timbox129 5 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Hi again!So, I was surfing the internet this morning, when I stumbled upon this quote from an Animated Views interview with composer Frode Fjellheim on Disney's Frozen's native spirit (I am not talking about the spiritual beliefs of Native Americans or the more popular song "Let It Go" sung by the character of Queen Elsa in Disney's Frozen, but rather the "Vuelie" that opens the movie.):Any composer would tell you this: the first notes you hear in a movie are certainly the most important ones in order to set the tone and the musical identity of the film. Is that true?After all, do you remember the opening sound of Lebo M’s African/Zulu chant during the opening Lion King sunrise? Or the native chant at the beginning of Disney’s Brother Bear? Any example(s) of music that not only opens a movie, but also set the genuine musical tone and identity of that movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,355 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 The Matrix does it perfectly Delorean90 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Star Wars obviously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightscape94 965 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Irconically, the opening cue of Frozen didn't seem to set the tone for the rest of the music at all, at least based on what I saw when my niece was watching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steb74 53 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Irconically, the opening cue of Frozen didn't seem to set the tone for the rest of the music at all, at least based on what I saw when my niece was watching it.Exactly, it was just a cheap gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I don't remember what music plays there.Last Crusade and Temple of Doom are more memorable in my book (and memory). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNx8tz4qVeI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Who beat me to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni 306 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Who beat me to it.He did. The guy right before you. (Duh!) I don't know if I agree with the Fjellheim quote. The first notes you hear don't necessarily set the tone or establish the "musical identity" for the entire film (though sometimes they do, as in the mentioned examples of Superman or Fellowship of the Ring, the latter of which is like nothing more than the opening of a massive, old book). Often times the point is to set the tone only for the opening scene of the film. Raiders is a fine example of that. You couldn't guess the musical "identity" of the rest of the score by listening to the Peruvian Jungle sequence; it bears no resemblance to anything else in the picture. The music's purpose at that point is to suspend your initial disbelief and place you at the start of the story, nothing more.Same thing with the initial bars of E.T. (I'm talking about the credits sequence, not the opening forest shot), which I've always found haunting almost to the point of being frightening—but which do a phenomenal job of taking you out of reality and putting you squarely in an emotional state of mystery and uncertainty. It's like nothing else in the movie, so it can't be said to reflect the "identity" of the score as a whole. It inserts you where you need to be to get going, and leaves the rest of the story and score to establish itself.So really you have a choice: would the opening bars better serve the story if they set the mood for the story as a whole (as in The Lion King)? Or would it be better to focus only on the opening scene in order to draw the viewer, then let the score evolve in a totally different direction after that? Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Jurassic Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Brown 91 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 What's that thud? Some type of drum? indy4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Bass drum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 ET is kinda the opposite. It sets up the mood well, but it doesn't represent the rest of the score very well (which is not what it tries to do) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Spielberg obviously wanted to pull a Close Encounters to a certain degree with E.T. It starts off kind of ominous/suspenseful until E.T. finally emerges from the darkness, mystery's up and we learn he's benevolent. However, this process is repeated (or continued) for the government agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 What's that thud? Some type of drum?ET is kinda the opposite. It sets up the mood well, but it doesn't represent the rest of the score very well (which is not what it tries to do)It fits in pretty well with the underscore for Elliot's first encounters with E.T. and the arrival of the Keys's team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy 4,126 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Jaws, anyone? Glóin the Dark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 people tend to underappreciate that score even though it's simply THE most recognizable of all of them. Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni 306 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 No question that one sets the tone for the rest of the score. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glóin the Dark 1,220 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Both of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 The main title of King Kong 1976 is about as perfect as they come. Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 people tend to underappreciate that score even though it's simply THE most recognizable of all of them.Jaws and Superman TM don't get nearly enough love on the forum! Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni 306 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 people tend to underappreciate that score even though it's simply THE most recognizable of all of them.Jaws and Superman TM don't get nearly enough love on the forum!AMEN!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightscape94 965 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Dixon Hill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,331 Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Hi again!So, I was surfing the internet this morning, when I stumbled upon this quote from an Animated Views interview with composer Frode Fjellheim on Disney's Frozen's native spirit (I am not talking about the spiritual beliefs of Native Americans or the more popular song "Let It Go" sung by the character of Queen Elsa in Disney's Frozen, but rather the "Vuelie" that opens the movie.):Any composer would tell you this: the first notes you hear in a movie are certainly the most important ones in order to set the tone and the musical identity of the film. Is that true?After all, do you remember the opening sound of Lebo M’s African/Zulu chant during the opening Lion King sunrise? Or the native chant at the beginning of Disney’s Brother Bear? Any example(s) of music that not only opens a movie, but also set the genuine musical tone and identity of that movie? Usually, when the audience is not present, it's called "playing it safe". The first notes have to assure the audience. They payed for a horror movie, let's quickly tell them that they are sitting in the right theater. Give the audience what they expect!Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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