Film score facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A film score is original music written especially to go with a film. Think of it as the background music that helps tell the story and makes you feel certain emotions while watching a movie.

These musical pieces are often called "cues." They are carefully timed to start and stop at exact moments in the film. This helps make the story more exciting and the scenes more powerful.

One or more composers write film scores. They work closely with the film's director or producer. After the music is written, it's usually played by a group of musicians. This group often includes an orchestra, solo musicians, or even a choir. A sound engineer then records the music.

While the term "film score" is mostly for movies, similar music is also made for television shows, radio programs, and video games. This kind of music is often called a soundtrack or incidental music.

Film scores come in many different musical styles. This depends on the type of movie they are for. Most scores use orchestral music, similar to Western classical music. But many also mix in jazz, rock, pop, blues, and various world music styles. Since the 1950s, more scores have also used electronic sounds. Today, many scores combine both orchestral and electronic instruments.

Thanks to digital technology and audio sampling, many modern film scores can sound like acoustic instruments without needing a full orchestra. Composers can create and perform entire scores themselves. They use special music composition software, synthesizers, samplers, and MIDI controllers.

Songs like pop or rock songs are usually not part of the film's score. They are part of the film's overall soundtrack. Sometimes, songs in musicals might use ideas from the score. But generally, scores don't have lyrics, unless a choir or singer performs them as part of a musical cue.

How Film Music is Made
Parts of a Film Score
- Musical Themes (Leitmotifs)
- Music from the Story (Source Music)
Famous Composer-Director Teams
Music for Production
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See also

How Film Music is Made

Making a film score involves several important steps. Composers work closely with directors to create music that fits the movie perfectly.

Planning the Music (Spotting)

The composer usually starts working on the music when the film is almost finished being shot and is being edited. Sometimes, the composer is involved from the very beginning, especially if actors need to perform with the music.

The composer watches a "rough cut" of the film. This is an early version before all the editing is done. They talk with the director about the style and mood of music needed. Together, they watch the whole film and decide exactly which scenes need original music.

During this "spotting" process, composers take careful notes. They record how long each piece of music needs to be, where it starts, and where it ends. They also note specific moments in a scene where the music needs to match something happening on screen.

Sometimes, a director might even edit their film to fit the music! For example, director Steven Spielberg let composer John Williams write the music for the end of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial first. Spielberg then re-edited the scene to match Williams' music.

In other cases, a composer might write music just based on the movie's script or storyboards. They don't see the film itself. This gives them more freedom. The director can then add this music wherever they want during the final editing. Composer Hans Zimmer did this for director Christopher Nolan's film Inception.

Timing the Music (Syncing)

When writing film music, a key goal is to match musical events with dramatic moments on screen. This is called "syncing." Composers use special software and SMPTE timecode to get the timings just right.

One way to sync music is with a "written click track." This helps the conductor keep a steady tempo for the musicians. It's like a very precise metronome that changes with the film's needs. Conductors also watch the film on a screen while leading the musicians. Visual cues like vertical lines (streamers) and flashes of light (punches) help them stay perfectly in time.

Writing the Music

After the spotting session, the composer starts writing the score. Some composers prefer to write music by hand using a pencil and paper. They might play their ideas on a piano for the director. Others use computers with advanced music composition software like Logic Pro or Pro Tools. This software lets them create digital versions of the music, called MIDI mockups, for the filmmaker to review before the final recording.

The time a composer has to write the score can vary. It might be as short as two weeks or as long as three months. Usually, the writing process takes about six weeks.

The music itself depends on the film's genre and the emotions the director wants to create. A film score can use many different instruments. This ranges from a full symphony orchestra to a single instrument, a rock band, or a jazz group. It can also include world music influences, solo singers, choirs, and electronic sounds. Composers often research different musical styles to fit each project.

Arranging the Music (Orchestration)

Once the music is written, it needs to be arranged or orchestrated. This means turning the composer's main musical ideas into specific sheet music for each instrument in the orchestra.

Some composers, like Ennio Morricone, arrange their own scores. Others work with an orchestrator. The orchestrator's job is to make sure each instrument can play its part correctly and that the music sounds good with the whole ensemble. Sometimes, the composer gives very detailed instructions. Other times, the orchestrator has more creative freedom to "fill in the blanks."

After orchestration, music copyists print the sheet music. Then, it's ready for the musicians to perform.

Recording the Music

The final step is recording. The orchestra or musical group performs the score, often with the composer conducting. Musicians are usually hired individually for these recordings. Famous orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra often record film music.

The musicians perform while watching the film on a large screen. The conductor and musicians wear headphones that play a "click-track." This click-track helps them stay perfectly in sync with the film's action and changes in tempo.

Sometimes, directors use "temp (temporary) music" during editing. This is existing music that helps them imagine how the film will feel. Occasionally, a director becomes so attached to the temp music that they decide to use it instead of the original score the composer wrote. A famous example is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, where he chose existing classical pieces over a new score.

Parts of a Film Score

Most films have between 45 and 120 minutes of music. Some films have very little music, while others have music playing almost continuously.

Musical Themes (Leitmotifs)

Films often use different musical themes for important characters, events, or ideas. This idea is similar to Wagner's use of "leitmotif" in his operas. These themes might be played in different ways depending on the situation.

This technique helps audiences connect with the story, even if they don't notice it consciously. A great example is John Williams' music for Star Wars. Characters like Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia each have their own special themes. The music for The Lord of the Rings films also uses recurring themes for characters and places.

Music from the Story (Source Music)

"Source music" is music that comes from something you can see or imagine in the film's story. For example, it could be a song playing on a character's car radio or music from a band playing on screen. In film studies, this is called "diegetic" music because it comes from the "story world."

An example of source music is the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" playing in the film The Deer Hunter. Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller The Birds is an interesting example because it has no music that isn't from the story itself.

Famous Composer-Director Teams

Many composers and directors work together on multiple films. These partnerships often lead to iconic movie music.

John Williams has scored almost all of Steven Spielberg's films, as well as all the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies by George Lucas.
Danny Elfman has composed music for most of Tim Burton's films.
Bernard Herrmann worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock.
Ennio Morricone created famous scores for Sergio Leone's Westerns.
Hans Zimmer has collaborated often with Ridley Scott and Christopher Nolan.
Michael Giacchino frequently works with J. J. Abrams and Brad Bird.

These strong relationships help create a consistent musical style across a director's films.

Music for Production

"Production music" (also called library music) is music created specifically for use in films, TV shows, and commercials. Companies called production music libraries own this music. They license it to filmmakers and producers for a fee.

Unlike popular songs, where the composer might still own part of the copyright, production music libraries usually own all the rights. This makes it easier and faster for filmmakers to use the music without needing to get permission from many different people.

Production music libraries offer a huge variety of musical styles. This helps producers find almost any type of music they need in one place. The first production music library, De Wolfe Music, started in 1927 when sound first came to films.

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