Raymond



Raymond Tucker Videographer www.VagueVideo.com

Comedy Assignment

1. Can music by itself (without lyrics) be humorous or funny? Yes, but I believe you mostly find music alone to be funny when you're a child. It seems to me that children are more receptive and perspective to note and pitch changes and would find the intentional clashing of notes to be humorous.

2. What musical techniques can be used to make music funny or humorous? Pitch bending and modulation. Taking a note sliding up a few octaves while modulating it and adding a delay may give a sort of bouncy and wavy effect. Musically; keeping the piece short and simple works for most cases, but in other cases you might have to have a build up and then cue the funny music that may or may not correspond to images on screen. Also the melody can make the piece funny, take for example the looney tunes.

3. What kind of instruments and sounds are used to make a piece of music humorous or funny? Make a list. -Trumpets -Orchestral Drums -Whistles -Triangles -Bagpipes -Piano -Cymbals -Harp -Bass Guitar (electric) -Acoustic Guitar -Orchestral Strings

4. Can you think of a funny or find humorous piece of music that doesn't have lyrics? If you can, post a link or an .mp3 for your answer. Looney Tunes []

Montage Videos

media type="file" key="Rhythmic.flv" width="360" height="270" Rhythmic

media type="file" key="Intellectual.flv" width="360" height="270" Intellectual

media type="file" key="Emotional.flv" width="360" height="270" Emotional

Montage

1. What is a film montage? is a technique in film editing in which a series of short shots are edited into a sequence to condense space, time, and information. It is usually used to suggest the passage of time

2. What is the difference between American, French and Soviet interpretations of montage?
 * 1) In French film practice, "montage" has its literal French meaning (assembly, installation) and simply identifies editing.
 * 2) In Soviet filmmaking of the 1920s, "montage" was a method of juxtaposing shots to derive new meaning that did not exist in either shot alone.
 * 3) In classical Hollywood cinema, a " montage sequence " is a short segment in a film in which narrative information is presented in a condensed fashion.

3. List some examples of montage sequences: In //Commando// a Credit Montage is used during the opening credits is used to establish a relationship between Arnold and his daughter All of the training sequences in the Rocky movies and any fight movie for that matter

4. How are these types of montage different?
 * 1) **Metric**- where the editing follows a specific number of frames (based purely on the physical nature of time), cutting to the next shot no matter what is happening within the image. This montage is used to elicit the most basal and emotional of reactions in the audience.
 * 2) **Rhythmic**- includes cutting based on continuity, creating visual continuity from edit to edit.
 * 3) **Tonal**- a tonal montage uses the emotional meaning of the shots -- not just manipulating the temporal length of the cuts or its rhythmical characteristics -- to elicit a reaction from the audience even more complex than from the metric or rhythmic montage. For example, a sleeping baby would emote calmness and relaxation.
 * 4) **Overtonal/Associational**- the overtonal montage is the cumulation of metric, rhythmic, and tonal montage to synthesize its effect on the audience for an even more abstract and complicated effect.
 * 5) **Intellectual** - uses shots which, combined, elicit an intellectual meaning and to keep the viewer from becoming emotionally attached.

5.Can montage become a cliche? If so, give some examples. Yes; the classic training montage in the last Rocky movie.

6. How might you approach choosing or composing music for a montage sequence? What would you want to know about the sequence? I would need to know the mood the montage is intended to convey, what is going to be on screen, what two scenes is the montage in between, what are the emotions of the characters and the length of time in the story the montage is supposed to cover.

Leitmotif Assignment Choice Starscream from the original Transformers series

Starscream - Right hand to Megatron, Starscream is an egotistical, back-stabbing, meddling, scheming, and out-for-self bot. He supports Megatrons plans although he doubts him at every turn. At any sign of a plan's weakness, or Megatron's weakness Starscream is swift to pounce on the opportunity to steal the spotlight and take the glory. However, Starscream is also a coward; never attacking 1 on 1 unless he knows that the opponent is considerably weaker than himself. He prefers to attack in groups where the odds are in his favor, and is quick to retreat when the battle goes sour.

media type="file" key="Starscrem Victory.mp3" width="240" height="20" Victory

media type="file" key="Starscrem Suspence.mp3" width="240" height="20" Suspence

media type="file" key="Starscrem Retreat.mp3" width="240" height="20" Retreat

media type="file" key="Starscrem Plotting.mp3" width="240" height="20" Plotting

media type="file" key="Starscrem Chase.mp3" width="240" height="20" Chase

Week 4 - Leitmotif

What is a musical theme? melodic subject of a musical composition; "the theme is announced in the first measures"; "the accompanist picked up the idea and elaborated it"

What is a leitmotif? a recurring short melodic phrase or theme used, esp in Wagnerian music dramas, to suggest a character, thing, situation, or element, etc.

