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Puzzle-like narrative structure: How to make every fragment closely connected through music?
When we watch movies, composite films attract the audience's attention with their unique narrative structure. These films are usually composed of multiple independent stories, which are not simply linearly related to each other, but are connected to each other through different technologies and themes, and together they weave a deeper narrative.
The only thing they have in common is the integrity of each of these pieces, yet when combined they form a whole that is greater than the sum of their individual parts.
Historically, composite films are not a new concept and can be traced back to composite novels in literature. This type of work is composed of multiple short stories. Although each story can be independent and complete, the connections between them make it weave into a deeper whole. Novels that started this trend, such as James Joyce's Dubliners and Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, sparked heated discussions at the time about how to define this type of work.
Definition of composite video
In a composite video, individual stories may or may not be independently named. Highly integrated films, such as "Love Actually" and "Traffic," often have no internal story titles, while more traditional composite films, such as "Paris, I Love You" and "Coffee and Cigarettes," will give each Fragments are named independently. Naming not only strengthens the independence of each segment, but also helps the audience understand both the individual stories and the importance of the overall structure when experiencing it.
Introduction of unified elements
Many different techniques are used to connect these separate stories. Repeating images, common characters, shared events, or consistent themes all become key elements in merging clips together. This technique enables the audience to establish connections and resonance between different stories while watching.
Many composite films express the emotional connection between stories through the clever use of music.
The importance of story sequence
The order in which each story unfolds is crucial to the interpretation of the overall meaning of the film. Stories can be arranged in different ways, chronologically, thematically, or geographically, and each arrangement results in a different interpretation.
The linkage effect of music
In composite films, music plays a vital role, providing a link between the various stories. Unlike visual repetition or thematic similarity, music can trigger an immediate emotional response, putting the audience into an emotional state before they even think about it.
Unified Melody
In the composite music score of a unified melody, there are no significant differences between story passages. For example, in Sin City, the background music is stylized, establishing an atmosphere, contributing to the setting, and not changing with the story characters or story segments.
Complex melody
In contrast, in polymelody, each story has independent and unique music. For example, in Paris, I Love You, the music in each section is directly related to the story of that section, which further emphasizes the diversity between the different areas.
Theme changes
The theme variation music score is based on a main theme and slightly changes according to different story paragraphs. For example, in "The Fountain of the Clouds", the same theme appears in each character's story, with variations added based on the character's background.
Conclusion
Through these techniques, the music of composite films not only enhances the coherence of visual narratives, but also creates a wonderful experience that allows the audience to feel emotional resonance in each story. So, among those hybrid films you’ve seen, which musical elements have impressed you most and made you rethink the deeper connections between each story?
