Film score

"Film Music" redirects here. For the album, seeFilm Music (album).

A film score being recorded by the composer (conducting at the podium, with his back to the camera) and a small ensemble. The film is playing on the screen to act as a reference.

Afilm scoreis original music written specifically to accompany afilm.The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces calledcues,which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in question.Scores are written by one or morecomposersunder the guidance of or in collaboration with the film'sdirectororproducerand are then most often performed by an ensemble of musicians – usually including anorchestra(most likely asymphony orchestra) or band, instrumental soloists, and choir or vocalists – known as playback singers – and recorded by asound engineer.The term is less frequently applied to music written for media such aslive theatre,televisionandradioprograms, andvideo games,and said music is typically referred to as either thesoundtrackorincidental music.

Film scores encompass an enormous variety of styles of music, depending on the nature of the films they accompany. While the majority of scores are orchestral works rooted inWestern classical music,many scores are also influenced byjazz,rock,pop,blues,new-ageandambient music,and a wide range of ethnic andworld musicstyles. Since the 1950s, a growing number of scores have also includedelectronic elementsas part of the score, and many scores written today feature a hybrid oforchestraland electronic instruments.

Since the invention ofdigital technologyandaudio sampling,many modern films have been able to rely on digital samples to imitate the sound of acoustic instruments, and many scores are created and performed wholly by the composers themselves, by usingmusic composition software,synthesizers, samplers, andMIDI controllers.

Songssuch as pop songs and rock songs are usually not considered part of the film's score,although songs do also form part of the film's soundtrack.Although some songs, especially inmusicals,are based on thematic ideas from the score (or vice versa), scores usually do not have lyrics, except for when sung by choirs or soloists as part of a cue. Similarly,popsongs that are dropped into a specific scene in a film for emphasis or asdiegetic music(e.g., a song playing on a character's car radio), are not considered part of the score, although the score's composer will occasionally write an original pop song based on their themes, such asJames Horner's "My Heart Will Go On"fromTitanic,written forCeline Dion.

Terminology

A film score may also be called abackground score,background music,film soundtrack,film music,screen composition,screen music,orincidental music.

Process of creation

Spotting

The composer usually enters the creative process towards the end of filming at around the same time as the film is beingedited,although on some occasions the composer is on hand during the entire film shoot, especially when actors are required to perform with or be aware of originaldiegeticmusic. The composer is shown an unpolished "rough cut" of the film before the editing is completed and talks to the director or producer about what sort of music is required for the film in terms of style and tone. The director and composer will watch the entire film, taking note of which scenes require original music. During this process, composers will take precise timing notes so that they know how long each cue needs to last, where it begins, where it ends, and of particular moments during a scene with which the music may need to coincide in a specific way. This process is known as "spotting".

Occasionally, a filmmaker will actually edit their film to fit the flow of music, rather than have the composer edit their score to the final cut. DirectorGodfrey Reggioedited his filmsKoyaanisqatsiandPowaqqatsibased on composerPhilip Glass's music.Similarly, the relationship between directorSergio Leoneand composerEnnio Morriconewas such that the finale ofThe Good, the Bad and the Uglyand the filmsOnce Upon a Time in the WestandOnce Upon a Time in Americawere edited to Morricone's score as the composer had prepared it months before the film's production ended.

In another example, the finale ofSteven Spielberg'sE.T. the Extra-Terrestrialwas edited to match the music of his long-time collaboratorJohn Williams:as recounted in a companion documentary on the DVD, Spielberg gave Williams complete freedom with the music and asked him to record the cue without pictures; Spielberg then re-edited the scene later to match the music.

In some circumstances, a composer will be asked to write music based on their impressions of thescriptorstoryboardswithout seeing the film itself and has more freedom to create music without the need to adhere to specific cue lengths or mirror the emotional arc of a particular scene. This approach is usually taken by a director who does not wish to have the music comment specifically on a particular scene or nuance of a film and which can instead be inserted into the film at any point the director wishes during the post-production process. ComposerHans Zimmerwas asked to write music in this way in 2010 for directorChristopher Nolan's filmInception;composerGustavo Santaolalladid the same thing when he wrote his Oscar-winning score forBrokeback Mountain.

Syncing

When writing music for film, one goal is to sync dramatic events happening on screen with musical events in the score. There are many different methods for syncing music to picture. These include using sequencing software to calculate timings, using mathematic formulas and free timing with reference timings. Composers work usingSMPTE timecodefor syncing purposes.

When syncing music to picture, generally a leeway of 3–4 frames late or early allows the composer to be extremely accurate. Using a technique called Free Timing, a conductor will use either (a) a stopwatch or studio size stop clock, or (b) watch the film on a screen or video monitor while conducting the musicians to predetermined timings. These are represented visually by vertical lines (streamers) and bursts of light called punches. These are put on the film by the Music Editor at points specified by the composer. In both instances, the timings on the clock or lines scribed on the film have corresponding timings which are also at specific points (beats) in the composer/conductor score.

Written click track

A writtenclick trackis a method of writing bars of music in consistent time values (e.g. 4 beats in:02⅔ seconds) to establish a constant tempo in lieu of a metronome value (e.g. 88 Bpm). A composer would use a written click if he or she planned to conduct live performers. When using other methods such as a metronome, the conductor has a perfectly spaced audible click playing. This can yield stiff and lifeless performances in slower more expressive cues. A standard BPM value can be converted to a written click where X represents the number of beats per bar and W represents time in seconds by using the following equation:

$${\frac {60}{bpm}}(x)=W$$

Written clicks are expressed using 1/3 second increments, so the next step is to round the decimal to either 0, 1/3, or 2/3 of a second. The following is an example for 88 BPM:

$${\frac {60}{88}}(4)=2.72$$

2.72 rounds to 2.66, so the written click is 4 beats in:02⅔ seconds.

Once the composer has identified the location in the film with which to sync musically, he or she must determine the musical beat this event occurs on. To find this, conductors use the following equation, where bpm is beats per minute,spis the sync point in real-time (i.e. 33.7 seconds), and B is the beat number in 1/3 increments (i.e. 49⅔).

$${\frac {bpm(sp)}{60}}+1=B$$

Writing

Once the spotting session has been completed and the precise timings of each cue determined, the composer will then work on writing the score. The methods of writing the score vary from composer to composer; some composers prefer to work with a traditional pencil and paper, writing notes by hand on astaffand performing works-in-progress for the director on a piano, while other composers write on computers using sophisticatedmusic composition softwaresuch asDigital Performer,Logic Pro,Finale,Cubase,orPro Tools.Working with software allows composers to create MIDI-based demos of cues, calledMIDI mockups,for review by the filmmaker prior to the final orchestral recording.

The length of time a composer has to write the score varies from project to project; depending on the post-production schedule, a composer may have as little as two weeks or as much as three months to write the score. In normal circumstances, the actual writing process usually lasts around six weeks from beginning to end.

The actual material of the score depends on several different variables that factor into how a composer may write. Things like; the emotion the composer is trying to convey, the character on screen, the scenery and geography of the set, along with multiple more different variables. A composition could consist of different instrumentation, varying genres, and different influential styles. this matrix of possibilities has made it possible for hundreds of scores to stand out.

Each composer has their own Inspirations and their own pragmatic impressions that create a unique and grabbing sound that create a memorable scene. One example of this is in the "Lord of The Rings" score where Howard Shore used specific melodic idea to refer to The Shire using a tin flute to evoke a Celtic feel. He does this many times through all three films in the trilogy to refer back when a character is feeling nostalgic or reminiscent ( Lawson, Macdonald,2018).

In other scores you'll find not only original orchestration but also an incorporation of popular music, that represents the era and or the character being portrayed. Many films do this like "Guardians of the galaxy", or the "Back to the Future". In the Robert Zemeckis, Alan Silvestri orchestrates a composition that is accompanied by tracks suck as; "The power of love", and "Back in Time" both by Huey Lewis and The News. This creates a sense of lightness that deviates from the fanfare-like main theme.( Lawson, Macdonald,2018).

Many scores often try to draw from worldly influence to create sound that cements itself into popular culture. An example of this would be the score from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". In this score by Ennio Morricone he uses a culmination of post-tonal music theory, celtic song, gregorian chant, and mariachi trumpets to create the sound of the spaghetti western, that is often associated with the wild west ( Kalinak 2010 ).

Orchestration

Once the music has been written, it must then bearranged or orchestratedin order for the ensemble to be able to perform it. The nature and level of orchestration varies from project to project and composer to composer, but in its basic form the orchestrator's job is to take thesingle-line musicwritten by the composer and "flesh it out" into instrument-specific sheet music for each member of the orchestra to perform.

Some composers likeEnnio Morriconeorchestrate their own scores themselves, without using an additional orchestrator. Some composers provide intricate details in how they want this to be accomplished and will provide the orchestrator with copious notes outlining which instruments are being asked to perform which notes, giving the orchestrator no personal creative input whatsoever beyond re-notating the music on different sheets of paper as appropriate. Other composers are less detailed, and will often ask orchestrators to "fill in the blanks", providing their own creative input into the makeup of the ensemble, ensuring that each instrument is capable of performing the music as written, and even allowing them to introduce performance techniques and flourishes to enhance the score. In many cases, time constraints determined by the film's post-production schedule dictate whether composers orchestrate their own scores, as it is often impossible for the composer to complete all the required tasks within the time frame allowed.

Over the years several orchestrators have become linked to the work of one particular composer, often to the point where one will not work without the other.

Once the orchestration process has been completed, the sheet music is physically printed onto paper by one or moremusic copyistsand is ready for performance.

Recording

When the music has been composed andorchestrated,the orchestra or ensemble then performs it, often with the composer conducting. Musicians for these ensembles are often uncredited in the film or on the album and are contracted individually (and if so, the orchestra contractor is credited in the film or thesoundtrack album). However, some films have recently begun crediting the contracted musicians on the albums under the nameHollywood Studio Symphonyafter an agreement with theAmerican Federation of Musicians.Other performing ensembles that are often employed include theLondon Symphony Orchestra(performing film music since 1935)theCity of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra(an orchestra dedicated mostly to recording), theBBC Philharmonic,and theNorthwest Sinfonia.

The orchestra performs in front of a large screen depicting the film, The conductor and musicians habitually wear headphones that sound a series of clicks called a "click-track" that changes withmeterand tempo, assisting to synchronize the music with the film.

More rarely, the director will talk to the composer before shooting has started, so as to give more time to the composer or because the director needs to shoot scenes (namely song or dance scenes) according to the final score. Sometimes the director will have edited the film using "temp (temporary) music": already published pieces with a character that the director believes to fit specific scenes.

Elements of a film score

Most films have between 45 and 120 minutes of music. However, some films have very little or no music; others may feature a score that plays almost continuously throughout.

Temp tracks

In some instances, film composers have been asked by the director to imitate a specific composer or style present in the temp track.On other occasions, directors have become so attached to the temp score that they decide to use it and reject the original score written by the film composer. One of the most famous cases isStanley Kubrick's2001: A Space Odyssey,where Kubrick opted for existing recordings of classical works, including pieces by composerGyörgy Ligetirather than the score byAlex North,although Kubrick had also hiredFrank Cordellto do a score. Other examples includeTorn Curtain(Bernard Herrmann),Troy(Gabriel Yared),Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl(Alan Silvestri),Peter Jackson'sKing Kong(Howard Shore),andThe Bourne Identity(Carter Burwell).

Structure

Films often have different themes for important characters, events, ideas or objects, an idea often associated withWagner's use ofleitmotif.These may be played in different variations depending on the situation they represent, scattered amongst incidental music. The themes for specific characters or locations are known as a motif where the rest of the track is usually centered around the particular motif and the track develops in line with the motif.

This common technique may often pass unnoticed by casual moviegoers, but has become well known among genre enthusiasts. One prominent example isJohn Williams' score for theStar Warssaga, and the numerous themes inStar Warsmusicassociated with individual characters such asDarth Vader,Luke Skywalker,andPrincess Leia.Similarly, themusic of theLord of the Ringsfilm seriesfeatured recurring themes for many main characters and places. Another notable example isJerry Goldsmith'sKlingontheme fromStar Trek: The Motion Picture(1979), which later composers in theStar Trekfilm seriesquoted in their Klingon motifs, and which was included on numerous occasions as a theme forWorf,the franchise's most prominent Klingon character.Michael Giacchinoemployed character themes in the soundtrack for the 2009 animated filmUp,for which he received the Academy Award for Best Score. His orchestral soundtrack for thetelevision seriesLostalso depended heavily on character and situation-specific themes.

