Music also plays an important role in storytelling, whether it be a musical number, a random song break, or just the original soundtrack of the film/series. During fast-paced songs, the brain releases beta and gamma waves that result in an increase of heart rate and blood pressure. On the other hand, during slower songs the brain releases alpha waves as a result of synchronizing with a 60 bpm tempo, which naturally calms us down. Ultimately, tempo plays a very big role in film energy, so by changing the tempo of a song you are partially changing the mood of the scene. Per auditory example, take a quick listen to these songs below and feel the effects for yoursefl! (The links work, but YouTube does not allow videos with copyrigthed music to be embeded into an html website)
Another fascinating science behind music is musical expectancy. Musical expectancy is when your brain constantly tries to figure out what comes next in a song, whether it be words, chord progression, etc. This phenomenon evolved from the brain’s constant analyzing and expectancy of dangerous situations, such as falling victim to predators. So when a song hits hard, it’s because the song matched the expectations set by the listener and as a result an appropriate emotion is aroused.
It’s important to discuss the camera filming a movie/series and how it can do wonders in moving the scene forward. Camera work is crucial to a film as not only is it the audience’s perspective of the story, but it can also add an extra layer of depth and sensory details that really pull the audience in. Anyone who watches sports sees this technique in action in every live showing of a game. With the camera following the target, whether it be a sports ball or an athlete, there is a sense of fluidity one wouldn’t get in the actual stadium. By adding screen shake a director could imply weight or impact. By having the camera move slightly to a target or changing how the audience looks through the camera can imply importance or hint at the objective or even a threat only the audience knows about. Camera work is a creative outlet that gives film media a certain added element when done well.