Added or BackgroundAdded or Background

There is a lot more music in films than you realize at first

Music can be added to the film, creating atmosphere and mood

It can also be placed in a particular environment through a radio, TV etc.

Music within Music within the scenethe scene

Although the music played through a radio is intended to represent the listening choice of the characters, it always has some significance to the overall film

The mood of this music could represent the mood of the characters

There may also be some other meaning e.g. ‘End of the world’ in Independence Day

Music added over the filmMusic added over the film There will be a composer employed to

write additional music that will enhance the mood or atmosphere of the film

The structure of this music is dictated by the amount of speech or action in the film

The music may have two minutes of sustained chords, before playing a more melodic passage to fit around a particular character’s speech

HitsHits

In action films there are often loud chords played to coincide with a clash or an impact within the film

These are referred to as ‘hits’

Hits are used to enhance a sudden burst of action or surprise in the film

Links to program musicLinks to program music

As the composer is writing music to describe the action of the film, there is an obvious link to program music

For a reminder of what program music is, listen to ‘Carnival of the animals’ by Saint-Saens