Sunday, June 08, 2008
It’s Only the Music, Right?!
By Mike Lake
Notes Why does music always seem to be considered secondary to video in so many multimedia productions? It’s too often an afterthought. Perhaps it’s because we think that what we see is more important that what we hear. After all, haven’t we always been told that a picture is worth a thousand words? Maybe it’s time to rethink that cliche.
Probably because I’m a musician by training, I actually believe that the music is more important that the visual. After all, in most multimedia pieces, it’s the emotion that drives the viewer–and it’s the music that drives the emotion. I’m not talking about an academic presentation on the history of cement, even though…
eliciting an emotional response would help motivate people to pay attention. Most multimedia achieves its impact by the emotion brought about through the music. Emotion motivates people to visit a store, click to a web address, pick up the phone and write you a check.
This may not be a subject you’ve thought much about. The reason is that music produces a subconscious reaction. You feel excited, sympathetic or elated, but you’re not necessarily identifying exactly why it’s making you feel that way. That’s okay. In fact, the best chosen music for video is so well integrated that it’s hard to separate the two unless you are consciously trying. When you find yourself distracted by the music, it was probably not well chosen for the visual.
When having a video produced, make sure that music is not just thrown in at the end of the video editing process. There are many on-line resources for finding great music. Make sure that your production company takes the time to choose music that emotionally propels the visual. They have basically two primary means of purchasing that music: Royalty-free and rights managed. Just like their counterparts when buying photography, royalty-free music is much cheaper, and once you own it you can use it for all your needs. Purchasing it for a national TV spot costs no more than purchasing it for a non-profit one-time fund-raising event. But you get what you pay for. Rights managed music tends to be better quality: Live musicians, better compositions, superbly recorded, etc. You also pay for it based upon your use. So, it costs MUCH more for a national television spot than it does for that one-time showing at your non-profit event. And you also pay based upon how long it will be used. I haven’t mentioned writing custom music, but if you are paying to have music written specifically for your video, you probably already understand the great importance of multimedia music.
Once the visual has been created and the music is laid in, deliver people the full impact. If you are playing this video for a live event, make sure you have adequate sound reproduction. I’m amazed at the number of people who allow the sound techs at an event to convince them to use the house system (usually ceiling speakers). For an important live event, invest in renting a sound system consisting of a couple of good speakers located front left and right. If your event has a band, talk to them about tapping into their sound system/speakers. Normally, bands will graciously accommodate your request. For broadcast or DVD, make sure that a qualified audio post-production person does his or her magic to bring everything to optimal levels. (More on this in a future post.)
So in the end, make sure that the music creates a strong and appropriate emotional impact. If it doesn’t, ask to hear another musical option. For live events, play it so it can be felt, not just heard. And for broadcast, web and DVD, insist that it be mixed appropriately for that medium and that all the elements of the audio have a great “presence”. Remember: A musical phrase is worth a thousand pictures!
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
Mike is too modest. He’s a Grammy winner. This post is solid gold. Print it, save it , bookmark it.
One more thing, if we realize that all decisions are based on emotion (desire), then advertising and communications is all about creating an emotional buying environment…and for me that means putting music front and center in the communications.
Our company helps you to establish an emotional bond for your brand with your customer through custom branded music download cards and microsites.