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Aug 6, 2018 · Even if you have a strong musical background, you’ll encounter unfamiliar jargon that is unique to scoring a picture. Learn these 17 common terms so you can talk the talk on your next project. (note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
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Oct 13, 2022 · This post is the ultimate list of musical terms. Use the Table of Contents to zoom around, or CTRL+F/CMD+F to find the term you’re looking for. Of any artistic discipline, music has some of the most complex and varied terminologies, from a bevy of fancy Italian words to essential slang tossed around in jazz circles.
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Movie Music Terms Score. A score is the musical portion of a film’s soundtrack. This is often music created specifically for the movie by a composer. It consists of background music as well as orchestral pieces.
- Tonality vs. Atonality
- Major vs. Minor
- Consonance vs. Dissonance
- Style Topics
- Leitmotif
- Timbre
- Diegetic vs. Non-Diegetic
- Audio Dissolve
- Synchronization
- Counterpoint
Tonality is a principle which the music is composed to center around a tonic central. It forms a more “complete” and organized piece of music. On the other hand, Atonalmusic lacks the tonic center, giving an unsettling, chaotic feeling. Though not a film music, here is an example for atonal music from The National Anthem by Radiohead. Play from 4:2...
Major and Minorare pretty basic music terms. A major progression usually gives a more happy and warm feeling, while minor progression produces a sad and emotional atmosphere. I think most people know what major and minor are so I’ll skip the examples.
Consonance music combines notes in an “ordinary” and harmonious fashion. On the other hand, dissonance music uses notes which “do not get along well”. It usually forms from within a tonal structure, but gives a rather unsettling feel. For example, in this clip of Casablanca (1942), from 2:05 to 2:15, a dissonance piece of music is played for the im...
Style Topics is also known as Cultural Musical Codes. Traditionally, they are standardized cinematic songs played by musicians and compiled together in songbooks. Film Scorers can consult the songbook as a dictionary for music for certain scenes. Broadly speaking, Style Topics can refer to all music with a strong cultural or slightly stereotypical ...
Leitmotif is a motto for a certain character or element in a movie. It is usually short and composed of highly recognizable notes. It is played in the film whenever the character (or element) it represents appear on the scene so as to give the audience a sense of familiarity or to remind them of some events occurred previously. In the previous clip...
Timbre is the sound quality of music. By altering the timbre (usually by applying different musical instruments) while playing the same melody, it gives the scene swirling and mesmerizing tint. Another common usage of timbre is in sci-fi films, where the instrument thereminis used to generate music (or more like sound effect) with continuous change...
Diegetic music is sounds which the characters in the film can hear. For example, when a character turns on a radio in a scene, the music coming from the radio is diegetic. On the contrary, “background music” which the characters can’t hear is Non-diegetic. Non-diegetic music underlines a scene while diegetic music associates more with the happening...
Audio Dissolve is a common technique in musical films where the music starts from diegetic and blends into the background music at a certain moment. This usually occurs when a character is singing or playing a musical instrument. After the character stops singing or leaves the musical instrument, instead of stopping the music abruptly, the music co...
Synchronization is also known as Mickeymousing, where the music fits the movements of the scene perfectly. Synchronization is commonly applied in cartoons in the mid-20th century. For example, synchronization is everywhere in the famous The Skeleton Danceby Disney. Each small step and movement is followed by a note in the music.
Contrary to Synchronization, the technique of Counterpoint is to play music which contradicts the film scene, that is, the music goes against the viewer’s expectation. Conterpoint can drastically change the atmosphere of a scene in a film and express what can’t be expressed by the pure visual elements of a film. For example, when playing happy and ...
May 7, 2024 · Musical score: The instrumental music composed specifically for a film or TV show. Musicals: Films or TV shows that feature characters breaking into song and dance as a form of storytelling. Methodology: A set of techniques or approaches used to achieve a specific result, often used in reference to film production.
Mar 28, 2012 · Glossary of Film Music terms. ADR – Automated Dialogue Replacment – the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a soundtrack, after it has been shot on location. ATONAL – Music that lacks a tonal centre and tends to have an unsettling effect.
film we looked at included a credit for a "Script Supervisor," replacing the older, and somewhat more familiar terms "Continuity by" or "Script-Girl.” Most listed a "Music Contractor," the person who hires the musicians for recording a film's music score, in the past one of the duties of the “Music Director.”
