Film Scene Paper
For this assignment, you will choose a total of two scenes from two separate movies (one scene from each movie) and discuss the music that you hear in each scene.Do not write in bullet points. This assignment should read like an essay. The length of your paper is determined by how much space you need to fully answer the questions. As a rule of thumb, 2 pages in a normal 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman) with standard margins is usually plenty of space. The questions are as follows:
Please note that each of these questions is tied to a learning outcome detailed in the Syllabus as well as in this assignment.
1.)Who wrote the music for the film?
2.)What scene are you watching?
3.)What type or types of instruments do you hear being used? (SLO 1)
4.)What types of musical devices are you hearing (e.g., dynamics, rhythmic articulations, crescendos, decrescendos, etc.) (SLO 1)
5.)How are the instruments being used (to create ambience/mood, to accompany the action in the scene, or something else)? (SLO 2)
6.)Does the music reflect the time period of the scene/movie? If so, how? (SLO 3)
7.)Does the music reflect the era that the movie was made (in real life)? If so, how? (SLO 3)
8.)Does the soundtrack support, enhance, or overpower the action in the scene? Explain (SLO 2)
Remember to answer each question for both scenes you have chosen.
In an effort to help you internalize everything you’ve learned about film music, you now get to choose the film scenes that you will talk about. Make sure to follow all of the directions and answer all of the questions that are asked, but please do not simply answer the questions in bullet points. This is meant to be a short essay that reads and flows like a paper for any other class.
