FILM MUSIC
MUSIC IN FILM
Functions
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Detail or amplify the meaning of a given image.
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Describe a character, state of mind, someone’s thoughts, etc.
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Suggest an atmosphere of a place or a period.
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Transmit emotions beyond the images: passion, love, suspense,
terror, hate, joy… -
Provide continuity joining sequences.
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Types
According to the relationship between music and images
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Diegetic music or source music: it’s the music that the characters in the film can hear. The source of the music appears on the screen: radio, TV, band, etc. E.g. Amadeus opera scenes; Back To The Future Marty McFly playing the electric guitar; The Shawshank Redemption the prisoner connects the loudspeakers to a record player to let everyone hear a song.
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Non diegetic music or incidental music: it’s the music that only the spectators can hear. No source of music appears on the screen. Its purpose is to create a special atmosphere. E.g. Jaws with music by John Williams; The Exorcist main theme is "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield.
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According to the original purpose of the soundtrack
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Original music: the soundtrack is created especially for a given film. These are called Original Soundtracks (OST). E.g. The Pink Panther with music by Henry Mancini.
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Adapted music: the soundtrack borrows previously composed music. This music can be:
- Classical: Also sprach Zarathustra in 2001 A Space Odyssey, Carmina Burana in Excalibur.
- Commercial: "You Never Can Tell" in Pulp Fiction, "November Rain" in Thor: Love & Thunder.
Evolution
Silent film
The first screening of a film was held on December 28, 1895 in Paris by the Lumière Brothers. Sound recording didn’t exist in silent films. A selection of classical music and standards played live or improvised near the screen was included to reinforce the images and to cover the noise of the projector.
Charlie Chaplin (The Gold Rush, The Kid) was a great actor, composer and film director.
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Sound film and musical
1920s: The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first sound film or "talkie". They used Vitaphone system, in which the soundtrack was not printed on the film itself, but issued separately on phonograph records.
Musicals: The Broadway Melody (1929) was the first musical. A musical is a theatrical work or film where dialogues and action are combined with singing and dancing. It arose as a theatrical genre and later was included in film making.
1930-50s: Movietone system allowed to record all sounds included in the film on a single track, which meant that the music had to be changed when the film was dubbed into other languages. Later on, films started to use three separate tracks for ambient noise, dialogues and music. So when films were dubbed into other languages, only the dialogues track was changed. Cinemascope became popular in the 1950s, with better use of colour and stereo sound.
Film music composers wrote symphonic music inspired by the composers of the Romanticism. E.g. Max Steiner (King Kong, Gone With The Wind, Casablanca), Miklós Rózsa (Ben-Hur).
Musicals: they were comical and easy-going. E.g. The Wizard of Oz, Swing Time, Singing In The Rain.
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1960s: Henry Mancini (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther) included commercial songs which are repeated various times during the film as a leitmotiv. Pop stars made their own films. E.g. A Hard Day’s Night with The Beatles. Other outstanding composers were:
- Bernard Herrmann set the tone for horror films with his "stabbing strings" (Psycho).
- Ennio Morricone used shouts and whistles (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly; and other Spaghetti Westerns).
- John Barry defined the sound of spy films with his symphonic-jazz hybrid (James Bond).
- Maurice Jarre used Middle Eastern exotic scales (Lawrence of Arabia).
Musicals: they became more complex and dramatic. E.g. West Side Story, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music.
1970-80s: John Williams brought back the symphonic style of the Golden Age of Hollywood (Jaws, Star Wars and many Spielberg films). Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future) and others followed this path.
Electronic music and synthesizers are included in soundtracks with Giorgio Moroder (Midnight Express) and Vangelis (Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner).
Other outstanding composers were:
- Nino Rota (The Godfather).
- Bill Conti (Rocky).
Musicals: they included spectacular choreographies and stage settings. Macro-festivals and rock operas are big influences. E.g. Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Saturday Night Fever, Hair, Fame and Pink Floyd's The Wall.
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1990s: There is a recovery of preexisting songs which help to promote the film and to get more profit. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and other Tarantino's movies included classic soul and rock'n'roll songs.
Symphonic style continued with John Williams (Jurassic Park), James Horner (Braveheart, Titanic).
Other outstanding composers were:
- Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands and many Tim Burton films).
- Michael Nyman (The Piano).
Musicals: many animated films included musical numbers. E.g. The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
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New millenium: Symphonic style continued with John Williams (Harry Potter), Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings).
Hans Zimmer (Interstellar) mixed electronic and symphonic music. Others followed this path: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Social Network), Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker).
Other outstanding composers were:
- Yann Tiersen (Amélie, Goodbye Lenin).
- José Nieto (Juana la Loca), Roque Baños (Alatriste), Alberto Iglesias (many Almodóvar films) in Spain.
Musicals: they incorporated preexisting pop and rock songs. E.g. Moulin Rouge, Mamma Mia!
MUSIC IN ADVERTISING
Functions
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Capture the audience’s attention and interest in the message.
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Reinforce the content of the ad.
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Support for memorizing message and product.
Music used in advertising is usually easy to retain. -
Facilitate audience targeting (age, gender,
socio-economic status, etc.).
Types
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Original music: is created especially for a particular commercial. Options:
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Jingle: is a song whose lyrics mention the name of the product or brand. E.g. Colacao.
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Generic music: is like a jingle without lyrics; instrumental music represents the features of the brand. E.g. Iberdrola.
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Preexisting music: the ad borrows previously composed music. Options:
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Song: is the preexisting song without any modification. E.g. Gears of War.
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Cover: is a version of a preexisting song, which is very similar to the original. E.g. Pepsi.
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Adaptation: is a modified version of a preexisting song. It changes the music or the lyrics. E.g. Once.
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Library music: is music that can be used freely or at a very low cost, because the copyright has expired or it was especially composed for advertising. E.g. Air France.
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ACTIVITIES
1. Analyze the following examples of film music.
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Film type: silent film / sound film / musical film.
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Music type: diegetic / non diegetic, original / adapted.
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Function.
Apocalypse Now
Modern Times
Pitch Perfect
The Wizard of Oz
Edward Scissorhands
Bohemian Rhapsody
Blade Runner
West Side Story
The Artist