Explain the differences in musical approaches when working on documentaries versus narrative films, detailing the specific creative choices a composer would have to make.

Scoring for documentaries and narrative films requires distinctly different musical approaches, primarily because of their differing purposes and narrative structures. Narrative films, with their scripted stories, fictional characters, and deliberate pacing, allow composers more freedom to shape the emotional journey of the narrative, whereas documentaries, with their real-life events and factual content, often demand a more subtle and objective approach. The composer's role is always to enhance the film, but the methods of doing so vary widely between the two genres. The core difference is in the purpose of the music, and also the needs and goals of the film.

In narrative films, composers have a significant level of creative control. They work with a fictional story, characters, and scenarios, allowing them to create music that actively shapes the audience's emotional response and reinforces the themes of the film. The composer can use leitmotifs to identify characters, specific musical styles to enhance different scenes, and build the score to match the dramatic structure. This allows the music to be very deliberate, emphasizing the highs and lows of the film, and using musical techniques to underscore the meaning and emotional content of the film. Composers often work closely with the director, to create a unified vision that combines sound and image. The music in a narrative film often guides the emotional arc of the characters and their experiences.

Composers also use music to create an emotional experience for the viewer, often using music to foreshadow, create suspense, or elicit certain emotional responses. The music is not just a background element; it is an active participant in the storytelling process. There are often multiple levels of expression and meaning that are encoded in a film score. A composer is able to use all techniques of music composition, mixing, orchestration, and sound design to enhance the narrative of the film. Because the film is fictional, there is more freedom for creative choices.

Documentaries, on the other hand, often require a more nuanced, subtle, and objective musical approach. The primary purpose of the music in a documentary is to support the real-life events, enhance the emotional weight of the subject matter, and guide the viewer through the presented information without imposing a biased or manipulative narrative. The music can enhance the impact of the subject matter, without being overtly dramatic. There is less freedom for the composer, since they are not dealing with a scripted or fictional narrative. The focus is to support, not drive, the emotional elements of the film.

The music in a documentary has to enhance what is already present. The composer has to approach the score with sensitivity and awareness of the subject matter. This means that the music is often more minimalist, with less dramatic or bombastic elements. The composer will have to focus on using sound to support the images, and to enhance the emotional experience of the subjects of the documentary. This also means using sound design to create a sense of realism, and using music only when it's most needed. Composers must also be aware of the cultural and historical contexts, and they often need to use music that matches the environment of the documentary.

While narrative films can rely on music to create dramatic tension and emotional cues, documentaries often use music to create a sense of atmosphere, underscore the factual information being presented, or provide a subtle emotional undercurrent without being overtly manipulative. The music often has to be more subtle, allowing the subject matter to speak for itself. The score is very much in service of the overall film, and will usually remain unobtrusive. A heavy handed score may detract from the documentary, or make it feel manipulated.

For instance, in a narrative film, if a character is experiencing sadness, the score may use minor key harmonies and slow tempos to clearly guide the viewer's emotions. In a documentary, on the other hand, a scene with a sad subject may not have a score at all, instead focusing on the sounds of the scene, letting the subjects emotions be the center. If there is music, it might be a soft and reflective score that gently supports the subject's sadness, while remaining in the background. The goal is to allow the viewers to feel the emotions themselves, rather than having them be interpreted by the music.

Another example would be if a film needed to create a sense of tension. In a narrative, a score might use fast and aggressive rhythmic patterns with dissonant harmonies to build a feeling of tension. In a documentary, the tension might be underscored by a quiet drone or ambient sound. The composer might focus more on sound design, using the sounds of the environment to create tension.

In conclusion, while both narrative films and documentaries use music to enhance the storytelling, the specific approach of the composer is very different. Narrative films allow composers greater freedom to use music to shape and enhance the emotional content of the story. Documentaries typically require a more subtle, supportive, and objective approach, focused on enhancing the underlying emotional tone without overshadowing the authenticity of the content. The composer has to adapt their musical language to the different goals and purposes of these two very different genres.