their context. Thus, che role of music in film and television i very much a function ofthe musical and cinematic eadicion in which a production is rooted. Much of the popular cinema in India, for example, s unfamiliar and biearte co. Western viewer, and has less ia common with Western cinema chan it does with ninetcenuhcemtury Iealian opera Cultural context assumes even mote importance in analyses of the ure of popular music in film, since ~ the MeCulture juggernaut novwithseanding ~ meaning and significance in popular music wary considerably with geography and, especially, wich rime. Popular music by definition is of the moment. What ifieance today ran ave litle ten yrare henre: even wort, it ean far age bbe painfully dated, potentially distracting fram, or working against the desired ‘emotional effec. Even in a contemporary context. cogional distintions are critically important. A song that serves as an unofficial anthem for a group or a seowr scone 14generation in Spain eight, alchough intelligible, have no similar resonance for an equivalent group in Venezuela. By associating ite with the passing success of a song, film may severely limi ite distribution and is shelf ie OF course. it may be argued chat film itself, with rare exceptions, is 2 popular medium whose expressions lose their currency over ttn A thirty-year-old feature Filenwillalmose inevitably present atleast Few glaring artefacts of ts era in those areas where fashions change most rapidly ~ clothing, haicsyles, aucomnobiles, We notice these things when we watch old fila, and we occasionally find chem ‘quaint or even funny, Buc these are components of the pictute ~ they ate more consciously observed than is music. Even dated language, because of is logical, verbal content, is not as damning eo an audience's receptiveness as dated pop ‘music. 1 is precisely because the message in. music is so implicit, because ie Influences us somewhat subliminally ~ ehrough the back door, as ic were ~ that ‘we find its failings so noteworthy. The sakes ae high: when it works, it moves us mysteriously, but witeni¢ fils, we cringe atthe atempt For dramatic films therefor, it appeats that there are sig icant risks in using Popular music eather than score. Why, chen, do producers do it? IF sore can be specifically cailored co fit the length and mood of a scene, and if pre-recorded popular music Fins its relevance to 3 few yeats, why take the risk? Pragmatists might suggest thar the opportunity «0 garner quick commercial returns via 2 success soundtrack justifies ay long. sm compromise, and there i some logic film industry has learned through experience that while only one in ten of the productions it finances may rewarn a profi, the success of 1 this. The comme! that one will more chan pay forthe loses of the others within the fist ewo weeks There is no doubchac similac reasoning will be heatd when decisions are made about how ta approach the music fora film .. although it would cleatly be unfair toascribe mercenary motives slone co every pop music soundtrack. ‘Many producers are inclined to cegaed popular songs as “toad rested’, a cerm ‘0 which composers justifiably take offence. The logic and function of radio sivplay is very different o the logic and Function of film accompaniment, and an sssumption chat che ewe are in any way interchangeable would be natve. Bue the familiarity thac radio and sefevision exposure gives to a popular song, can still be Useful in a cinematic contexs, Film scores ate usually brand new to each viewer and ie falls upon she composer to cteate every nuance of feeling and association that the music seeks so produce. By conttat, previously heard pop songs eacry their owa sets of feelings and associations, often developed over months oF years of repexsed hearings. The potential emotional punch of those established associarions is considerable, and arguably greater shaw a virgin score could hope 1 elicit. The sight song in the righe place can be an extremely powerful device, which enables a film ro effectively build on the work thae che song has already done. Furthermore, there are occasions when the right pop song, regardless ofits familiaricy, might simply function more effectively to set the desired scene, period ‘of emotional mood than score, A common criticism of pop music in film i that it is coo uniform to be asefls the degree of ¥ and instrumental rexture which film composers commonly use 0 steer viewers iation in tempo, volume sdirough a scene is normally not present in popular songs, and cannot be injected into p -corded musi in any practical way. But for scenes where the setting and action ate not changing, or aze changing in 2 regular progression, such variation is generally undesirable, and in Fac che egular groove of s pop tune often works very well as feared score, The most typical example isthe coad trip sequence. ‘The prototype of this is the motorcycling scene from Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper 1968), accompanied by SteppenwolFs ‘Born To Be Wild’, a grety hard rock song ‘hat quickly became an anchem for defiant individualism. The association of this kind of music wth this kind of situation has become so common in American flims thar it i now a universally familiar pare of cinematic language, In the archetypal scenario, wo or more characters emback on a tip, usally in a car. The departure, and the exhilaration of movement that highway travel brings, are often successfully supported by a de ing rock song, There ic resonance on several levels: 2 steady, repetitive groove reflects the state of motionless confinement in (or on) a moving vehicle the power of amplified instruments evokes the power ofthe engines and the process of leaving — and its suggestion of ict escape from the regulated grid ‘of the city ~ is apely capauted by rock music and its associations with protesc and ‘rebellion, All of dhese connorations are usually implicit, and largely unnoticed by the viewer, and thetetoce function thar ouch more powerfully. The fac thar road trip scenes in many films are accompanied by scored cues that were deliberately designed co emulate a driving rock groove is evidence of the genre's success, When che subject matter of 3 film involves a specific era in rscont history, popular music from that period is often evocative in ways theta score could only imitate, For those who lived through shat era, familiar examples of ite music can have 4 powerful fect on their raction to accompanying images, carying with them nor only che musical memories of the day, bus the he decade ofthe 1960 i period that, for demographic 2s much 2 historical reasons, maintains a powerful presence in the popular iudes and mores that were current a th consciousness Its successful recreation in Apocalypse New (Feancis Ford Coppola, 1979) was achieved, 10 some extent, by the judicious use of 'vintage’ songs thatrecalled not only the era but ako the spirit of ieonoclasm that pervaded the popular movements of the day, and ultimately pervades the darkening sensibility of Captain Willa, the film's central charactct. The musical landscape is largely 2 counterpoine berweon cowrce music vhat punctuates dh vativus, wfien bizktre, contexts through which the story moves and sombre, muted score that stathly illustrates che deepening unease within Willard ashe travels deeper into the bush, For example, the Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ accompanies a scene in which the crew of doomed young sailor. charged with transporting Willa up-river, cope with their confinement by engaging in whar comforting rituals they ean ~ dancing, singing and waterskiing. The ironic contrast between the song's infectious groove and its lyrical message of discontent runs parallel co the contest between the characters’ lighthearted activities and the unpleasanc cealicy of chit ircomstances. In addition, the song’s oblique drug references find resonance With the characters’ periodic use of drugs asa further coping mechanism. I is unlikely that any composed score could have provided so much for the scene and so effectively recalled the historical period, Later, when the focus turns fom the group’s partying to Willad’s private reflection on the serious details of his ‘mission, the song simply backs off in the mix and the score takes over. Part of ‘what rates this device above a mete contrivance isthe Fact thatthe song begins ax a diegeric element, playing on a erewman's radio, When ixccossfades against the score, we accept it asa transition from outward action to inward reflection: the effect is one of withdrawing into Willard’ thought, ‘This leads on to another imporcane distinction in the use of pre-recorded ‘music in dramatic films. When 2 song appests to originate from within the deara = live musicians, a recording, a PA system, a radio at TY broadeast ~ it helps to Justify is existence. The current sate of cinematic language is such that we are somewhat conditioned ta regard songs as more than accompaniment tothe visual element. Th Iyrical content demands our attention, and their musical structure ‘usually precludes their