MOstAelog, pire UTT,T 103 NODEISOGIMO) OISNIN PANTO AIA978476899480 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8. CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER TH CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14, CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENT ‘Thank you tothe fllowing people for ther assistance with ths book Irving Horowite for his invaluable help, Scott McRae for his contribution to “translate” my handwritten scores to digital ones, Uwe Stender for his support, Jer TeMaat for her assistance, and ay wife, Donna for her encouragement INTRODUCTION Before and during the nineteenth century, the public wished to enjoy spectacle in which story in, singers, colorful staging, costumes, and choreography were combined. Theaters were ‘opened, and a genre was created that included all those elements rand oper. In the twentieth century 2 new art for of enter tainment was created as a result ofthe invention of mation pc tures ad 2 pew at form was bors cinema Cinema ard television fils were adopted by multitudes of peo ple the world over. Ther popularity spread atthe speed of tech: nolo which helped their development and evlution. (On a personal level, when Iwas a child, I went tothe movies and immeciately perceived the importance and contribution that music made tothe moves. When | wae in grammar school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I watched an Amscan hoor fli; { think it was Dracula, The following Monday during a recess, | told my classmates about my experience. In my opinion, without the rte the fm would not have bean so scant splsined, "have always been a movie fan and alvays paid attention tothe rule, Sometimes | vould wateh fm many times because of the szote. Since my parents gave me a muse education, I had 2 feeling that my vocation was to become a film composer. My fa ther was concertmaster of the Buenos Aires Philharmonia Or chest and took me to many opera and concett muse perfor: rmances, Besides regular schoo, | studied piano, harmony, and counterpoint with private teachers. In 1933, the Paris Music Conservatory granted me a composition scholarship. was twentyyears old when | moved tothe City of Lights Over ther, I led 2 double fe: during the day, at the conservatary, and in the evenings playing jazz with some ofthe best European musicians. But I never lost my passion for cinema and during my fee time sted the movie thesters, With avid enthusiem, I wae se te atch great exponents ofthis art. European and American fl ‘makers were showing their works all ove Pats. i 1996 ere cpa tine pi gel sconce Jazz band and had a contract for television and radio, which gave ‘me a lot of wily. Later on that year the great Aretican trum peter, composer, ard bandleader Dizzy Gillespie care to Buenos Aires, and after hearing my band asked me to go to the Urited ‘States. Before my journey, | was hired to write the music for an ‘Argentinean movie El Jf, fr which | got a special award. At the same time, Iwas tng to get my immigration papers in order, and Sally i 958, Laived in New Yr City In 1960, | wrote and recorded Gilespiana, 3 musical portrait of th Gatsele tithe niet ieee enliperanteriie. wes Instantly very popular and got me a let of recognition. Because of Its success, I was commissioned to write many assignments for vocal and instrumental artists, but above al, was ievite to go to Holywood and write fr the movies and television. My deeam was becoming 2 reality. The El Jef experience helped sy confdence, but | lerned a lot while working forthe American film industry. The heade ofthe various studo music departments helped me very much in the technical aspects oftheir sophi ticaed tools, and my cacer in this very competitive Feld fly t00k of ‘As a moviegoe, Ive leamed a lot fiom the scores ofthe peat masters: Miklos Ros2a (Sohare), Alen Nosth (Visa Zapata, Bemard Hermann (North by Northwest), Nino Rota (La Dolce Vite), and mary others. The purpose ofthis book s to share some ‘of my own experiences and help begining music writers with the aesthetic and technical aspects ofthis vastfeld. One thing that! sttongly recommend is for you to become familar with the sub jects of harmory, counterpoint, fugue, composition, and con locking: Cone teaches wl ery tcl Sx te challenges of witing for fins and television, and to faciltate the communication betwen these pages ad their challenges.NOTATION NOTE ‘The musical examples included inthis book come from fs that | scored, ad the coprihts permission to include them here were provided generously by their publishers. There are some varia tions inthe rendering of certain notation details, which is com mon inthis industry, A few notation practices particular to fl scoring are worth describing. + Click mumnbers are set above the barnes. These indicate how the music synchronizes tothe fim, and ate used by music editors + Measure numbers in fim scores are set in boxes, below orn the middle ofthe system. + Cue numbers (eg. 1M6) appear clse to the ttle. The fist number indicates the reel number, M stands for “usie” and the last number ie the eue's sequental ‘umber on the rel, 0 1M means “the frst rats sath susie cue” ‘CHAPTER Fim and Music Ingmar Bergman, who was one ofthe greatest movie directors in the history ofthe Seventh At aid "The making of film ssi lar to the work ofa magia” In both cases the abject eto cre ate an illusion in which nothing fs rea, but it seems to be. Ina fim, the actors ply ther oles, but nobody dies or realy is the vie tim of attacks of fury, dizziness, uncontolable passions, ha lucinstions. Even their cal confcts ave following a script which they read with an imaginay conviction. Inthe classic Grek lan svage, the word for “actor” was “hypocritos” which means “the ‘one who pretends tobe what be ie nat.” (That word, by extension, became the derogatory term shypoctite”) Inthe process of filmmaking, 3 gratis formed, with the goal of creating thos illusions as a world of make-believe, The dire tor the producer, the serenity, the director of photography. the film editor, the music composer, and many other specialists join for that magical purpose. But while most oftheir work 2p- pals tothe consclousnars ofthe audience, the composer's musle appeals to their subconscious. ANI the epectrum of emotions and mental states can be et pressed by music This was understood even inthe times of silent ‘movies, when lve musicians inthe theaters accompanied the di ferent moods depicted onthe screen. Abel Gance (Napoleon) andDNA Griffith (in The Bith of a Nation) had big orchestras per forring for their visual crestions. The public needed the music ac: compariment even in smal theaters, where the eaibitor's budget only allowed fora pianist and sometimes aso a violinist, Without the music, the film seemed to be devoid of life and energy. When 2 prevecorded soundtrack became avalable it was im ‘mediately adopted, and the technology advanced tothe point that today we have very sophisticated tools to create an aural atmos phere, which ae very close to those used in the phonograph industry. But once again, the whole object of the music, no matter what means are used, is to make a psychological contribution tothe movie. For example, when I wrote the music of Dirty Hor | en: countered the challenge of conveying the presence ofa vllin, “Searpi,” wha i a vclous mace murderer terrorizing the people cof San Francisco. Hes unpredictable, and atthe beginning ofthe fm it scems he kis at random, Clint Eastwood, who plays the ities lice tects welts Boe Seurptce the recliner the City | depicted his dangerous, almost invisible personality withthe use of a female voice singing a haunting motif accompanied by tune glasses and ¢ water phone (an aluminum contsiner of water with rods attached). A player uses a cllo bow to rub onthe rods. The whole effec is very chilng and creates a very uneasy feeling for the