The music in the trailer for Ridley Scott's upcoming "Napoleon"
- Thread starter Henrik B. Jensen
- Start date
JamesExactly
Active Member
So you think this is Ridley Scott marketing the film, and that he chose the music? Nope.
JamesExactly
Active Member
Yep.
Correct. As Noam alluded to, the trailer is there to sell the film - to make people want to see the film.
But what I am saying, is that this is not how you do it.
Michael Antrum
Only the good die young....
You say that, but then how do explain Prometheus……
Pier
Senior Member
Honestly I think it makes sense.
Lots of people will watch the movie regardless of the trailer. I will watch anything Ridley makes. Plus there's Joaquin Phoenix and it's historical. Fuck yeah.
But a lot of people might think "ugh another historical movie with bland colors bowwrrriinnnggg". By giving the trailer a modern treatment it might make it appealing to audiences not typically interested in this type of thing.
Pier
Senior Member
I liked it...
What's wrong with Prometheus? So many people thought it was a bad film but for some reason I love it haha. It made $400m+ btw
SimonCharlesHanna
Senior Member
you have to pretend all the scientists and engineers are fkn idiots to continue your suspension of disbelief.
Ahhh yeah I can see that. I thought the overarching ideas in the script were cool so it helped turn a blind eye to the plot holes.
Kyle Preston
I Think, Therefore I Ambient
Then please, random internet user, inform the rest of us how 'one does in fact do it'. Follow up: you really think someone like Ridley Scott lets randos market his films without rhyme or reason (or a successful track record)?
JamesExactly
Active Member
So, here it is, random internet user - Ridley Scott is not marketing his film. The film studio's marketing dept. is marketing the film. Directors are not involved in the making of the trailer, choice of music, and so on. Do they have some say? On occasion, maybe a little. But the trailer is not done by the film picture dept. It is a separate entity hired by the film studio's marketing dept. THEY are the ones who make these decisions. Not the director.
There ya go. Some rhyme and reason for ya.
Kyle Preston
I Think, Therefore I Ambient
No one asked do directors market their own movies?
And definitely no one asked for a clunky description of how film studios market their film.
The question, to spell it out crystal clear for you, using your own literal words: how does one get people to want to see their film?
And definitely no one asked for a clunky description of how film studios market their film.
The question, to spell it out crystal clear for you, using your own literal words: how does one get people to want to see their film?
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JamesExactly
Active Member
The second sentence in you last post before mine in which you mention Ridley Scott by name made me think you were on about him marketing the film. If I misunderstood, I apologize, but you don't have to be rude about it. How about next time, you be a bit more respectful, and say something along the lines of:
"Hmmm, seems like you misunderstood me. Perhaps that's on me. Here is what I was trying to say..."
As far as how does the film's marketing dept get people to want to see their film?... you make a trailer that tells the audience the underlying premise of the story without giving away too much, you make it interesting, engaging, and you cut it in such a manner that people keep their eyes and ears on the trailer. And you include music that fits in with the content. The music in this trailer does not fit with the content.
The trailer music is deliberately against type, because it is there to push against the Historical Drama Slot that the unenthusiastic will drop a film named “Napoleon” into. That viewers do this will have been determined experimentally by market testing for small audiences of random compensated invitees. The music is deliberately “inappropriate” because it’s there to communicate to those unaccustomed to choosing historical dramas that there will be cool, awesome, relatable moments even for you, youngster-who-thinks-The-Batman-is-the-best-and-deepest-film-made-in-the-last-twenty-years. So come see it, you’ll enjoy!
Kyle Preston
I Think, Therefore I Ambient
Are these statements of fact or are they your own personal opinion? If the later is true, then perhaps next time (since we're exchanging advice on how to speak properly) you could say something like:
in my opinion, the music in this trailer does not fit the content
or
I don't think this is how one should market their movie
or
I believe there is a correct way to sell a movie and this is not it
JamesExactly
Active Member
What I stated is obviously my opinion. I should not have to make that clear while posting.
Kyle Preston
I Think, Therefore I Ambient
"Success is the most convincing talker in the world"
-- Napoleon
With this in mind, obviously, I'll take Ridley Scott's opinion over your own if you don't mind. And then, I'll see myself out of this thread so the rest of you can continue the pointless grumbling in peace.
-- Napoleon
With this in mind, obviously, I'll take Ridley Scott's opinion over your own if you don't mind. And then, I'll see myself out of this thread so the rest of you can continue the pointless grumbling in peace.
Robin Thompson
Active Member
Biomuse explains it perfectly. I just want to push back more generally on this idea that the music should match the period... because that's silly. And a great example of its silliness is this Gladiator trailer offered here as a supposed counter-example. Yes, it's mostly orchestral and (a bit) less hyped than the Napoleon trailer. But orchestral does not equal period. The orchestra has been evolving for hundreds of years. Something can be orchestral and still entirely modern, as Gladiator is (it's HZ after all). And there isn't any version of orchestral music that would be period for that film anyway - most instruments of the orchestra hadn't been invented yet when that story is set! And I daresay that even for 95% of films set during the actual Classical period the characters in those films would hardly recognize the scores set to their adventures, which are probably full of romantic and modernist idioms and don't even have a proper well-tempered tuning!
This is part of why I love the score to Ladyhawke so much. It puts its thumb in the eye of this weird notion that period films need to have "period" music and is all the better for it. Unless we're talking diagetic source music then the style of the score really need have nothing to do with the setting. Whatever carries the intended emotion to the audience is correct.
This is part of why I love the score to Ladyhawke so much. It puts its thumb in the eye of this weird notion that period films need to have "period" music and is all the better for it. Unless we're talking diagetic source music then the style of the score really need have nothing to do with the setting. Whatever carries the intended emotion to the audience is correct.
Henrik B. Jensen
Senior Member
Yes, but that is exactly the problem for me with the music in this Napoleon trailer: It turns what I see on the screen into a parody almost; I can't take the scenes in the movie which we see in the trailer seriously because of the music. The music distracts me. It suggests a different time age for me, the modern age we live in now.
Semarus
Active Member
Maybe if it was actually Radiohead, not some half tempo cover trying desperately to conjure an emotional response to scenes of Napoleon Napoleoning all over himself.Ridley going after us millennials! I do love Radiohead
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