1. How does music seduce the audience and change the meaning of a film?
The music of a film plays an important role to bring out genre of the film. Romance, drama, thrillers, action etc. are all different genres in which music differs form one subject to the other. Music is the component without which no thriller, action, horror or drama will convey the punch of the scene. Imagine a horror movie without a scary background score. Music changes the meaning of a film more importantly in musicals like ‘Sound of Music’ or ‘Moulin Rouge’ where the film depends on the music and its the music that makes these movies memorable to the audience.
2. What role does sound play in remembering a picture? Give an example from the film or from your own memory.
Sound or a composition brings out the emotion when words are missing or words are not spoken.
The film ‘Hollywood Sound’ gives the famous example of Casablanca when Humphrey Bogart sees Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. There are no words spoken when their eyes meet; just the moment captured on their faces brought out through the tempo of the music. This has made that moment immemorable.
3. What material were composers given in order to compose the score? How did this process take place?
Composers viewed the video piece for which the music had to be composed. If not the video, a suggestion sheet was given. Sound editors also provided composers with a streamer and punch sheet which helped the composer decide where the tempo of the film needs to be changed.
4. How did the Music Editor “spot” the picture? What is the difference between a ’streamer’ and a ‘punch’ and how did they help the conductor to create the musical score?
Spoting the picture means marking a spot where a certain tempo of music may be required. Punch tells the composer where the sound editor requires a new bar tempo in a mass of streamers.
These elements help the composer to coduct a musical score.
