purposely use older popular songs to attract older viewers pushes back against the notion that popular music is only marketed to youth. Starr and Waterman also discuss the importance of older generations as a target audience when they examine the use of rock ‘n’ roll as a nostalgia factor for the baby boomer generation.
One case study that can be used to examine the elements of comedy film trailers is the three installments of The Hangover: The Hangover (2009), The Hangover II (2011), and The Hangover III (2013). The Hangover trilogy is the highest grossing comedy film franchise and it is a good example of how a film franchise uses popular music to establish an aural branding and promotion of a distinctive sound across all three films. The …show more content…
Film producers were able to completely change the atmosphere of a scene just by adding music. A scene with a boat floating along in the ocean is changed with the addition of an upbeat song like “Knee Deep” by the Zac Brown Band, and it is further changed with the addition of a dramatic and ominous song such as “Jaws” by John Williams. Popular music is used as a tool to manipulate the audience’s emotions, communicate a films theme, or help target a certain audience. Through the song “As Time Goes By,” the producers were able to convey the effect of the song on the main character’s memories. While the use of hip-hop and rock music in the trailers for The Hangover helped the producers target a wider audience. The inclusion of popular music in film is not just beneficial for the film industry. The creation of soundtracks released along side films has added a new commercial element for artists and musicians to profit from. Artists also benefit from the additional medium through which their music can reach new and larger audiences. Popular music is not always used in films to help promote the movie, sometimes the film is what makes the song popular. As seen in an earlier example, the film Casablanca led “As Time Goes By” to become one of the most famous songs to ever be used in a film. On the other hand, the film producers of The Hangover used the already established popularity of the song “Live Your Life” to serve as an additional promotional element. Every popular song in a film is chosen for a specific reason or is meant to serve a purpose. So the next time you watch a movie or see a trailer for a new film, pay attention to the use of popular music and see if you can determine the logic behind the use of the
One case study that can be used to examine the elements of comedy film trailers is the three installments of The Hangover: The Hangover (2009), The Hangover II (2011), and The Hangover III (2013). The Hangover trilogy is the highest grossing comedy film franchise and it is a good example of how a film franchise uses popular music to establish an aural branding and promotion of a distinctive sound across all three films. The …show more content…
Film producers were able to completely change the atmosphere of a scene just by adding music. A scene with a boat floating along in the ocean is changed with the addition of an upbeat song like “Knee Deep” by the Zac Brown Band, and it is further changed with the addition of a dramatic and ominous song such as “Jaws” by John Williams. Popular music is used as a tool to manipulate the audience’s emotions, communicate a films theme, or help target a certain audience. Through the song “As Time Goes By,” the producers were able to convey the effect of the song on the main character’s memories. While the use of hip-hop and rock music in the trailers for The Hangover helped the producers target a wider audience. The inclusion of popular music in film is not just beneficial for the film industry. The creation of soundtracks released along side films has added a new commercial element for artists and musicians to profit from. Artists also benefit from the additional medium through which their music can reach new and larger audiences. Popular music is not always used in films to help promote the movie, sometimes the film is what makes the song popular. As seen in an earlier example, the film Casablanca led “As Time Goes By” to become one of the most famous songs to ever be used in a film. On the other hand, the film producers of The Hangover used the already established popularity of the song “Live Your Life” to serve as an additional promotional element. Every popular song in a film is chosen for a specific reason or is meant to serve a purpose. So the next time you watch a movie or see a trailer for a new film, pay attention to the use of popular music and see if you can determine the logic behind the use of the