What difference is there, if any, between a theme and a leitmotif? A theme is attached to the movie or production while a leitmotif is attached to a character, thing, situation, or element.

What is meant by a musical variation? the transformation of a melody or theme with changes or elaborations in harmony, rhythm, and melody.

Name/identify some uses of leitmotif you've heard in movies, TV, or video games - Final Fantasy is notorious for its use of leitmotifs in its actions sequences, attack special, and character themes. - Reality TV shows use leitmotifs to set the theme of a situation, event, and sometimes a particular person. - Disney movies are also notorious for its use of leitmotifs in exaggerating the villain and accentuating the hero.

Week 3

Music Selection

A man is walking through a bombed out village. Through the broken window of a house, he sees a small bird, still in it's cage. He frees the bird. It flies away. media type="file" key="Caged Bird.mp3" width="240" height="20"

A man goes into a flower shop and asks the woman working there to help him pick out some flowers for his wife. The audience knows the man has been stalking her, but the woman doesn't. media type="file" key="The Flower Girl.mp3" width="240" height="20"

A cartoon dog looks in through the window as his master allows the new cat to curl up in her lap. media type="file" key="Bummed Out Dog.mp3" width="240" height="20"

1. What is Underscoring and how does it work in films? Music that provides emotional or atmospheric background to the primary dialog or narration onscreen.

2. How might the following musical qualities be useful in underscoring a scene? What considerations would you give to each of them when applied to underscoring?

Tonality - I would choose a key that fits either what's on screen or what the director wants to convey Melody - I may choose a melody that would bring out the action of the scene Rhythm - By adjusting the rhythm of the music I would control the pace and anticipation of the action Harmony - By placing notes in or out of harmony I control whether you nod your head to the beat or make you cringe Timbre - By choosing which instruments to use you control the feel of the mood

Week 2

Lost in Translation Video

Roger Rabbit Video

Define the term "Diagetic Music" - (//context, of film music//) that occurs as part of the action (rather than as background), and can be heard by the film's characters or sounds in a film that were not recorded live at the time and are played over or instead of the live sound

As music editor, what are some things you need to consider when adding diabetic music to a film scene? The pace of the scene, what is on screen, location of the action, and the emotion you want to convey or the juxtaposition between what's seen and what's heard.

What adjustments might you need to make to the music track during the scene? You might have to adjust the tempo, add or subtract instruments to get the mood you want, or changing the key to affect mood, and adjust effects such as reverb to match the location.

What are some examples of diabetic music in a film scene? -- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World [] -- Set It Off - the scene where Queen Lathifa is boosting a car and dumps out the CDs to put her own in. -- Nick and Norah Infinite Playlist plenty of scenes of them in the car and in clubs

Shot vs Sequence - A shot is the film exposed from the time the camera is started to the time it is stopped. A sequence is a series of shots together to convey a summed message.

Cutting to Continuity - is the process of cutting to keep the flow of the shot together as fluidly as possible not showing the whole footage

Classical Style of Editing - is the editing techniques used to avoid drawing attention to themselves

Master Shot/Reaction Shot - A Master Shot is a single that includes the complete from its start to the finish. Usually a master is filmed and then the rest of the other kinds of shots (close-ups...etc) are then later. A reaction shot refers to a of an actor looking off screen. A reaction shoot may be used to show a reaction immediately after a P.O.V. or to lead into a P.O.V. shot. The term may also refer to a of an actor that is paying attention and reacting to what another actor is saying.

Parallel Editing - A method of a couple of scenes or stories that are happening at the same time.

Montage - A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs.

Week 1

Midi 1 Final

media type="file" key="Tucker D-Maj.mp3" width="240" height="20" D-Maj media type="file" key="Tucker C-Maj.mp3" width="240" height="20" C-Maj purseman silly purseman scary purseman outside music purseman board