Film Music

1. Film Music Year 8 Module 4

2. Can you guess what films these are from? • Tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

3. Learning Outcomes from this Module • Learn about different film composers • Learn how to compose different types of music for different films • Learn about features of film music

4. Danny Elfman

5. Danny Elfman • Has written film scores • All the music in a film, including songs and underscore • Underscore: the music in a film that you don’t always notice – it builds atmosphere and timbre • Sound effects: Are sometimes part of the music, to make it sound more dramatic

6. A Film Score is different to a soundtrack • Soundtrack: • May have songs in that aren’t just written for the film • They might have been released before by other artists • Quentin Tarantino uses soundtracks, not film scores e.g. Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs • Moulin Rouge uses a soundtrack

7. Danny Elfman • American • Composes for Tim Burton films

8. Danny Elfman • Grammy for Batman music • Emmy for Desperate Housewives music • 4 Academy Award nominations

9. Danny Elfman • Both parents were teachers • Grew up in LA • Dropped out of high school • Travelled to France busking, then to Africa • Caught malaria • Was in a rock group called Oingo Boingo – lead singer until they broke up • Now has impaired hearing because of the loud music from his rock band

10. Danny Elfman • Just finished the music to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, releasing in March 2010 • Opening titles to video game Fable and Fable II • Soundtrack to 2008 Lego Batman game

11. How is the music similar? • Simpsons and Desperate Housewives • Both have very full textures (lots happening at the same time) • Both quite fast • Fit in well with what is happening on screen • Both sound very heavenly and dreamlike • Lots of percussion in both (xylophone, glockenspiel, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, etc.)

12. How is it different to Men in Black? • MiB has no melody line • MiB fits on-screen well, but is less interesting without the visual image • Less happening all at the same time, thinner textures • The atmosphere is different, changing the timbre… how?

13. What are we learning today? • How film composers begin composing to films • History of Hans Zimmer, film composer • Understanding how to apply film music knowledge to a film itself

14. HOMEWORK • Research either Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman, design a poster to show information about him, music he has done, and your opinion of the films he has composed to, and the music. • DUE IN: TUESDAY 17TH MARCH

15. Can you guess what films these are from? • Tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

16. Who composed to these films/TV shows? DANNY ELFMAN

17. Hans Zimmer

18. How do you compose to film music? • Once a draft of the film has been done, the composer is given a rough cut • Spotting: discussion with the director about each scene, genres, styles of music, and the atmosphere and emotion in each scene, and what the director wants • Once the composer has the whole film, he can then write the film score

19. MIDI Mock Up: Film composers use computers to compose – they can mark the time of each important thing that happens in the scene and match it along with the film, to see if the music suits. • Once the music is complete, an orchestra is hired to perform and record the music in a studio, normally with the composer conducting. • There is a big screen with the scene on behind the orchestra, so the composer can time the music perfectly.

20. Hans Zimmer • Born in Germany, moved to London as a teenager • Used to write jingles for some adverts • Was in a band called Buggles, playing the keyboard • Famous for using traditional orchestra instruments with electronic sounds

21. Hans Zimmer • Composed over 100 film scores • 7 Academy Awards • 7 Grammy Awards • 9 Golden Globe Awards

22. Hans Zimmer • How does Pirates of the Caribbean and Lion King sound similar?

23. Can you guess what films these are from? • Tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

24. Quentin Tarantino

27. What composer did all of these films? • The Simpsons • Desperate Housewives • Spiderman 2 • Men in Black • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory • The Corpse Bride • Nightmare Before Christmas DANNY ELFMAN

28. John Williams

31. What composer did music to these films? • Pirates of the Caribbean • Mission Impossible: 2 • The Dark Knight • Kung Fu Panda • The Simpsons Movie • Shark Tale • Thunderbirds • Madagascar and Madagascar2 HANS ZIMMER

32. Can you guess what films these are from? • Tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

33. James Horner

34. Different types of music in film scenes… • Diegetic music: when you are watching a scene where a piano is being played, the characters can hear it, and you can hear it. • Non-diegetic music: when there is music in the scene that the characters can’t hear, and you can’t see it being played.

35. James Horner • Born in LA • Uses lots of Celtic musical elements, like using the recorder, tin whistle and turns • Began playing the piano at 5 years old • Accused for stealing music from other composer’s works, as well as reusing his own work in different films

36. James Horner • Composed the music for the new film Avatar (release date: 2009) • 2 Academy Awards • 3 Grammy Awards • 2 Golden Globe Awards • 3 Satellite Awards

37. What are the Similarities and differences in The Spiderwick Chronicles and Titanic • Tempo • Dynamics • Texture • Pitch • Instruments • Anything else…

38. Which composer did music to these films? • The Spiderwick Chronicles • The Legend of Zorro • Troy • Titanic • Jumanji JAMES HORNER

39. Jerry Goldsmith

40. What composer has done the music to these films? • Jaws • Star Wars • Superman • ET • Harry Potter • Home Alone • Hook JOHN WILLIAMS

41. Howard Shore

42. Which composer did the music to these films? • The Lord of the Rings • King Kong HOWARD SHORE

43. Which composer did the music to these films? • Star Trek • Bad Girls • Kingdom of Heaven JERRY GOLDSMITH