Introduction to Film Music

• Music
• Secondary Education

Film Music

Introduction to 

Film Music

Reminder of Online Classroom Rules

• Respect (don't record or forward the lesson to anyone)
• Have materials ready
• Minimise distractions (put your phone away)
• Make sure homework is complete
• Do your work in a timely manner (same as in-class)
• For Zoom, cameras on, mics muted unless asked otherwise!

Materials you will need for this class:

- Your Music notes copy

- Your pencil case (pens for note taking)

- Google Docs & Google Classroom

- This slideshow, activities are in here for you!

By the end of today's lesson, you will

 be able to...

• Describe the role of TV and film music
• Use music terminology to describe pieces of film music
• Identify and define key terms related to film music
• Understand the role of music in enhancing the cinematic experience.

Think:

- Why is it important?

- When it is used?

-  Can you think of any keywords?

What do we
already know about
Film Music?

Film Music

• Music is very important in films and TV shows as it can create moods, set scenes and depict the emotions of characters.
  

• We will examine how composers use the elements                    of music to compose memorable and effective film                    and TV music.
  

Keywords 

• Leitmotif- a piece of music that is specially selected for a character 

• Theme Tune: the music played during the opening and closing credits of a film or tv show and can sometimes be heard throughout the production.

• Composer: Someone who writes music

• Film score: Original music composed specifically for a film.

• Soundtrack: Compilation of songs used in a film but not specifically composed for a film

• Director: a person who controls the making of a film and supervises the

actors and technical crew.

• Conductor: directs orchestra and keeps them in time

In your copy, can you name the following well known movies from listening to these tracks?

Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

Track 4

bonus points if you can name the composer

Are these pieces memorable?

What makes a piece of music memorable?

Key techniques that affect how we feel

Melody - A melody is a sequence of musical notes that are perceived as a single, cohesive entity, often forming the main musical theme or tune in a piece of music.

Tone - Is it major or minor, or happy or sad

Tempo- how fast or slow the music goes. It's like the speed or pace of the song, whether it makes you want to dance quickly or sway slowly.

Pitch - How high or low a sound is.

Instrumentation - instruments used in a piece that impact how we feel.

Dynamics- Is the music softer or louder.

Crescendo - Gradually getting louder.

Decrescendo - Gradually getting softer.

Soundscape- a piece of music created to describe and enhance a visual environment

Instrumentation

• Instrumentation refers to which instruments are playing and what they are playing.
  
• Instruments can produce a huge variety of pitches and timbres and film composers use them to great effect when setting the scene or depicting characters.
  
• Low-pitched instruments are used to create fearful or tense moods.
  
• High-pitched instruments usually portray happy/ bright sounds.
  
• In the same way, low-pitched instruments are often chosen to portray male characters, whereas high-pitched instruments are often used to portray female characters.
  

Texture

• As you might imagine, a monophonic texture is rare in film music. But when used, it is usually to portray an image of loneliness or solitude.
  
• A homophonic texture is very common in film music. Homophonic textures can be used to portray characters, the focus of the listener will often be on the single melody and the accompaniment is usually unobtrusive.
  
• Polyphonic textures in film music usually depict complicated scenes and a chaotic mood.
  

Tempo

• In film music, tempo is used to great effect to add to the mood of a scene.
  

• Fast tempos are used to create excitement and happiness, slow tempos are used to create calm or sadness.
  

Dynamics

• Loud dynamics are usually associated with dramatic moments and are used to draw the viewer’s attention.
• Soft dynamics are used for romantic scenes or scenes where the dialogue is very important.
• Changes in dynamics are very important as well, as they can often increase or decrease the tension in a scene.
  

Mood

The mood of a piece of film music is created through a combination of the elements discussed above.

Kahoot

Click here to access the Kahoot Quiz

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