Mass media and representation

Résumé du document

A discussion on Film music requires basic knowledge of the music industry, which only people involved in music may possess. However, it is a passionate subject to analyze and this is why this topic has been chosen. The film music constitutes a new musical medium, which easily provokes the fascination of people. Furthermore, it is a new area to be explored by the people closely related to the science, such as film-makers, composers and others involved in the process.
The most fascinating facet of film music is that it is a whole area of interest to many people who work in the production of the films; and only a portion of the viewers really pay attention to it. The reason is that music acts and affects us unconsciously, without us understanding it. For the purpose of this essay, an attempt is made to examine the functions of the film music, as written and analyzed by various authors. One of the most important elements concerning the production of a film is the realization of the music. Unfortunately, most people who go to watch a movie do not know the film score or details like the composer's name and his functions in the development of film music.

Extraits

[...] and Huntley, J. (1975), The Technique of Film Music, Focal Press, London and New York - Palmer, C. (1990), The Composer in Hollywood, Marion Boyars, London & New York - Storr, A. (1993). Music and the Mind, Harper Collins Publishers, London Articles - Adams, Doug (1996) “Action Scores in the The Online Magazine of Motion Picture and Television Music Appreciation, in http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/action.asp Oppenheim, Yair Functions of Film Music”, The Online Magazine of Motion Picture and Television Music Appreciation, in http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/functions.asp Helen Van Dongen, discussing her work for Louisiana Story, quoted in Flinn, C. [...]

[...] How would the last seen touch the souls of the spectators and leave them astonish? It would not be possible. And that is the reason that Superman's score was brilliantly composed and used Comments on a scene or provides additional information Apart from Copeland's functions of the film music, one may distinguish some other reasons why music is used in a movie. One of these and an important one is in order to provide the audience with additional or necessary information about a character or a location. [...]

[...] Music can be used for various reasons in a movie. However, we have to bear in mind that these functions may vary according to the movie, the director and producer or the authors who examine it. For example, Roger Manvell and John Huntley (1957) distinguish the film music into two forms: what they call the “realistic” and the “functional” music[2]. “Realistic music is the controlling factor in the dance-film (ballet-film or musical), the film- opera, or the sequences in which any form of musical performance appears in the action (the cabaret, the café, the concert hall, a sequence involving singing and so on) or controls it “off-stage” (for example, the actor singing alone in the action, but accompanied by an invisible orchestra)”[3]. [...]

[...] This is also known as underscoring. It actually describes what the spectator is watching. Superman's music is a very successful score. However, some composers may not have the required experience or knowledge of music theory and their work turns up to be overly scored. An example of this is the movie The Rock. The problem with that film's music is that there is too much music. Every scene seems to be important and therefore they musically become indistinguishable between them. [...]

[...] It is a method used in order to place more value and importance on a silent scene. It will be more appreciated. However, as Hagen suggests, silence or near silence can work very well, but it has to be used effectively, with imagination and especially very carefully. An example of this function of the film music is the Lalo Schifrin's movie Bullitt (1968). It is a crime movie accompanied by very little music and there are scenes completely silent. The reason for that is because Schfrin did not want to influence the audience on a moment-to-moment basis but affect it throughout the whole movie. [...]