WEBVTT 00:00:04.539 --> 00:00:06.040 So I have a question for you. 00:00:06.290 --> 00:00:10.029 Off the top of your head could you sing any music from Star Wars ? 00:00:29.010 --> 00:00:30.829 How about James Bond ? 00:00:40.569 --> 00:00:42.578 Harry Potter ? 00:00:56.948 --> 00:01:01.639 My last question : can you sing anything from a Marvel movie ? 00:01:04.689 --> 00:01:07.838 I'm like the biggest Marvel fan that I know and I just... 00:01:07.908 --> 00:01:11.138 I can't think of any of the songs. 00:01:16.918 --> 00:01:18.180 - No. - No... 00:01:19.014 --> 00:01:22.014 I should know this, but I don't. 00:01:22.562 --> 00:01:23.292 Shit. 00:01:27.626 --> 00:01:30.700 I didn't know they have, like, theme songs. 00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:33.130 Why is this ? 00:01:33.360 --> 00:01:38.030 Because the Marvel cinematic universe is now the highest-grossing franchise in film history. 00:01:38.030 --> 00:01:40.628 More than Star Wars, more than James Bond, 00:01:40.628 --> 00:01:43.118 more than Harry Potter, 00:01:43.118 --> 00:01:46.118 so what is missing from their music ? 00:01:57.069 --> 00:02:00.909 The first problem is that most of the music doesn't evoke an emotional response. 00:02:00.909 --> 00:02:04.179 Take a look at this scene from the first Ironman : 00:02:04.779 --> 00:02:08.359 Day 11. Test 37. Configuration 2.0 00:02:08.359 --> 00:02:10.899 For lack of a better option Dummy is still on fire safety. 00:02:10.899 --> 00:02:15.299 If you douse me again and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college. 00:02:15.299 --> 00:02:16.919 All right, nice and easy. 00:02:17.169 --> 00:02:20.349 It's kind of hard to hear it. So let's try that one more time, 00:02:20.349 --> 00:02:23.739 But this time with just the music isolated. 00:02:37.274 --> 00:02:39.904 Did you have an emotional reaction to that music ? 00:02:40.924 --> 00:02:43.300 So what happens to the scene if we just take it out ? 00:02:43.930 --> 00:02:48.390 Day 11. Test 37. Configuration 2.0 00:02:48.390 --> 00:02:51.209 For lack of a better option Dummy is still on fire safety. 00:02:51.209 --> 00:02:54.439 If you douse me again and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college. 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:56.500 All right, nice and easy. 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:00.619 The scene works just fine and it doesn't need any other sound. 00:03:00.619 --> 00:03:02.619 And that's partially why you forget the music. 00:03:02.619 --> 00:03:07.079 it's like the air conditioner in the background, after awhile you tune it out. 00:03:07.729 --> 00:03:10.409 Another problem is that the music is used very predictably. 00:03:10.409 --> 00:03:13.159 So that what you see is what you get. 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.899 If you see something funny you hear funny music. 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:32.740 If you see something sad, you hear a high note on the strings. 00:03:44.780 --> 00:03:49.479 This is a really safe way to score a film, because all of the emotions are expected. 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:52.418 The music just tells you the same thing as the picture. 00:03:52.418 --> 00:03:55.008 If someone looks scared, then you hear : 00:04:01.730 --> 00:04:04.010 And this is the second reason the music is forgettable. 00:04:04.010 --> 00:04:07.030 It never challenges your expectations. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:10.610 But sometimes the Marvel films do have memorable music, 00:04:10.610 --> 00:04:13.120 except the filmmakers don't let us listen to it. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:16.190 Instead they cover it up with other sounds like this : 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.139 Denied enlistment due to poor health, 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:29.590 Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare, 00:04:29.590 --> 00:04:36.290 one that would transform him into the world's first super soldier. 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:40.929 That narrator is just telling us things we already know, 00:04:40.929 --> 00:04:43.589 And he distracts us from the emotion of the scene. 00:04:43.589 --> 00:04:46.649 So how does this moment play without that distraction ? 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:16.809 Did you feel the difference ? 00:05:17.990 --> 00:05:21.429 Film music is incredibly subjective and it goes through trends. 00:05:21.429 --> 00:05:25.278 And over the last 20 years there has been a cultural shift. 00:05:25.278 --> 00:05:29.088 Nowadays a lot of filmmakers feel that music should not be noticed, NOTE Paragraph 00:05:29.088 --> 00:05:32.089 That's a contemporary thing that I've heard very frequently, 00:05:32.089 --> 00:05:34.029 "not supposed to be noticed" 00:05:34.029 --> 00:05:36.949 Right but, why is it not supposed to be noticed ? 00:05:36.949 --> 00:05:42.138 I grew up on Alfred Hitchcock's films, Bernard Herrmann, and i noticed every note. 00:05:42.138 --> 00:05:46.848 And I find it a little bit baffling why that seems to be the consciousness 00:05:46.848 --> 00:05:49.189 of music and film. 00:05:49.189 --> 00:05:53.259 But there is one thing we haven't mentioned yet and it's very important. 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:57.889 Today blockbuster movie scores are composed to a particular process, 00:05:57.889 --> 00:06:01.479 And that process starts with one controversial element : 00:06:02.679 --> 00:06:08.330 Danny you groaned earlier when someone mentioned temp music, the pros and cons ? 