Music can be incredibly powerful!  We can associate certain feelings, emotions and memories with a particular song or style of music.  When music is used in a Film or a Computer Game, the combination of imagery and music is even more powerful!  Music is used in Films and Games to add atmosphere and to set a particular mood.  Watch the first few minutes of the YouTube videos below - this is a good example of what music can add to a scene.

Leitmotif 

A piece of music used to represent a character, place or object.  The same music is played every time we see that character, place or object on screen.  A good example of this is the Imperial March from Star Wars.  We hear this music whenever we see Darth Vader on screen.

Diegetic Music

This is music that is part of the scene.  The characters within the scene can hear and interact with the music.  For example, when Star Lord presses play on his Walkman in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the music that we hear is diegetic because the character had to press play for us to hear it.  There are lots of examples of this - such as movies where the characters are dancing to music etc.

Non-diegetic Music

This is music that the characters cannot hear and interact with.  The music is there purely for the viewer.  Non-diegetic music is used to create atmosphere, mood and sometimes tension within a film (or game).  The Imperial March leitmotif mentioned above is a good example of this.  Another good example is the music played over the Jurassic Park film clip, shown at the top of this page.

Ostinato

This is the correct musical term to describe a short musical idea that repeats over and over throughout a composition.  Ostinato's are used a lot in Film Music!  The main theme for the Halloween movies demonstrates a good example of an Ostinato.  If you listen, the same musical idea is repeated over and over - this is an ostinato.  There is also a constant 'ticking' sound in the background used to create more tension; this could also be described as an ostinato.

Tonality

There are two main tonalities - major and minor.  Tonality is an extremely important element of music as the tonality will determine the mood the music is portraying.  This is even more important in film music.  Composers must ensure the music they compose matches the scene and portrays the correct mood.  

Composers can use a change in tonality (a modulation) to show a change in mood or atmosphere.  A good example of this is Anakin's Theme from Star Wars.  Anakin is a child when we see him in the movie for the first time, so his leitmotif (theme) sounds joyful and positive.  However, in later films Anakin becomes Darth Vader.  This is portrayed towards the end of Anakin's leitmotif - the music transitions into a minor tonality and uses some of the musical ideas from the Imperial March.  The music is giving a hint about what the future holds for Anakin.  Have a listen.

In your exam, you might get asked to identify a suitable composer for this area of study.  Remember, you do not need to know who the actual composer is for the extract you hear in the exam - you just need to know a suitable composer.  So as long as you name a composer who is known for composing Film music (or Computer Game music), you will get the mark.

Here are few examples of Film music composers and Computer Game Composers...

Film Music - John Williams (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indian Jones, Jaws, Home Alone, Harry Potter)

Film Music - Hans Zimmer  (Gladiator, Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, Top Gun: Maverick)

Game Music - Martin O'Donnell (Halo, Golem, Destiny)

TOP TIP: If you are being asked to identify a suitable composer for Film music, you must identify a film music composer and not a computer game composer.  If the extract is from a computer game, you must identify a computer game composer and not a film music composer.

Film music questions will often ask you to comment on how a piece of music helps to portray a particular scene or character.  

If you are asked to identify a number of ways the music portrays something in a film, you are simply being asked to identify four musical features you hear in the extract.  You do not need to say how these musical features portray something on screen.  For example, if the music uses long held notes one of your answers can simply be - long notes (or sustained notes).  No justification is needed.

If the long question (question 3) is based on Film music you need to make sure you make links back to the scene.  For example, if you comment on the extract having long held notes (or sustained notes) you might be able to say what that represents within a particular scene.  You only need to do this for question 3 if it is based on film music.

What to comment on.

Use the elements of music to help you with this.  Use the acronym MAD-TSHIRT to remind yourself of the musical elements...

M - Melody

High or low?  Ascending or descending?  Moving in steps (conjunct) or leaps (disjunct)?  Scalic runs?

A - Articulation

Legato notes?  Staccato notes?  Arco or pizzicato (strings)?  Strummed or picked (guitar)?  Block or broken chords (piano)?  Long held notes (sustained)?  Short notes?

D - Dynamics

Can you identify the dynamics?  Do they change or stay the same?  If they change, can you say how they change?  TOP TIP: commenting on how dynamics change (e.g. loud to quite (forte to piano) will get a better mark than just saying the dynamics change).

T - Texture

Can you identify the texture (monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic)?  Does the thickness of the texture change?  How?

S - Structure

Can you identify the tyre of structure used?  Is it verse and chorus?  If it is orchestral music, does it have an AB, ABA, ABCA etc. structure?

H - Harmony

Does the music use chords?  Can you identify how many chords?  Do any of the instruments play in harmony with one another?  Does the music use a diatomic harmony?  Are there any chromatic notes creating dissonance?

I - Instruments

Can you identify individual instruments and the role they play?  Can you comment on why certain instruments might be used in a piece of film music?

R - Rhythm

Is there anything about the rhythm you can comment on?  Can you hear any crotchet notes (on the beat)?  Can you hear any quaver notes?  Can you hear any syncopation (off beat)?  Can you identify the time signature and/or how many beats there are in the bar?

T - Tempo

Does the speed (tempo) of the music help to portray anything?  How?  

TOP TIP - remember that all of the language you have learnt when looking at different styles of music is transferable.  Film music is a combination of everything we have learnt!  Film music does not need to fit a particular genre or period of composition.  Composers have free reign over what they use and how they compose.

Make sure you know how technology is used in the creation of film music; this has been asked in previous exam questions.

Sequencers

A sequencer is a piece of computer software that allows you to record audio and program MIDI notes.  Garageband and Soundtrap are examples of Sequencers.  Film music composers will use sequencers to help them arrange their compositions.  A sequencer will also help composers fit their compositions to the action on screen - everything has to be timed just right!

Multitracking

This is a recording technique.  It allows you to record something, rewind back to the start and then record something else alongside the first thing you recorded.  This technique is used to create multiple layers in a song.  Have you you ever listened to a band with just one guitarist or one singer but the song has lots of backing singing and multiple guitar lines and wondered how they did it?  The answer is multitracking!  Click here to find out more about multitracking.

The following two pieces of music are from the computer game Advent Rising.  Listen to the first minute of both of these pieces of music, then try to answer the questions below.  Click the each question to reveal a correct answer.