In film music production, sidelining refers to when musicians appear onscreen in a film or television production. They will usually appear with their musical instruments, though they may or may not actually play on them.
Sidelining has occurred a lot over the course of history, so I will only select a few examples to show here.
During the famous scene where Al Jolson sings, a small orchestra is seated behind him. This movie is often considered the first “talkie” (that is, a film with synchronized sound).
During the Confederate ball scene, there is a band on stage.
It’s almost not fair to include this movie since it’s about a group of musicians, but I couldn’t resist!
Practically any movie with live music in it is considered an example of sidelining, so there are too many examples to count. Another good example comes from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015) during the scene in the opera house.
For more Film Music 101, see also: Film Music 101
Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂
