Year 8
Film & Television Music
What is the purpose of music in
Films?
Music
in film fulfils four main functions;
1.To suggest the setting – the time
place of the story.
2.To convey characters or ideas.
3.To create a mood or an atmosphere
4. To express the emotions of the characters
What kind of music might represent this character?
Activity: Write down 5
adjectives which might describe this character.
What kind of music might represent him?
Pirates of the Caribbean- Dead
Man’s Chest
Jack Sparrow, the main character from
the Pirates Of the Caribbean movie series is one of the most memorably screen
personalities in recent years.
Played by Jonny Depp, the character Jack
Sparrow walks with a drunken, stumbling gait, slurs his words and speaks with
wild, flamboyant hand gestures. He is a
cheerful person and loves the pirate life.
In the following extract the Jack
Sparrows theme uses a ‘jig’.
A ‘jig’ is a lively dance in popular in
Celtic music. ‘Jigs’ were often danced by sailors to relieve boredom on long
sea voyages.
Revision: Foreground & Background
Activity
Listen to the extract and see if you can
identify the ‘Jig’ melody in the foreground?
Listening
Activity
Listen to
the opening passage and answer the first 3 questions.
Q1) What instruments play the opening accompanying figures?
Q2) Referring to dynamics and duration, how are these instruments being
played?
Q3) How might you describe the pitch and timbre of the opening
accompanying section? How is the timbre in the background different to that of
the melody being played in the foreground?
The next 4
questions are bases on the melody.
Q1) How is the melody varied on the
repeat?
Q2) Which instrument plays the ‘Jig’
type melody?
Q3) Which family of instruments
accompany the ‘Jig’ melody on the repeat?
Q4) After the ‘Jig’ melody does the
music go to forte, piano or pianissimo?
0:00 jack sparrow
6:08 the kraken
13:07 Davy Jones
16:23 I've got my eye on you
18:49 Dinner is served
20:20 Tia dalma
24:20 two hornpipes
25:35 a family affair
29:10 wheel of fortune
36:00 you look good jack
41:32 hello beastie
51:47 he's a pirate (remix)
6:08 the kraken
13:07 Davy Jones
16:23 I've got my eye on you
18:49 Dinner is served
20:20 Tia dalma
24:20 two hornpipes
25:35 a family affair
29:10 wheel of fortune
36:00 you look good jack
41:32 hello beastie
51:47 he's a pirate (remix)
But how does music fit into the
movie?
A film score
is usually written specifically for a movie. However sometimes existing music
is used to fulfil the above criteria.
A director
may ask a composer to provide music for all kinds of things.
For example;
·
Background
music
·
Incidental
Music
·
Themes
·
Music
for the Main Title & End Title
Star Wars
When George
Lucas asked John Williams to write the score for Star Wars he was told to write
it like a Cinematic Opera. As a result John Williams wrote themes for nearly
all the characters in the movie.
Activity
Watching the
first 3mins of Star Wars and see if you can identify when; Background music,
Incidental Music, Themes and Music for the Main Title & End Title are being
played.
Themes
The word
theme in a movie can have a number of meanings. It can mean;
·
A
melody written to represent a character or an idea.
·
The
piece as a whole containing the melody (and even other themed melodies).
·
A
‘signature piece’ heard at the start or end of a film usually under the
credits.
Whatever the meaning, themes are written for a particular
film and cannot be used for another….
With the exception of a sequel.
Used in a sequel the theme creates a connection with the
original movie.
An effective theme is like an aural ‘Signpost’. We hear a theme
and it signals a character, even if the character isn’t on stage.
Listening Activity
Listen to the three following themes;
What kind of characters might they represent?
Referring at least two concepts of music (duration, pitch,
dynamics and expressive techniques, tone colour, texture and structure) to explain your response.
Remember in each sentence to: Mention the instrument, the
musical concepts and how these concepts work together to create your personal
response.
Listening Activity
Listening to
Darth Vader’s theme and referring to the concept of music describe how the
composer tries to capture a sense of the evil dark lord of the Sith.