audience FIG, 1. *Scrio® (Diy Harry) ‘Asa first step in the study of the relationship of music and emo: tions, we appeal tothe Greek modest Ionian (major seale) for postive moods, happiness, euphoria, exhilaration (Dee wr Aaain Gimce en for oneas, ere cot loneliness Phngian for hope longing, a sense of almost hee” Lydon or anmation (more postive than trian) Matyi or searching, sdventure, discovery Loction, which i someuhat ke Phygin bu toned down however, cold be wscil according to the circum Next we approach posible types of music to convey diferent psychological tates:‘There are no formulas ols in lin must, as lang as the com= posers intuition guides him or her to the right path. My guide lines shouldbe oly a plat af departure to trigger the imagination bring the ceative activi. | was once working on a television flm where there was a scene between a man ands woman fil of dslogue, Ususly in these scenes, the use of background music is avoided for the sake o laity. However, the director asked me to include music “because the estore dig not ave 8 goed performance, Lal thant vibrato, plying near the tlpece of the instuments far fiom the bridge, created an atmosphere that gave life othe whole sequence aed trperel beeasrsimeuen. Teste dea tieAesbility ofthe cinematic arts and the possiblities of audience ‘manipulation wth musi. | invite you to try an experiment to study the diferent reactions of peychelogicl character: and musical chemist, Use any 205° iment of the Debussy sting quartet, Raves sting quartet, and ‘Alban Bers Lyric Suite agaist scenes fiom any fen (withthe vol ‘ume of), and analyze the diferent combinations ofthe musica, Trgments and the simu sees: Fr; Hie Hr! Being wel panoramic scares or multitude sequences; the study of faces, dae Jogues, and reactions of afew actors would be preferable, This cxercise will show you the effets of efferent types of music on a scene, and wil help to inform your own choices, when you create your own scores Most important isto develop your own individual personality os | composer, and to encourage your own eriginaliy and inept Counterpoint is one of the most important factors in music composition. It could be defined s¢ the art of combining simul taneous melodic lines. Inthe Middle Ages, two-part counterpoint consisted of the melodic line (tenor) and 2 subordinate melodic bass line. Fie extend this concept to the interlationship be- ‘hen visual images and aural atmosphere, we ative tothe idea of ‘audiaszul counterpoint. We can compare the medieval tenor with what is happering on the movie or television screen the back round musics the equivalent ofthe bassline Parallel Motion in Audio-Visual Counterpoint ‘The movement ofthese lines can be by parallel or contrary me tion, In audio-visual counterpoint, parallel motion is when the ‘music follows ever detail ofthe visual images: mm NII a VV FIG. 12. Poll Motion This approach is oRen used in cartoons: the mouse rans up the staie accompanied by an ascending feet scale by the aylophone “The mouse runs downstairs, and this time, the xophone plays 3 descending sale ‘This principle is alo used in thestrical television or moves, and with symphonies, studio orchestras, or electonic heyboards.Par- allel motion can be very effective not only in comedies but in dea Parallel motion is waterproof, and filmmakers are in general very sated with it The fllowing isan example of paalel motion from The Sedu ‘in (1982) with Morgan Farhi. ln this scene, the vlan, whois paychotic, has an obsession withthe leading actress. He is not only stale; in this scene, he acts out his aggression, The music reflects ever single detail ofthis process and her reaction ia self defenseFIG. 1, "The Bedroom Door” (The Seduction) FIG. 14. Contrary Mation Film composers call contrary metion “playing agsnst the Im ages and the result can be very exciting, Peshaps in a western, there isa suspenseful scene ina saloon where our defiant hero ‘aces the menacing vilsin. The tension eepe mounting, and they finaly get to each other with extreme violence, The ensuing fht =|‘extremely deadly. The fm editor's quick cuts accentuate the dan {gerous stuatione of the confontation. However, the musi I an Innocent player piano, totally indiferent to the ation, ‘There could be cases in slapstick comedy, where the funeral sic ofan organ might ply very effectively agsinst what's onthe In Telefon, directed by Don Siegel, there isa scene where Charles Bronson gets inside an apartment where a crtaon is playing on 8 television set, while the serious action staking place ‘The composer must be vey earful about the choice of contrary ‘motion. The excitement of being bold may lead to negative reac tion from the diector or produce. In some cases, it would be bet ter forthe director to propose such an idea, before you ty it. be the case of Tejon, Don Siegel directed the shots wth the tle: Vision set, where you can see the monitor or the plaerpiano Personal | prefer an equidistant approach in which the music finds a common dereminator | ty to create the proper atmos: phere to enhance the story as it develops on the screen, while looking forthe way to find an equivalent natural grouth of the background musi. This would be a variation of parallel mation, but subtle indeed, My oun approach is to organize the tactical pots inthe sual sequence and then work out the development of the music ac: cordingly It is @ combination of parallel and contrary motion in| the same cue (eg, "Ice Pick Mike” for Bult) es ek Mite FIG. ns. “ce Pick Mike” (Blt) Joee generee wiper — whan mi nmi ram, on [oorormlp ancy ~ pbene! iinet + Sen ETAT Thy PRT Mm ae Mem pam nm! 1a aayPPE PAPE e beep be ne Pe tater tie heey Rent chee hone| When songs are used, they can be ether by parallel or contrary ‘motion according to the general consensus between flmmakers and composers) Iris. Songs can be designed to help a scene, or to suppor the main tile (prlogue) or end credits (capt ulation). The song can also serve as commentary of what is hap pening on the sreen, wrote the song "The Cincinnati Ki” sung by Ray Charles forthe end credits of the movie ofthe same name:Dorcas Cochran wrote the ries to my music. CHAPTER 2 Phares ofthe Writing Process ‘When writing fr fl or television, the process ganerally invlves| the following tages ‘THE SPOTTING SESSION In some eases, the composer may have access toa screenplay of the project. He or she may be imited toa rough-cut screening or ‘te preview a inal version ofthe fm with tempera musi, But the moment of truth really starts atthe spotting session, to decide “the spots™ where the music wil be syadhvonized withthe picture, ‘The session usualy takes place in a cutting room, and the dec tos, compar, ln editor, muse dor, and sometimes the pro- luce are present. The film editor uses a screen with a dightal sys- tem, which allows the ability to go Forward or backwards very fast Inthe old day, the Mavala was the instrument that allowed sack 8 procedure, and its system was mechanical. Inthe sjor studios, there used tobe screening rooms that allowed the projections ‘make the fle go back and forth. This process was comfortable a: bet cumbersome, because requenty, the picture broke and every ce had to walt fr repales The purpose of the spotting session isnot ony to choose the pices where music ie gong tobe smchronized, but ako the en Sic nature, The director may give instructions such 2s “Ominous | here" and "On the cut, change to a romantic comedy style” there, te.Wile listening to the directo, the composer might have dif {arent ideas. They should be suggested, but diplomatically, The director has an advantage, in terms of understanding what's best for the flim, He or she has been living with the ln for much longer, supervising the screenplay in progress, scheduling, cast Ing rehearsing the actions, directing the principal photography, “shooting” plus special eects, editing