Music and Film PDF

BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 1 - Early Films and Music: The silent movies Greeks-music & drama shares a close relationship Theorists and Theorists of Music in Films Hanns Eisler - Ghostly Effect...

BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 1 - Early Films and Music: The silent movies Greeks-music & drama shares a close relationship Theorists and Theorists of Music in Films Hanns Eisler - Ghostly Effect. Play with emotions Kurt London - Music to neutralise the noise of the projector. London points out film music Is a composer's artistic urge and takes time to complete. Points out as well that the need of music accompaniment acts as the rhythm of the film as an art movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHO&DLqKTo0) First known use of music - December 28th 1895 by the Lumiere family - First screening with piano accompaniment at Grand Café in Paris - First public Lumiere program in Britain- a harmonium from Polytechnie's chapel was used and took place on February 20th 1896 April 1896 - orchestras accompanying films in several London theatres 1908, Camille Saint-Saens (in French) was commissioned to compose L’ Assassinat du Duc de Gulse. First ever tailored film score. Successful but too many expenses: - Commission for the composer - Preparing the music - Hiring the ensemble 1909 - Edison film company - specific suggestions for music. Existing music 1913 - Orchestras & pianist were able to acquire music for specific moods/ dramatic situations- catalogue by the publisher Music fake books: - The Sam Fox Moving Picture Music Volumes by J.S. Zamecnik - Motion Picture Moods by Erno Rapée - Famous concept by Giuseppe Becce's KInobibllothek (Kinothek), published in Berlin, 1919 BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Catalogue of the Handbook of Film Music by Erdmann, Becce and Brav Dramatic Expression (main concept) 1. Climax - catastrophe - highly dramatic agitato - solemn atmosphere; mysteriousness of nature 2. Tension - Mysterious - Night: sinister mood - Night: threatening mood - Uncanny agitato - Magic: Apparition - Impending doom: “something is going to happen!” 3. Tension – Agitato - Pursuit, Flight, hurry - Fight - Heroic combat - Battle - Disturbance, unrest, terror - Disturbed masses, tumult - Disturbed nature, storm, fire 4. Climax – Appassionato - Despair - Passionate lament - Passionate excitement - Jubilant - Victorious - Bacchanatic BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Max Winkler First to catalogue music for silent film in United States (1912+) First imaginary film which he created a music cue sheet to - The Magic Valley Adagio Lamentoso for sad scenes (J.S. Bach) Sinister Misterioso (Beethoven) Weird Moderato (Tchaikovsky) Wedding Marches (Wagner and Mendelssohn) William Tell Orpheus Coronation March (Meyerbeer) Blue Danube ✓ Winkler uses a stopwatch to count each and every scene ✓ Tries to interconnect each cues with some kind of leitmotiv Despite synchronization problems, D.W Griffith manage to success a monumental film, The Birth of a Nation (premiered in March 1915), at the Liberty Theatre in New York City - Imitating List, Verdi, Beethoven, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and a number of well-known traditional tunes from US- Dixie, The Star- Spangled Banner - The film managed to set the standards of orchestration and cuing techniques that remained throughout the silent era A monumental film typically refers to a large-scale, epic movie that deals with grand themes, historical events, or larger-than-life characters. These films often feature extensive sets, large casts, elaborate costumes, and are sometimes set in significant historical periods or based on famous legends or myths. Monumental films are characterized by their visual spectacle, complex narratives, and often aim to convey a sense of grandeur or importance. BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Common traits of monumental films include: 1. Epic scope and scale - They often cover vast time periods or significant historical moments. 2. High production values - Expansive sets, intricate costumes, and impressive special effects. 3. Themes of heroism, tragedy, or great human endeavors - Central figures might be famous historical or mythical individuals. 4. Large casts - They often feature many characters or large groups of extras to depict battles, crowds, or civilizations. 5. Historical or legendary subjects - Many monumental films are set in ancient or medieval times, or focus on religious, mythological, or cultural stories. Examples of monumental films include: - Ben-Hur (1959) - A historical epic set in Roman times. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDoyywKt1_0) - Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - A biographical film about the British officer T.E. Lawrence. - The Ten Commandments (1956) - A religious epic about Moses and the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. These films are called "monumental" because they are designed to feel like significant cinematic achievements, often leaving a lasting impression on viewers due to their scale and ambition. Difficulties in using existing pieces: - Transition between scenes were problematic for conductor - Difficult to gauge the specific duration on certain scenes - Keeping up the tempo - Instrumentation (difficult to transition) - Key Hence, conductor resolves by writing their own music - Problems faced by music for silent films - cost and lack of space for a complete orchestra BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 1. Composer gets to see the film first to determine with a stopwatch where and how much music is needed for each scene. 2. Starts off with climax and then move to other musical sections. 3. Kinothek and Max Winkler’s method did not survive as the revolution of ‘talkies’ emerges just the late 1920s. Rhythmonome 1926, Carl Robert Blum (a German) come up with rhythmonome - tapes registering the phonorhythmical signs running pass a sight - index from left to right. Rhythmonome placed on the conductor’s desk and coupled in sync with the film projector Some unsuccessful music and picture sync - Picture/mirror of conductor to conductor - Ribbon at the bottom of the actual film showing (disturbance to the audience) Despite synchronization problems, D.W Griffith manage to success a monumental film, The Birth of a Nation (premiered in March 1915), at the Liberty Theatre in New York City ★ - Imitating List, Verdi, Beethoven, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and a number of well-known traditional tunes from US- Dixie, The Star- Spangled Banner - The film managed to set the standards of orchestration and cuing techniques that remained throughout the silent era BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Edmund Meisel ★ 1. Master of silent film score (born in Austria, died in Germany) 2. Scored for Sergei Eisentein’s film The Battleship Potemkin (1925) and October (1927) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMWMq4AEyjU&t=260s) 3. Meisel's score Potemkin believed to be lost but recently discovered (early 90s) by Eisenstein Archives in Leningrad, Jay Leyda (American but an expert in Russian films,) ; and Arthur Kleiner (former Music Director of the Museum of Modern Art Film Library) 4. Potemkin - orchestral accompaniment composed/ compiled by Yuri Faier in Russia, 1925. Faier was known mainly as a ballet conductor in Soviet Union. 5. 1951, Potemkin score was later re-released by Soviet Union composer, Nicolal Kryukov The Battleship Potemkin (Not in exam, just knowledge) - Deals with the historic mutiny aboard during the unsuccessful Russian revolution of 1905 - The film structured into 5 acts 1. depiction of the horrible shipboard 2. the revolt itself 3. the support by the people of Odessa 4. the bloody retribution dealt out by the Czar's Cossacks 5. the final triumph of the mutineers The headphones for the orchestra members are called click track. A click track is a series of audio used to synchronise sound recordings in recording studio or live performance environment. It’s a metronome produced by a computer or app and set at predetermined tempo or speed. Recording musicians need to have strong sight-reading skills, because they only get to know the piece when they are in the set and only have a few rehearsals session before the recording. BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Music for Potemkin 1. Meisel's composition was judge by writer, Alan Kriegsman; "Meisel's music is not especially memorable" 2. Suggested more instrument to making it even better- massive percussion section with 2 timpani, military drum, bass drum, tam tam, triangle, castanets, woodblocks, large rattle and siren 3. Potemkin has a better score with the additional of these percussions 4. Potemkin was considered the first silent film with music that has successfully grasp the mood of the audiences while watching the film/documentary Other famous composers during the silent-film era other than Meisel * Arthur Honegger scored Abel Gance's La Roue and Nepoleon * Darius Milhaud scored Marcel L'Herbier's L'Inhumaine * Dimitri Shostakovich provided a special score for the Russian Film, The New Babylon Smaller theatres with less budget or no room for an orchestra, opted for machines that has been going into the market in around 1910 One Man Motion Picture Orchestra - Film player - Movieodeon - Pipe - Organ Orchestra BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 2 - The First Talkies: The Beginning of Synchronised Music The first talkies (Passing fad?) – The beginning of Synchronized Music Camera angle and lightning Camera more static focus on speaking characters Musicals-composer - Insight of the emotion and psychological - Compose a piece whenever the film is shown - A lot of theatre musicians out of work 1927 – Warner Bros (WB) executive premiered The Jazz Singer in NY - Al Jolson – singer - Audiences were thrilled with this whole new ideas/era (dialogues, singing, narrations) - A lot of musicians are produced up till 1931 What is the name or term for the countdown before a movie starts? ★ - Academy leader (3, 2, pop!) Adding music film was expensive and troublesome (What are the issues?) ★ 1. Everybody needs to be there 2. No mistake! 3. Had to be positioned accordingly 4. Short song could take up to 2-3 days! 5. Edits weren’t possible then New Technology (about 1931) - Ability to record at separate time, as known as “re-record” - Record in scoring stage at oppose to sound stage or film set - Dubbing (when the music, dialogue & sound effects are mixed together) - More flexible and less expensive - Underscore critical component in a film (supports the background) - Some directors and producers want to see obvious instruments on screen (real instrumentalist playing in the film) BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 3 - The Studio System and The Studio Music Department The production team in the early 90s production Executive with absolute power Employment of full timers Individual studios owns every aspect Own labs for developing films Own theatres for self-made films only - controls when, for how long to show. (Deemed illegal in 1949 and forced to sell off) A film’s journey (Producer) Team of directors Editors Costumes, make-up team Actors, actress Group of writers (create, complete, polish) Postproduction (is when the music comes) The Studio Music Department Late 1920s, music department under one roof The Staff Composer Orchestrator Songwriters Rehearsal Pianists (rehearsal pianist help composer to play) Orchestra Musicians Conductors Choreographers (fighting scene, dancing scene) Music Copyist (to draw the notes hand engraved) (term = Music engraving) Proofreader Music Editors (music cutters) Music Executive BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Often times headed by a composer or conductor Interacts with: Studio executives Producers Directors Accounting department Costume Musicians Actors ⚫ Alfred Newman headed the Twentieth Century-Fox for many years during the 40s and 50s. ⚫ Top featured film will be assigned to a composer ⚫ B- films will be done by a team of composers Composer -> Orchestration -> Copyists and Proofreader How long during the 19th by student department, how many days do they need to complete? 5 days Those Days: 5-Days Practice Day 1- Staff gathers, head by composer, assistants, 2-3 orchestrators, music cutters, assistants. Look at picture and discuss. Breakdown of sections, theme, timing notes. Each to try out themes. Later selects which theme suits where. Composers to compose own section (s) Day 2- Composition process Day 3- Sketches to orchestrator then to copyist Day 4- Recording Day 5- Rerecording (dubbing) and done Now: 1. Each project has one composer 2. All jobs contracted outside the studio 3. Composer (after receiving the locked picture. Locked picture means a visual file which is the timing will be set or fixed): ⚫ Usually, takes 2 to 8 weeks to write the music ⚫ 3 to 10 days to record ⚫ 3 to 4 weeks to dub (music and sfx – sfx stands for sound effects in film music and video) BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Early Days of Hollywood Warner Brothers – Adventure Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) – Grand Dramas Universal Studios – ‘B’ Horror, Comedies Paramount Studios – Marvel movies RKO Radio-Keith-Orpheum Twentieth Century-Fox United Artist Walt Disney Pictures BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 4 – Music Styles 1930 to 1950: The Golden Age of Hollywood (20 years) Which year do they consider the golden age of Hollywood? 1930 to 1950 Known as The Golden Age of Hollywood (1930-1950) - An average of 500 films per year was made - Americans attending movies more frequently The need for more composers arose Max Steiner, Erich Korngold, Branislau Kaper, Miklos Rozsa and Franz Waxman Max Steiner (1888-1971) - Wrote over 300 films - King Kong, Gone With the Wind, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, etc. - An Austrian immigrant - Wrote his first operetta at 14 years old - 1929, arrived in Hollywood - Known for writing emotional and lyrical themes - Used leitmotifs with ideas borrowed from Wagner - Tara’s theme 1939 (Gone With The Wind) - For film music, strings are important, because they are supporting the underground. - Brass instruments are like heroic, grand - Change of chords, note values, very full very harmonious. Erich Korngold (1896-1957) - Austrian refugee - Grand opera background - Child prodigy in hometown, Vienna, and was praised by Mahler, Puccini and Richard Strauss at the age of 14. - 1934, Korngold was invited to Hollywood to arrange Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Only scored 18 films in 12 years - What is the setting? The people involved BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Miklós Rózsa (1907-1995) - Hungarian born-composer - Composed nearly 100 films - Ben Hur, Spellbound, King of Kings, El-Cid Franz Waxman (1906-1967) - German-American composer - Sunset Boulevard, A Place In The Sun BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 5 – Music Styles 1950 to 1975 - Signs of experimentation of music emerged - Certain scores written seems to have more dissonance, atonality and even popular, jazz and rock vocabulary in scores - Many conservatory trained American musician - Bernard Herrmann, David Raksin, Alex North, Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) - Scored Citizen Kane in 1941. Was a break form Korngold and Steiner’s style - Use of modern compositional techniques influenced by Bartók, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and other 20th century composers - Closely related to director, Alfred Hitchcock - Had done almost all of Hitchcock's movies namely Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest Aaron Copland (1900-1990) - A great influence on film music and classical composers - First film The Heiress 1949 - His use of instrumentation & harmony brought attention to Hollywood producers - Uses pandiatonic harmonies, polytonalities & controlled dissonances The Arrival of Television Late 1940s (20 years after talkies) 1. TV available to general public 2. Cost more accessible 3. More program aired by network 4. Public made it as a regular part of their lives 5. Studios refuse to release catalogue of movies to television stations 6. Studios did not produce shows for television 7. Studios hoped & believed it’s a passing fad Aside from Music development - More movies were made - Movies with rebel issues, dark issues, alcoholism, drug addiction - Invention of television - Rise of jazz, big band and bebop. Created new music culture especially among youth - Birth of rock and roll in mid 50s. BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 6 – 1975 to Today Flow and musical styles - 60s and 70s: 19th century influenced orchestral - 80s and 90s: Pop flavoured orchestral - 90s till now: Jazz, rock, orchestral and sequenced Composer and Producer/Director 1. John Williams and Steven Spielberg 2. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton MIDI knowledge? - Save money and time in hiring but expensive gadgets - Mock-ups on computer than piano only for discussion with producer Mock-up means creating the entire tune into the computer, technically is a demo. Synthesizer Technology (Just knowledge, not in exams) o Analogue instruments: Theremin, ARP2500 and Moog o Theremin invented by Leon Theremin (Russian) in 1928 o Dmitri Shostakovitch used from 1931 in Odna, Spellbound, The Ten Commandments o Moog and ARP being used. Able to combine 2 tone generators, waveforms and oscillators o Synth experts were hired to program o These analogue sounds used in Close Encounter of the Third Kind o First mass-market digital synthesizer released in 1983- Yamaha DX-7 o Polyphonic sound MIDI – Musical Instrument Digital Interface (just knowledge, not in exams) - Developed in 1983 - MIDI is a "language". Musical notes to digital information - Controls several synthesizers or samplers from one keyboard - Computer was introduced. MIDI record into sequencing programs - Small data file as opposed to audio files - Chariots of Fire (1981), Blade Runner (1982) BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Samplers (Just knowledge, not in exams) ✓ Electronic devices that uses a digital recording of an instrument that can then be digitally reproduced and manipulated ✓ Earlier, outboard pieces of equipment Floppy discs with 1 instrument sound ✓ Now, software programs Developed with playing techniques Real sounding instruments ✓ Recording and editing programs: Pro Tools, Logic, Digital Performers ✓ Sample libraries: Garritan Personal Orchestra East West Quantum Leap Vienna Symphony Orchestra Spitfire ✓ Notation: Finale Sibelius BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 7 – The Film-Making Process - Making movies – complex, costly, creative thinking, challenging, require all kinds of skills - Wide range of expertise: carpenter, cameraman, directors, musicians etc. - Common goal – to release the film - Different locations at the same time - Music – last thing to do so as it’ll sync up the music with the actions on screen on the locked picture (or final version or fine cut) ★ The Decision Makers Creative people, financial and organisational skills drive the production. ⚫ Producer(s) is the main character where he/she manages people - overseas the financial and organizational aspects of the film - Supervises in hiring everyone - On schedule - Production is smooth (shoot everything at the same location, so no need to go back and forth) - Responsible for the financial bottom line (need to plan accordingly for all departments) - Answers to the exec at the movie studio that releases the film - Deals with the main 3 components – writer, director and actors - Lets the director to make the shooting calls on set (during the set) ⚫ Director - The creative captain - Has the overall vision and communicates with everyone to achieve that - Coordinations the creative effort team - Approves the script (sometimes writers) - Overseas all design elements (angles, lighting) - Directs actors on set - Decides the take on set - Decides which scene to shoot first – budget and time wise (location) - Overseas the editing after shooting is completed - Presents the final version to producer/studio executives - Powerless to control the final version BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Writer/Scriptwriter - Takes a story, an idea, a book or a play and makes it into a screenplay/script - Responsible in creating a script that fits the director’s and producer’s desire - Final version of script - shooting script - Engage the story, make characters believable, write dialogues to fit characters and the tone of the film - Screenplay then becomes the blueprint (blueprint is the finalised script version) - Inputs on script are fine before or during shooting to enhance the effect - Revisions. Might take a few weeks or even several years Summary 1. Getting the idea for the film 2. Obtaining financing 3. Hiring the creative and organizational people to make the idea a reality - Usually, the process goes top to bottom. However, there are many different ways the process can happen - Who-knows-whom - Actors/ actresses’ availability - The same person can be the director, producer (sponsoring the film) and actor The stages of a Film’s production - 3 stages – preproduction, production and post-production - Post-production divides into 2 parts - editing and assembling the film; music, sound effects and dubbing Preproduction – the inception, planning and development of an idea. Name a few things that happened during the pre-production stage: ★ ✓ Conceiving the initial idea or ✓ Obtaining the rights to a book, play or short story ✓ Writing the treatment ✓ Obtaining financing ✓ Writing the screenplay ✓ Scheduling ✓ Scouting for locations (out-of-studio shooting) ✓ Hiring the crew BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Production – is the actual shooting of the movie - Can take weeks or months depending on the scale of production - Pressure to meet deadlines - Might be affected by weather or location, actor’s illness - Rehearsing the actors - Shooting the film, either at the studio or on location - Screening of dailies (go through all takes and pick the best take and edit everyday) - Film editors beginning review on footage and sometimes starting to assemble the film - Dialogue soundtracks construction, sometimes including ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) Post-production can be divided into 2 large segments: editing and assembling the film, and creating the audio tracks consisting of dialogue, sound effects and music. Post-Production Stage 1 (Editorial phase) - Assembling the rough cut (the working version of the film). Rough cut eventually becomes a fine cut or locked picture - Music temp track - Screening for studio execs - Test screening - ADR What is the other name for locked picture? Fine cut ★ In addition to music, post-production is when sound effects are finalized and added BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Foley - Process that creates sound effects through live recording. - Example: Horses hooves – clapping of 2 coconut halves - Libraries of sound effects ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) - Redo lines by actors/ actresses that were not recorded well or are noisy on the production track - Very common for outdoor shooting - Unavoidable sound – airplane, sirens, car honks - Actors goes to studio, listen and watch their original performances and redo the line or lines until they are synced up exactly - Very common step Audio tracks are the last element of film production Once dubbing is done (adding music, sound fx, dialogue), film is ready to be printed, copied and duplicated for release Director sends the negative with the soundtracks to a lab that creates a copy of the film called an Answer Print Director views this copy and ensures that all colors were mixed properly at the lab and that the lock of the film is correct Sometimes this is one shot step-by-step but at times, the director will go back and forth the lab just to get the particulars right Answer print approves – ready for distribution Moviola (What is the meaning of cutting and splicing?) - Involes running a work print of the film through a projector over and over again - Allows the editor to go back and forth over print of the film while synchronized with the dialogue track – using foot pedals - Editing will be physically cutting the film into pieces and splicing them together - Once the work print is approved by the director, producer and studio, a negative is cut and spliced into the exact same way - Negatives then sent to lab and copies are made for theatres BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Transition from moviola to technology (Why is locked picture important?) - Usage of moviola quickly extinct - Computer technology widely use today. Such as avid, Final Cut Pro - All takes are put into the computer and film editor then cuts and pastes as he/she wishes - This allows director to easily view several options of a scene - After editing is completed and the film is approved, a negative must still be physically edited to go the lab - Once film is edited, it enters the stage involving composers and the rest of the music crew as well as the sound-effects crew - Composers usually does not begin writing music cues until there is a locked picture as changes in the picture would affect the planning and synchronization of the music. - Actors singing or dancing on-screen usually has no effect if the picture is locked- prerecorded music (Multiple attempts of the same scene, to get the best scene out of the taken ones) BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 8 – The Composer’s Time Frame - Various depending on projects – not necessarily the typical 6 weeks - Sometimes delay caused during production - Composers still need to go with the deadline in finishing the music at the given agreed time, or refuse to take the job (If contract allows) if the pictures delivered later than certain date - Typical feature film – Music between 30 minutes to 120 minutes (2 hours) - Each individual piece is called cue ★ (the piece of music is called “cue” to serves as a support to an underscore) - Each individual piece of music is called a cue - Each cue can be as short as few seconds or as long as several minutes May be played by the orchestra or something coming from a radio on-screen Every new piece of music, regardless of its origin, is still called a cue Soundtrack is an album that contains cues and songs Original scores are more likely to have cues and background music only - Collection of cues makes a score - No rule of thumb as to how many minutes of music can be written in a certain amount of time - John Williams considers a good day would be two minutes of music composed The spotting session - Most cases, composer’s involvement starts with post-production, after film is locked - Some directors will send script to composers and informally discusses the ideas for the film - Some composers will want to read the script and start drafting ideas in advance - Some composers prefer to wait for the locked picture - Some director asks composer to come to the set and observe the shooting of the film - Some composer gets involved as early as during the preproduction – composing for musical character to sing on-screen or dancing on-screen - Music must be planned in advance. Right tempo must be chosen, and the music prerecorded so that it can play back on the set - If there are live musicians on-camera (called sideline musicians), they must be coordinated to appear to be playing Modern days, usually music supervisor oversees the process BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 An Ideal Schedule (Every project schedule is different; this is just an example) - Timeline can be morphed in different directions - Shorter composing time if delays in production or picture editing - Or maybe extra time to compose as production and picture editing were completed before the deadline - Or the release date being pushed to a later date Mock-ups - Enormous amount of pressure on the composer - Composer needs to do midi mock-ups to please the director and producer - Rough version of mock-ups - Presents composer’s ideas and if it’s going towards the same direction as the director and producer are thinking, it’s good. - Director and producer often give inputs during these sessions - More comfortable listening to mock-ups with synth orchestras than looking at a manuscript or having the composer play on the piano while describing what instruments were to play where - Some directors might not be able to imagine the ideal sound of the orchestra. (Some directors not able to describe in musical term). It’ll be the composer’s job to explain and assures that the cue will work BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 - Same principal applies to television shows and movies, cable and low budget films, documentaries and even student films - Composer usually do not begin writing cues until editing of the movie is finished (probably writing themes only) - There still is spotting session - These are called episodic television - Director often not involved in spotting. His/her job is done once shooting’s done - Producer will then guide the rest of post-production - There are still deadlines. Faster turnaround - Clear communication and good listening skills are important - Though it’s only an hour or less long, crucial deadlines must be made as episodes are being shown once a week! Season – A season is a set of episodes that air or are released at the same time, usually in a specific time period (such as fall or winter). The new season will come in in fall (Oct-Apr), then summer (May- Sept) that broadcast in one year They won’t produce big shows during summer because most people are on vacation Episode – an episode is a single installment of a television or streaming series BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 9 – Spotting (post-production) - One of the crucial steps in creating music for a film - Happens during post-production - Refers to where the music goes and what it’ll sound like - Music coming in and out at the wrong spot will ruin the film even though all other factors are perfect - Music cannot be over emphasized - Music needs to move along with the drama - When music is present, there must be a reason - Effective spotting is a skill that comes with experience - In in mistakes – too many cues and over-writing individual cues General concept in guiding the process of spotting 1. You are a partner in mixed media 2. Is there a need for music? 3. If there’s music, what am I trying to say with it? Spotting steps/ progress 1. Composer received and reviews lock picture 2. Composer meets director, music editor (sometimes producer and film editor) 3. Reviews film and discuss about where will music go, what it should sound like, which dramatic situations to emphasize, how it should be used 4. Scene by scene discussion. Need music? Instrumentation, emotions, style 5. Music editor takes notes on timings and dramatic hits (something that is mimic on specific scene) 6. Discussion to play through or foreshadow an event 7. Composer’s job is to translate director’s desire in layman’s term 8. Clear communications’ essential 9. Decisions made – composer’s experience, dramatic sensitivity, director’s wishes 10. Music editor prepares timing notes and other technical aspects of synchronizing the music to the picture. 11. Composer starts writing after spotting session 12. Composer is very awe of the deadlines – delivery of music, the air date if it’s for television, the release date for theatrical opening is it’s a film 13. Many other events are set in motion once the composer starts writing BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 ✓ Hiring the orchestrator ✓ Hiring the studio musicians ✓ Hiring of music engineer ✓ Booking of studio Every composer has a different working style (just knowledge, not in exams) - Traditional approach –> composer spots the film –> music editor makes detailed timing notes –> composer writes music (sketch) –> sends sketches to orchestrator - Non-traditional approach –> spotting –> no spotting notes (composer plans to sequence his ideas by playing along with the film) –> assists by a team of people –> music editor and engineer, sometimes a synthesizer expert –> use of orchestrator if live musicians are needed - Both methods are still used - Some prefers one to the other and some prefers to use both methods (sweetening) ★ - Non-traditional method is faster and money saving if both schedule and budget are tight BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 Chapter 10 – The Music Editor Music editor - A person who assists the composer on a daily basis aside from the orchestrator - Must have excellent music skills, through knowledge of various advanced software programs (Auricle, Cue, Digital Performer, Logic, Protools) - Responsible for making spotting notes, timing notes, preparing the film or software for synchronization of the music with the final version of the film. - Most Music Editors are software savvy. Some exceptions on the tech; specially in the olden days Technical terms 1. Reel - A carousel that the film is loaded onto when it goes through the camera during shooting and through a projector - During production and post-production contains about 8-12 minutes. 10-14 reels for an average movie - Theatres- every 2 reels are combined. Makes 5-7 reels - Modern days- splicing into a giant reel called platter 2. Magnetic Sound Film - Also known as mag film - Film’s especially coated with a magnetic substance similar to audiotape - This type of film was used to record and edit sound to sync to picture - Film is used so that the music, dialogue, sound effects and picture can run on similar machines, and the motors can be easily synchronized - Being used less and less – as digital technology replaces it BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 3. Optical Soundtrack - The stripe on the edges of finished film that contains the sound for the movie - Until recently, with the arrival of digital technology, this track was read by a light cell that converted the light-sensitive images into sound - Still being used until today Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers 1. Is the time code that enables different computers, synthesizers and video machines to communicate with each other 2. Stands for “Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers” 3. Developed in the 60s 4. Synchronize music to video or music to music SMPTE Timecode - Highest frame rate is 30 SMPTE color bars- No signal BCY1423 Music and Film Sep-Oct 2024 The difference between magnetic and optical sound (additional knowledge, not in exams)