Music-in-Film教学讲解课件

MusicinFilmTheFunctionsofMusicinFilmMusicinfilmisextremelyimportantintellingastoryorcreatingacertainsettingorevokingacertainemotion.Asthehistoryoffilmprogressedsodidthecomplexityoftheuseofmusicinmovies.Inall,therearenine(9)majorfunctionsofmusicinfilm.1.Wall-to-WallMusicMusicisoftenusedasaneutralbackgroundfiller,whichmeansthatnomatterwhateventshappenonscreen,themusiciscontinuouslyplayingthroughoutthefilm.Becausethisfunctionofmusicrequiresconstantmusic,itisoftenreferredtoashaving“wall-to-wallmusic.”GonewiththeWindisaclassicexampleofafilmwithwall-to-wallmusic.2.MusicGeneratesEmotionMusicalsohastheabilitytogenerateanemotionalresponsefromtheaudience.Forthisreason,manytimescomposersusestringinstrumentstoemphasizeromanceandtragedy,brassinstrumentstoemphasizepowerandsorrow,andpercussiontoheightensuspense.TwomoviesthatusemusictoevokeagreateremotionfromtheiraudiencesareGloryandRocky.3.MusicPacestheFilmAnotherfunctionofmusicistointensifyorrelaxthepaceofthefilm.Forexample,inactionfilmsthemusicoftenspeedsuporgetslouderormoreintensethegreatertheactionisinthefilm.InthemovieHeat,thepulsingmusickeepstheintensityoftheheistscenefrombeginningtoend.Pace(continued)BernardHermannusedquickscreechingstringinstrumentstoaddtotheintensityintheclassicshowersceneinHitchcock’sPsycho.

4.MusicReflectsCharacters’ThoughtsSometimesmusiccanreflecttheunspokenthoughtsofacharacter.Actorsandactressesareabletomakeuswonderwhattheircharactersmightreallybethinking.Musichelpstotellthetruethoughtsthatthecharactermightnotbetellingus,oratleastexplainthembetterthanweunderstoodthembefore.Musiccanalsoexplainthetruethoughtsofasituation.5.MusicParallelsAction

Musicoftenimitatestheactiononscreen.Whenacharacterfallsdownaflightofstairsthemusicwillimitatethisbyhavingthenotesinthemusicgodownintone.Thisiscalledparallelmusicbecausethemusicdoesexactlywhattheactiondoes.Itisalsocalledunderscoringtheaction.InJawswhenthesharkgoesunderwater,themusicgoesdownwithit.ParallelMusic:AKA“MickeyMouse”MusicWaltDisneyfirstusedparallelmusicinhisfirstsoundcartoon,“SteamboatWillie”starringMickeyMouse.Therefore,parallelmusicisnicknamed“MickeyMouse”music.6.MusicCreatesComedyInmanymovies,musicaddssmallinstrumentaleffectsthatarecomedic.Instrumentslikeaslidewhistle,bigbassdrum,ortubaoftencreatecomedywithhumoroussoundsandtiming.SlapstickcomediesstarringtheThreeStoogesandotherssuchasHomeAloneusedmusictoenhancethecomedy.7.MusicCreatestheSettingMusiccreatestheatmosphereofthesettingbyusingmusicappropriatetothesetting.Inotherwords,directorsandcomposerswillusemusicthatisfromtheexacttimeandplaceofthefilm.Also,afilmmayalsousemusicthatfitswiththegenreofthefilm.Ennio

Morricone’sscoreforTheMissionusedmusicalthemesofSouthAmericatohelpcreatethesetting.TheGood,theBad,andtheUglycreatedroughandtoughmusicassociatedwithwesterns.Setting(continued)ThemusicofColdMountaindrewuponoldfolkmusicfromtheSouthduringtheCivilWar.Setting(continued)VangeliscreatedfuturisticmusicforthesettingofBladeRunner.8.MusicProvidesUnityMusiccanprovideunityinafilmbyusingleitmotifs.Aleitmotifismusicthatisassociatedwithaspecificperson,place,orideaandisrepeatedthroughoutthefilmsothattheviewermakesanemotionalconnectionbetweentheeventsinthemovieandthemusic.Whenleitmotifscontinuethroughoutafilmtheyunitethewholefilmtogetherwithmusic.JohnWilliamsoftenusesleitmotifsinhismusicalscorestoconnectwithcharactersandideaswhichhelpunitethefilm.9.SourceMusicSourcemusicinfilmmeansthatyouseewherethemusiciscomingfromonscreen.Inotherwords,youcanseethesourceofthemusicyouarehearinginthemovie.FilmnoirgreatssuchasCasablancaandToHaveandHaveNotusedalivecantinabandthatwasalwaysinthebackground.ThePowerofSilenceTheabsenceofmusiccanbejustaspowerfulasthepresenceofmusic.Composersmaybuildmusictowardsaclimaxthatiscompletesilenceinsteadoflouder,orcrescendo,music.TheExorcisthadvirtuallynomusicwhichaddedtoitshorrificrealism.SilenceHitchcock’sNorthbyNorthwestusednomusicduringthefamouschasescenewithCaryGrant.Onlythesoundoftheairplanecouldbeheardduringthissuspen