The Use of Music as Emotion in Film Cheryl Bates, D.M.A. Lone Star College- Tomball, Professor of Music Music Program Director
Jan 02, 2016
The Use of Music as Emotion in Film
Cheryl Bates, D.M.A. Lone Star College-Tomball,
Professor of Music Music Program Director
The Use of Music as Emotion in Film How music contributes to
emotional effect How general mood is supported by
music How music affects emotional
experience
“Music best enhances a film when it evokes and modulates a specific emotional response in the audience.” - Roger Corman “When Your Ear Sets the Stage: Musical
Context Effects in Film Perception” by Oliver Vitouch in Psychology of Music, vol. 29, no. 1, 2001 pg. 71-81.
Brief Historical Facts
“Hearing is the sense that most deeply stirs our emotions.” - Aristotle
Earliest known writing about emotional influences of film music by Hugo Munsterberg circa 1915.
Original use of music in film was to mask sound of the projector and keep the audience from talking but also found purpose in illustration of action.
Important Early Films
“Le Voyage dans la Lune” (A Trip to the Moon) 1902
“Entr’acte” by Rene Clair with film score by Erik Satie 1924
“The Jazz Singer” 1927
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Masks extraneous noises of projector and audience - original purpose
Provides continuity between shots in a film
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Directs attention to important features of the screen through structural or associationist congruence (realism).
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Induces mood and emotional response
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLPFF6tuVM
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Communicates meaning and furthers the narrative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgCejsyS0t8
Music becomes integrated with film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Music can heighten the sense of reality in film and direct attention and concern.
Eight Functions of Music in Film
Music adds to the aesthetic effect of film.
Concepts of Music as Emotion in Film Fast, loud music arouses while
slow, soft music calms.
Concepts of Music as Emotion in Film Music establishes expectations and
implications of which some are realized and some are violated.
Concepts of Music as Emotion in Film Music
responds to changes in the action.
Music as Emotion in Film
Musical emotion can aid in delineation of visual meaning.
Music can control emotional response. Emotional meaning of music can transfer to
visuals. Music aids sense of reality in the narrative. Emotion of music can change as quickly as
visuals.
fin