Using technology musically: Film Music

In this lesson, we will understand how sound was added to action in early films and cartoons. We will explore what 'mickey-mousing' is.

In this lesson, we will practise how to create the sounds for a cartoon using the mickey-mousing technique. We will explore why timing is so crucial to mickey-mousing and how choosing the sonority can affect the action on the screen.

In this lesson, we will learn about the fascinating world of music in post production, how important a man called Jack Foley is to music in films, and look at how to create sounds for films using a DAW.

In this lesson, we will learn about the different sounds we hear in film music and their purpose. There are some sounds that only the audience hear, and we will explore why that is and explore composing our own.

In this lesson, we will analyse how emotive film music can be, and how important it is for a film composer to employ particular instrumental sonorities and techniques to reflect moods and settings.

In this lesson, we will explore how film composers play with musical elements to create moods in music. We will then use our skills and musical understanding so far to create an underscore for a film clip. As a composer we will need to consider instrument sonorities, techniques and other musical ideas.

In this lesson, we will continue developing our work as film composers and focus on tonality and harmony, looking at how certain keys and devices can create the perfect mood for both horror films and romantic scenes.

In this lesson, we will look at how the composer John Williams manipulates music to represent characters in a film. We will master this technique and compose a musical idea for our own hero in a film.

In this lesson, we will develop our leitmotifs as our character's mood and emotions change throughout the film.