Score

Access ‘Video 5a and 5b – Composing for film’ interviews with Me-Lee Hay and then discuss and respond to the following questions.
Glossary
- Motifs
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short melodies or rhythms that can be used in many ways
- Thematic development/melodic theme
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using a melody or theme in many ways or contexts, such as changing the tempo and changing the instrument
- Phrase
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a musical sentence or idea
- Instrumentation
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a list of the instruments playing in a piece
- Cue (film music)
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a piece of music to play during a film scene
- Montage scene/incidental conversations
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several short film scenes cut and pasted back-to-back; one continuous piece of music is often used to smooth the cuts
- Story arc
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the structure of a storyline, including the climax
Glossary
- DAW
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digital audio workstation; computer software for recording and/or editing music and sounds
- Time code
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indicates the exact time location in a piece of music or film
- Out-of-the-box
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included free in the software
- Bowed
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stringed instruments producing notes with a bow made from horsehair and wood
- Fine cut
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version of a film in between rough cut and the final, locked edit; incorporates some music and sound effects as well as some careful editing of visuals and frames
- Locked edit
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version of a film once the visuals have been finalised, ready for sound
- Accompaniment
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music that supports a melody or main tune
- Acoustic instruments
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any instrument played without electricity or amplification
- Audition
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try-outs for a position in the cast or crew of the film
- Harmony
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chords or countermelody that support a melody
- Score (film score)
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original music used in a film
- Soft synth
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sounds produced in digital music software
- Mock-up
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draft using sample materials
- Notation
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musical notes and symbols written on a staff consisting of 5 parallel lines
- Score in Pro Tools
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musical notation view feature in Pro Tools audio editing software
- Midi roll (piano roll)
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digital input of musical notes, not requiring traditional notation
- Sampled (a magpie)
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recording a sound in order to edit it
- Filters
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software feature that cuts out a small selection of audio frequencies
- Equalisation (EQ)
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adjust the volume of different frequencies to create a purer sound
- Time stretch
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make music fit the timing of a scene
- Found sound
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a recording of nature or non-musical sound (for example a lawn mower)
- Rough cut
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version of a film before the final, locked edit; incorporates some music and sound effects as well as some careful editing of visuals and frames
- Re-conform
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re-configure music to allow for changes in film edit (for example changes made from rough cut to fine cut)
- Animatics
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sketches of scenes (to be animated or drawn)
- Soundscape
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musical noises and/or environmental sounds without rigid structure or detailed planning
- Soundtrack
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a list of musical pieces used in a film; some tracks might be composed especially for the film (the score)
- Temp music
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a musical track chosen by the director or producer as backing music for a film scene, to act as a guide for the composer to create music of a similar mood
Questions
- What is a melodic theme?
- What is a motif in music?
- Describe the theme and variations approach to film scoring.
- What is the purpose and function of music in a film?
- How does music assist the flow of a montage scene?
- List 3 DAWs (digital audio workstations) commonly used to compose film music.
- What are soft synths?
- How does consideration of a budget affect the approach to film music composition?
- How did Me-Lee Hay use a radio harp in an unusual way?
- Give an example of how smart phones might be used to sample sounds.
- Why is it worth saving and filing every sound experiment and recording that you have made, even the ones you’re unhappy with?
- At what stage of the film production process does a composer commonly start their work on a short film?
- What is the meaning of re-conform?
- What is the process for composing music for an animation?
- When discussing ideas for a score with a film director, what type of language should the composer use?
- True or false: composers work in isolation when working on film music.