9-12
-
l. See (9-12), “strategies, goals and objectives.”
-
2. If you use “Star Wars”, you might want to talk briefly about Wagner and the concept of music drama.
-
3. For the first day of class use 1-6 of the Strategies,Goals and Objectives section.
-
4. The next class or lesson two might have writing as a central subject:
Characteristics of good musical scores for film
Most images on screen have a musical theme. In the case of most very good film scores, the viewer is not conscious or aware of the music while watching the film.
Film score themes or melodies that are effective are:
1. easy to sing
2. easy to remember
3. hard to forget
What is the importance of this newspaper write up ?
-
From: Boston Globe, December 20, 1993
-
HEADLINE: John Williams has been a fan of Spielberg for 24 years; BYLINE: By Richard Dyer, Globe Staff
“In 1969, John Williams wrote the music for a fihn called “The Reivers.” It was based on a story by William Faulkner, and Steve McQueen was in it. A young man named Steven Spielberg picked up the soundtrack album, on LP vinyl back then. It was a purchase that would have unexpected consequences.
Spielberg wanted to break into the movies, and he thought the way he would do it was by writing a script. In 1973, he was putting together a story about stunt pilots called “Ace, Eli and Rodger of the skies,” and as he wrote, he played the soundtrack of ‘The Reivers” over and over until he wore the record out.
He promised himself that if he ever got to make a movie of his own, he would ask this guy John Williams to write the music.”
Let’s take a look at Mr. John Williams’s writing skills:
“I knew he would be successful because even then” (1974) “ he was a problem solver, an uncomplicated spirit, an attractive personality . . . I knew this kid knew how to drive the action forward. . . . ”. . .I was taken by Steven. . . . . He sang me every theme from ‘The Reivers’ and I had forgotten some of them my self. . . .’
Mr. Williams has the ability to capture the character of Spielberg in writing just as he is able to capture the musical character or personality of what is on the screen in music.