Source music

"Source music"(or a" source cue ") comes from an on screen source that can actually be seen or that can be inferred (in academicfilm theorysuch music is called "diegetic"music, as it emanates from the"diegesis"or" story world "). An example of" source music "is the use of theFrankie Vallisong "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" inMichael Cimino'sThe Deer Hunter.Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thrillerThe Birdsis an example of a Hollywood film with nonon-diegeticmusic whatsoever.Dogme 95is a filmmaking movement, started in Denmark in 1995, with a manifesto that prohibits any use of non-diegetic music in its films.

Artistic merit

Music criticism

The artistic merits of film music are frequently debated. Some critics value it highly, pointing to music such as that written byErich Wolfgang Korngold,Aaron Copland,Bernard Herrmann,and others. Some consider film music to be a defining genre of classical music in the late 20th century, if only because it is the brand of classical music heard more often than any other. In some cases, film themes have become accepted into the canon ofclassical music.These are mostly works from already noted composers who have done scores; for instance,Sergei Prokofiev's score toAlexander Nevsky,orVaughan Williams' score toScott of the Antarctic.Others see the great bulk of film music as meritless. They consider that much film music is derivative, borrowing heavily from previous works. Composers of film scores typically can produce about three or four per year. The most popular works by composers such asJohn Williamsare still far from entering the accepted classical canon, although there is a growing appreciation for the broader contribution of composers such as Williams among some classical composers and critics; for example, the Norwegian contemporary classical composerMarcus Paushas said that he considers Williams to be "one of the great composers of any century" who has "found a very satisfying way of embodying dissonance and avant-garde techniques within a larger tonal framework" and who "might also have come the closest of any composer to realizing the old Schoenbergian utopia that children of the future would be whistling 12-tone rows."Even so, considering they are often the most popular modern compositions of classical music known to the general public, major orchestras sometimes performconcerts of such music,as dopops orchestras.

Preservation efforts

In 1983, a non-profit organization, theSociety for the Preservation of Film Music,was formed to preserve the "byproducts" of creating a film score, including the music manuscripts (written music) and other documents and studio recordings generated in the process of composing and recording scores which, in some instances, have been discarded bymovie studios.The written music must be kept to perform the music on concert programs and to make new recordings of it. Sometimes only after decades has an archival recording of a film score been released on CD.

History

The origins of film music are disputed, although they are generally considered to have aesthetic roots in various media forms associated with nineteenth-centuryRomanticism.According toKurt London,film music "began not as a result of any artistic urge, but from a dire need of something which would drown the noise made by the projector. For in those times there was as yet no sound-absorbent walls between the projection machine and the auditorium. This painful noise disturbed visual enjoyment to no small extent. Instinctively cinema proprietors had recourse to music, and it was the right way, using an agreeable sound to neutralize one less agreeable."On the contrary, film historian James Wierzbicki asserts that early film showings (such as theLumière brothers' first film screening) would have been social events to the capacity that they had no need to mask the sounds of a projector mechanism. As these early films began to move out of exhibition spaces and intovaudevilletheaters, the role of film began to shift as well. Given that vaudeville theaters typically employed musicians, it is likely that this is the point when it became commonplace for film to be accompanied by music. Audiences at the time would have come to expect music in the vaudeville space, and as such live musical accompaniment to films grew out naturally.

Before the age of recorded sound in motion pictures, efforts were taken to provide suitable music for films, usually through the services of an in-house pianist or organist, and, in some cases, entire orchestras, typically givencue sheetsas a guide. A pianist was present to perform at theLumière brothers'first film screening in 1895.In 1914,The Oz Film Manufacturing Companysent full-length scores byLouis F. Gottschalkfor their films.Other examples of this includeVictor Herbert's score in 1915 toThe Fall of a Nation(a sequel toThe Birth of a Nation) andCamille Saint-Saëns' music forThe Assassination of the Duke of Guisein 1908. It was preceded byNathaniel D. Mann's score forThe Fairylogue and Radio-Playsby four months, but that was a mixture of interrelated stage and film performance in the tradition of oldmagic lanternshows.Most accompaniments at this time, these examples notwithstanding, comprised pieces by famous composers, also including studies. These were often used to form catalogues ofphotoplay music,which had different subsections broken down by 'mood' and genre: dark, sad, suspense, action, chase, etc.

