Brief Summary
This video explores the world of trailer music and how it's often distinct from the film's actual score. It discusses the common strategies used for scoring trailers, including using music from previous franchise films, licensing existing music, using production or library music, and even using music from other films. The video also touches on the impact of these choices on audience perception and the role of composers in the process.
- Trailer music is often created separately from the film's score due to time constraints.
- Common strategies for trailer music include using existing franchise music, licensing pre-existing tracks, utilizing production music, and borrowing from other films' scores.
- These musical choices can influence audience perception and create associations between different properties.
Intro
The video starts with a playful introduction using a manipulated Star Wars trailer to highlight the topic of trailer music. The speaker emphasizes that the music in trailers is often different from the actual film score. He encourages viewers to enjoy new trailers while acknowledging the video will discuss the nuances of trailer music composition.
The Absence of the Main Theme in the Star Wars Trailer
The speaker points out that the main theme of Star Wars is absent in the trailer. Instead, the trailer uses a collection of other Star Wars themes and ideas. The ending of the trailer uses Kylo Ren's theme, which is also a reference to the DEA's array, the ancient musical manifestation of death, and the Ewok theme.
Why Trailer Music Sounds Different
The reason trailer music sounds different from the original score is that John Williams wrote the music, but he didn't arrange it. The music is the last thing that happens when you make a film because you need at least a rough edit of the film in order to start scoring scenes. While the film is being edited, the marketing department needs to start selling the film to the general public, which means that a trailer needs to come out. This all happens while the composer is still spotting and syncing the film and then actually writing the music, which then has to go off to orchestrators and arrangers to proofread.
Option 1: Using Music from Previous Films
If your film comes from a franchise, you can use music from one of the previous films. This is common in franchises like Star Wars and Avengers. Including music from the past series reminds audiences of the past films and encourages them to see the sequel.
Option 2: Licensing Pre-Existing Music
Another option is to license pre-existing music. Examples include the Godzilla trailer using a slower version of "Over the Rainbow," the Age of Ultron trailer using "I've Got No Strings On Me," and the Logan trailer using Johnny Cash's "Hurt." The marketing team gravitates toward these pieces of music for various reasons, such as the grandiose sound of "Ode to Joy" juxtaposed with explosions in Die Hard or the Pinocchio reference in Age of Ultron reminding the audience that Disney now owns Marvel.
Option 3: Using Production or Library Music
The third option is to use production music or library music, which is designed to operate in the background with one upfront cost. However, because these pieces of library music don't come with any royalties for the composer, there's no exclusivity. Examples include a piece of music called "Renegade" by Gamma, which appears in the Cars 3 trailer, a car commercial, and a SpaceX video. Another example is a piece of music by Immediate Music called "Redrum," which appears in the trailers for Godzilla Final Wars, The Ring, and The Mummy Returns.
Option 4: Scoring Trailer with Music from Someone Else's Film
The final strategy is to score your trailer with music from someone else's film. For example, the trailer for D2: The Mighty Ducks uses the main theme from Back to the Future, and the original trailer for The Incredibles uses the theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The trailer for The Island uses a track that reappears in Avatar. Reusing music can create strange associations between properties and brands.
Conclusion
The speaker concludes by noting that all of these practices overshadow and undermine the works of composers like John Beall, who has written over 2000 movie trailers in his career. Even when there's a composer on staff ready to write an original score for the trailer, directors sometimes demand that they directly copy other people's work. Ultimately, the effectiveness of trailer music lies in its ability to create associations and encourage audiences to check out new films.
