It goes without saying that more than once in your life have you come across that feeling of identifying a movie or TV series just by observing a familiarity that lurks behind the dialogues. You surely would know a song which you recall not by name or lyrics but by the incessant, albeit delightful, and almost involuntary humming, and go nuts over it until you know of its origin. Or have you ever wondered what causes that distinct tone of the ad, that you have forgotten about, to still persist in your head without its context? It is a most basic and well known enchantment of this world that we choose to call music.
The use of music as an alluring force often goes unnoticed by many viewers, unsurprisingly, since they happen to be the targets here. Its use may not be as obvious as people expect, but it has been almost inevitable ever since it has been administered.
It’s because sound happens to be a most significant tool to convey the essence of emotions, bring something to notice or just engage your attention in an otherwise mundane setting.
Think for a minute about a song and what it tells you. Would it have had the same effect in absence of the beats or rhythm or notes that accompany it?
You’d understand it’s importance just by putting on your favorite movie on mute and you will recognize the wonders it does instantly. A film score enhances the narration and helps bring out the sheer emotions involved and more or less controls the pace of the plot. In fact, it was the very thing that kept the viewers going during the silent film era.
Another of its uses is that of deception, like curtaining a moment of evil with one of justice, the opposite of which happens scarcely, and by delaying or compromising your expectations as audience.
There is a reason for the existence of the category for ‘The Best Score’ in all the acclaimed annual honors in the film industry.
Same goes for a TV advertisement. Its first aim is to get the viewers’ interest. That’s where sound is used in its most compelling form, essentially dictating your interest and expectations towards a certain product or scheme. It’s one of the simplest manipulation of opinions that we overlook.
Make up some catchy and relatable phrases, try rhyming them, put in some repetitions(taglines), add instrumentals, throw in the required sound effects. And voila! You’ve got yourselves a jingle out of the numbest words. If only it were as easy!
A word of acknowledgement for lyricists and jingle writers, because in such business you have to form a relevance, lyrically or rhythmically, to whatever product you intend to sell. It’s necessary that the audience catch up on a certain vibe in your composition to see to their interest. Using a renowned song as a jingle is essentially making that song endorse the product, no different than one of your admired stars making an appearance as some company’s brand ambassador, it exploits an emotional connection among viewers.
This has become so customary that you cannot expect an Indian festival to pass by without a Cadbury product in sight, cannot help but remember a snickers bar every time you starve or remember that trivago guy while planning a trip, no matter how excruciatingly annoying the latter one be, but the bottom line is that you can’t help it. It is virtually stuck in your head and that is exactly how triumph appears to the creators of the composition.
I’d say if music can turn people’s perspectives then it’s as strong a force as any. It’s not one to succumb to, but one we must embrace; for it ceases to give in. Like smoke on the water it hovers upon us, like the dark necessities it exists. Like the tears in heaven it bellows us, like a brick in the wall it persists.
“Sound works its magic in ‘silence’ while keeping the spectators oblivious to its effect.”
“It’s a silent guardian, a voiceful protector, a damp note…”. Bet you couldn’t bring yourselves to read that without Gary Oldman or Hans Zimmer.
Written by Ruchir Saini
Chords & Co. 