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Music and Film
Final Definitions
73
Music
Undergraduate 1
12/09/2007

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Cards

Term
Auteur
Definition
A director who molds all aspects of filmmaking into a unified and distinctive artistic style.
Term
Leitmotif
Definition
A recurring theme linked with some aspect of a drama.
Term
Causal Plot
Definition
A story in which each incident leads logically to the next with a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
Term
Episodic Plot
Definition
A story in which many of the incidents are loosely connected and are not the result of cause and effects.
Term
Flashback
Definition
A cut backwards in time in a narrative film, often revealing something about the present.
Term
Linear Plot
Definition
A story that is told in strict chronological sequence.
Term
Nonlinear Plot
Definition
A story that is told out of chronological order- for example, with flashbacks.
Term
Protagonist
Definition
The principal character of a drama, around whom the plot and theme unfolds.
Term
Antagonist
Definition
The adversary in a drama who is in a conflict with the protagonist.
Term
Setting
Definition
The time and place a story takes place in.
Term
Period Film
Definition
A movie set in a defined historical era.
Term
Genre
Definition
Categories based on similar stories and other conventions.
Term
Cinematography
Definition
The art of taking moving pictures.
Term
Mise-en-scene
Definition
A theatrical term that refers to the visual elements of film, encompassing aspects such as lighting, costumes, and decor, the relationship of these elements to each other, and how they are photographed.
Term
Point of View
Definition
The perspective of the camera eye.
Term
Postproduction
Definition
The phase of filmmaking that occurs after the film has been shot.
Term
Shot
Definition
An uninterrupted length of film.
Term
Cut
Definition
The precise moment when one shot ends and another begins.
Term
Crosscut
Definition
The alteration of shots from two or more sequences.
Term
Montage
Definition
The relatively quick cutting of images that are related in some manner.
Term
Melody
Definition
Any group of notes that can be perceived as a unit.
Term
Theme
Definition
A recognizable melodic idea that recurs, thereby lending shape to a musical composition.
Term
Cadence
Definition
A resting moment in music.
Term
Motive
Definition
In music, this is a small melodic unit that is treated as a theme or used to build a larger melodic idea.
Term
Texture
Definition
The element of music dealing with the melodic lines and the combination of melodic lines in a composition.
Term
Homophonic
Definition
A term for a musical texture dominated by a single melody with accompaniment.
Term
Monophonic
Definition
A musical texture featuring a single melodic line with no accompaniment.
Term
Contrapuntal
Definition
The art of combining two or more equal melodies together.
Term
Imitation
Definition
A type of contrapuntal texture in which two or more similar melodies are heard.
Term
Consonance
Definition
Sounds that are beautiful and restful to the ear.
Term
Dissonance
Definition
The harmonic clash between pitches that creates tension.
Term
Rhythm
Definition
The musical element that deals with the dimension of time and can refer to the relative length of notes.
Term
Tempo
Definition
The speed of beats in a musical compostition.
Term
Meter
Definition
Recurring patterns of strong and weak pulses in music.
Term
Timber
Definition
The element of music dealing with the colors or tone qualities produced by voices, instruments, and the various combinitions of voices and instruments.
Term
Orchestration
Definition
The act of assigning instruments or voices to the various musical ideas.
Term
Orchestrator
Definition
A specialist in orchestration.
Term
Medley
Definition
When the music contains a series of tunes from the film.
Term
Overture
Definition
Music that precedes the beginning of the film.
Term
Source Music
Definition
Music that has a logical source within the narrative of the film, such as a radio. Also known as diagetic music.
Term
Underscoring
Definition
Music in film that does not emanate from a source seen on the screen. It is also known as non-diegectic music.
Term
Cue
Definition
A passage of underscoring from its entrance to its end.
Term
Wall-to-Wall Music
Definition
Music that plays almost continuously.
Term
Arrangement
Definition
A new setting of a previously composed melody.
Term
Thematic Transformation
Definition
When a leitmotif is altered to create variety and to give support to dramatic situations.
Term
Adaptation
Definition
The borrowing of a substatial portion of an existing comoposition for use in a film score, yet the music remains recognizable though it can be adapted to suit the needs of the film.
Term
Adapted Score
Definition
Film score that is substantially borrowed.
Term
Compilation Score
Definition
Score that is a pastiche of borrowed music.
Term
Eclectic Score
Definition
A musical score that contains a wide range of musical styles.
Term
Mickey Mousing
Definition
The mimicking of physical action in film music to such an extent as to suggest cartoon music.
Term
Sound Mixing
Definition
Technology that allows various recorded sounds to be combined during postproduction.
Term
Musical Comedy
Definition
Make it up.
Term
Serialism
Definition
A form of expressionalism that maintains the style and sound of expressionalism through a systematic approact to composition.
Term
Film Noir
Definition
A dark trend of American film, inlcuding features such as strong dark shadows, nighttime urban settings, and dark, twisted plots.
Term
Theremin
Definition
An electronic instrument that changes pitches as the player moves his hand closer or further from a central antenna.
Term
Avant-garde
Definition
A term associated with experimental artistic styles.
Term
Electronic Music
Definition
Music created with the aid of electronic instruments that either manipulate existing sounds or generate new musical sounds through electronic means.
Term
Blockbuster
Definition
A film that costs an extraordinary amount of money to make, with the hope of producing a major box-office success.
Term
Harpsichord
Definition
Obsolete eighteenth-century keyboard instrument, used to recreate music from the past for a more authentic sound.
Term
Sequel
Definition
A movie that is based on the characters or plot of a previous movie.
Term
Dolby
Definition
Provided a highly developed sound system that was soon integrated into theaters.
Term
Sythesizer
Definition
An electronic instrument capable of generating and reproducing sounds. Controlled by a keyboard, it is capable of initating the sounds of acoustic instruments, replacing an entire orchestra, or creatinig unique new sonds.
Term
Disco
Definition
A form of rock that became popular during the 70's.
Term
Sitar
Definition
Plucked string instrument, ethnic.
Term
Shakuhachi, Erhu, Pipa
Definition
Japanese ethnic instruments.
Term
Gamelan
Definition
An instrumental ensemble from Java or Bali consisting of a variety of percussion instruments, flutes, stringed instruments, and occasionally singers.
Term
Andean Flute
Definition
An ethnic instrument.
Term
Layered Music
Definition
Layering several musical themes on top of each other while maintaining the their own distinctive sound.
Term

MTV

Definition
Film makers began to cut a montage from a movie to a popular song from the movie to be broadcasted on MTV.
Term
Klezmer
Definition
Jewish song
Term
Minimalism
Definition
A musical movement in which short melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic ideas are repeated with little variation.
Term
Techno
Definition

A song made of electronic music, with different layers of music combined into one song.

Term
Rap Music
Definition

Spoken words to a song.

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