Carey Cameron
Journeys
While in the Music in Film workshop, I learned to create musical compositions for film that reflected the emotions and arcs of characters on screen. The most compelling compositions were the ones that told of a character's journey, whether physical or emotional.
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"Journeys" engages with those ideas, and creates musical compositions to accompany scenes of one character's emotional or physical (or a combination of both) journey. The compositions began with examining the journey of the protagonist in each film clip. After isolating a few mood words, I found instruments that would represent each journey and work well within the world of the film. Then, I developed the compositions through some experimentation on the software Soundtrap. Finally, the composition and the film clip were brought together on iMovie to create the finished piece.
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Journeys are an essential part of film and, by extension, film score composition. By isolating this aspect of film and composing around it, the audience can begin to understand their own journeys as well as the ones they see in film.
Little Women
The emotions for this scene are depressing and wistful. I achieved this through the sparse use of instruments and the use of a glockenspiel towards the end to create a more childlike sound that reflects on the journey of Jo. Emotionally, Jo has grown into her adulthood, yet discovers she yearns for her childhood innocence. Towards the end of the scene, Jo realizes that women can be more than just a pretty face and monologues reminiscing her childhood. In class, I learned that you do need an overkill of instruments to set a mood or theme for a scene. I used sparse piano and glockenspiel to reflect the quiet nature of the conversation between Jo and her mother. Like the Alien piece, I watched the scene and then isolated some moods. I tried out some instruments on Soundtrap and then picked the final ones. Themes were then created with Soundtrap and matched up to the final scene.
Gerwig, Greta. Little Women (2019) - I Want to Be Loved Scene. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ-she8Xneo.
Lady Bird
These emotions represented in the clip from the film Lady Bird are love and nostalgia. In this clip, Lady Bird is calling her mother to tell her she loves her even though they butted heads often when she was in high school. She is also looking back on her time in Sacramento now that she is living in New York. The music is underscoring those themes of love and nostalgia for home/childhood. I used ambient music techniques to achieve those emotions. The music is swelling but understated. It does not overshadow the action of the scene. The bells and synths provide a warm feeling like those feelings of love and nostalgia. It is also in a major key, which provides those happier feelings. In class, I learned that major keys provide a more upbeat feeling than minor/sharp keys. I utilized this to add a warmer feeling to my work. I also learned that a soundtrack does not have to be distinctly orchestral to provide commentary on the scene occurring. By using different instruments/sounds that fit the theming or world of the film better, it can be soundtracked more accurately. This is why I used synths and more ambient sounds to create something understated yet lovely. I started by watching the scene and picking out themes in the scene I wanted to highlight, namely love and nostalgia. I then thought about emotions I connect to those themes, both which strike a warm tone. I then tested out different instruments on the synth tab of Soundtrap. Once I found the ones I liked, I started layering them in. Finally, I combined my finished track with the final film clip. I really enjoyed creating this piece. The original piece of music in this scene ("Reconcile" by Jon Brion) is my favorite off of the soundtrack, and I was inspired by its understated nature.
Gerwig, Greta. “Lady Bird (2017) Ending.” YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/?app=desktop.
Alien
The emotion in this composition is anxiety. I used a few techniques to create this emotion. First, I utilized instruments that created an unsettling feeling, such as alarms and alien-like synths. I also created a feeling of rising tension to reflect the alarmed state of Ripley as she journeys to escape from the ship. The ascending arpeggio on repeat creates that sense of anxiety and a foreboding feeling that foreshadows the end of the film. In class, we learned how different musical elements contribute to mood. Minor keys and repeating themes contributed to the anxiety of this piece. I started by watching this scene on repeat, isolating the themes, and creating new musical themes around them. I searched Soundtrap for alarm sounds and more alien-sounding synths. Those were then incorporated into the composition. The film clip was then put together with the music to create the final product. I enjoyed creating a piece that was darker in theme than my usual works.
Scott, Ridley. Alien - Shuttle Escape [HD] - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tokJ3IDaoZ4.