te. The divctor's disad- vantage though stat after such a long time, he or she may have lost objectivity. On the other hand, the comporer has the advan tage of caming aboard fresh and spontaneous. So, the exchange ofideas can be very use, ‘The function ofthe music editor i to take spoting notes, epach ‘ing where the cues (music segments) are to be synchronized, (Music stats at @ Bruce Lee closeup and then stops atthe end cof the fight”) After the spoting session, the music editor breaks down the cuss to rrinutes, seconds, and fractions of second and then provides the wit spoting notes to the composer, who then stars writing the score. The schedules for television are stastsual eset inte gic a wheter mete ae vies, or series segments ‘The spolting session triggers the composers creativity. Music themes and episodes come real in my mind during this decisive procedure. It is very useful to have acca to music paper together with a legal pad, to write down both musical ideas and laste tions from the filmmaker Immediately after the spotting session, the music editor starts breaking down the cues to the hundredth ofa secon. Here's an example of my spotting notes from Rosh Hour 2. FIG. 2.9. Rush Mou 2 Spotting Notes The spotting session should be construed as 2 friendly collab oration between colleagues, Everyone involved has the common goal of helping the fl. We are in the same boat. ‘THE SCORING SESSION When the spoting notes are ready, they are rushed tothe com poser, because time is of the essence, and the composer must begin the scoring process as soon as possible, The composer chooses ether to wie detailed sketches for an orchestration a tovite out the full core, ether by hand or computer, According to the avalible time fr the scoring seston, the composer must calculate the options: hire an orchestrator or d the orchestration personally My advice to those who want to embrace a career in film scoring |s to study orchestration. Even if you wite sketches, you must now the basic premise of orchestration: the tessitua ofeach in rument the individual groups of stings, woodwinds, brass, per cussion big bands, te. Most important st ow the function of the instruments those that are more piercing (trumpet trombone, oboe, or clarinet in some registers) and those that have more amplitude (French homs, tub, bassoon and clarinet in some registers, and stings). The piercing instruments are more con- dcive for crisp thythmic effects or melodic lines (foreground). (Others are sefilto create a sold background. OF course, these are generalizations for which exceptions should be founds the bhoms or the strings can be psrcing or the trombones can creste ‘mellow cushions Like in anything in ar, there are no rules, only aa ‘The composer writes the sketches as a condensed score or ives very precise instuctions tothe orchestrator. Then, the o chestrated cues are sent to a copyist. The copying process means that the individual parts are prepared foreach member ofthe o: chestra. A proofeader corrects any mistakes that may appear in the score: Its necessary to send tothe coprist not ony the score but the sketches (Fry) a8 wal When the composer rishes writing, # possible, he or she should take one or two days to study and matk the score, in preparation fr its performance. Though afew hours or even days are not enough to thoraughly know every detail of «score, we'e not talking ere about preparing fora concert. The most important things to be prepared technically to guide the musicians who par- ‘eps inthe ecoring session, Changes of mater ate further indicated in flim scores with ge comneticl sign: eh Amt [let Aline A Amt DAat FIG. 2.2, Ceomeuical Shapes to Indicate Meter In musicians’ parts, cues should be added after long breaks, to nip where they should come in. ‘When the score is complete, the music can be recorded. Every composer should be able to conduct. An outside conductor should be hired only when the composer cannot lea the orches tea because oflack of conducting experience of psychological inhi- bition. Even iF the composer isnot a great conductor, he or she will hve the advantage over another conductr, Because only the composer knows the intended spit ofthe mosic. The composer should supervise wth the recording engineer the seating disposition ofthe orchestraOf course, there are may other possibilities that depend on the orchestra stucture, including the use of sctle or acoustic gu tars, electric bass, electronic keyboards, ethnic instruments, ee ‘An experienced sound engineer wll inicat the ideal microphone and monitor placement The usual formation ie FIG. 23, Stage Plan ‘Once the musicians are in their places, the composer (con ductor) should help the engineer checkthe balance ofthe diferent sections ofthe orchestra. | find it urefil to have the instruments ply the notes ofa chord, when doing this. For example, | might hve the four trombones play a stack of fourths with trombone 4 sustaining a low G, trombone 3 sustaining aC, trombone 2 sus: taining F and trombone sustaining 8 FIG. 24 Chord for Balancing ‘similar procedure should be used forthe other sections. Any leas deine Rael pe TRESS should provide a headphone balance ae close as possible to the cone heard in the booth, The copyist organizes the order of cues to be recorded with the biggest orchestra frst, gradually diminishing the numberof mus: ans. This way, ifthe session goes lato overtie, the budget will not be compromised, paying for musicians who do not need to be there Exch cue is rehearsed once and then recorded, The composer (conductor) can interupt the recording and make some obser vations and assessments, but hopefully this wl not be necessary. “The sessions leader must work to establish a productive work: ing atmosphere with the players, working to avoid provoking sttess and ination inthe oxchesta. Carrying the baton does not ‘contradict the concept that the composer (conductor) and playing musicians are colleagues. | erow a case of one famous composer (a great conductor) who had a very bad temper. When eng a movie in England, he would say tothe British players, “The musicians in Holhwood are bet: tor” and during a scoring session in Los Angeles, *The musicians In London are betec” His conduct becama <0 abusive that ilythe members ofthe orchestra refised to play any longes and the ‘musician’ union had to Intervene, He had to apologize, and the scoring session then continued without any further incident. ‘The labor unions around the world, specially in counties wines fms are produced, establish thatthe sessions should not bbe longer than three hours. Otherwise, the producers must pay ‘overtime to the musicians. The actual time spent cecording is r= ally two and a haiP hours, ineluding breaks. nthe United States, according tothe American Musicians Federation, a “teeminute break is mandatory every hour within atime frame of thee hours This is necessary because the wind players need to give a rest to their lips, and the whole orchestra deserves to relax, because the concentration is very demanding. They have to master the music that they've never seen before and make t sound as ift would be patt of ther standard repertcire. In London, they wotk for one hour and fReen minutes, and after a haf hous, they restart work: Ing fr anther hour and fficen erinutes. Pai, Rome, and Madsid My asvice to the composer (conductor) during these breaks is to goto the recording booth and stent the takes inorder to ap- prove them. This way, theres no slowing down of he session, Mary yours ago, | was scoring a move atthe Paramount sound: stage in Los Angeles. There was alot of music to be recorded in ‘several days. The first session started one morning at :00 AM. (Guppased to end at 12:00 naon). Thave was a two-hour break for lunch, s0 the second session was supposed to take place fom 2:00 0 00 PM, ‘AE T155 AM. we were about to start a new cue that was near