adoption of any supporting function in the manner of 3 traditional underscore. When we hear non-diegetic yong, we may he distracted by it, expecting at some level co sce a singer, or at least some dramatic rationle for what we are hearing, The distraction may be only momentary and not inevitably Problematic. Bur it ean be quite harmful ifthe viewer's distraction undermines the dramatic thrust of the scene, Such distraction is often avoided by ineeoducing san ostensible par of the action ~ from a car radia far example ~s song whieh then proceeds to function like a score, punceuating dialogue, continuing at full volume during shots where its source would realistically be muted. even bridging into another scene, We do not abject to this detachment, and may not even notice 14 porta music ave mtn i bas ou induction he sng pve slog atc allowing tt hain vec omen een hgh thon ely ear om th ee dec oa ep owe sae hen «Kn provi dea ores eca et ee nese ee renal fr recrng mse ims In The Tse iy bons ng 99) Tom Ry has ber rel by wey acre ly im order to persue the man’s hedonistic son to eetn ro the United States rowing ofthe sons pasion fr jc te Bang nfl withthe ee Im ile underateran ten seins bore i depuce Daring thiequence sw eno number feos ih he hse a pari brand of 1950 snare fais sale a oro mul see sc hen Become them isutha nite re en scay. ‘Whence ai ened in subequen ene preenesaccped on when no suc rider eantng om he biqaous cr plas Ha tonal cement of he ahenian wile the chun init, 22 ee MEcisauaonctie maser sevedioondon and acclimatisation ofthe music early inthe film has. in effect the viewer to inhabie the character’ musical landscape, rendering later non- diegetic music quite natural. ‘A similar process is at work in High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000). The story revolves around Rob Gordon, who runs an ulra-trendy alternative record store, and his employees, all of whom pride themselves on their knowledge of what they consider worthy popular music. The explicit musical setting and Ploiline concerning aesthetic provide many ecestions for pop music 1 Figure diegerically in the soundtrack, But even when the setting is remore from any source of music songs appear throughout the film, Fonetioning essentially 25 core, Again she viewer's eats accept these more teaily since che musical partera has alteady een introduced in whae we accept a¢ a logically admissible way. In both these cass, she films’ setting and seructuee function to reinforce the Iegicimacy of aon-diegesc songs by quickly establishing. justifiable model of music recordings playing in the character’ environment. Without this conditioning, the songs would be likely ro call undue attention to themselves, and their presence may be perceived by the viewer as indulgent, eonteved or manipulative “Another more eubtle effet i the ws of non-diegstic cong ix theittandency to put distance between the viewer and the action. Sometimes this is deliberately sed by directors. In the opening scone of Apacalypre Now we observe from a distance a hary confasion of slow-motion military activity chat we eventually Scone Ys. 50m6 15‘sgn ch np hing angle. We dona ig. We ds ot eat he plane the tums he ame the ain’ nr ay anblne or curd og 2s hei npn thing pe wa and ou ofthe. Ascmpnying the et sin be Don’ “The ra slain and sein li tlds cual ie aon of ivan van. The song lary desc night hm oyhingin he son and sonnet decent refs the done abla by te og lnm th sow movencnt nd ea of sound cs, Te mae ope the xene + ln ht ig all the more 50 as we gradually realise ‘what is happening, with al its horvific implications. Here again, Coppola uses ironic juxtaposition co make his point with music. The use of popul popular songs in Apocalypse Now is particularly successfal because the director and his edicor were fenvve fo the mu’ eeivenes a5 a sige of she peso and is vals, bue were also aware of che risks inherent in the substitution of finished musical ‘material for che more flexible instrusnent of traditional score. lis noteworthy chat here a dramatic situation was better served by score, Coy , tucr served by scote, Coppola made that choice, Throughout the film, he was coasistenc in selecting musical content ~ songs, 2 Wognerian aria, a disembodied wailing guitar — conveyed the story and ies subtext score, pop that most effectively Osco direc hos pense wh eager ping iste frasoundrakvheh conse nlf pecan nee One te co ard edebnecrpe is T igi aves Rasa oe ser tgs oy pay sus cpl he sry vce she ran ope pay ee, fn a dear gotin to moar hence oof he oe Nos plas