00:06:08.330 --> 00:06:13.038 For me temp music is the bane of my existence 00:06:13.038 --> 00:06:17.149 it's my job to make the director forget everything he's heard in the temp, 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:20.969 I won't listen to it but once, I'll never listened to it twice, 00:06:20.969 --> 00:06:24.259 and if they're addicted to it it's just going to make my job harder. 00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:27.920 Let's back up a second : temp music is when you're editing a film, 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:32.569 and you take music from another movie and use it temporarily in your cut like this : 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:00.850 Tenp music is always supposed to be replaced by composers' original score. 00:07:00.850 --> 00:07:05.740 But sometimes directors or producers will tell their composer to imitate the temp. 00:07:35.119 --> 00:07:39.110 To our knowledge, this is the only time a studio has publicly apologized 00:07:39.110 --> 00:07:41.428 for imitating temp music. 00:07:41.428 --> 00:07:44.178 The far more pervasive effect is that now 00:07:44.178 --> 00:07:47.558 most blockbusters are temped with each other's scores. 00:07:47.558 --> 00:07:51.048 So they kind of sound like each other, but just within legal limits. 00:08:34.290 --> 00:08:38.120 And as the Marvel franchise has become more popular, now other films sound like 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.120 they were tempt with Marvel music. 00:09:08.029 --> 00:09:12.120 We want to emphasize : we're not blaming the composers. 00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:15.790 Things don't get this way unless its systemic. 00:09:43.619 --> 00:09:48.000 Before temp music became popular, directors would often reference other music 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.450 as a way to talk to the composer. But what changed everything was 00:09:51.450 --> 00:09:56.020 modern nonlinear editing which allowed a director to put their favorite music 00:09:56.020 --> 00:09:58.290 in the movie and have the editor cut to it. 00:10:02.099 --> 00:10:05.810 Now, director points to the temp and says : "Make it like that". 00:10:05.810 --> 00:10:08.590 And it's not because the music is the right choice, 00:10:08.590 --> 00:10:10.619 but because they've listened to it. 00:10:10.619 --> 00:10:12.709 Again and again and again for hours and hours 00:10:12.709 --> 00:10:16.259 making a DVD that match and they go back with another idea another version the 00:10:16.259 --> 00:10:20.569 next day with the same music, and at some point of the music stick to the picture. 00:10:20.569 --> 00:10:24.179 - They can spend a year before you arrive. 00:10:24.179 --> 00:10:30.870 By the way when you take that music out often the cut isn't right 00:10:30.870 --> 00:10:34.959 because they're cutting to something that... It's very frustrating. 00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:38.679 Part of the frustration is that filmmakers just reuse things 00:10:38.679 --> 00:10:42.538 that worked in every other movie, so you end up with the lowest common denominator. 00:10:42.538 --> 00:10:44.388 Remember this ? 00:10:47.429 --> 00:10:49.889 Let's try something different. 00:10:49.889 --> 00:10:53.449 So earlier in the film, Thor convinced his friends to do 00:10:53.449 --> 00:10:55.270 something illegal and he was banished. 00:10:55.590 --> 00:10:58.150 Now they're doing something illegal to find him. 00:10:58.780 --> 00:11:02.170 He's not asking for their help, they're giving it willingly. 00:11:02.170 --> 00:11:04.960 What if we heard this feeling in the music ? 00:11:20.979 --> 00:11:25.708 We're not saying this is the right choice here, but it's worth trying out. 00:11:25.708 --> 00:11:28.480 Because it makes the scene emotionally richer. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.360 And all of the choices you see in Marvel films : 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:37.120 the background noise, hearing what you see, adding a narrator, temp music. 00:11:37.510 --> 00:11:42.499 All of these stem from the same desire : to keep things safe. 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:49.149 This is not bad music, it's just bland and inoffensive. 00:11:49.149 --> 00:11:53.170 And because Marvel sacrifices emotional richness for these safe choices, 00:11:53.198 --> 00:11:55.788 the end result is this : 00:12:03.389 --> 00:12:08.610 Oh... Marvel ? Na - oh... 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:14.550 So what is missing from Marvel music ? Risk. 00:12:15.730 --> 00:12:18.699 The kind of risk that creates an emotional connection with the audience. 00:12:18.698 --> 00:12:24.670 So that they carry the music with them. People do not remember safe choices. 00:12:24.670 --> 00:12:28.120 Only bold original music, and do this : 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:37.289 But that being said, we did find one Marvel theme that still got this reaction : 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:45.129 Spiderman ! Spiderman ! Friendly neighborhood Spiderman ! 00:12:45.129 --> 00:12:52.800 Spins web any size, catch thieves, just like flies. Look out ! Here comes Spider-man! 00:12:53.850 --> 00:12:57.850 Is he strong? Listen bud, he's got radioactive blood. 00:12:57.850 --> 00:13:01.289 Can he swing from a thread Take a look overhead. 00:13:01.289 --> 00:13:04.250 Hey there There goes the Spiderman. 00:13:05.170 --> 00:13:08.930 In the chill of night At the scene of a crime 00:13:08.930 --> 00:13:14.210 Like a streak of light He arrives just in time. 00:13:14.210 --> 00:13:21.729 Spiderman, Spiderman, Friendly neighborhood Spiderman, Wealth and fame, He's ignored, Action is his reward. 00:13:21.819 --> 00:13:29.429 To him, life is a great big bang up. Wherever there's a hang up, You'll find the Spider man. 00:13:29.429 --> 00:13:33.810 -That was incredible ! Thank you so much !