The Marvel Symphonic Universe

Pink Panther

Sponge Bob

The Simpsons

Friends

Game of Thrones

Indiana Jones

Jaws

Harry Potter

Batman

Star Wars

Listen to these well known theme songs. Try to listen to them as pieces of music, rather than thinking of the show or film.

In groups, rank the pieces from best to worst, then share your conclusions with the class.



Extra bit of fun:

Vintage Disney Sound Effects


The Ear Scene

Discuss the way music is used in this scene.

Simpler version

Pre-listening

What theme music to famous movies can you recall?











What do these adjectives mean?

original
bland
inoffensive
bold
forgettable
predictable
memorable
noticeable
safe
risky

Are they negative or positive?
What is bland music? What is bold music?
Which adjectives are positive ways to describe music?










Key words
Objective - it doesn't matter what your opinion is. It's just a fact.
Subjective - it depends on your opinion or point of view.














Guide questions. Part 1. 0:00 - 5:20

1. What happens to the first scene from Iron Man when the music is taken out?
2. What happens after a while to this kind of music?
3. How do Marvel films tend to express sadness?
4. What is the second reason the music is forgettable?












Part 2. 5:20 - 13:30

1. Film music is very objective / subjective
2. 20 years ago, the music in films was less / more noticeable
3. Danny Elfman is a composer / director
4. Danny enjoys / hates temp music
5. Temp music is music taken from another part of the same movie / another movie







Part 3. 13:30

listen and put the words in the clip into the gaps:

1. What's changed everything in score-making is m____ non-_____ editing.
3. The music makes the scene e_________ly richer.
4. The music isn't bad, it's just bland and ino_______e







Collocations



Harder version

Watch:

The Marvel Symphonic Universe

Pre-listening

What theme music to famous movies can you recall?
What makes this music memorable?

Are these adjectives to describe music positive, neutral or negative?

original
bland
inoffensive
bold
evocative
forgettable
predictable
memorable
emotionally rich
noticeable
safe
risky


Guide questions. Part 1. 0:00 - 5:20

1. What happens to the first scene from Iron Man when the music is taken out?
2. What happens after a while to this kind of music?
3. What is the second problem Tony points out about the music in Marvel films?
4. How do Marvel films tend to express sadness?
5. What is the second reason the music is forgettable?
6. What does Tony say the narrator doing in the scene from Captain America?

Part 2. 5:20 - 13:30

True or false?

1. Film music is very objective
2. 20 years ago, the music in films was less noticeable
3. Danny Elfman is a composer
4. Danny is baffled by the current trend to make film music less noticeable
4. Danny enjoys temp music
5. Temp music is music taken from another part of the same movie
6. In the text Warner Bros is apologising for plagarizing another film's music
7. The word "amicably" (in the text on screen) means "in a friendly way"
8. Tony doesn't think the legal / copyright problem is the real problem with temp music


Part 3. 13:30


listen and put the words in the clip into the gaps:

1. What's changed everything in score-making is m____ non-_____ editing.
2. At some point the music s_____ to the picture.
3. You end up with the l_____ common denominator
4. The music makes the scene e_________ly richer.
5. The music isn't bad, it's just bland and ino_______e


Collocations