Film Music - Exam

film music

music that is either directly composed or expressly chosen to accompany a motion picture

what is film music used for?

unspoken thoughts and unseen implications

background music

the kind of music one isn’t supposed to hear, the sort that helps to fill the empty spots between pauses in a conversation

non-diegetic

background music that the audience hears and responds to, but the actors don't hear

Diegetic

Is a source music that originates from a source on screen that audiences and actors can hear

disjunctive

music that is in contrast to the images; music doesn’t support images on screen

Ironic

instricking contrast to the images

dubbing

the process where all music and sound tracks are combined, mixed and edited

Mickey-Mousing

Synchronizing music with action on screen

Cues

brief pieces of music that are woven into a film soundtrack and serve as emotional triggers

Underscoring

music under dialogue

Functions of film

• Establishing Location - exotic place or setting?

• is “ethnic” music required?

Setting the time period

• does the film take place in a historical era?

• is music specific to the historical period needed

• How much?

Intensifying the Drama

• chase scenes? fights? moments of suspense? argument? What are the emotional elements brought to screen?

Composer Considerations

• decides a scenes musical needs

• music is a partner to the drama

• decides shape & tone

• must consider tempo and rhythm

• must determine sync points

• must decide how to treat source music

• determine placement of musical cues

Underscoring

composing under a scene with dialogue

What should there be music/no music?

• depends on the mood of the scene

• depends on the pacing of the scene

• depends on the importance of the dialogue to the plot

• depends on the amount of sound effects present

• Music will usually be dubbed and mixed in at a low level under the actor’s lines

Considerations When Underscoring

• should the music move along when actors pause?

• Should the music sustain when actors are speaking?

• What should the melody be like? How active?

• What instruments should play?

• Thick or thin should the harmony be?

• How can music support the mood yet stay in the background?

• Who is speaking?

• How many quality of the voice not conflict with he way the melody is constructed?

• What is the pace of the dialogue?

• What is the temp of the film editing?

Problems with silent film research

a. Evidence is lost or was not written out

b. primary sources are scattered in libraries

c. overgeneralization and misconceptions since earliest film history

d. too much emphasis and focus on film history in United States

What song did Dickson play?

Song of the Cabin Boy

fake book

the simplest version of sheet music available

Dance accompaniment

ragtime, other syncopated music, jazz, tango, etc. used with silent films through the 1920s

Cue Sheet

was a list of music selections derived from the concert music, opera, piano music, folk songs, popular music, etc.

Primary function of Film Music

to create, heighten, and enhance mood; create character empathy in how audience perceive them

Tonality

basic building block (properties of music), and the ways they can contribute to the film’s narrative system

Role of music supervisors

research, select and secure rights to songs, communicates with director and composer

Who approves music?

direc

What is spotting?

The composer, director, and editor attend an important session to discuss where and how much music should be placed and for what purposes

What does the composer do?

does spotting of the rough cut to determine the placement of music cues

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