Developing mood in film music
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use texture to develop music for a film scene.
Key learning points
- Film composers use different genres to help set the film in a time or place, and to create an appropriate mood.
- They also use specific instrumental clichés to create effects.
- These include using arco strings for emotional moments and brass to represent important or heroic characters.
- Developing the texture allows film composers to balance variety and repetition, and to build energy.
Keywords
Ostinato - a repeating musical idea that forms the basis of a composition (or section)
Genre - a category of music that has shared characteristics (e.g. jazz)
Texture - how many layers of sound are heard at the same time and how they fit together
Musical cliché - a commonly used musical idea or association
Common misconception
The genre of the music tells us exactly what kind of film it is.
This is not always true. Sometimes composers deliberately use genres that go against expectations. This might be for humour, or to create a strange clash. A good example would be A Knight's Tale, which uses modern genres in a medieval film.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to explore the music in their favourite films and to analyse the use of instruments and genre to 'set the scene'. This would work effectlively as an independent task, or together as a class.
Equipment
DAW, keyboard or other suitable instrument as a composition tool.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In films, a short recurring musical idea linked to a character, place, or idea is called __________.
Q2.When music is part of the story world and characters can hear it, what is it called?
Q3.What do we call the technique where film music follows a character’s actions exactly?
Q4.Which of these scenes best shows mickey-mousing?
Q5.How does music help audiences understand characters in a film?
Q6.Which of these is a way music sets the scene in films?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which genre with driving rhythms is often used to create energy and excitement?
Q2.Which genre is often used to create a sense of mystery?
Q3.A musical cliché is a __________.
Q4.Match each instrument family to its typical film association.
royal or military themes
emotional or romantic scenes
action or battle scenes
pastoral or natural settings
Q5.Which string technique is often used in emotional or romantic scenes?
Q6.To build energy and excitement, composers develop texture by .
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Developing mood in film music, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Developing mood in film music, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 music lessons from the Introduction to film music unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.