used, care must be taken so that it does not set up associations in the mind of the hearer that are unrelated to the
theme of the picture. Music, then, like sound, must follow
certain standards.An extremely important standard for the music used is that
it show good taste and discriminating judgment. In other
words, it ought to be good music. Many believe that this
standard is not being adequately met in motion pictures. For
example, a famous composer, Charles Wakefield Cadman,
said in the
Music World of September, 1930: "The musical
taste of most of the studios is very low, and it has not improved one whit since music for sound pictures came in. I
feel that we had better music with the old silents than we
do right now."
SUMMARY OF STANDARDS
| 1. | The sound or dialogue must not interrupt the flow of the story. |
| 2. | The story ought to be told primarily by the camera and not
by dialogue. |
| 3. | Only those sounds should be included in the picture which have
dramatic value. |
| 4. | The purpose of music is to help develop the mood or atmosphere
of the picture. |
PROBLEMS AND ACTIVITIES
| Do people under strong emotion use long or short sentences?
What evidence have you for your statement? |
| Do you prefer action to talk in a motion picture? Why? |
| What difference, if any, does it make how much the characters
talk and how often they talk? |
| Write a review of the dialogue and sound effects of a motion
picture, bearing these questions in mind:| a. | Did the dialogue intensify and promote the action of the
play? Give some examples. |
|
-177-