pn hn, ply eyo he Dorr pee in ltt he 16 we ey 1970 Pope haf a fe etme mh lm, Ka hone ome ‘dasa do she pt they tghily ep veh he ene Pcs the ong acd degeily sod ne eres we =ompsinent Ths was igh fncl nne who vale on Pe se Hoag Sone You Cant Aye Ge Whar You Wan wg tous ar ing or ee chp Ase nove a hop sara th groups om, eri venion fhe one ich comes ete se ofr comentin ong th che in the fees cas soe splays mat low in hemi lable rio sooo, ee cen thesng bcos ewan pi sh py oe er wk sng ‘tane shot of the ceremony. The vaguely gospel groove caprures the sense of a 16 rovotar music asp ria gathering of ireverent souls in a reverene situation, and the choir add solemnicy that reminds us of the underlying gravity ofthe seen. However, not al ofthe songs wotk this well. The film is an ensemble piece, and there aze several emotional subplots among the characters. Fach of these has its climactic paints, and at some of these points here is 90 musical support when itis clealy needed. On other occasions, songs are rather clumsily introduced, at points where the subtlety and fenibility of a composed score would have been. more appropriate co frame the emotional truth of the scene. At times it appea that songs have been used that may not have been the ditecror's or the editor's fist choice for a scene ~ the Exciter’ ‘Tell Him’ and the Beach Boys’ ‘Wouldn't Ie Be Nice? scem signally inappropriate and anacheonistic. The acquisition of ‘he sights co use popular songs in films requires considerable eflore and money, and in che case of The Big Chills hard to resist the conclusion thar Kasdan was Forced ro setae fora few songs he might nos have selected, had other choices been available, Ie is likely thatthe scenes in quettion were originally edited to music that wodked berter, bus which subsequently proved unavailable. Ths is the price paid by directors who choose to dispense with score altogether ‘One of the most powerful msocistions char popular music can bring to 2 film is politcal message. In De The Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) the character of Radio Raheem carrie a portable tape deck whenever and wherever he appears which always plays (at high volume) ‘Fight The Power! by Public Enemy Ostensibly, the song’s repetition is a comical sideshow. che signatuce of an ill tempered homeboy who refuses to depart fiom the familiar: while other characters ng, he seems to be stuck. But, and relationships in the film are moring and evol in fact, che song as chosen fr its overly political content In 1989 Public Enemy had only rocently emerged as the fest truly sucessfal rap group to embrace black militancy. Their public image borrowed liberally from the language and imagery ‘of 1960 black power activism, and their song Iyrics consistently advocated political consciousnessraising and subversive action, As its ttle suggests, "Fight ‘The Power was typical of chese sentiments. In the fl i functions as a sore of eptac,subly reminding the audience thatthe larger context in which this story it played our is not a neutral one. Public Enemy's presence also serves to implicitly, bat powerflly. evoke the voice of Malcolm X, the story's moral compass and invisible character. The music has the effect of giving Radio Raheem’s character 2 politcal point-of-view status, designating him a. silent narrator io the political sieta-drama that underlies che surface of che story. “The reasons film-makers choose a partculie approach to music are nearly as important ar the kind of masic they use. In the mid-1980s, commercial televisionsaw a new genetation of dramatic programming that was ateempring to position itself ro appeal to a younger fashion-conscious audience. At the head of the pack was the police drama Miami Vice. The showe set new standard for leading-edge hie in ite Took ~ clothing, cet dviga, cart and in ita wound ~ dialogus andy above all, music. Each episode feseured a sounderack that was « lend of current pop songs and a eatchy, synthesizer-dominated score by Jan Hammer. The use of pop music gave the show ‘street exedibili became * with ts earget audience and a huge commercial success running for five seasons. Predictably, Miami Vieelooks and sounds rather zotique ro modern audiences. ‘The trendy festures show theie age phinly, including the hie parade soundtrack With «few exceptions, the songs are conspicuously ourof-date, and their prominence even impedes che flow ofthe plot. In many cases they appear to have bbeen chosen for thie (then) currency, rather chan for any specific resonance with the narrative thrust of