You are to write a two-page(double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font) paper critiquing the music in a film of your choice. You are to WATCH THE FILM. DO NOT DO YOUR PAPER BASED ON A SOUNDTRACK ALBUM. The pieces of music that you choose to critique within the film should be instrumental music, NOT songs (music with lyrics). You should cover these points. ◦ Composer ◦ Brief Bio/filmography of composer ◦ ◦ Main Credit (Main Title) music (if this is a song, pick a different movie!) ◦ why is it there ◦ Overall Drama ◦ Character ◦ Action ◦ Time and Place ◦ HOW does it do what you say it does ◦ ◦ Another Instrumental music cue ◦ why is it there ◦ Overall Drama ◦ Character ◦ Action ◦ Time and Place ◦ HOW does it do what you say it does NOTES: This is an inadequate description because it really does not say HOW! "This music really captures the actions of the scene. One could imagine no greater marriage of music and action. It is little wonder that this composer is considered brilliant." This would be better. "The constant rhythm played by the percussion provides excitement while the loud brass jabs accentuate the twists and turns in the action of the cue." Please USE NO "I" statements in your paper. Note: The pieces of music in the film are called "musical cues" or just "cues" . they are not called tracks. Please try to avoid giving the track names off of a soundtrack CD as an identifier for the cue you are referencing. · I realize that some of you do extra work and try to find the cue you are writing about on a soundtrack cd but that is not necessary for the assignment.   · Again, I will caution you that you are not reviewing a soundtrack CD.  You are writing about HOW the musical cue serves the scene. You do not have to justify each cue in how it supports · drama · action · character · time and place Some cues just do one of these things, some have elements of all of them. .

1. You are to write a two-page(double spaced, 12pt Times New
Roman font) paper critiquing the music in a film of your choice.
You are to WATCH THE FILM. DO NOT DO YOUR PAPER
BASED ON A SOUNDTRACK ALBUM. The pieces of music
that you choose to critique within the film should be
instrumental music, NOT songs (music with lyrics).
You should cover these points.
◦ Composer
◦
Brief Bio/filmography of composer
◦
◦ Main Credit (Main Title) music (if this is a song, pick a
different movie!)
◦
why is it there
◦
Overall Drama
◦
Character
◦
Action
◦
Time and Place

2. ◦
HOW does it do what you say it does
◦
◦ Another Instrumental music cue
◦
why is it there
◦
Overall Drama
◦
Character
◦
Action
◦
Time and Place
◦
HOW does it do what you say it does
NOTES:
This is an inadequate description because it really does not say
HOW!
"This music really captures the actions of the scene. One could
imagine no greater marriage of music and action. It is little
wonder that this composer is considered brilliant."

3. This would be better.
"The constant rhythm played by the percussion provides
excitement while the loud brass jabs accentuate the twists and
turns in the action of the cue."
Please USE NO "I" statements in your paper.
Note:
The pieces of music in the film are called "musical cues" or just
"cues" . they are not called tracks.
Please try to avoid giving the track names off of a soundtrack
CD as an identifier for the cue you are referencing.
· I realize that some of you do extra work and try to find the cue
you are writing about on a soundtrack cd but that is not
necessary for the assignment.
· Again, I will caution you that you are not reviewing a
soundtrack CD. You are writing about HOW the musical cue
serves the scene.
You do not have to justify each cue in how it supports
· drama
· action
· character
· time and place
Some cues just do one of these things, some have elements of
all of them.