LessonPage:Film scoring for musicians:More musical theory

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Interesting examples by FIREborn: Fear.ogg ---- Sad.ogg ---- Tired.ogg ---- Surprise.ogg ---- Joy.ogg ---- Fast like the wind.ogg.
This school is:
Narrative film production - Wikiversity Film School and School of Music - Wikiversity Film School
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This course is:
Film scoring
The pages in the course is:
Introduction to film scoring
Create the sound of fear from a single note
Create other moods from a single note
Create the sound of joy using a delicate rhythm
Create other moods from delicate rhythms
Pop quiz: Music which tells a story
Create a mood with a melody
Create a story with a melody
Pop quiz: The Spy Story - Who is who?
DVD-Video: Scoring your first scene - The Promotion
Create four motifs - Mama, papa, baby, and Goldie
Create continuity with a single motif
Foreground / Background music - soft vs. loud
Pop quiz: Watch a short movie - George Lucas In Love
DVD-Video: What is a "Spotting Session"? - Only A Dream
DVD-Video: Write two musical cues for Home Wrecker
More musical theory ← You are here!
Butchering Midi - The starwars theme
DVD-Video: How would you score Green Tea Smoothie ?
DVD-Video: Write a film score for Blindman's Bluff
Write a film score for Seduced by the Dark Side!
What happens to your music




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More film scoring theories

Here are some theories that will be important to you.
Music behind the dialog


Never step on the dialog

When not to use foreground music
You must never play foreground music (loud music) when the actors are talking. This is called "stepping on the dialog".
What happens to loud music
If you step on dialog, the sound mixer guy will happily turn down ALL your music.
Too many notes


Too many notes

King's rule: Don't use too many notes
The king is correct. You can have too many notes when you create a film score.
The most confusing theory of film scoring
Here is the most important theory of motion pictures.
A motion picture conveys the most information in the least amount of time. A motion picture (or television drama) shows a continually changing picture (a new shot every 3 to 5 seconds) and has as many as 100 tracks of sound. All of this the audience eagerly absorbs.
Every available method of conveying information is used in a motion picture.
The same is true for a symphony. It transmits enough information to completely occupy the listener.
The same is true for people who drive cars while talking on the cell phone, eating a hamburger, and drinking a large Pepsi. The driver's mind is so occupied, the driver cannot focus on the road. Not good!
Limit your film score
The rule is your film score must not completely occupy the mind of the viewer of the motion picture. The viewer must also absorb the visual information from the picture.
Your music must not be so full and absorbing that the audience forgets entirely about the rest of the motion picture.
A simple example
If you want to use a piece of a symphony to score a motion picture, remove some of the tracks from the midi score and it will actually sound better. Keep your music thin.
Extracting moods from midi files
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The next page

Next, you have fun with midi. Exercise: Butchering Midi


Contact your instructor

Your instructor for this course is Robert Elliott. You can send me a quick email by clicking here.



NOTE: To submit assignments
Crystal Clear app xfmail.png To submit assignments, attach your completed assignments to an email and send it to me at "r_elliott AROBAZE.png innercite.com".
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