It took only two notes to create the villain in “Jaws,” one synthesizer to create the Olympic dream in “Chariots of Fire” and an entire orchestra to create a galaxy far, far away in “Star Wars.”
Music in films has helped audiences capture the adventure, romance, humor or fear that each film hopes to embody.
“Music for films is the emotional compass of the film,” Chris LaMont, an ASU film professor, says. “It can point to something as small as amplifying a character’s emotions or the big reactions to the visuals on screen to raise the tension for action or horror. It’s an integral part of the film experience.”
John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Carter Burwell, James Horner and countless other composers have created masterpieces that have truly made films memorable.
The process in making those masterpieces is an interesting but rewarding one.
The first step in creating the score to a film involves the filmmaker’s decision as to where the music needs to be taken for the story.
“Most filmmakers don’t think about music until later. Then they go back and see where music can add to the scene or atmosphere,” Tim Sweeney, a national music in film consultant, says.
Once the filmmaker decides where the music should be played and what the mood of the music should be, they need to find an artist or composer willing to write the score.
“Most filmmakers don’t usually know music artists. They go through a screening company,” Sweeney says. “But there is a sense of community in the film business where directors will continue to use the same artist for various films.”
Once a filmmaker has decided on a composer, he/she works on piecing together the score.
“Segments of the film are shown to the composer before writing the score. They can then look at the different scenes and decide which song would be great for the situation or character in the film,” Sweeney says.
Composers can take anywhere from an hour to weeks to write the score for a film. But time isn’t the only factor in making a score. The composer must choose how the music is produced.
“Music for films can range anywhere from an orchestra to a computer. But ultimately, it is up to the artist as to what will capture the vision of the film,” Sweeney says.
The masters aren’t the only ones making movie scores. Young artists have a shot of becoming the next John Williams by putting themselves out there.
“One of the best things a student can do to promote their music is attend a film festival where they can introduce themselves and the music they have composed to different filmmakers,” Sweeney says.
Music in films will continue to grab audiences for years to come as new artists and composers step up to have their music heard and re-played forever in our memories.
Reach the reporter at theresa.Dillon@asu.edu
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