Thanks to a handful of seminal scores, themes that have resonated for decades and been hummed and whistled into our collective cultural subconscious (see: “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park,” “Raiders Of The Lost Ark“), the music of cinema has managed to remain a popular point of discourse. But that is not to say that composers and their work always get the recognition they deserve. Especially considering just how much of an impact a score can have on our emotional reaction to a pivotal scene (consider Sandra Bullock’s first steps back on Earth in “Gravity” and the overwhelming swell of Steven Price’s strings willing us to feel the triumph of the moment).
READ MORE: The 30 Best Scores And Soundtracks Of 2015
To help untangle just how big of an impact a movie’s music has on our emotions, Now You See It has put together a new, sonically centered video essay. The 11-minute “How Film Scores Play With Our Brains” takes a listen to the sort of auditory stimulation that manipulates our feelings. In addition to breaking down the different types of compositions that make up the traditional scores and running through the history of film scores, the video also proves just how easy it is for the music to alter our perception of the scene. To do so, “How Film Scores Play With Our Brains” replaces the score in a vital character-based moment from “Pirates Of The Caribbean,” turning Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack from a delusional pirate high on his own exploits, into an almost menacing villain, then to an out and out joke. It’s pretty captivating stuff; who knew how easy it was to manipulate us?
Check out “How Film Scores Play With Our Brains” and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.