This page was last edited on 16/01/06
This page was last edited on 16/01/06
Film and TV Music
The Ghost at Fazakerley Mansion
STAGE ONE Go to Film/TV Index
Handwritten manuscript of page 1 Stage one set using Finale 2004
MIDI file of the 1st stage Go to the SECOND stage
The aim of this page is to log my own attempts to compose a piece of Film / TV music as an example of the way an AS student might work for an Edexcel examination.
February 4th 2004. Start 8.10pm
What shall I compose? A theme for a science fiction film? A whodunnit? I started with a TV documentary in mind entitled "A tour of Britain's Country Houses", an imaginary series of visits (quasi-Antiques Roadshow) of estates with an 'expert' talking about architecture and furniture.
I am using a Yamaha PSR 500 and several minutes experimentation revealed that none of the auto-rhythms would be any use; they are all 'pop' in style and something more elegant was called for. However, as I was messing about with the voices I began to improvise using the Fantasy 3 sound (79) and I soon decided that I would actually write a theme tune for a children's TV programme about a ghost who lives in a mansion.
Rather along the lines of "Caspar the friendly ghost" this spirit would be a friendly chap. He would have been an eccentric when alive, and none of this eccentricity has left him having thrown off this mortal coil. The music needed to be eerie and spookey but with a quirkiness which made the listener think that he did not haunt the place malevolently. I vaguely remembered a song about an uncle Fazakerley (or something) and I hit upon a working title. I was off!
When I compose I work extremely untidily. My 1st page of manuscript is here.
I soon came up with an accompaniment figure which you can see on the top 2 staves. This suggested itself as an introduction, in fact. The tune in the bass adds to the ghostly effect. I decided to repeat it. Then I wanted a tune. (By the way, the key of A minor just happened - no particular thought went into it, but I do tend to improvise in easy keys) You can see the tune online 3.
It was a while before I realised that I was in 12/8 not 4/4 (dotted rhythms) but at least I got there eventually!
Suddenly, without any warning I decided that the introduction was not an introduction and that I needed a better one. This is why the single stave in the middle of my sheet says INTRO. These few bars took a while to get right, but they set the scene for the top stave. I seemed OK to have a bass tune followed by a high up tune. I knew I wanted to cadence back in A minor, but I wanted quirky chords along the way.
I went back to my tune and easily got to the dominant of A minor ready for a changed restatement which, I decided needed to return to A minor but I nearly found myself in F minor too soon. However, a bit of jiggery-pokery I got to A minor although I shall have to convince myself that this phrase works.
I then wanted to start a typeset version and launched Noteworthy because controlling the instrumental sounds and tempo changes is so easy. After a few bars I realised that finale would be better because I could easily make these web pages and also because layers are easier to use as I am still working in short score. A tune in the RH and accompaniment in the 'middle' is easier to score. As it turned out, I put a saxophone stave at the top for the tune. The bass guitar was added last, just to reinforce the bass. This is not the final scoring.
At 11.00pm I decided to stop and do these web pages. Just before I did stop, I let myself shift to F minor and I have half an idea what will happen next!
In total 3 hours work for 54 seconds of music. As candidates have to write 3 minutes minimum, this seems a reasonable time to have spent. Half term is coming. I may be able to do a section next week and complete the music by the end of half term. This will leave me a few weeks to tidy it all up. That's the plan.
The Music as set using Finale. It is only formatted very quickly
