Music helps

You have all seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. There’s a sequence where Indiana Jones has lowered himself into the Map Room in the desert, and he has placed the staff of Ra in the right position. He’s waiting for the sun to align itself with the medallion at the staff’s head and show him the location of the Well of Souls, resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Harrison Ford’s face displays intense excitement and emotion as the sunbeam edges closer to the mark, and finally ignites the secret location. How did Steven Spielberg direct Ford in the scene? By music.

Spielberg often used a boom blaster to direct scenes in this movie. In the case of the Map Room he had selected a piece of classical music that composer John Williams would later mimic in his original score. The piece articulated the emotional experience Spielberg wanted the character and the audience to have at that point, so he simply told Ford to react to the music and not think about it.

Other directors are known to use music on set. Peter Weir certainly comes to mind. It can help the performances, and lessen the need for rationalizing characters and action. But it can also be a useful tool in writing. Personally, I rarely write without music. The challenge is to find background music that fits the story, the characters, and maybe in particular the emotional experience you hope to create for the reader/viewer.

When Pål and I worked on the latest draft of Nidarholm (Norwegian pdf available in the downloads section), I found help in Elliot Goldenthal’s score for Alien3. On our current project I am still trying to figure out what might spur me on, although I often return to John Williams and Vangelis.

The quest continues.