four minutes long. When Iooksd st the score, | noticed that t had witen 3 very fc Figure forthe four French hors. They had to playa very fast unison run from the lower register of thee in struments tothe high concert F. So, | new that we didnot have time to rehearse. However, the frst French horn player, the leg endary Vince De Rosa, said to me “Let's go for it!” (which meant, let's proceed directly to recording without rehearsal). My answer ‘wa "Realy? [tell you wht, lets do it Ifthe four of you play the passage without any mistakes pay forthe lunch, But, i thee are any mistakes, the four ofyou wil tke care ofthe bill” ‘They accepted the bet, ard the red light indicates “Ready” ready to record. So gave the downbeat, and when the dangerous passage came (1 was so sure | would win), they played it per ‘ectlyan impeccable run, not even ary difference inartculaton We rished at exact igh noon. Before leaving the studio, | stened to the take, which confirmed that it was perfect. Therefore, we celebrated the virtuosity of this ‘magnificent hom section in an Italian restaurant oftheir choosing. | did jin ther in their laughter, and Idd nt er THE MIXDOWN SESSION [Alter the scoring sessions are over, the composer and the engi= near get together in a small studio in order to shape the final ‘music balance to prepare it forthe final dubbing session of dia logue, sound effects, and music.Technological advances have made it possible to reduce the amount of time invested in scoring sesslons. The production of | ‘movie isso onerous that the studios and independent filmmakers constantly keep looking for any potential advantage. Multichannel recording allows engineers to capture what they ‘eed and then miei very quickly. When the many sections of an cotchestra, band, so instruments, human voice, et. have to be combined they ste recorded witha “preliminary” balance, yet the final ane. Different instrument sctions and soloists are recorded though designated channels, and then the relationship between their volume levels can be fine tuned. This i the reason for paying the pyramids described in “Chord for Balancing” (Fi: ure 24)—to get the best recording level for each microphone] channel This approach allows the engineer to distribute the dif ‘arent sounds in the channels of his choice, during » mikdown| session main In the mixdown session, the composer guides the engineer sbaslnioncingtiererclestial) dura ale wet, listo trument sounds, The preliminary balance atthe scoring session | too ra The composer might ask "more violas pleas,” or "ess bras" or “bring out the solo fue” etc. This eight take mary brour, and mental concentration i vit. must be remembered that ike a painter, you are creating the perspectives of what sound |s to bein the foreground and the complementary sounds of cif ferent degrees of shades to shadows inthe background. The result ofthis use of time and energy ie the inal soundtrack ‘These sessions involve only the compose, the engineer, and an assistant engineer, and nobody else on the payall. Sometimes, the director andlor the producer attend, but onl rarely because fora outside, the sessions ara very tedious, Brett Ratner, who d- rected the Rush Hour movies, came to some mixdown sessions just for fun. supposed that somewhat before his involrement in ‘the movie industn, he had pethape been associated with record ing activities. He did ask atthe end ofthe sessions for a CD copy, in order to playin his car—something experienced engineers are likly todo, to contr that the mix plays well on various kinds of| sound systems The composer must keep in mind the fact thatthe music isto be integrated to sound effets and dialogue, In Hel onthe Paci, directed by John Boorman, | prerecorded the piccolos “utter” in the same register asthe sounds ofa cicada, which continues into 1a whole cu. So, the audience doesnot know when sound effets end and when the music besne. In action scores with alot of noise, the music must be pitcing and loud, On the other hand, in the dialogue underscores, if uric is necessary to help the emotional conta, the sounds should be soft and mello Othenviee, the compocer will have to sacrifce his or her contribution, The next step, the dubbing ses Sion, could bea painful experience urless the composer had taken into account the approximate pitch, degrees of loudness, and sound’ amplitude, THE DUBBING SESSION “While the composer is working on the scoring and mixdown ses Sons, other branches of the film postpreduction keep matingprogress the sound effects designer and the ADR, supervised by the director. ADR stands for Automatic Dislogue Replacement {also knows as “looping”, which means that the actors come back othe studi and lp-yne th lines tothe screen. The sound ‘ualty onthe stage oron the location is far fiom being perfect, so Jin contrlled enironment, the actors read ther lines with the ‘ight modulations, under the supervision ofthe dict. Techei= cally they synchronize the dialogue by watching the screen. Artis tically they must try to convey the emotions thatthe scene fe ules. Then comes the dubbing session (also sometimes called the ising sezsion) ofthe sound effect, dislonue, and music, The session takes place in a special theater in which several experts collaborate: a specalflects sound engineer, special effects ed tor dislegue sound engineer, dialogue editor, @ music sound cenginees, a music editor and their essstants. Also, the diector, the saund effects designer, the composes, andthe fn editor are present. The editors are necessary ifthe director rakes some ast ibtciengesbudiesrnt The uel prea ies In progress, and any kind of editing needs the attention ofthe spe- init, Fimonsere offen make cits in the fin that rule in probleme With the music synchronization. This happens even while the composer is wring the score. We shall see later in chapter 7 (Synchronization Techniques") how even a litle editing may af fect the metic or rhythmic structure ofthe score The purpose of the dubbing session isto balance the sounds of the dialogue, sound eflects, and music. The tres sound engineers are in their stations side by sie, and collaborate with the use of| thair instruments (sound board) while watching the moving ar rows below the screen, The director looks (or rather listens) to the big picture (iterally om the screen). At this point, i to late to go back tothe scoring studio to make changer, so the music editor must use all afhis or her exe Fence and knowledge to make smooth edits with what has akeady ieee. The cornpcr abe oF gral ikem Heme: Ccrcumstances, offering musical solutions to atrial problems. If the music is consonant (tna). along rote or slow passage can be the place where the cut may take place. With the help of sound ‘fects, disguising, or other procedures of camouflage, such edit ingcan be disguised. fa dvector wishes to enlarge the scanes duration and eneugh fatage ie avaliable tobe used but there isnot enough music, the composer can work a olution aut wth the music editor by epeat ing afew bars To avid the extra expense ofthe musicians being brought buck tothe recording studio, they use the music that hes already bon recorded forthe fit’ refered to as “rerecording” “The music is coped and used in diferent ways ‘The dubbing session ray take several days, and the composer should be ready to help not on in any unpredictable stuations| that may develop, but also fom an artistic pont of view pathaps| by suggesting that the music tack should crescendo, dimin-| endo ee.