The deterioration Of Movie Scores

Hi, After 20 years of collecting cd scores i have decided to stop. I have come to the conclusion that Movie and TV scores just aren’t on the same level as they were 20+ years ago. The scoring just seems to be "mish mashy" and has no real soul to them.

Sad day but was coming, the deterioration of movie scores IMHO is complete. There just is no class in movie scoring anymore

Regards

I can’t say I blame you. Movie scores have always been a bit unpopular – either ignored by the general audience, or ridiculed by the high-art snobs who turn their noses at the music’s slavish devotion to the picture and commercial nature. But today it is all earned. It seems like all of today’s biggest films are graced with either empty orchestration (Giacchino) or state-of-the-art but musically-deficient synth textures (so much of Remote Control Productions). The list of composers whom you can rely on to bolster the film’s quality is growing ever thinner. Johann Johannson getting an Academy Award nomination for Sicario last year I think is a sign of how bad things have gotten.

All Opinion.

But Still No One Is Ever Happy.

All Opinion.

But Still No One Is Ever Happy.

No one on the Internet is ever happy. It’s the first rule. The Internet is disfunction junction.

I can’t say I blame you. Movie scores have always been a bit unpopular – either ignored by the general audience, or ridiculed by the high-art snobs who turn their noses at the music’s slavish devotion to the picture and commercial nature. But today it is all earned. It seems like all of today’s biggest films are graced with either empty orchestration (Giacchino) or state-of-the-art but musically-deficient synth textures (so much of Remote Control Productions). The list of composers whom you can rely on to bolster the film’s quality is growing ever thinner. Johann Johannson getting an Academy Award nomination for Sicario last year I think is a sign of how bad things have gotten.

Oh that’s harsh, I enjoyed Sicario, the score fit the film perfectly.

But it was just noise! If you want to go that high synth route, that’s fine, but you have to still approach it like you would any other piece of music. You have to have melodies. Johannsonn just uses bunch of incoherent sound design techniques. It all sounds like it was lifted from a production music toolkit.
And don’t get me started on Arrival!

But it was just noise! If you want to go that high synth route, that’s fine, but you have to still approach it like you would any other piece of music. You have to have melodies. Johannsonn just uses bunch of incoherent sound design techniques. It all sounds like it was lifted from a production music toolkit.
And don’t get me started on Arrival!

At the end of the day, no matter how strongly you feel, it’s your opinion. It has no more weight or authority than someone who liked the score.

For example, I think the scores to Sicario & Arrival fit the tone and the style of those movies perfectly. Also, for me, those scores don’t work as stand alone soundtracks, meaning without the images the music doesn’t resonate. But for others it does.

One man’s noise is another man’s symphony.

At the end of the day, no matter how strongly you feel, it’s your opinion. It has no more weight or authority than someone who liked the score.

Yes, and? I’m not going to downplay my own thoughts because someone says they disagree. What is it with this fucking website and people getting all uppity about "well that’s just your opinion"? I’m well aware, just as you are. And yes, I know I sounded like a dick just then.

The score for Arrival worked against the film as far as I could tell, particularly during that long tracking shot where we pan around the space probe and back to the approaching helicopter. The problem with using this brand of sound design for your ‘music’ is that a viewer can’t tell immediately what he’s hearing: is this the noise of the probe? Is this their language? Oh wait, that’s some strange synth thingy for the underscore. Lame. That whole score felt like an experiment that didn’t work. Except for the pizzes when they first enter the probe. Those worked really well.

I haven’t watched Arrival yet so can’t comment on that but with Sicario I feel like there’s more to it than just noise, that feeling of dread, tension… I’m just listening to it again now and "desert music" stands out as something more coherent than the main theme.

That’s one of the more listenable tracks, yeah. But Alejandro’s Song… doesn’t that sound like a bunch of shrieking mandrakes to you? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.

Just to re-iterate, I’m not against all synth… not at all! I’ve enjoyed Junkie XL’s Mad Max and RCP’s Man of Steel (not BvS tho’). But those have melody, deliberation. That "feeling of dread, tension" is a great tool for fueling a stronger atmosphere for the film, but synth pads have made it too easy to just press a button on the Drone Machine 3000 and keep that going for a minute. That’s not real composition, not to me.

I have to agree with Skelly for once here. I tried out Arrival and I kinda died inside. Noise, noise, noise. Seriously. It’s not "orchestra snob" talking here. Just.. it felt like just one keyboard hit for 10 seconds. Another. Sure. As ambience in the movie. Perfect. But for listening outside of the film, no. And ambience music does not deserve a nomination.

It seems film scores give a really bad impression of what electronic music can sound like, based off of what I hear. Like, I just listened to that track for Sicario that was mentioned, and while I think it was a well produced track and one that gave quite the mood, it’s ultimately very hallow. It just seems like every time a composer is given a chance to work with electronics, it just gives them more power to abuse it than use it to their benefit. I think the only people that have managed to use it well is Maurice Jarre and Daft Punk. Otherwise, it just kills creativity.

This should give a better example of what electronic music can do. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD4KMp22jBg)

———- Post added at 10:01 PM ———- Previous post was at 09:57 PM ———-

And ambience music does not deserve a nomination.

With what I’ve heard you guys describe, absolutely. However, I still do think there is potential if someone gave an actual damn. This is one of those few ambient pieces that I adore for another example. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWIqXzvX-U)

That’s one of the more listenable tracks, yeah. But Alejandro’s Song… doesn’t that sound like a bunch of shrieking mandrakes to you? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.

