Responding to Film Music and the Types of Music in Silent Film
1. Responding to Film Music
In order to see how a skilled composer can craft a piece of music to support a picture, refer to the Viewer Guide on page 139 of the Reel Music textbook ("Scarlett at Twin Oaks"), which is an outline of an important scene from Gone with the Wind (1939), scored by Max Steiner. Watch the clip below, and read the text provided in your textbook, which outlines the basic structure of the music and how it functions to follow the drama.
clip:
https://drive(dot)google(dot)com/file/d/1eSySOXFf-gmI9SKZY4FI1a2m9AbNvoH3/view?usp=sharing
How well do you feel that the scoring follows the dramatic shape of the scene? What emotions come across through Steiner's music? Does this remind you of any other scores you may be familiar with?
Post a response (approximately one paragraph in length).
2. Types of Music in Silent Film
Watch the following four clips. They are examples of silent films with a variety of types of scores. Submit a paper documenting the following for each example:
(1)Title and year of film
(2)In your opinion, the type of score is which of the following:
-Improvisation
-Cue Books (existing music tailored to the needs of the film)
-Compiled Score (adapted music from the classic repertoire)
-Original Score (composed for this specific film)
(3)Instrumentation
(4)Effectiveness: Give a sentence or two that outlines whether you feel this approach accurately supports the story, the action in the film, and the required mood.
Clip 1: The Man With A Rubber Head (1901)
https://drive(dot)google(dot)com/file/d/15-Eyen63ZmflSXzRwpTGPfCj4vxqR2hE/view?usp=sharing
Clip 2: The Tramp (1915)
https://drive(dot)google(dot)com/file/d/1Jhxi6tTcCPdmNlF97EgCV_k4YZ9iTvGa/view?usp=sharing
Clip 3: "The General" (1926)
https://drive(dot)google(dot)com/file/d/1lJW6Cb8J_Cj0C6n_3wAu8WS8qFTcQpk6/view?usp=sharing
Clip 4: Faust (1926)
https://drive(dot)google(dot)com/file/d/10ydAqVEeuef5aQbCjCIPLxSLiY7_v9kD/view?usp=sharing
Early Film Music
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Instructor's Name
Date
Part One
The scoring in the film adheres to the scene's dramatic shape because it changes based on the actions. Any shift in the acts incorporated in the drama matches the score. The environment created also supports an incredible urge to listen to what the actors speculate. Steiner's music raises emotions of love, indicating how various actors love one another (Bridges, 1998). However, the music changes with time to show a feeling of desperation, especially when the actors come to a disagreement. The video reminds me of the score in the film, "Prison Break."
Part Two
The first film, titled "The Man with a Rubber Head," performed in 1901, is a great drama. This film utilizes the cue books score to meet the video's needs. Its instrumentation comprises the piano as the primary tool. The approach used in this video sup...