[After the dubbing step, the picture i sent to a laboratory for color corractions, £0 the composars contribution ands at that point. However, he or she must attend the previews (in which the audience is tested) im order to verify whether more changes are neded, a8 per instructions ofthe decor, producer, or studio evecutves, CHAPTER 3 ‘The Inteval Relationship of Diferent Moods In order to stimulate inspiration and instinct, the composer must start by studying inteval reltionships—the distances between rnotes—and ther relationship to mood, Intervals ae the calls th ‘comprise the organisms of melody and harmony. In contemporary mies deren societal aieclense ss Exch interval has an emotional contest that is usefl in scoring music for fms and television. The following is an approximate cle of consonant (tonal) te dissonant intervals SSeS ‘TRITONES. ln the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the titone was called “dae bolus in musica” (he devil in music) and was sometimes for bidder. There was tor in which an organist was condemned to ‘death if he played this intarval, The augmented fourth was not a lowed in fourpart writing (the false relationship of the titone Nevertheless, this interval in our day and age is very useful forcstablishing tension. Inthe old movies (19308 te 1640s) and even today, it is used as a pat ofthe whole tone sala, —SS SS SS) FIG. 3.2 Whole Tone Seale: Titones Ife anayze the whole tone scale shown in figure 32, we can ab- serve that the octave i divided into equal parts. ts transposition Js “limited Because ater moving the scale to begin onthe sec ‘ond and third degree, once we get to the Fourth degree (F 4), we save bac in diferent postion ofthe orignal ele of sx notes, ‘Other scales that ae the product of dividing the octave into equal patts and contin the titone ae the note scales ofnitedtrans- pesition. ee Posed F633 ie Sn Line Tampon ‘We may obsere that in thse scales, the second half ofeach is an augmented fourth (triton) transposition ofthe fret four notes. In the Mision: Impossible series, thee was a secondary theme: (actually more important than the “Main Tite” theme). “The Plo” ‘vas its ile, and it was used in the main body ofthe show. "The Plot” was based only on the fst note scale of inited transpo sition: FIG. 5.4. “The Plot (Mision: imposible) Figure 35 shows a twowbice ostinato (euepense), with an & note scale of limited tranepositon, Fic. 35. Suspense ‘A ernote scale of liited transposition may be constructed by Alividing the octave in nes equal parts FIG. 36. Note Scale of Limited Tanspostion 1 fe useful fr vigorous ation scenes (chase or confit, euch a5 this example, "Vigorous Action Music”FIG 37. Vigorous Action Mase In general, the avoidance of octaves is advised, but in this last example, the music on the top staf (the muted trumpets, one hom, two oboe, English horn) Is nat strong enough and far enough fiom the lower ostinato gue. The fute and clarinets add 1 dimension to the drama. In this example, | am guided by the ‘les of tone music, where octaves ae nat allowed. In my 59 tem bres the ules, sometimes, fr Functional reasons. DISSONANT. ‘As we move away from consonant intervals the element of rama. ‘tates the net dctances between sounds, Hee, the intervals are ‘ordered from most consonant to most dissonant, and grouped in accordance with the moods I associate with each one. Consonant Intervals FIG. 38 The Arival (Voyage ofthe Damned)tape ant oe” FIG. 3. “Return to Teste” (Once @ Thief) Dramatic Intervals mo aDissonant Intervals FG. 3.12. Major ard Minar Seconde FIG. 313. “Sadness, Nostalgia ‘Another example is “Ozone Anguish’ fiom The Dey ofthe An mal FIG. 314. “Ozone Anguish (The Day ofthe Animal) 1 1.515. Minor Second: The Teo Ine ‘The minor second isthe mest dissonant ofthe nti I zo can be formed into clustersFIG, 336. Minor Seconds Custer ‘We naw havea scale from the diferent degrees of consonance to dissonance, As they progress, we can observe that we start los Jing, gradual the sense of rst Ascale of consonant intervals: 1. unison and octave the most consonant 2 the Bh 3 the fourth 4 major third 5 minor third scale of dissonant intersale: 1. minor seventh 2. major second 3 major seventh 4 trtone 5 minor second 6 minorninth ‘The tension progresses. It is essential to understand thatthe intervals are only the build ee bhai ply Theyadenl bearslpeal miehaly before tying to work on their harmonic or melodic funetions. The Intervals can be used in the content of tonality like some ofthe shove examples, They also can bean organic pat office atonalty Jn the muse for lm end television, we are not going to iscuse the t2tone series because their elements (retrograde, inversion, tc} do not allow the possiblity of long development. Music cues are usually shorter than the manipulation oftheir development.‘CHAPTERS Action Mase Unpredictable chythms can help add to a cues sense of excite: ment Here are some of he ways we might do ths The Fibonacci Series Leonardo Fibonacci was a distinguished mathematician ofthe ital. Jan Renaissance. He elaborated the following *number” series, “hich has been used by composers for sometime: 1+ the latest number ())1-#1=2 24 the atest number () 45 the latest number (2) 3425 ste latest number (3)5+3=8 and soon bese, wyt8-20 aso a4etc So, we have: 12,355,819 28 34 55 89 ee ‘Numbers inthe Fibonacci series have an organic relationship to each other, but they are not obviously predictable. Apphing this series to musical contest (most often, rythm) is a way that we can achieve a sense of unpredictably while maintaining an int hve sence of cohesion, Ding mncfon seer feleay fii, hc erm Haren sl background with prcussion and sting nstiuments al FIG. 4.2. Action Scene Rhythmic Background ‘A dramatic melody based on dissonant intervals may be on top. In order to intensify the drama, we can add accents with trom- bones, lw stings, and keyboards fllowing the Fibonacci seis [New sythms can be created by substitution of triplets (or sin- fe, doubl, etc. bests) with rests. The Fibonacci series implies thatthe fat eighth:note tiple is separated bya quarternote rest. ‘The second element ofthe series is to triplets, Then another cquarternote rest separates the thee triplets and 30 on, felling the numbers ofthe Fbonacel Serie.FIG. 4:2 Fibonacl Series Applied o Acents ‘The rests may be reduced to eighthnote plete or siteen ihthvnoteseruplets ‘A webleline thythmic counterpoint can be created by juste posing two Fibonacci series: one of actual sounds and the other ofrests, Hove isa cue for 3 dramatic scene involving the use of harman strength, agin using the Fibonacel sis: FIG. 43. Cue for Dramatic Scene Depicting the Effort of Human Stergth Here, Lam creating rhgthms by diminution and augmentation of| FIG. 44. Creating Rts by Dimimition and Augen tation of Vole Chaos can also be musically expressed by juntaposing orgs rized, eytheic, asymmetrical ines. ~ at FIG. 45, Choos Com Be Expressed by Organized Rmshmicl Lines ‘A Famous example of using the Fibonacci series is a shythmie ‘chord pat in Stravinsly's The Rit of Spring, “Dances ofthe Pretty Maiden.” Percussion instruments with undetermined sound should be se- lected by pitch. =FIG. 46 Peewson nstrurent Sound Iv bells (glockenspe),sylophone, vibraphone, and marimba are added, 2 large spectrum of colors can be created. Furthermore, clectronic or orchestral instruments may be orgarcaly utilized. may FIG. 47. Use of Gockel Heveis an example of hytheie polyphony for West Aes. RT pr FIG, 48. West Afican Rhytnmic Poliphony ‘When the fm aks place n ero” locations, shythms from laces such as Afilcaand lc can be used. Sree FIG. 49. Simevircta (Rhythm fom Indio) If the meter changes constant i is better to write short mea sures in order to help the musicians (andthe conductor) to pe form the music together In order ta synchronize this and other asymmetrical hythms to the screen when the tempos are ver as, the same meter should bbe used displacing the values SSS SS FIG. 410. Constant Meterwith Displaced Rhythms We shall come back o ths later on, when weil have the oppor tunity to study the synchronization techniques. MELODY OR PITCH-CLASS RELATIONSHIPS ‘The 12tone theory of intersals should be applied to action music ‘whan the dyhmic pulue fs agitated and fst Long lines