76 !!Chapter 5
creates a musical identity. One the most commonly used commercial for-
mats is the vignette. In the first vignette, a woman standing in her kitchen
says, ‘‘I have been getting headaches for years.’’ In the second vignette, a
man sitting at his desk says, ‘‘The stress of my job gives me headaches.’’
In the third vignette, a college student in his dorm room says, ‘‘Exams give
me a headache.’’
Let us assume that it takes each actor 4 seconds to say his or her line.
If there is a short musical theme that modulates (a new key) each time a
line is spoken, the audience will subconsciously relate the theme to each
situation. Repeating the theme, modulated, prevents the motif from
becoming boring. This is a commonly used device and can be effective.
Generally, the theme has to be simple to prevent a conflict with the
voices. A short theme at the end of each line—which bridges with the next
vignette—works well. How well it works depends on the amount of dia-
logue in each vignette. Experiment! Many film composers use this tech-
nique; it is more easily applied to longer commercials.
Example 5-3 Excerpt from the Piano Concerto in A minor by Grieg.Silence is a compositional technique.Inexperienced composers tend
to overwrite. They think that the music must be constant, or there will be
a lull. This is not accurate. Silence can be one of the most effective compo-
sitional techniques; it can create a dramatic mood or merely a surprise, in
any genre.
Let us assume that a commercial depicts the horrors of drugs. The last
scene is a picture of a dead body, the result of a drug overdose. If the
music stops on the shot of a casket, silence will create a dramatic moment.
Not starting the music on the first frame of film can also be effective.
Get approval from the creatives before choosing which scene to score first.
The creatives are usually quite specific about where they want the music
to begin and end.
Ostinatos create tension.Ostinatos (repeated musical patterns), with
various sounds weaving in and out, tend to create a feeling of tension.
Ostinatos are frequently heard in pain reliever commercials. At the begin-
ning, the patient has a headache, and after she consumes the product, the
pain disappears. The patient is then portrayed as living an active life.
Many scores accompanying headache scenes contain ostinatos with dark-
sounding elements that contribute to a feeling of discomfort; when relief
occurs, the ostinatos are replaced with uplifting, pleasant music.