Exploring the Art of Film Scoring

The world of cinema has brought some of the most charismatic, recognisable, and everlasting melodies in music history. From musicals like Singing in the Rain or The Wizard of Oz to classic scores from Star Wars, Casablanca and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. More often than not, music plays a pivotal role in shaping the narrative of a movie’s storyline. And in some cases, without it, movies wouldn’t have the same impact and success they do now.

Music is a universal language, and that’s what makes it indispensable in the world of movie-making. Music’s emotion, tone, and ambience elevate movies to a deeper connection with the audience. It can even turn an average film into a blockbuster.

In ‘Exploring the Art of Film Scoring,’ ARI alumnus Carlos Bricio discusses music in movies and its importance in the history of moving pictures.

“…music on the screen can seek out and intensify the inner thoughts of the characters. It can invest a scene with terror, grandeur, gaiety, or misery. It can propel the narrative swiftly forward or slow it down. It often lifts mere dialogue into the realm of poetry. It is the communicating link between the screen and the audience, reaching out and enveloping all into one single experience.”
– Bernard Herrmann

The Silent Era

While movie sound didn’t appear until the late twenties, watching a silent projection was rare. In 1897, the Lumière brothers had already hired a sax quartet to play music during the projection of their film. However, it wasn’t until the composer Saint-Saëns wrote a dedicated score in 1908 for the film L’Assassinat du Duc de Guise that having original music for movies became the norm.

In many cases, a pianist would accompany the film’s soundtrack. However, as the theatres expanded, the organs replaced the pianos. The organs were essential to the early cinema experience, performing the music for the movies and sometimes even the sound effects.

The problem was the music’s consistency due to the different resources for each cinema. Sound and music needed to be recorded and reproduced with the film.

Let There Be Sound

The first movie to feature a synchronised score was the 1926 film Don Juan, which was produced using the Vitaphone system. This was a pioneering method that played a disc with the film roll. 

In 1927, Alan Crosland’s The Jazz Singer introduced “talkies” to the world of cinema. This showcased protagonist, Al Jolson, speaking in certain scenes and singing songs in sync with the moving images. 

These events opened the world to a new way of experiencing cinema and changed history forever.

Original Scores vs. Pre-Recorded Music

From the early years of cinema to the present day, two primary music trends have emerged. Firstly, the use of pre-recorded music and, secondly, the creation of original scores.

While it might seem a matter of budget (true in some cases), the decision to use original compositions, music from other artists, or a combination of both can have different reasons. These decisions play a crucial part in developing the scene’s atmosphere, thus bringing the audience to familiar territory, historical context or even for stylistic purposes. 

A notable example of utilising a collection of songs from various artists is the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. The original score was written and recorded in Abbey Road Studios. However, music from famous rock and pop bands was heavily used in the soundtrack, creating a mixtape directly connected to the protagonist´s background story.

In other cases, writing an original score is necessary to increase the dramatic effect of the movie. Or expand the world around the story. In this case, music from films like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings or Dune elevated the movies to the epic proportions they deserve. This creates an evolving musical world that develops as the film progresses.

Thematic Composition

During the first few decades of sound in movies, music was inspired by classic composers Wagner and Puccini. They used short musical compositions associated with characters, ideas or situations, also known as leitmotif.

In the 1950s, the music style shifted to one inspired by jazz. This allowed the compositions to introduce themes that characterised the entire film. One that the audience could sing once they left the cinema. Bernard Herrmann is renowned for his jazz-influenced film scores, including those for Psycho and Taxi Driver.

The use of themes in films led to incorporating bands and popular artists into the music scoring work and adding songs from artists as part of the soundtrack (not always necessary in the movie). This helped promote both the artist and the film outside their usual circles. A good example is the James Bond Music, which has historically been written and interpreted by pop artists such as Tina Turner, Garbage, and Adele.

The incorporation of pop and rock artists as composers of movie scores became more prominent in the 1980s. Popular examples of this include Queen, Elton John, and David Bowie (to name a few), who have performed entire music compositions for different films.

Composition techniques such as the leitmotif and themes remain in modern compositions. John Williams is famed for using both in his scores and has created some of the most recognisable songs in history. As a result, Williams’ connection with his characters and stories is everlasting.

Image source Abbey Road Studios.

Challenges Beyond Creativity

One of the big challenges in movie scoring can be communication. In a previous article, ‘The Art of Studio Communication: Strategies and Practice,’ we highlighted the importance of communication in the recording studio and how this principle can be applied to the film industry.

Translating the director’s view or idea to the composer and finding a common language can be challenging. Historically, this approach has yielded both successes and failures. That’s why it’s essential that the director can explain the dramatic effect they are trying to achieve. On the other hand, the composer must be in sync with the overall concept of the project. This ensures they can write what is best for the assignment. It’s when these two click that the magic truly happens.

Abbey Road Studios’ Legacy

Abbey Road Studios has been a pillar of film scoring for decades. We all know classic soundtracks from Raiders of the Lost Ark, to Aliens, and Batman. All associates with Abbey Road Studios’ rich history.

“It has fine acoustics, so we can capture specific close-up aspects of the orchestra and still get the bloom of the full room itself”

– John Williams

During the 1980s, EMI, the former studio owner, decided to diversify from classical recordings in Studio One and began collaborating with Anvil Post Production to record film scores. Starting with the second instalment of an indie film called The Empire Strikes Back. As the Studios’ reputation and technical capabilities grew in the cinema world, it became easier for them to book large scoring sessions. Now, it has become a pilgrimage for any major film to record its music at Abbey Road Studios. And its list of award-winning productions keeps growing.

At Abbey Road Institute, we recognise the importance and relevance of movie music in the modern industry. And the lasting legacy and pivotal role Abbey Road Studios has played in it. 

If you enjoyed reading ‘Exploring the Art of Film Scoring,’ check out our blog, ‘Learn How to Mix for Motion Picture.’ Throughout this piece, Emmy Award-winning audio engineer and lecturer Justin Fraser explores our Audio Post Production for Film and TV course and provides some essential tips on film sound.