K C : Well, my theory is that a lot of times, music in the film may be sparser and maybe it relies on the film for the music to make sense. A comedy film is a great example of this – you have lots of little short cues that are supporting the visual. I believe it takes a more serious piece of where you get to the point that the music cues are able to stand alone on their own musicality. Sometimes a real good piece of film music is the type of music that doesn't have a strong melody but its mood is still enhancing what's happening on screen. That is the real challenge for me and what I think I'm still learning, as I think music is easily “overdone” – especially in Hong Kong cinema.
I think another reason is just simply the risk/reward factor. With CD sales for pop singers down, I don't think producers are all that optimistic about releasing a CD unless they're fairly sure of its success. |