Assignment #2: Film music analysis

Rationale:
Whereas music in movies once provided contextual clues relating to the general mood of the scene, for the last several decades many directors have transitioned from the old Hollywood methods of scoring a film with orchestral passages and instead their soundtracks use contemporary pop music. The songs are selected not only to convey mood, but to move the plot or character development forward. For most of the audience, these songs carry specific meaning, and will inform the characters and their choices in the way narration or an expository speech by a character would in an earlier era.

This assignment asks students to examine the use of pop music and analyze its influence in contemporary film. The purpose is for them to gain a better grasp of the multi-layered contextualization provided by pop music and how and why directors make these choices. I plan to use this lesson in my Art of Film class next year.

Objective:
Students will understand the impact of pop music on film and the ways authors/directors use it to enhance the audience’s understanding of plot and character development.

Anticipatory Set:
At the beginning of class the students will watch a series of clips from movies (some familiar, some not). These clips will all feature familiar music, though. After watching, they’ll be asked to recall as many of the songs as possible, then remark on the feelings evoked by the songs.

Mini-lesson:
Brief lecture on the history of music in film, starting with the in-theater accompaniment during the silent film era using everything from small orchestras to organs. Focus on the use of patriotic music for war films until the movies made about the Viet Nam war.

Examples:
Distribute sample lyric sheets that accompany clips from Coming Home, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, and Full Metal Jacket. Discuss how specific songs and lyrics are used to direct the viewer’s attention or emotions beyond simple mood setting to specific character or plot developments (e.g., the use of The Doors’ The End in Apocalypse Now).

Assignment:
Students will select a movie of their own and:
• Select a scene;
• Describe how the music in this scene affects the viewer;
• Provide an analysis of how it moves the plot or character development; and
• Find another song that would accomplish the same task.