Film music: the importance of the right kind of noise

8 October 2014, 22:13 | Updated: 6 January 2017, 14:45

The charity event of the year, Global's Make Some Noise, is almost upon us, so we take a look at the vital role noise - of the musical kind - plays in film.

Whether musical or not, an abundance or lack of noise can completely change the impact a film has on us. We can feel frightened, romanced, moved, swept away, depressed, and can experience a myriad of other emotions when hearing a soundtrack. From the intensely 'musical' soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, to more abstract 'noisy' creations such as Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack to There Will Be Blood, the noise that supplements moving images is of central importance to their impact. 

Imagine The Sound Of Music as a horror film. Not possible, surely? Watch the video below...

 

While we're at it, why not re-imagine Pirates Of The Caribbean as a dark thriller, slapstick comedy, and epic romance. It may sound far fetched, but it can be done to some extent, just by changing the soundtrack.

 

That's all very well, but watch what happens when all music is removed, leaving only real noise audible. The result is striking, to say the least.

Here's Jaws: without that famous theme...

 

And Hitchcock's infamous shower scene from Psycho. Comes across rather lame without Bernard Herrmann's masterpiece underpinning the action, doesn't it?

 

But surely the great Star Wars is immune from this effect? Oh yeah?