on the a chestra’s upper or lower registers are advisable, FIG. 4. Tone Theory of tervals ‘As the pressure mounts, so does the pth altude forthe whole phrase. What is happening on the screen dictates the musicalnature ofthe melodic interals, When the “good guys” are win ring, the intervals become more consonant without lasing the dramatic character ofthe visual sequence a Bue 4 aaa FIG. 4.12. Contonart Melodic intele Fora heroic scene: Sega FIG. 45. Herve ‘An example, in 5/4, the Mision: Impossible main theme. FIG. 414. Mision: Imposble Main Theme The flutes melody inthe fst four bas is descending. Howeves, inthe following four bars, although also descending, the last notes area transposition tothe octave Finally another example fom the orchestra literature, The Ft bird Suite by Igor Stavinshy: “Infernal Dance” at bar 87 There is tan inherent thythm in the melodic intervals. While the timpani plays. pedal hth, the melody is syncopated When I wrote the score fr The Concorde Airport 79, an aviation disaster movie, Lused Morse code, which gave me the rhythm pat tern of the beginning ofthe word “Concorde.” Thi wa ancther way to get unpredictable rhythms.HARMONY OR DENSITY IN ACTION MUSIC In tonal music, when more than three notes are juntaposed, we are inthe resim of harmony. When the music is atonal, the concept of density is applied, even in @ w2tone series. Back to consonant ‘music, the chords are built on triads from the diatonic sale Ina tion music the latest tendency is going back to minor triads SSS FIG. 4. Minor Tad «and constructing the melodic lines around them. However, dramatic alterations, suspensions, passing tones, and antic: patios allow the composer to go beyond the rules—e.g, Richard ‘Wagner’s “Prelude” to Titan und olde, FIG. 436. “Prelude” (Titan und lds, Wageer) ‘Although this isnot action musi, it shows the inrite poss bilities that go beyond the triads | used a similar music approach inthe theatrical fm St. lees in @ particular moment in which = confrontational St. Was (Charlee Bronson) pushes the “villain. “The strings are written inthe fre atonal idiom by the bulging oF pyramids in minor seconds (tension) The dynamic andthe ac cent ofthe electronic iano (cluster) and double base pisicato pucks accentuate the Charles Bronson push, The diferent sono ties of the stings sul pontill (bowed near the bridge) in the thie bar and the glissando of the top of second volns help to coin eee temapbere FIG. 4.9. “Ned aL (St bes) As the intervals get smal, the number of notes per chord (or vertical unit) is called density. The amount of density reflect the Aitferent degrees of tension or stress In atonal music, the vertical sets of notes are called clusters, Clusters should not be analyzedfom the tonal point of view. chord based onthe cycle of fourths for cycle of ths is not a cluster because density I compromised by the space between notes. The follwing clusters are based on| scales ofliited transposition: FIG. 498. Custes When you ereate clusters, avoid the octave Pentatonie Scale Clusters Erter he Dragon wine the Brat ian martial art movie produced bby 2 major studo in the United States. The protagonist was the legendary Bruce Lee, and Iwas ver fortunate to have been asked to write the score, This ation fl required alot of music, and ater the spoting session, | proceaed to work immediately. Hou ver | as interrupted by one ofthe producers Fed Weintraub, wo invited me to Warner Brothers Studios to have inch the next dy. He sid that Bruce Lee wanted to meet me. | wanted to meet him too, but I had such litle time let that | told him, “Fred it would take me at last one hou to dive frm West Los Angeles to Burbank, plus let's say one hour for lunch, and another hour to drive back, Thavefore thiee hours in which 1 ‘would not be able to-work on the musi. The scoring session is| supposed to take place in afew das. The studio has been booked and the musicians have been called, Please understend ony predicament." Mr, Weintraub said, "| understand, but Broce Lee, who lives in Hong-Kong, is coming othe U.S.A. to do a promotional tour for the movie, and hell be in Los Angeles tomorrow. He has asked specfcally to meet you, 50, beg you to join us So, finally, I showed up atthe executive commissary in Warner Brothers Stato. Bruce Lee was cont, ut excited to meet me, was Impressed by the fact that he was in such impressive shape. He told me that he practiced witha rigorous discipline in his dojo {ey} in Hong Kong tothe rythm of my Mision: Impossible. He leo told me that martial arte ie ve thousand yeer-old tradition that started in india by Monks as a method of selFdefense from being attacked on the reads by bandits. The monks developed a technique they called “empty hands,” which eventually spread from India to China (Kung-Fu, Ta-Chi, etc), Kores (Tae Kian-Do and Shotean), and Japan (Karate, etc). Bruce Lee said,“ have Stcied all these techriques, but I broke all ofthe rules, and I cre sted my own syle” | smiled and gave him a fiend rep: "Air studying two mi leania of European classical music | also broke the rules, so we have something in common” ‘The fllowing example is fiom “The Monk (fiom Enter the Dragon by Lalo Scifi, 1973, Warmer Brothers). In bars 61, ete, the four trombones, piano, and timpani play rhythmic FiguresStd tert SS “ po tert FIG. 419. “The Monk” (Enter the Dragon) The three fenor trombone clusters are based on the Chinese entstonic eee YU The bate tombe pays the tonic [Ey Gs [A> , Bp , D> ). The two timpani, Bongos, congas, temple blocks, and drumn set play agitato ad lita (agitated, at bert. It is sometimes dangerous to trust musicians withthe discipline of im previsaton, but in Hollywood, there ate great percussion players sho can sightread to perfection, and there are also great impro- visers, perhaps because ofthe azz influence, ‘The rhythmic cells in his passage are 25 follows: bar 61 = 6 eighth notes bar 62 =2 eighth note, eighth rest+ 4 eighth notes bar 64.5 eighth notes delayed by quarternote rest bar 65~ 5 eighth note triplets; 66 and 67 are lke 62 and &. Brett Ratner isthe young and talented director ofthe three Rush Hour movies, The protagonists are the famous martial artist fom China, Jackie Chan, and the American acto, Chis Tucker. was hice to write the music scores In Rush Hour a, there ie 8 scene called “Parlor Fight.” During the scene, at bar 4, the base eythen is canstucted on eighthnote triplets and the figures are four se teenth notes that end in an ighth:note accent. {ON NEXT 3 PAGES) FIG. 420. Paror Fight (Rush Hour 2)= te ‘While the ostinato triplet i in 4 (or even 2/4 bacnuze at this fast tempo, itis easier to divide them), the Figures and accents are in 34. In action movies, itis very appropriate to write rhythmic polyphony. Rhythmic polyphony is common in West Afican ‘music, where the players have a master drummer and each percussionist and singer executes a different rhythmic pattern. FIG. 421 Riythic Blyphony (West Afica) In chases (cars, sirplanes, motor boats, etc) it would be prefer able to write uniform rhythms and long clusters on top, because complex rhythms are easier to synchronize tothe picture. Inthe film Bult with Steve McQueen, there is a famous car chase, Which I was inetucted to core In thi eppertuniy, | expressed my opinion that music was not necessary for several reasons ce Pick Mike and hie dangerous partners follow Bulltt (McQueen) first by foot and then by car (to the cue “Shifting Gears"). The two ———— of “Shifting Gears” underscores the two slow carson a San Fran .5c0 boulevard with heavy trafic. The music builds tension until Bult changes the gear to escape fatto an adjacent street, Once the chase start, the camerae are located on the comers ofthe hilly streets of the city. The persecution is elentes, tral ife or death, Another camera follows the crs. Sometimes, we do not know which vices pproaching at amazing speeds. Bult’ car‘motor has its own soune as does lee Pick Mike's. | suggested tht afer four minutes of music that keeps building, we abrupty cut it off when Bullitt changes the gear And from there on, the sound effsts should orchestrate the very excting scene #0 the public could hear the approaching cars and alr: rating loudness when the camera fellows the cars. My opinion was accepted, and this isthe way the soundtrock was constructed. First, ee Pick Mike’ (euspense), segue to ‘Shifing, Genre” (Gullding tension), cutoff musi, and chase Its ionic that peo pl keep coming to me and congratulating me forthe car chase in ‘Bult! Bu, | srile and do nt laugh. After al the public has the right to confuse the elements afer so much excitement, and per bape synaesthesia phenomenon, (ON NEXT 16 PAGES) FIG. 4.22. “Shing Geos” (But)==Deets fede Be lebes| | aREREAD RRA Raa fins either es) pete Spieeeee ey i futet eleeetes ee / anne es 7 a a _—_— rarer ay + eee brea + be area opera eR - SaaSeae bowers eer The follwing example from Rush Hour 3 elects the intermittent pace of simultaneous chases in which audio-visual counterpaints by paral and contrary metion alternate ION NEXT 2 PAGES)‘ean example of chase with horse, | present the following ‘eample from "The Chase to the Convent” in The Four Musketeers, directed by Richard Lester. The Fench homs establish the subjct of “fugato.” (A tue fugue in movies is not possible because the ee eee a eeeJimages) The strings pulsate a vigorous tythm, and despite the fact that the writing i dlatonic and chromatic (modern) the spin FIG. 4.24. “Chase tothe Convent (The Four Musketeer) ee Electronic music can alo be eflectve in underlying action scenes, especially scents in the editorial cuts. The possibilities with analog and digital techniques are multiple. Howeves, they be- come infrit if they ae mised with acoustic instruments well (Once again, I would like to remind you, a8 a composer that your instinct and imagination are the real determining factors of your + should only help you in motivating your cently. My guide ‘oun inspiration,CHAPTER 5, Suspense ‘The very character of filmmaking is conducive tothe art of sus pense because the editing techniques help to change shots ard therfore allow the audience to watch the different points of view (e8.,2 pickpocket about to steal e wallet vs. the inference ofthe ‘arsenide can macnn Sesinie condone: Kinds of scenes LIGHT SUSPENSE Light suspense can build to 2 dramatic climes and then start to diminish. An electronic keyboard might be used with a subtle sound, prhaps an approximate human voice, Another possibilty {sto build an abrupt ending ra cut made bythe film editor fie stan sound eontitecarmiey second ors sé based also in minor second, it euld be the basic aporoach for light suspense, t should be mired down as itis: let the engineers fade it eut in the dubbing session. The vaiations ofa sustained sound aeinfiite: Suspense is also associated with the passing of time, In low budget productions, the sound of a heartbeat is often used, 1 , because it's too obvious. A musical metaphor of eos might be more effect, ‘would not recommend In “Deuce to the Man’ fom The Cincinnati Kid, the tangle, swlophone, bells, and harp ceat the clock effect. The scene por trays @ poker game between professional players, and it i very suspenseful. Asa matter of act, the whole story (ecept for ze: ondary love tale) fs about gambling bacoming an existential con ict for Steve MeQueen andthe antagonist, Edvard G, Robinson. FIG. 5. Light SuspenseFIG... Deuce othe Men’ (The Cincinnati Ki) ostinato plus the 1st and and violins divided in thre, creating clusters ‘The story of The Eagle Has Landed, with Michael Caine and Don- ald Sutherland, develops during World War I tis 2 fictional fle lnwhich the German inteligence hires an lish nationalism a pot to eiminate England's prime minister, Winston Churchill. This ‘movie gave me a great opportunity to use diferent techniques. ‘The ue “Eagle vs. Fox” starts with alot of tension, From bar 7 on, suspense supported bythe snare drum (suggesting the mil- tary). At bar 22,a tense pyramid starts withthe stings. A bar 32 the supers bulls by bringing the roping, stole ane col FIG. $3. "Eagles. Fo" (The Eagle Hes Landed)The master of animation, Walt Disney created mary theatical ‘movi in which the process was appesite to what we have been Studying so far. He sometimes chose classical works and an- ‘mated stories after them. One ofthe pieces was The Sorcerer's Ap- prentice, by Paul Dukes (included in the fm, Fantasia} | would ‘suggest studying that score. The music stars with an atmosphere flight suspense and gradually builds to 2 great example of chestation, Paul Dukas wrote it as ballet, butin the fl, Mickey Mous he protagonist. It is interesting to follow the score and analyze the technique of the gradual buildup tothe point where the wiole orchestra (rls sim) pulsates the dfeent vibrant elements: melodies, ostinatos, and ornamental lines. Their small metamorphosis deserves to be catefuly studied in the previous example of "The Eagles vs. the Fes” from The Eagle Has Lande, in which there ae also several orchestral limsies that are the result of gradual bull. This procedure can be very effective in the dramatic devel Serer reat (ON Next 22 PAGES) FIC. 54. *Reppeling” (Abominable)wt i weeierideveArcee reer er eee eee at jase eae eee ¥ saneNEUTRAL SUSPENSE ‘The power of music can be abused if the composer nat careful about his or her choices. In courtroom dramas, the score can be dangerously used by making omious statements (low menacing string or bass carne) under the dialogue from the defendants, witnesses, and counsel. music fs required under this kindof cr ‘cumstanc, the best option is generally to write neutral suspense ‘The objective ofthis procedure is to avoid accusing any one ofthe characters a the tal and wait forthe vert FIG. 55; Neutrol Suspense Neutral suspense testures are very transparent. However, ithe ‘ound density becomes thicker, we ae moving fiom suspense to stressful tension, w Bape aoe icsepm-geOnt PpURpUREURS mes) petae" setae Mase [tne hdd (EEE eRE RENE RES PPE RDOR DRS B DS sop suse eee ja rd re PPP DO DSP PDP! ul RD! FIG. 56. “LUM 102"fiom The New kidsCHAPTERS Special Genres ‘We have already studied the interval relationship of lfferent moods. The ability to orchestrate wil ako help you a great del, ‘when writing nthe horror gee, Pierre Boulez said that a composer must postulate to his or her self a. musical problem, and the resolution of the problem isthe final composition, since in fl and television music, there are no rules. Every flm or tlevision episode has a diferent story and a different texture. We ays found ourseves confionted with inv Ing challenges. When I had to write the score for Amitille Honor (which is spparently bared on a true story abut a haunted mansion), was conftontad inthe rain te withthe following stustione a etatie image ofthe dark house with wirdows and other deals in a "Hal loween orange" color. There was no action, no changes, onl tiles crossing the screen, but the background remaining the same. Since family with thee kids was about to move into the man Son, fanorng its pas, 1 got the idea to write 2 haunting and dis. torted ulaby for three childrens voices accompanied by harp, e- lest, wong, and violas, and menacing sounds with low stings, bass arne and brass muted French horns. ‘The contrast between the sweetness of the voices and theominous textures by the orchestra became very ching. Water phones were added to bring out the fearful amation. The folowing 's the Amite Heror*Main Title” . mete TT TT Apes getagsteper gegen FIG. 6.2. "Road Rage (Abominable) FIG. 62. "Min Tite” fiom Amite Horr iat cle somes ef is peo ero rei Th Love ‘Wolf Man tc. Another example fram my own work is Abominable (One ofthe guidelines in aesthetics is “esse better” As general rule, musle