AS MEDIA STUDIES Rachael Crisp
SOUND AND MUSIC
For creative insparation and usage in our film opening, we have searched for varying royalty free horror style music pieces. Music is an important part of post-production as it enhances the atmosphere and can create tension in a horror film.
Kevin Macleod makes royalty free music, which he uploads to Soundcloud. The genres of his music are very diversified, with a number of soundtracks filtered under the horror category.
Macleod makes use of a range of instruments, including violins, strings, basses and percussion, to create 'Unseen Horrors'. These instruments create an eerie, unnerving tension. I feel this music would help to make the audience feel on edge and unneasy. The climax is unexpected and rises quickly, which would be useful in aiding an unexpected twist in events or possible a jump scare. It is very useful that the length of the soundtrack is over 4 mintutes, because it could be manipulated to allow for points of climax in the music to match points of climax in the opening.
This piece, entitled 'Hush', is described as 'dark and disturbed'. Macleod makes use of a slow build, with a climax at roughly 1:30. One positive element of this sound track is that it is not erratic, meaning it would not distract from the action on screen. Also, the slow pace of build-up means that it would suit an opening with a similar speed of increasing tension. As this piece is approximately 2 and a half minutes long, it provides flexibility in term of editing to fit appropriately the climax of a 2 minute opening. On the other hand, some people may associate this distortion with a sci-fi; one comment is 'Sounds like an outer space thriller'. This suggests it may not be appropriate for our psychological horror.
This piece, not on Soundcloud, is electronic background horror music. It is quite subtle if used at a low volume, meaning that again this would not distract from the action on screen.
This begins Macleod using a piano in order to create a similar sound to that of music box, but slowed down. This would suit the opening of 'The Woman In Black' or perhaps our own opening if we decide to use creepy child characters- the music box ties in as an element of childhood. However, this style reaches a climax quite early on in the piece and then changes to an irregular beating. The irregularity puts the audience on edge and may suit a highly tense, erratic opening. It is possible that these 2 varying music styles could be split in order to suit different purposes.