Written activity: musical analysis of a film clip
Case Study
Let's put all our knowledge about the use of film music together in a practical way.
We are going to analyze some scenes of a film to see how music is being used.
Have you seen Toy Story? It's a great cartoon film from 1995.
Here is the end of that film, with some very interesting use of music.
Let's WATCH it first.
Nick O Toy Story Licencia YouTube
ACTIVITY:
- In groups of two or three, watch the clip again and discuss your first ideas: talk freely about the use of music in the clip.
- Now, in one of your notebooks or a loose piece of paper (according to the instructions given by your teacher), you are going to analyse the music in the film writing down the corresponding minute or second of each of your comments.
FIRST read these suggestions:
SUGGESTIONS OF THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
- The function of music which is being used at each moment:
· helping the action progress / adding to the impact of a scene / creating a mood or an atmosphere (talk about the contrast between the chase and the next scene and how the music reflects that) / helping to establish a time or a place (is there a reference to Christmas and does the music accompany that?) / helping to join together scene changes (how does the music help the change between the two scenes mentioned) ……….
- Techniques such as Mickey-Mousing
- The use of diegetic and non diegetic music or sound (watch out for a radio!)
- Orchestration and/or instrumentation: is a big group of instruments, maybe an orchestra, being used? Or are there any parts with just one or two instruments sounding?
- Are there any parts without any music?! What is the effect of this? Why do you think the film director decided not to include music here?
OK, now have a look at the examples in the "Feedback Button" to start you off......
And now, start watching the clip SLOWLY, PAUSING every few seconds when you hear something interesting and write it down.
THERE CAN BE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE HEARING! So don't worry: you can write "We think that….." or "It sounds like…..", or "We are not sure but there seems to be....."
There are no 100% right or wrong answers and your opinions are always interesting.
TRYING YOUT BEST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License 4.0