for love scenes is most elective whan Is very pase Sonate, very sweet, very cool, etc. But who knows? Perhaps the‘mmakers have their own ideas. The composer should listen to thelr opinions, cuggestions, and abjectons. Sometimes, «fim ‘maker may bing ther favorite love theme recording, which could ive an idea to the composer of the style they are looking for. ‘Sometimes, the composer must work ouside his or her comfort able background, whether in popular or clasical music, tobe able tonite the whole score. ‘iwc wl len sat ith retin Ha grows the ‘seduction’ fist steps, followed by 2 kis ec In order to be pee pared for this genre, a rice (tonal) theme is generally most effec tive. The actors’ ages are important young love ora more mature raletionship, etc} when creating this theme. ‘Aso, a love scene may go through diferent moods (tentative, argumentative, hostile, fearful, tc). The theme can be manip: lated and the harmonies and counter ines can help to create the right emotions coming fiom the screen, Pashaps an avery coma tic score is what the director is asking for, but be cautious; the theme alo must be easly adaptable ‘The simplest exposition ofthe melody can be made by soo in- struments (acoustic guitar, piano, harp, alto flute, etc) accom panied by a cushion of sober strings. In The Eagle Hes Landed, | wrote & theme “Eagle Falls in Love” that ic performed by a cim- balor (wth strings support). The cimbalom sa central European Instrument (from the Dulcimer Fai) and | used it to elect the central European theat to Grest ita during World War ‘Another love theme examples “People Alone” fom The Compe tition, 2 movie about an international piano competition. There is a love story Between Amy ning and Richard Dreyfus. The compet hve edge compromises ther love for each other, The plana competion is an appropriate compeitve seting for this love story because in sports, men and women donot perform in the same categories comeoy‘transition between the last subject and the nests the romantic comedy. And comedy iseifhas a great numberof approach possi bilities, kKee-slapping humor is very close to cartoons, and audiovisual counterpoint by parallel mation often works best, Hew broad the comedy is dictates the orchestration and syle of music. I the comedy is moce moderate, ‘cachet dls ntpes nel ciate tasteful composer can make a great In romantic comedy, love and comedy are mixed. Musical gen cralzations are nt possible since the creation bythe screenwriter and director ie ver peteonal tne composer hae a light but ald approach, the score can help the movie. A very large orchestra ‘may not be necessary In The Graduate, the score consisted ofthe duo Simon and Garfunkel singing with guitars, and also a small orchestra, This gente isso vast that we may include some of the Woody Bikaiptsaein & Wary comics tne Scaaieg ig? ike Jects, and those scores shoul reflet the youth of the prota: nists. the antagonists an oer person, the composer may re Act this actin the score ‘CHAPTER? Synchronization Techniques Needless to sy, i is vital to be able to synchronize music to film, bth in writing aed conducting it. The 16 and 35 millimeter film formate ate 24 fiames per second. The frame contains thousands of photographs. IF the material is shot in video, the speed is 30| frames per second. With today's computer technology. writing music netaton isnot necessary for composers who create only MIDI (electronic) se «quences, as opposed to working with lve musicians. But this way Ie toa mechanical, and the resulting music 1 devoid of human feelings. Especially when the musics slow itis preferable to write it in such a manne that the composerfeonductr can follow the schon Clo prencane ieaiceiantaeclioe: ing some “breathing” tothe music, and itis very useful for rubsto ‘orexpressve moods and inthe very modern aleatory music style. The composer (conductor) should ask before the start ofthe scoring session fora clack (stopwatch around 12 inches of diam- 20), which should be placed infront ofthe podium. Many str dios around the world lack these kinds of clock, but some are stl avalabl, and the sound engineers can in etreme cases bor row them (f they have enough time to do so). The advantage of| the studio clock is that it marks not ony the hours and minutes but the seconds as well‘The composer should watch the cue to be scored several times, and determina the tempo and the tactics of syne pnts by reading the music notes as well Ifthe composer imagines a tempo slower than 96 (n 4/4, bar 25 seconds), the process is as fllows:on top of every bat the tuning should be witen with a rectangle around a timing on top of the bar with a downward pointing atiow indicating. 2 Bese some stn tbat coe tear omega (places where the synchronization should be exact) and final indication ofthe cue's end FIG. 74. Synchronization with the Cock [Astreamer” is white fine that crosses the fl for a certain length (3 4 feet) Ths whit ine is prepared bythe music eitor (today, by computer, but inthe old days, by scraping line inthe ‘lm. The streamer looks like a vertical line onthe screen moving from lef to right. Where the line touches the etreme right ofthe sa2reen, thatthe eyme pint BP mee jk FIG. 7.2. Sync Pit tween Clicks In the case of 2 formata or leatry music, ts very convenient 10 go by the clock. In aleatory notation, an X or "Senza tempo™ indication means thatthe events during the bar are fee and the conductor gives only dounbeats. The ame applies to fermtas, (ON NEXT PAGE) FIG. 7.3 Aleatory Music in *Road Roge” (Abominable)‘CLICK TRACKS ‘Alek track” isa computer guneratd electronic metronome, set fon a designated audio tack, Ike any instrument. lick racks are used to keep the conductor and the orchestra on the same beat “The sound of the clicks i sila to the sound of a metronome, ‘The conductor and the musicians weer headphones, and the Clicks are triggered by the music editor who isin charge of pro- ving the logistic assistance based on the composer’ instruc tions. top ofthe sere ist page in each cue. In the cases where the tempos are fast, click tacks ave useful for petal ayecleeniction: er minute” the ck tracks are measured in “Fames per beat” Each fame s divided into 4 sprockets, which are multiplied by 2 {to count the space between sprockets), so we may establish that 1 fame contsine & unite, Clice are indicated inthe frm “FS” ‘where Fis the fame number and Sis the sprocket. For example, 9-3 clicks is 937 frames per best ie mcinanorne rms re “het | procedure to determine the tempo ie as fellows, Take stop- watch, and imagine the music in your inner es, at the correct tempo. Time 24 beats, stopping at beat 25, while your mind “plays” the vieual music. The number onthe stopwatch afer 24 bests wil seo indicate the munsber of clicks, For example, the number then indicated on the stopwatch might be 9:37 oF 9:3 lik. ‘tthe top ofthe score, you would then indicate “93 ck, ater # fies dicks” The 8 fee clicks ae 4 “countff”—waring beats for the conductor and musicians atthe scoring sessions the music stats witha one-beat pickup, the amount of warn ing licks is.FIG. 74 Insuctions to Film Esto Clk before Plu. ‘Then, to determine the tempo in beats per minute you can use the fllowing formula ames inthe cuaqame ate of fn) = bpm Inourenample: ‘ff.375cheks24) = 95.60 bpm ‘This means that he tempo ofthis example ie 53.60 bom. (nthe elated arts of music and mathematics, the allowing chart indicates the equivalent numbers. Th information i given Inhundradths ofa second, FIG. 75. Insructions to Film Etor Rush Hour 2 Timing Nets, The sprocket system is based on an obsolete procedure from the cinematographer’ early days when music titers punched holes inthe actual film (for creating streamers the music editor scraped the fl, and alse punches—holes that were actually punched into the fm). These procedures are net used anymore (eae eieraecerimr graces Peat