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March 14, 2008
Also, about music
When I write, I cannot listen to music with lyrics. I concentrate too much on the vocals, and can't clear my head enough to focus on the storytelling. But silence doesn't help me either. What I do is listen to really intense movie soundtracks, and lately it's all been music written by Hans Zimmer. Specifically, I listen to the soundtracks from Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and The Last Samarai.
It makes all my screenplays feel so epic and important while I write them.
Posted by jason on March 14, 2008 02:05 AM
Comments
that's really interesting. I can't listen to music with vocals when I am trying to fall asleep, cause I just analyze how they sound too much and it keeps my mind working....My dance history professor always told us that if you want to be a good dancer, you have to watch good dancing--I am sure it is true for movie writers, too--and listening to good movie soundtracks would be part of that.
Posted by: jessica on March 14, 2008 07:46 PM
I'm a little different than you, Jason, though I know what you mean. Some of my favorite songs are heart-pumping hard rock and don't make for good background music. But I do like a lot of lower key songs that I can just put on repeat and drift away. I will literally listen to the same song for a couple hours if I'm that into whatever work I'm doing.
I've listened to "Three Seed" by the Silversun Pickups approximately one billion times in the past year.
Posted by: SnakeMan on March 14, 2008 08:36 PM
I wanted to mention that this need of mine for instrumental music is pretty specific to storytelling. If I'm writing a paper or putting together a presentation or doing anything design related I can even be watching tv and I'm ok. But for story there's a lot waiting and listening and letting the scene unfold in your head.
Posted by: jason on March 14, 2008 09:13 PM
Last of the Mohicans has a great soundtrack, very epic in style.
Posted by: sean on March 16, 2008 04:52 PM
Surprisingly enough . . . so does Stargate.
Posted by: Xerxes on March 25, 2008 07:22 AM