German cinema,which was highly influential in the era of silent movies, provided some original scores such asFritz Lang's moviesDie Nibelungen(1924) andMetropolis(1927) which were accompanied by original full scale orchestral and leitmotific scores written byGottfried Huppertz,who also wrote piano-versions of his music, for playing in smaller cinemas.Friedrich W. Murnau's moviesNosferatu(1922 – music byHans Erdmann) andFaust – Eine deutsche Volkssage(1926 – music byWerner Richard Heymann) also had original scores written for them. Other films like Murnau'sDer letzte Manncontained a mixing of original compositions (in this case byGiuseppe Becce) and library music / folk tunes, which were artistically included into the score by the composer. Much of this influence can be traced further back toGerman Romanticforms of music.Richard Wagner's ideas onGesamtkunstwerkandleitmotifin his operas were later picked up on by prominent film composerMax Steiner.Steiner and his contemporaryErich Korngoldboth immigrated from Vienna, bringing with them musical structures and ideologies of the late Romantic period.

In France, before the advent of talkies,Erik Satiecomposed what many consider the first "frame by frame" synchronous film score for directorRené Clair's avant-garde shortEntr'acte(1924).Anticipating "spotting" techniques and the inconsistencies of projection speeds in screenings of silent films, Satie took precise timings for each sequence and created a flexible,aleatoricscore of brief, evocative motifs which could be repeated and varied in tempo as required.American composersVirgil ThomsonandAaron Coplandcited Satie's music forEntr'acteas a major influence on their own forays into film scoring.

When sound came to movies, director Fritz Lang barely used music in his movies anymore. Apart fromPeter Lorrewhistling a short piece from Edvard Grieg'sPeer Gynt,Lang's movieM – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörderwas lacking musical accompaniment completely andDas Testament des Dr. Mabuseonly included one original piece written for the movie by Hans Erdmann played at the very beginning and end of the movie. One of the rare occasions on which music occurs in the movie is a song one of the characters sings, that Lang uses to put emphasis on the man's insanity, similar to the use of the whistling inM.

Early attempts at the synchronization of sound and image were failures, in large part due to mechanical and technological limitations.Phonographs,the only medium available for recorded sound in the early twentieth century, were difficult if not impossible to synchronize with the rotation of film projectors. In the cases where an attempt was made, sound was further limited by an inability to properly amplify it. However, in the 1920s improvements in radio technology allowed for the amplification of sound, and the invention of sound on film allowed for the synchronization thereof.A landmark event in music synchronization with the action in film was achieved in the score composed byMax SteinerforDavid O. Selznick's 1933King Kong.A fine example of this is when the aborigine chief slowly approaches the unwanted visitors to Skull Island who are filming the natives' sacred rites. As he strides closer and closer, each footfall is reinforced by a background chord.

Though "the scoring of narrative features during the 1940s lagged decades behind technical innovations in the field of concert music,"the 1950s saw the rise of themodernistfilm score. DirectorElia Kazanwas open to the idea of jazz influences and dissonant scoring and worked with Alex North, whose score forA Streetcar Named Desire(1951) combined dissonance with elements of blues and jazz. Kazan also approachedLeonard Bernsteinto scoreOn the Waterfront(1954) and the result was reminiscent of earlier works byAaron CoplandandIgor Stravinskywith its "jazz-based harmonies and exciting additive rhythms."A year later,Leonard Rosenman,inspired byArnold Schoenberg,experimented with atonality in his scores forEast of Eden(1955) andRebel Without a Cause(1955). In his ten-year collaboration withAlfred Hitchcock,Bernard Herrmannexperimented with ideas inVertigo(1958) andPsycho(1960). The use of non-diegetic jazz was another modernist innovation, such as jazz starDuke Ellington's score forOtto Preminger'sAnatomy of a Murder(1959).

Composers

Academy Award nominees and winners

See:List of Academy Award nominees and winners for Best Original Score.

Box office champions

The following list includes all composers who have scored one of the 100 highest-grossing films of all time but have never been nominated for a major award (Oscar, Golden Globe etc.).

