Saturday, June 04, 2011

Those ominous Frontline scores

I realized today that I may have been subconsciously avoiding watching the recent Frontline program on Wikileaks partly because I just didn’t want to be bummed out, wasn’t in the mood for a somber lecture with emotional audio prompts. Part of Frontline’s formula in explicating a big troubling issue is to dramatically recount all of the warning signs, and they use portentous music and a great grave voiceover announcer to heighten your concern about the topic. I find I don’t care for being manipulated like that anymore.

I started thinking differently about music in film and TV after hearing David Simon talk about why he prefers not to use music to make viewers feel a certain way. I’d never really thought about it before, but once I did I started to resent that type of persuasion—in newly made media anyway. I’m happy to grant exceptions to classics and allow myself to be emotionally led by the score in North By Northwest.

Later: My friend Hil points out that a program in Australia does this too, and that ominous lighting is a part of the effects package.

@Amyloo I also dislike tendency for ominous lighting, like almost interrogation style interview, black shadowy bgd & lighting only on face.

@Amyloo I think it is. Our equivalent #4corners changed to this style & it undermines my respect for them. The info itself usually enough