Music for Film and TV study notes

Narrative Film

A movie that tells a story

Plot

The structure or framework of events in a story

Casual Plot

Chronological sequence of cause and effect (exposition —> complications —> climax —> resolution)

episodic plot

a series of loosely connected events that don’t directly build on each other

exposition

background information necessary for the story

climax

moment of greatest tension in a story

resolution (denouement)

The story’s conclusion, tying up loose ends

Flashback

Interrupts chronological flow to show past events

nonlinear plot

uses time jumps or flashbacks instead of a linear timeline

Protagonist

The main character of a story

Antagonist

The character who opposes the protagonist (villain)

Setting

The time and place where a story occurs

Period Film

A movie set in a defined historical era with attention to costumes and scenery

Theme

the central idea or underlying message of the story

Mood (tone)

the emotional quality of the film

Mise-en-scene

the visual arrangement of everything within the frame (lighting, costume, decor)

Cinematography

the art of capturing moving images on film

Zoom

Camera moves closer or farther without moving the base

Pan

Horizontal movement of the camera

Tilt

Vertical movement of the camera

Tracking shot

Camera moves horizontally following the action

Crane Shot

Camera moves vertically via a crane

Dutch Angle

Camera tilted to create disorientation

Point of View (POV)

Perspective from which the story is seen

Omniscient POV

Viewer sees more than the characters do

Subjective POV

Viewer sees through the eyes of the character

Editing

The process of assembling shots into a sequence

Crosscutting

Alternating shots from different scenes to create suspense

Montage

Series of short shots edited together to condense time or action

Trailer

Preview designed to generate interest in a film

Pitch

How high or low a note sounds

Staff

The set of five lines used in musical notation

Clef

Symbol that designates pitch range (treble = high, bass = low)

Measure (bar)

Segment of time defined by beats

Time signature

the beats per measure

melody

a sequence of notes forming a recognizable tune

Range

Distance between highest and lowest notes

Conjunct Melody

Moves by small intervals

Disjunct Melody

Moves by large steps

Phrase

A musical sentence or unit

Cadence

A musical punctuation marking the end of a phrase

Open Cadence

Incomplete ending (like a comma)

Closed Cadence

Complete ending (like a period)

Motive

Short musical idea or fragment

Theme

Recurring melody associated with the drama

Texture

Relationship between melodies and accompaniment

Monophonic

Single melody without accompaniment

Homophonic

One dominant melody with accompaniment

Contrapuntal

Two or more equal melodic lines

Fugue

Extended section of imitative counterpitches

Harmony

Combination of simultaneous pitches

Chord

Three or more notes sounding together

Triad

Three-note chord

Dissonance

Clashing tones creating tension

Consonance

Harmonious resolution of tension

Tonic

Central pitch of a piece (home note)

Tonal

Music centred on a tonic pitch

Octave

Distance between a note and its next repetition up or down

Major Scale

Bright, happy sound

Minor scale

Sad, dark sound

Chromatic scale

Uses all 12 pitches in the octave

Rhythm

Organization of time in music

Tempo

Speed of the beat

Meter

Pattern of the beats (duple, triple, etc.)

Syncopation

Accenting weak beats or offbeats

Timbre

Tone colour or quality of sound

Orchestration

Assigning music to instruments or voices

Dialogue

Spoken words in a film

Soundtrack

music that plays over the film

Source music (digetic)

Music that plays within the film; character can hear it

Underscoring (non-digetic)

Background music only the audience hears

Score

Written music for a film

Cue

Section of music aligned to a scene

Wall-to-wall music

music that plays throughout the entire film (continuous)

Overture

Music played before a film begins

Intermission

Break between parts of a film

Entr’acte

Music before resuming the film after intermission

Medley

Sequence of songs or themes

Leitmotif

Recurring musical theme representing a person, object, or idea

Thematic Transformation

Variation of a leitmotif to reflect change in mood

Mickey Mousing

Synchronizing music precisely with actions onscreen

Stinger

Sudden musical accent for dramatic effect

Descriptive Music

Music that imitates moods or natural sounds

Programmatic Music

Instrumental music that tells a story or paints an image

Program symphony

Multi-movement work that tells a story

symphonic poem (tone poem)

One-movement work depicting a story or scene

Opera

theatrical work combining music, singing, drama

Ballet

Storytelling through dance and instrumental music

Melodrama

Stage drama with music underscoring or alternate with dialogue

Tableaux Vivants

Posed scenes accompanied by music

Zoopraxiscope

Early motion picture projector creating illusion of movement

Kinetoscope

Device for viewing films individually

Vitascope

Early projector used to show films to audiences

Cinematographe

Camera/projector that could record, print, and project film

Nickelodeon

Small, cheap movie theatre (admission = nickel)

Cue sheet

Guide listing what type of music should be used in each scene

Music anthology

Collection of stock music categorized by mood

Adapted score

Film score using pre-existing classical or popular music

Intertitles

Printed text inserted into the film

Movie palace

Large luxury theatre with orchestra