the scene, its emotional content, the character’ thoughts. ‘or any of the other traditional functions of music in film. ‘Fhus, what may have succeeded in its day om the serength of ies mosical relevance fils x decade or 1wo. later, when its clevance is exhausted. Yet the show's composed score seems ro have aged rather beret, despite the fact chac it shared an idiomatic musical language with much of she pre-recorded music shat surrounded it. The likely explanations forthe relative freshness of the score include many of che factors discussed above but, more than anything else, it may stem from che composer's moxivation. Hammer has consistently cited storyline as his primary guide in scoring. The need for this may seem selfevident, but on many occasions, composers are insteueted to ignore the emotional or sub-textwal content of a scene and simply blanket it with a piece of music meeting specific stylistic requirements. ‘That Hammer had both the artistic freedom and the competence to create music chat was driven by plot and sub-text, yet sill Blended stylistically with the songs around it, i striking. in itself, and this is whac accounts for igs success as musical score and for les apparent longevity. Here. we would do well 1 distinguish between theatrical film and dramatic television. Television in North Amerie i its 20 obsessively current tha, except as archival material its content rarely survives beyond a brief window of currency of around five years. Dramatic shows in syndication beyond that range quickly assume a kind of ‘legacy’ satus, where they become valued for the oddity that their age confers on them. Wit Timiced excoprions. the peowsiling ethic seme t he that television needs no shelf life. Indeed, ia television programme does ‘ot show its age within a few years, it might even be seen a evidence that its Producets had too conservative an approach for TV. Inthe light of chis, we might 1% pomnan ste aso ss find the dated music in Mann’ Viee less problematic, Mien Viee is only a rather conspicuous example of what has emerged 25 2 primary objective inthe design of musical soundtracks in recent years: the pursuit of “hipness’. While we may tere other words, wr are all familiae with come versian of it. By definition. "hip" is a difficult concept to isolate, a it is enormously variable over ime, place and demographic group. Any meaningfl definition must therefore consider the larger Films are made for the most part in modern societies that see che world in terms of progression and growth, a opposed co pre-literate cultures that see the wood in ‘erm of natural, unchanging cycles. Not surprisingly, progressive societies tend (0 value manifestations of progress and change, doctrine tha, in modern Western counties, hae developed into a kind of mythotogy of hipness. The further our lieseyles take ws from nature and the unchanging features of the world, and the closer we are to the cenctal insicutions of modernity communication, automobiles ~ che greater is our veneration of hipness. Hipncss, s0 designated, denotes chat which is wocldly, up-to-date informed and appealing Jina modern sense. ‘Thete is, therefore, a great incentive for film producers ro seek out ways to idencify their films as hip. Considerable eneagies are devoted 10 researching, trends and deseemining appropriate symbols in order to achieve thee designation in the public's eye. It ie not easy: people readily distinguish between hip and trendy, the latter tending to denote a more transitory papularity, a passing Fancy. flash in the pan, Bur the selection of those qualivies which make something substantial enough to be elevated ta hipnes is exeemely subjective. Ics generally ‘understood that hipness is a9 inherent atribute, rather than an acquired stace, so that people and thing that arc hip achieve thar status without any special fore in the content of film, che viewing public are thus quite sensitive to contrivance, to something that “ris too hard’ to be hip. ‘This awareness is particularly acute among younger audiences, a group that increasingly represents the majority ofthe flm-going public. Moreover, while most of us may lke to think of ourselves as at Teast somewhat hip, cach of us may define ic in diferent terms, making agreement across a broad audience very dif cult. Hipness itself isin many ways a moving target anchored as itis in ‘the modern’. nation that is itself constantly evolving, ‘This is one reason that an enduring starement is so cusive i popular culture Given all these difficulties. music. with fis “back doo: access