[Fmpro] comedy scoring

[Hummie Mann]

Well, Thank you for your interest.

Firstly you really need to discuss with the director if he wants  
"funny" music (the trombone example formerly mentioned in another post  
is what I call funny music).  That approach feels very slapstick to me  
and unless you are doing a silly kids movie, I don't think it is done  
too much. By the way, sometimes the way contemporary writers will do  
this slapstick stuff is using pizz strings - I have done it a bit as  
part of a score.

Assuming that the director does not want funny music, then there are a  
few techniques that seem to work quite well.  One is scoring the scene  
in a more dramatic way but using a lot of sync points as one wold do  
in "Mickey Mousing" animation.

There are many instances of this in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights".  I  
would suggest checking out the big fight sequence that happens in the  
party near the front of the film where Robin is challenged by the  
Sheriff of Rottingham and also most of the sword fight scenes in the  
film - there is a particular moment in the final fight scene between  
RH and SoR where Mel went to having shadows fighting and where by  
using a much smaller orchestration, the comedic intent was supported,  
even though if you listen to the music without the film, it does not  
sound "funny".

Another technique is using a type of music that seems "inappropriate"  
or somewhat contrary to the scene. For some rhythm Latin grooves and  
Gospel seems to work as they are just 'fun' types of music, so people  
smile just at the sound of them.

I have underscored comedic sections of many films in a variety of  
different styles of music using the Mickey Mousing and it is often the  
best approach, the music does not sound funny but the relationship it  
has with the visuals is funny - so that is a win-win.

Best of luck -

Hummie

206/230-0222
800/546-8611

www.hummiemann.com

On Mar 20, 2008, at 10:04 AM, Claude Castonguay wrote:

> Hi Hummie,
>
> great to see you on the list!
>
> As the original poster of this thread i, for one, would be really
> glad to have you go into as much detail as you would like.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Claude
> On 08-03-20, at 12:21, Hummie Mann wrote:
>
>> I have scored a number of comedies so I think I will weigh in here.
>> It is a discussion you need to have with the director - does he want
>> funny music or not?  Having scored 2 films for Mel Brooks (Robin  
>> Hood:
>> Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It), the usual approach
>> that Mel wanted was NOT to have funny music, however there are
>> examples in both scores where by doing "serious" music but "Mickey
>> Mousing" the action, you can actually have music that is not funny  
>> but
>> yet supports the silly antics on screen.  If you want specific
>> examples I can tell you what scenes in particular to look at where I
>> used this technique, but do not want to go into more detail unless  
>> you
>> want me to.  Ok, that's my 3 cents.
>>
>> Hummie Mann
>>
>> 206/230-0222
>> 800/546-8611
>>
>> www.hummiemann.com
>>
>> On Mar 19, 2008, at 9:04 PM, Robyn Traill wrote:
>>
>>> I haven't really done many comedies, but I agree with
>>> the straight approach.  Take the protagonists feelings
>>> seriously.  Play the music from their perspective
>>> rather than being a commentator poking fun from the
>>> side.
>>>
>>> Then do that with the usual originality and taste.
>>>
>>> Airplane by Elmer Bernstien is a good example of this.
>>> Utterly ridiculous movie.  Totally straight music.
>>>
>>>
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