WallaceandGromit’sFilmMusicUnit

Capsu le Lesson : Le i tmot i f Leitmotif:Amelody(usuallyfairlyshort)thataccompaniesacharacterwhentheyappearonscreen.ThecomposerRichardWagnerpioneeredtheuseofleitmotif(pronouncedlight-moh-teef)inhisoperasinthelate19thcentury,andthetechniqueisstillusedtoday.TheAmericancomposer,JohnWilliamsiswell-knownforhisuseofleitmotifinhissoundtracks,includingthemainmelodiesfrom:StarWars–TheEmpireStrikesBack(DarthVader’sTheme)IndianaJones(TheRaidersMarch)HarryPotter(Hedwig’sTheme)Jaws(JawsTheme)–thedirector,StevenSpielberg,famouslyusedtheJawsleitmotifevenwhenthesharkwasnotonscreentocreateafeelingofmenaceanddread.Successfulleitmotifsshouldsuggestthepersonalityofthecharacteronscreen.TakeWallaceandGromit,forexample-thereisafamousthemesongforthetwoofthemtogether,butwhatmightathemeforeachofthemsoundlike?ChooseeitherWallaceorGromit,andwriteatwobarmelodytorepresentthecharacter.Pitch Yourchoicesofpitchwillplayabigpart

inconveyingthecharactersothinkcarefullybeforechoosingextremelyhighorextremelylowpitches.Amajorkeywillsuggestapositivecharacter,andaminorkeywillgenerallygiveamorecomplicatedfeel!

Rhythm Alively,bouncingrhythmwillsuggestanenergeticcharacter,whileamoreploddingorsteadyrhythmmaysuggesttheopposite

Tempo Whatdoesafasttemposuggestaboutacharacter?Andaveryslowtempo?

Timbre Sometimesthesoundoftheinstrumentmakesallthedifference.Howdoesyourleitmotifsoundonavarietyofinstruments?