Documentary Soundtrack Analysis (Indie Game: The Movie)

The soundtrack of Indie Game: The Movie is iconic to the documentary film, and is one of the driving forces in creating empathy with the subjects of the documentary. The soundtrack starts with an ambient sound over shots of the exterior of one of the developer's houses. This simple note eases the viewer into the documentary, letting them slowly establish an understanding of what this documentary is about and what viewpoint it is trying to make them see.

This is the (extended) opening score

Simple ambiance is heard over the opening shots

A chime is heard when this information is presented on screen to convey significance, and make sure the viewer is paying attention

The music grows in intensity when we realise something is wrong, amplified by the distress of the subject who hasn't been given a formal introduction yet

As the intensity of the scene increases, the volume and tempo of the music stays the same. Instead of increasing tempo, the soundtrack instead increases the number of varying instruments being introduced. This along with the dialogue of the subject helps us feel like we are slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together and building a better understanding of what is happening. 

The soundtrack is an integral part of the emotion conveyed in the opening scene. Without it, it would simply be an unknown man complaining for some unknown reason. Instead empathy is created straight away, despite the total lack of knowledge of what is devastating the subject.

The genre of music is very specific in that it is a mixture of classical instruments with an electronic sound over it. The idea of this is to create a simple sound to connote with the seemingly simple development and product of independent games, with a modern sound to it that conveys the idea that these are the first few developers of a style of development that is growing with a new sense of popularity.

This track plays after the title screen, and is the theme of the documentary as different but similar variations are played throughout the documentary.

A new tune is adopted during the opening credits, with a voice over of an experienced (and more calm and collected) developer explaining what exactly an indie game is, and what separates it from regular titles. This simple piano melody shows the charming side of the development process, and helps us understand what drives these developers. This alternation between a more dramatic tune and a simpler one is used to emphasise both the enjoyment of pursuing a dream while contrasting it with the difficulties following this dream presents.