to our consciousness, is # powerful tool in the quest for hipness. I stealthy pilocs the audience's mood and emotional response to a film's concent, More than that, it allows film-makers, im some measore anyway, t0 bypass our cynical sensiiliies scone vs. sone 19and co speak directly co the parc of us that prefers red wine, brown hair or black jeans, and ch ‘of music chat manages to reach and touch che sousce of our blind, illogical rishes or loathes the barest fragment of a distant memory. A piece atcachment to apparently insignificane distinetions ~ shat unknowable aesthetic core of each of us whete our taste lies ~ has made a frend for the long term. Its stip on us is beyond analysis and beyond our contro. By appealing fundamentally to our taste, not just to our notion of what is apprapriare oF curren, it ensuces 2 ddecp and lating effec on us, Precisely what tis in apiece of music that does that for each of us isa product of many factors, and much of the proces is specific to the individual, Bur the most successful music will engage ws with its feshness and originality while simulcancously resonating wich a timeless sease of authenticity F success of a given piece in moving us on that impenetrable level. Well-cafted ‘ach of us then, our idea of hipness in music avies in pare from the popular music can do this if ic is martied wo images that ccinforce the universal dimension of is message. At face value, pop music isthe domain of the hips we are predisposed to regard it as an expression of the contemporary and the aware "Yo the extent char a song is able to sustain this engagement and furnish a broader teuth, it may have beveer success harnessing the appeal of hipness than would be possible witha score ‘The need for a universal dimension cannot be overstated. Consider the mechanics of the post-production process. Picture editors regularly edit to the timing of substitute or ‘temp’ music before the final music ~ prerecorded or ‘composed score ~ is available. Often this means thar che editor and the director ‘of a fil are working with that version of the film, and that music, for weeks ‘or months aca time. Ics all coo easy For directors ro fall prey ta"temp love’, 3 Dpheniomenon wherein dhe vie has seen the images and music together For solong ‘hat s/he can not imagine any other music in its place, Other music can be tried, bu simply does not seem to posses the magic, the resonance, the appropriate fel ~ the hipness ~ chat the temp music has. Sometimes this is indeed the case, and the grea efforts chat ave often made atthe lst minute 1 secure the rights ro the emp music may prove worthwhile. But in most cases the magic that she ditecror feels is due to a private relationship that sthe has developed with the music over ‘ime. Ie may have great depth and substance but it docs nor reflec what a viewer, who has never seen or heard the film before, will experience ata single screening, and its this which must be the primay consideration when assessing flm music. ven when others share the director's enthusiasm, the qusstion chat has to be asked is whether the larger public will echo cheie perception. A song may bring oa scene just the right rouch of groove and attitude o underline the characters 20 ronan muse ase eat unspoken choughts, but sha will nor guarantee its successor that of the scene, IF the musical or lyrical concent that creates those associations is dependent on a very local or current seasibiley and lacks a vease of universal muh, it may be perecived as erite or irelevant by chose outside its circle, Notwithstanding all of the above, film music is not something that can be codified in a manual of absoluce laws, Whae succoeds as musical ecompaniment to a film is subjecr co 2 ange of factors, many of them quite subse, and all of them evolving over time. Popular music as form of cultural expression is iselF volving rapidly, and che gradual popular acculturation co songs sith images, through music videos, advertising and related media, continues ro e-define the calural role of popular music around the world. The popular cinematic palate also changes gradually including ous taste for different musical conventions. Just as it was once unthinkable to score 2 feature film wichout a fal orchestral score in the style of Brahms or Berlioz, the use of songs in anything but 3 designated musical has been, undl fairly recently, widely denigrated ‘The language of film will continue co grow and change, but the principles that devemine what does and oes nor succeed as film musi will seman consistent.