• William Alwyn–Swiss Family Robinson(1960)
• Joseph DeBeasi –American Sniper(2014)
• David Buttolph–House of Wax(1953)
• Brad Fiedel–Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991)
• Alexander Janko –My Big Fat Greek Wedding(2002)
• Bill Justis–Smokey and the Bandit(1977)
• Harald Kloser–The Day After Tomorrow(2004),2012(2009)
• Heitor Pereira–Despicable Me(2010),The Smurfs(2011),Despicable Me 2(2013)
• Trevor Rabin–Armageddon(1998),National Treasure: Book of Secrets(2007)
• Thomas Wanker–2012(2009)
• Pharrell Williams–Despicable Me(2010),Despicable Me 2(2013)
• Chris Wilson –My Big Fat Greek Wedding(2002)

Relation with directors

Main article:List of film director and composer collaborations

Sometimes, acomposermay unite with adirectorby composing the score for many films of a same director.John Williams' professional relationship withSteven SpielbergandGeorge Lucasis one of the most prominent in film history, with Williams scoring all but five of Spielberg's films, and all the installments of both of Lucas' blockbuster franchises (Star WarsandIndiana Jones); Williams won all five of his Oscars in his collaborations with the two. Additionally,Danny Elfmandid the score for all the movies directed byTim Burton,with the exception ofEd Wood(score byHoward Shore) andSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(score byStephen Sondheim). Other documented instance of director-composer relationships includes:Bernard HerrmannwithAlfred Hitchcock;Jerry GoldsmithwithJoe DanteandFranklin Schaffner;Ennio MorriconewithSergio Leone,Mauro Bolognini,andGiuseppe Tornatore;Henry ManciniwithBlake Edwards;Georges DeleruewithFrançois Truffaut;Alan SilvestriwithRobert Zemeckis;Angelo BadalamentiwithDavid Lynch;James Newton HowardwithM. Night Shyamalan;Éric SerrawithLuc Besson;Patrick DoylewithKenneth Branagh;Dave GrusinwithSydney Pollack;Howard ShorewithDavid Cronenberg,Peter Jackson,andMartin Scorsese;Carter BurwellwithJoel & Ethan Coen;Bill ContiwithJohn G. Avildsen;Lalo SchifrinwithDon Siegel,Stuart Rosenberg,andBrett Ratner;Hans ZimmerwithRidley ScottandChristopher Nolan;Harry Gregson-WilliamswithTony ScottandAndrew Adamson;Clint MansellwithDarren Aronofsky;Dario MarianelliwithJoe Wright;Trent ReznorandAtticus RosswithDavid Fincher;Steve JablonskywithMichael Bay,Mychael DannawithAng LeeandAtom Egoyan,Terence BlanchardwithSpike Lee,Randy NewmanwithJohn Lasseter;Thomas NewmanwithSam Mendes;David NewmanwithDanny Devito,Brian Levant,andStephen Herek;John DebneywithJon FavreauandGarry Marshall;Gabriel YaredwithAnthony Minghella;Joe KraemerwithChristopher McQuarrie;Michael GiacchinowithJ. J. AbramsandBrad Bird;James HornerwithJames CameronandRon Howard;John BarrywithBryan Forbes,Anthony Harvey,Terence Young,andGuy Hamilton;Elmer BernsteinwithJohn Landis,John Sturges,andRobert Mulligan;Maurice JarrewithDavid Lean,Peter Weir,andGeorges Franju;Philip GlasswithGodfrey Reggio;Cliff MartinezandDavid HolmeswithSteven Soderbergh;Akira IfukubewithIshirō Honda;A. R. RahmanwithMani Ratnam;George FentonwithRichard Attenborough,Nicholas Hynter,Ken Loach,andStephen Frears;Klaus BadeltandErnst ReijsegerwithWerner Herzog;Randy EdelmanwithIvan ReitmanandRob Cohen;Marc ShaimanwithRob Reiner;Elliot GoldenthalwithJulie TaymorandNeil Jordan;Rachel PortmanwithBeeban Kidron,Lasse Hallström,andJonathan Demme;Christophe BeckwithShawn Levy;Arthur B. RubinsteinandDavid ShirewithJohn Badham;John PowellwithDoug LimanandPaul Greengrass;Trevor RabinwithRenny HarlinandJon Turteltaub;Harald KloserwithRoland Emmerich;David ArnoldwithMichael AptedandJohn Singleton;Michael KamenwithRichard Donner,John McTiernan,andTerry Gilliam;Jorge ArriagadawithRaúl Ruiz;Zbigniew PreisnerwithKrzysztof Kieślowski;Mark IshamwithAlan RudolphandRobert Redford;Basil PoledouriswithJohn Millius;Joseph TrapanesewithJoseph Kosinski;Jonny GreenwoodandJon BrionwithPaul Thomas Anderson;Brian TylerwithJustin LinandSylvester Stallone;John OttmanwithBryan Singer;Marco BeltramiwithWes CravenandGuillermo del Toro;Tyler BateswithJames Gunn,Zack Snyder,andRob Zombie;Pino DonaggiowithBrian De Palma;andAlexandre DesplatwithWes Anderson,Roman Polanski,andGeorge Clooney.

