Soundtrack Research

I know that I want to use music in my short film but I think my film is going to take a more dialogue focused route. Music will therefore be used largely at times of heightened emotion and tension so as to manipulate the audience.

On considering whether all the music will be non-diegetic or use some dietetic music, I think that there is an opportunity to use dietetic music on the cars radio without taking the audience out of the atmosphere of the scene. I wont use it when the husband first arrives as I want the focus to be on the dietetic sounds of the car approaching and his footsteps as he walks towards the house, creating a sense of unease.

I’m almost certain that I want some sort of suspenseful music in the final scene of my film, just before he swerves into the car, stopping momentarily on a fade to black and continuing faintly as the credits roll, making the moment impactful for the audience.

Using music effectively to shape meaning and produce emotion

Non-diegetic music is most commonly used to establish the mood of a scene

Music can affect the way that an audience observes and judges a character, developing their character

Used to portray emotion: a neutral face can be interpreted by an audience as being calculating and with an intent of malice but with a different song choice, an audience might view them as being compassionate in that same moment

Leitmotifs – certain characters can have a specific sound associated with them whenever they are on screen or referenced

Music choice can create a specific atmosphere in a scene, with one specific sound having the ability to establish the tone of either the rest of the film or scene

You can use a song that is the exact opposite of the mood in the scene to create a feeling of chaos or alternatively a calmer feeling

Effecting Editing

Music can be used between a scene change or during a montage as it binds shots together so that they can be understood as a whole and the flow of scene change can be easier

Illustrate movement when music syncs up with the motion on screen

Sometimes a scene doesn’t need music. It can just be as impactful without as it can add tension to a pivotal scene in the film: