Another aspect of culture that would certainly have the possibility to be worked into our TV show would be the concept of groups of people singing while they complete a task. Tolkien gives us the songs of the wood elves pushing the barrels into the river (Heave ho, splash bump, rolling down the hole!), and he tells us that the Rohirrim sang as they slew on the fields of Pelennor. And of course the hobbits who are friends of Bilbo have walking songs.
Such songs are generally sung without accompaniment, by groups of people as they work together to complete a task. We could probably pick an existing folk tune and set original lyrics to it, if we wanted to....
Some examples:
Sea shanties!
Roll the Old Chariot Along
Rice planting songs
This one is Filipino, and is in English as well:
And another from Chaking:
One from Liberia:
I realize that everyone's first inclination may be not to do something like this. Because, well, when people think about work songs on film, they come up with kids' shows and humorous scenes for their examples.
"Clean Up" song from Barney, about kids putting their toys away
There are several examples of work songs from Disney films.
'Heigh Ho' - the dwarves working in the mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0x0KYChq4
'Whistle While you Work' is more a song about work songs, oddly enough.
And...there is the infamous 'Song of the Roustabouts' from Dumbo. This song is horrible, maybe not as a work song, but as what it says about what the writers of the song thought of poor uneducated black men doing manual labor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75mur1xF7U
And there's this scene from Beetlejuice:
Day-O
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQXVHITd1N4
But Akiro Kirosawa included a rice planting song in his film Seven Samurai, and that was an important aspect of the villagers being fundamentally farmers, and their resilience after the events of the film. It's a 'life goes on' moment.
Similarly, the song 'Hoist the Colors' is used in the very somber opening scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End during an execution scene to show resistance and solidarity amongst the pirates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRjt4rCymM
I think we can find a space for a battle-song or a work-song somewhere, don't you?
Such songs are generally sung without accompaniment, by groups of people as they work together to complete a task. We could probably pick an existing folk tune and set original lyrics to it, if we wanted to....
Some examples:
Sea shanties!
Roll the Old Chariot Along
Rice planting songs
This one is Filipino, and is in English as well:
I realize that everyone's first inclination may be not to do something like this. Because, well, when people think about work songs on film, they come up with kids' shows and humorous scenes for their examples.
"Clean Up" song from Barney, about kids putting their toys away
There are several examples of work songs from Disney films.
'Heigh Ho' - the dwarves working in the mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0x0KYChq4
'Whistle While you Work' is more a song about work songs, oddly enough.
And...there is the infamous 'Song of the Roustabouts' from Dumbo. This song is horrible, maybe not as a work song, but as what it says about what the writers of the song thought of poor uneducated black men doing manual labor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75mur1xF7U
And there's this scene from Beetlejuice:
Day-O
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQXVHITd1N4
But Akiro Kirosawa included a rice planting song in his film Seven Samurai, and that was an important aspect of the villagers being fundamentally farmers, and their resilience after the events of the film. It's a 'life goes on' moment.
Fumio Hayasaka - Seven Samurai ost (Akira Kurosawa)
Fumio Hayasaka - Farm Village SceneryFumio Hayasaka - Weak Insects into Samurai WaysFumio Hayasaka - Foreboding of BanditsFumio Hayasaka - To the Night Attac...
youtu.be
Similarly, the song 'Hoist the Colors' is used in the very somber opening scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End during an execution scene to show resistance and solidarity amongst the pirates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRjt4rCymM
I think we can find a space for a battle-song or a work-song somewhere, don't you?