How to Write a Character Theme | Film Composer Essentials

Summary

In this video, a media composer introduces the 'association game' to help create compelling character themes. The game involves associating key traits of a subject (like a character or object) with specific musical elements, then ranking their emotional and story significance. By linking these traits to instruments and melodies, composers can craft music that enhances the subject’s identity and narrative impact. Through the example of a butterfly, the video demonstrates how shifting associations changes the mood and story, ultimately helping composers refine their musical approach and create more meaningful character themes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Association Game helps composers create character themes by linking musical ideas to emotional and narrative associations.
• 😀 Step 1 of the game involves listing all associations with the subject, including visual, emotional, and symbolic traits.
• 😀 Step 2 requires ranking the associations from low to high in terms of emotional significance and story relevance.
• 😀 Step 3 focuses on linking these associations to musical elements like melody, instrument choice, and scale.
• 😀 Step 4 encourages flipping the importance of associations to explore how the music changes the character's identity or story.
• 😀 Step 5 emphasizes the importance of reflecting on how music enhances the character’s traits and the overall story.
• 😀 The speaker uses a butterfly as an example to demonstrate how different associations can create drastically different musical themes.
• 😀 Musical ideas for the butterfly’s theme include using bells and singing bowls for its spiritual/mysterious qualities and harp sounds for its fragility.
• 😀 Changing the ranking of associations can significantly alter the character’s portrayal and the tone of the music.
• 😀 The Association Game is a valuable tool for composing character themes that align with the subject’s emotional and narrative significance.
• 😀 By applying this game, composers can improve their ability to troubleshoot and refine music themes, ensuring they reflect the desired mood and meaning.

Q & A

What is the 'association game' in music composition?

The 'association game' is a technique used to help composers write music for a subject by associating certain traits or qualities of the subject with specific musical elements. It involves five steps to identify key associations and use them to shape the theme of the music.

How does the association game help in writing a character theme?

The association game helps composers focus on what makes the subject of the theme unique by associating their traits with musical elements. This process boosts clarity, enabling the composer to translate emotional and story-driven aspects into music that complements the subject.

What are the five steps involved in the association game?

The five steps are: 1) Loosely associate anything that comes to mind about the subject. 2) Rank the associations from low to high emotional or story significance. 3) Link each association with an appropriate musical element. 4) Determine the hierarchy of the musical elements. 5) Combine everything to create a coherent theme.

What role does emotional value play in ranking associations?

Emotional value determines how much weight a particular association carries in the overall story and character theme. The more emotionally significant an association, the higher it should be ranked, influencing the musical decisions made to reflect those traits.

Why is it important to match music with the subject's story or time period?

Matching the music with the subject’s story or time period ensures that the music complements the emotional and narrative aspects of the subject. It helps create a seamless integration between the music and the story, making the subject feel authentic and connected to its context.

Why does the composer choose a singing bowl for the butterfly's most important association?

The composer chooses a singing bowl for the butterfly's most important association (spiritual, mysterious, and otherworldly) because the sound of a singing bowl evokes a sense of ritual and spirituality. It is a fitting musical element to represent the butterfly's connection to the spiritual realm.

What is the significance of using a harp for the 'beautiful yet fragile' association?

The harp is chosen for the 'beautiful yet fragile' association because it embodies delicate, ethereal qualities that match the fragile and beautiful nature of a butterfly. The harp’s sound is perfect for adding atmosphere and reinforcing the emotional weight of the butterfly’s fragility.

How does the music change when the associations are flipped in terms of importance?

When the associations are flipped, the music shifts to reflect the new priorities. For example, if the 'flappy fluttery' trait becomes the most important, the music becomes lighter, more cheerful, and playful, while the spiritual and mysterious elements are relegated to the background, altering the overall tone and interpretation of the butterfly.

What is the purpose of using sound design to mimic the butterfly’s flapping wings?

The purpose of using sound design to mimic the butterfly’s flapping wings is to incorporate the characteristic fluttering motion into the music subtly. While it’s not emotionally significant, it serves as a detail or embellishment that adds texture and realism to the theme without overshadowing the more important traits.

How does the association game enhance the composer’s ability to make intuitive decisions?

By repeatedly playing the association game, composers internalize the connections between traits and musical elements, making it easier to intuitively determine which sounds, melodies, and instruments best reflect the subject’s qualities. This process helps composers develop a more vivid and instinctive understanding of how to shape their music.