I have from my scoring beginning assumed that any non-dialog section especially silence needed music. On a recent project, I scored a scene where the actress was crying. My filmmaker was insistent that it needed no music.
Today, in light of recent events with the election of a new pope, I re-watched Conclave (on Prime) paying particular attention to the Oscar nominated score. There were a significant number of silent segments (with no music) and even a crying scene without music.
I now understand the importance of judging every part of the film on its own merit with feedback from the stakeholders (normally through spotting). If am asked to keep something silent, I will not score a cue and offer an alternative - silence it will be.
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This is such a thoughtful reflection, and a valuable reminder that silence can be just as powerful, if not more so, than music in the right moment. It’s all about emotional space.
It immediately brought to mind two Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes that had a strong impact on me when I was younger: “The Body”, which features almost no score at all, letting the silence carry the weight of grief; and “Hush”, where nearly the entire episode is void of spoken dialogue. Both episodes made me realize how sound, or the lack of it, can heighten the emotional impact of a story.
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Two great points, Joel. Silence can be just as powerful as a musical cue. And there's nothing better than being on the same page as the decision makers.