From Shostakovich to Synths | A Quick History of Film Music

I went to a movie-soundtrack concert, and here’s the notes.

Music has been a critical component of movie experience since its very beginning (1985).

In the silent film era, live music was essential, with pianists and small ensembles performing alongside screenings. improvising and enhancing the on-screen action. Fun fact: Dmitri Shostakovich, before becoming a legendary composer, worked as a silent film pianist in Soviet Russia.

With the arrival of synchronized sound, film scores became pre-recorded, often performed by full orchestras. Due to early recording limitations, every parts had to be done in a single take, making film scoring a lengthy and expensive process, sometimes taking months to complete.

Nowadays, modern studio-based production revolutionized allows for layered recordings, easier editing, and more experimentation. Scores could now be electronic, orchestral, or anything in between. So the technology limit is lifted, what’s left are imagination and budget. The soundtrack can be just so as extremely cheap, or fast, or immersive, or fancy, as you (and your budget) likes it.