Just to re-iterate, I’m not against all synth… not at all! I’ve enjoyed Junkie XL’s Mad Max and RCP’s Man of Steel (not BvS tho’). But those have melody, deliberation. That "feeling of dread, tension" is a great tool for fueling a stronger atmosphere for the film, but synth pads have made it too easy to just press a button on the Drone Machine 3000 and keep that going for a minute. That’s not real composition, not to me.

Haha that’s brilliant, yeah I must admit there are a few tracks on it that I’m not too fond of and that was one of them… now I can’t stop hearing mandrakes!

I understand where you’re all coming from and I agree with you that it perhaps shouldn’t have been nominated but I still think it can be enjoyed standalone, I mean in my music collection it’s certainly something different and I guess that’s kind of refreshing for me. I did prefer Prisoners, I dunno what you guys think of that one?

Wasn’t Daft Punk’s score partially half written by a lot of Hollywood composers who almost went uncredit?

I did prefer Prisoners, I dunno what you guys think of that one?

Is that another Johannson score? I’ll have to check that out, along with his The Theory of Everything.

Wasn’t Daft Punk’s score partially half written by a lot of Hollywood composers who almost went uncredit?

I think it had some level of RCP involvement.

It’s obvious Daft Punk is only in charge of the very electronic techno-like songs (which are pretty good) and some other composers do the more classic parts. I kinda doubt Daft Punk did everytihng. That reminds me, god I wish there had been Tron 3.. I wanted another Daft Punk score. Fucking Tomorrowland fucking Tron 3 up. When it was almost up. Seriously Disney cancels Tron 3 but still keeps Tim Burton’s Dumbo. WHY.

And yes, I know I sounded like a dick just then.

No worries. Realizing you have a problem is the first step to solving it.

Is that another Johannson score? I’ll have to check that out, along with his The Theory of Everything.

I think it had some level of RCP involvement.

I think you’ll like Prisoners. It’s not filled with synth, but it still works a lot on moods and ambience. If my memory doesn’t betray me, The Theory of Everything has a lot of piano and strings (no synths I think).

I have to say I liked Johannsson’s scores, especially because they work more on a mood/ambience level rather than symphonic level. I listened Arrival many times before viewing the film, and I see how it sounds weird. I quite enjoyed the score itself tough.

There are no additional composers to Tron Legacy. In the bookleg there’s no trace of additional composers credits, but there’s written: Daft Punk would like to thank: Brian Loucks, Hans Zimmer, John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams and Christophe Beck for their generosity. I think they only had conversations about "how to do a film score" or something like that, not directly related to the music itself. And I have no clue who Brian Loucks is and Beck is not a RCP composer, so I don’t think they were additional composers. I don’t see John Powell working as additional composer for Tron Legacy.

Mr. Loucks I believe is an agent.
Maybe you’re right about them being consultants though. Heck, the "generosity" may merely be RCP letting Daft Punk use one of their studios.

Daft Punk probably only knows to write techno music, I doubt the classic parts were composed all by them, too.

Daft Punk probably only knows to write techno music, I doubt the classic parts were composed all by them, too.

Having heard their last album many times, which prioritizes real instruments over the electronic ones. this statement is pretty much incorrect. Hell, even though I’m sure that other composers were involved, they still did much of the work in TRON.

Don’t judge when you only know the basics.

Let’s turn this frown upside down. Blad3 says no more magic. I say let’s breathe life back into Tinkerbell. New thread. 1 song from each movie. (this step alone could take weeks) 200 best movies. Make a top 200 (loosely) songs list within FFS that acknowledges these movies. The list of new movies hitting the list will be scant, BUT we may begin to agree on what "type" of music makes the list most commonly and see through metrics that Johannsen and Gia style are not similar to those mentioned. Excellent opportunity for our more seasoned bloggers to group these scores in a fashion that makes sense to others. If this thread already exists, just point to it here and the work is already done.

Recommended Categories:

1.) Symphonic
2.) Synth
3.) Winds
4.) Piano
5.) etc

That makes sense, veradyn!

I have to agree with Skelly for once here. I tried out Arrival and I kinda died inside. Noise, noise, noise. Seriously. It’s not "orchestra snob" talking here. Just.. it felt like just one keyboard hit for 10 seconds. Another. Sure. As ambience in the movie. Perfect. But for listening outside of the film, no. And ambience music does not deserve a nomination.

As much as I still enjoy film scores released today, I must agree that Arrival kinda dropped the ball.

Hi, After 20 years of collecting cd scores i have decided to stop. I have come to the conclusion that Movie and TV scores just aren’t on the same level as they were 20+ years ago. The scoring just seems to be "mish mashy" and has no real soul to them.

Sad day but was coming, the deterioration of movie scores IMHO is complete. There just is no class in movie scoring anymore

Regards

I have to say, I totally agree. Gone are the days of a classic John Williams score (except when he writes, of course). I worked with a few directors recently who all informed me that music should be more like sound design…there to enhance the scene, but ultimately forgotten in the background. It’s kind of sad really. I agree that music should enhance the scene, but I also feel that music should take the role of an actor. It’s an equal part with the film. Just my two cents though.

I guess it all depends on the movie. Sometimes you’d need the music to add to the atmosphere but no more than that, but other times you’d want it to play a bigger role.

I agree.
But one could argue that instead of using music to add to the atmosphere, the director could just go use silence instead. It can add a lot to a film.