Lecture 1 - Scores

MUSIC246 - Film Scores Lecture 1

Musical accompaniment of Narrative Film

Apollo 13 (1995), Composer: James Horner

Synchronization of music and visuals of the film

Without music: emotions mostly conveyed by the actions of the actors, surprised bu the cut between shower scene and getting ready with the astronauts. 

With music: No music during shower scene, then transition before the cutting with the entrance of orchestra and wind instruments to the astronauts getting ready. Sometimes, without music can make the scene more impactful and lead to a crescendo later on. Music will over dramatize the shower scene. Sets more impact for the later scene. 

Instruments: Brass instruments - connects to military, heroism, sacrifice. Make out of metal. Very loud so fits with people going on a battlefield. 

Style: Chorale: simple melody, simple rythm - Protestant Hymn - faith - sacrifice

Tempo: Slow - restrained - controlled - professional, the astronauts know what they are doing, calm, tempo isn’t fluctuating, precision they are focused. 

The Four Functions:

1. Music can create a more convincing atmosphere of time and place. - historical, cultural, geographical - BUT based on western conventions.
2. Music can underline or create psychological refinements.
   • the unspoken thoughts of a character or the unseen implications of a situation.  (different characters have themes, them might come back to bring back emotions, tell you what’s going on)
3. Music can provide a sense of continuity in a film
   • structure of music “smoothes over” the discontinuous, chaotic nature of film.  (film won’t show you everything: occasionally film can become very choppy, without sound it can be all over the place. Music can glue that over. Used in montage to make it smooth it over with music playing through rapid cuts.)
4. Music can provide the underpinning for the theatrical build up of a scene and then round it off with a sense of finality.
   • music can affect the “pacing” of a scene. (rounding off the scene with sense of finality, build up the scene, or end the scene so we can move on to something else.)

****Examples: 

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Composer: John Williams Functions 1, 3 and 4 F3 - Rapid change of location from Tibet to Egypt - Music is continuous throughout F1 - change in note choice signals change in location - arrival in Egypt  F4 - Change from action to quiet dialog - Music brings the action sequence to a close.

All about continuity because it moves around the globe very quickly. Coming from loud scene and to quiet scene. Big shift in location and tone. Music helps smooth in. Love theme and hero them.  Western music: based on a subset of notes: Major scales John Williams changes the sets of notes. Changes the instruments to form the trumpets to the oboe to get it closer to the feel of the Egyptian country. 

Alien Resurrection (1997) Composer: John Frizzell Functions 2 and 4. F4 - Music reinforces the change from slow moving dialog to chaotic action - then slows the pace leading up to the conclusion of the scene. F2 - Music “catches” Call’s reaction on hearing Ripley’s name - foreshadowing the connection between them.

Creepiness comes with no music at all. Then music comes out of the blue, emphasizes the surprise.  3 phases: she snaps with clang songs, then with electronic music, music then comes back down.