An Introduction to Music in Movies

1
An Introductionto Music in Movies

• Education 530
• Gary MacKay
• University College of Cape Breton
• February 20, 2005

2
Movie Composer Attributes

• Movie composers have special talents.
• In addition to writing music, they have to make
  the music fit seamlessly.
• On top of that, they usually conduct the
  orchestra while recording the score. The music
  must fit the scene and be timed perfectly.
• Listen to how John Williams describes his role.

(John Williams conducting.)
3
Watch, Read and Learn

• Read the following slides about John Williams and
  listen to his thoughts. Ask yourself the
  following questions
• How many of the movies listed have you seen?
• Did you know who composed the music?
• Look from now on in the opening credits of a
  movie to see the composers name. Then you can
  start a list of your own favorites.

4
Put Your Feet Up!

• Cuddle with your honey (if you have one). Or
  watch with your family or friends.

• Grab some popcorn.

5
And now its time for our
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John Williams (b.1932)

• Composed music for almost 80 feature films
• Orchestral conductor and composer
• Steven Spielbergs composer of choice
• Web page address www.johnwilliams.org

• Listen to Mr. Williams, then Mr. Spielberg, speak
  about Williams score for Jaws. Then Mr.
  Spielberg speaks about the importance of Mr.
  Williams.

7
John Williams Movies(Selected)

• Star Wars (all)
• Indiana Jones (all)
• Harry Potter (all)
• E.T.
• Jaws
• Schindlers List
• Jurassic Park
• Superman
• The Patriot
• (How many have you seen?)

8
More John Williams Movies

• Saving Private Ryan
• The Terminal
• A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)
• Angelas Ashes
• Stepmom
• Hook
• Sleepers
• Home Alone
• Close Encounters

9
John Williams Awards

• Has won 5 Academy Awards, 4 for best original
  score, including Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., and
  Schindlers List
• 43 total Academy Award nominations
• 18 Grammys Awards and 52 total nominations
• 3 Golden Globes and 18 total nominations
• 2 Emmy Awards and 5 total nominations.

Williams Receives Academy Award
10
More Great Movie Composers

• Elmer Bernstein
• Bernard Herrmann
• Michael Kamen
• Alan Silvestri
• Jerry Goldsmith
• Danny Elfman
• Hans Zimmer
• James Horner
• Trevor Rabin
• Trevor Jones

• Howard Shore
• James Newton Howard
• Henry Mancini
• John Barry
• Rachel Portman
• Thomas Newman
• Randy Newman
• Mark Isham
• Marc Shaiman

Playing Robin Hood Prince of Thieves by Michael
Kamen
11
Characteristics Movie Music

• Background music
• Sets the basic mood
• Enhances and intensifies the drama
• Provides continuity
• Helps establish character
• Gives psychological insight

12
Background Music

• This music happens off the screen
• It can be pop music from the period of the movie.
• For example, it might be the music playing at a
  party or in a club.

13
Setting the Mood//Enhancing the Drama

• Music helps to set the time and the place and the
  feeling.
• It shows the viewer the essence of the film. It
  lets the viewer know that they get the message.
• It evokes a sense of culture.
• Music should be a part of the whole, without the
  viewer being aware of it.

• Music is used to enhance the action in a movie.
• In a scary movie, you can tell when something bad
  is going to happen by listening to the music.
• It triggers anticipation, emotional reactions,
  heightens suspense, and reinforces climactic
  moments.

14
Provides Continuity

• Music helps to connect parts of the movie
  together.
• Music that recurs throughout the movie helps the
  viewer view the film as a whole.
• The style in the music remains consistent.
• Continuity is included in this presentation
  through the use of the Star Wars theme and sound
  bytes from John Williams.

15
Establishes Character

• Music may establish character.
• Musical themes are repeated to recall important
  associations.
• In the movie Superman (playing), the theme tells
  us that the hero is strong, tough, and one of the
  good guys.
• The music may be used throughout the film to let
  us know that help is on the way and to announce
  the entrance of our hero.

16
Psychological Insight

• Music complements the onscreen action and
  reinforces the emotional impact of a scene or
  film.
• In Schindlers List, the haunting theme is used
  to heighten a sense of sadness and anguish for
  those lost during the Holocaust and expresses the
  grief of Oscar Schindler and his friends that
  more could not have been done to help save more
  Jews.

17
Conclusion

• Watching movies can be a whole lot more fun if
  you know something about the people who made
  them.
• Watch the credits. Learn who did what. Respect
  those who do good work. It is not an easy job.
• Take time to reflect on the composers
  contribution.
• Look for connections between directors and
  composers, or actors and composers.
• Above all, enjoy the entire watching and
  listening experience.

18
Good Movie Information Sites

• The Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com/
  contains hundreds of links and info on movies,
  composers, and more.
• Film Music Society, Composer Links
  www.filmmusicsociety.org/resources_links/resources
  _links.html
• Dmoz Open Source Database Project
  dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Movies/Composers/

19
Survey Results
Do traditional classical composers make better
film music composers? Yes, recent Oscar winners
are proof   48 No, absolute rubbish   32 I
will not answer this   18 total
votes  538 (Movie Music.com poll taken 2001)
20
References

• Amazon.com (2005). Retrieved February 4, 2005
  from http//www.amazon.com/
• Fowler, C. (1994). Music Its Role and
  Importance in Our Lives, Chap. 21, pp. 410-421.
  Glencoe McGraw-Hill, Woodland Hills, California.
• Internet Movie Database (2005). Retrieved
  January 25, 2005 from
• http//www.imdb.com/
• JohnWilliams.org (2005). Retrieved February 6,
  2005 from http//www.johnwilliams.org/
• John Williams Collection (2005). Retrieved
  February 15, 2005 from http//mahawa.jw-music.net
  /interviews/
• Kamen, M. (1991). Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
  Soundtrack. Time Warner Company. Burbank,
  California.
• MichaelKamen.com (2005). Retrieved February 7,
  2005 from http//www.michaelkamen.com/site/
• MovieMusic.com (2005). Retrieved February 15,
  2005 from http//www.moviemusic.com/vote/poll.asp
  ?id21
• Newman, A. (1977). Spectacular World of Classic
  Film Scores. RCA Victor/BMG Music. New York,
  N.Y.
• PhillyDance.com (2005). Retrieved February 16,
  2005 from http//www.phillydance.com/nationalcon
  tra/
• Williams, J. (1999). John Williams Greatest
  Hits. Sony Classics. Toronto, Ontario.