Wednesday 5 August 2020

Complaint



I have a complaint. I don't know who to complain to so I'll complain to you in the hope you can do something about it.

I am getting totally fed up with loud music in films or on TV plays, especially when people are talking and the music overcomes what they are saying making it difficult to understand. You cannot control it with the remote control because if you lower the volume it lowers the speech as well as the music. If you increase the volume the music drowns the actors talking.

It is totally stupid. Why not have films with no music at all?

I know ... you will say that if we had no music in films we would not have had such tunes like Gone with the wind, Dr Zhivago, Exodus and so on. Yes, I like this kind of music which is often associated with great films; but it is only appropriate when the actors are not talking, but watching cattle in the prairies, wildebeests travelling through the savannahs, or spaceships travelling through space whilst Captain Jean-Luc Picard is eating ice cream. Loud music is not appropriate when actors are saying something important relevant to the plot.

And another thing; I hate it when you have a love scene with a couple in bed and there's music in the background. I would certainly not want a whole orchestra in the bedroom when I'm having such a moment!

Or when there's a fight on; whether it is gladiators fighting with swords, or cowboys and indians, cops and robbers or whatever ... why is there stupid background music?

As for that shower scene from Psycho ... the crazy music would have made the whole cinema audience wet themselves in their seats. What's so clever about that?

So if any of you have any influence in the cinema or TV industry could you please tell them to keep music only in scenes where there is no dialogue. This will help me appreciate the music, or serve as a clue for me to get off the couch and make a cup of tea, or go to the toilet.

20 comments:

  1. 100% agree every single night when we watch television we fuss and carry on about the music that is in the background that wipes out the words and if they want to play the music in the background and play it low so that we can hear what they're saying.

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    1. Hi Sandra, great to see you visiting here again. Thanx.

      I am not sure whether the music is loud in the original films, or whether the people at the TV station are changing the frequencies at which the films are broadcast on TV. Years ago, whether at the cinema or at home on TV, the music was not so loud, as I remember. Now, the same film seems to have the music louder than the spoken dialogue.

      I am told it is technically possible at the broadcasting source to alter one sound track (music) in favour of the other (dialogue).

      When driving and listening to music on your car radio, and they want to warn you of a traffic incident ahead, they increase the volume of their announcement above the level of the music to draw the driver's attention.

      Also, at home on TV, they increase the volume of the adverts above the level of the film or program you are watching.

      God bless.

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  2. When you mentioned the kind of music which is often associated with great films I remembered the Mission and played Gabriel's Oboe on You tube.

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  3. I'd have to join you in that complaint, Victor. Music in film certainly has its place, but it isn't to drown out the voices.
    Blessings!

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    1. The same films were not like that years ago. I suspect the TV companies are changing the sound frequencies on the soundtrack - i.e. broadcasting louder music. I'm told if the original dialogue soundtrack has deteriorated, (like my radio tapes), they re-enhance the music track so you would not notice.

      God bless, Martha.

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  4. First I was going to say, "I'll get right on that!" ... then I continued reading and discovered I agree with everything you've said. You've listed a few of my own favorite scores; might I add, Theme from the Apartment. At the end of the day, I think I'd rather read a book!

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    1. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. 1960 I believe.

      Perhaps we should have another post asking which is your favourite film score. Exodus for me.

      God bless you, Mevely.

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  5. Very timely, just last night we were saying how the music overpowers the words. But because of my hearing loss, I always have caption. So I can at least I can read what they are saying. Some of the music by itself is beautiful. We love the music from "Dances with Wolves"

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    1. The thing is, Wanda, not all channels over here have captions. Sometimes they show some old classic films which it is nice seeing again - but no subtitles captions.

      God bless.

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  6. The last movie I went to, the previews were so loud it was very uncomfortable. I like to hear what I'm listening to but the loudness is a killer and its not just the music, it's the whole movie. That was about 10 years ago so I don't know if its any better today.

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    1. No ... not in the cinemas, it is not better. I am told that at the cinema both music and dialogue is too loud. We've stopped going for this very reason.

      God bless, Bill.

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  7. I agree it is annoying when the music drowns out the talking. I don't even remember the last time we went to the movies!

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    1. It is very annoying, Happyone. And it happens all too often.

      God bless.

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  8. I'm with you on this! Also, have you noticed how loud commercials are? You can watch a show at an acceptable level but when the commercials start they blast your ear drums. Who thought any of this was a good idea?

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    1. You are right Belle. They do increase the volume on the commercials to draw your attention to them. I'll be writing about commercials tomorrow. See you again then.

      God bless always.

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  9. Yes, I agree it is very annoying when the music drowns out the talking. We have also found that on some of the more recent television shows the sound has been 'mumbly'.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Aha ... I thought there was something wrong with my hearing. Thank you for this re-assuring comment, Jan. I was hoping someone in the UK would comment here to confirm/deny my suspicions. Yes, some modern/more recent TV programs seem to be mumbly as you say. Detective stories for instance.

      How welcome your comment is. Thanx.

      God bless, Jan.

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  10. While it won't change how loud the music is, can you turn on the feature of the telly where it prints what they are saying at the bottom of the screen? (We call it the closed captioning.)

    At least then you could read what they are saying when the music is too loud.

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    1. We call it subtitles here in the UK. Unfortunately not all TV channels have subtitles/closed captioning. It is very useful for very long films/stories. I once saw War and Peace, and Les Miserables, on TV with subtitles. Now I can claim to have read both books.

      God bless, Mimi.

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