Production music

Main article:Production music

Many companies provide music to various film, TV and commercial projects for a fee. Sometimes called library music, the music is owned by production music libraries and licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media. Examples of firms include Warner Chappell Production Music, Jingle Punks, Associated Production Music, FirstCom Music, VideoHelper and Extreme Music. Unlike popular and classical music publishers, who typically own less than 50 percent of the copyright in a composition, music production libraries own all of the copyrights of their music, meaning that it can be licensed without seeking the composer's permission, as is necessary in licensing music from normal publishers. This is because virtually all music created for music libraries is done on awork for hirebasis.Production music is therefore a very convenient medium for media producers – they can be assured that they will be able to license any piece of music in the library at a reasonable rate.

Production music libraries will typically offer a broad range of musical styles and genres, enabling producers and editors to find much of what they need in the same library. Music libraries vary in size from a few hundred tracks up to many thousands. The first production music library was set up byDe Wolfe Musicin 1927 with the advent of sound in film, the company originally scored music for use in silent film.Another music library was set up by Ralph Hawkes of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers in the 1930s.APM, the largest US library, has over 250,000 tracks.

See also

• Show tune
• AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores
• Fictional music
• List of film score composers
• List of film director and composer collaborations
• Score,a 2016 documentary film about film scores
• Film Score Monthly

Further reading

• Andersen, Martin Stig. "Electroacoustic Sound and Audiovisual Structure in Film".eContact! 12.4 — Perspectives on the Electroacoustic Work / Perspectives sur l'œuvre électroacoustique(August 2010). Montréal:CEC.
• Dorschel, Andreas (ed.).Tonspuren. Musik im Film: Fallstudien 1994–2001.Universal Edition, Vienna 2005 (Studien zur Wertungsforschung 46).ISBN3-7024-2885-2.Scrutinizes film score practice at the turn from the 20th to 21st century. In German.
• Elal, Sammy and Kristian Dupont (eds.). "The Essentials of Scoring Film".Minimum Noise.Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Harris, Steve.Film, Television, and Stage Music on Phonograph Records: A Discography.Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 1988.ISBN0-89950-251-2.
• MacDonald, Laurence E. (1998)The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History.Scarecrow Press.ISBN9781461673040.
• Holly Rogers and Jeremy Barham,The Music and Sound of Experimental Film.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.
• Slowik, Michael.After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926–1934.New York: Columbia University Press, 2014.
• Spande, Robert."The Three Regimes – A Theory of Film Music"ArchivedNovember 17, 2021, at theWayback MachineMinneapolis, 1996.
• Stoppe, Sebastian, ed.Film in concert: film scores and their relation to classical concert music.Glückstadt: Verlag Werner Hülsbusch, 2014.ISBN978-3-86488060-5.doi:10.25969/mediarep/16802.
• Stubblevine, Donald J.Cinema Sheet Music: A Comprehensive Listing of Published Film Music, fromSquaw Man(1914) toBatman(1989).Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 1991.ISBN0-89950-569-4.
• Various contributors [wiki]. "Films with Significant Electroacoustic Content".eContact! 8.4 — Ressources éducatives / Educational Resources(September 2006). Montréal:CEC.

External links

Film music organizations

• Film Music Society
• International Film Music Critics Association

Journals (online and print)

• Film Music Magazine
• Film Music Review
• The Journal of Film Music
• (in French)UnderScores: le magazine de la musique de film

Education

• International School for Film Score Composition and Production

Language

• "Terms of Art: Film Composer Lingo with Carter Burwell".Studio 360.Public Radio InternationalandWNYC.August 31, 2017 [March 23, 2017].RetrievedSeptember 3,2017.