[Fmpro] comedy scoring

Fri Mar 21 02:33:58 GMT 2008

Thanks a lot Hummie,

i'll check-out Men in Tights for sure with great interest. I checked  
out your website, the music is great. Orchestration is top notch. I've  
yet to experience my music being played by a full orchestra.Up here in  
Canada these type of sessions are almost non-existent in film and in  
TV, well inexistent... I guess it's pretty much the same in the U.S  
except for Hollywood Feature Films. I was talking with Paul  
Baillargeon who scored many seasons of Star Treck with full orchestra  
and the last 2 seasons in Digital Performer and EastWest Symphonic  
Orchestra...

The film i'll be scoring is in the vein of Curb your Enthusiasm, lots  
of talking, a main character with an hyperactive brain (à la Woody  
Allen) but he hangs out with trendy people...

So, i'm glad i asked this question on the list. I got great  
suggestions from the list. Thanks to everyone.

Hummie i read somewhere that you're Canadian, from what part of Canada  
are you from?

Best,

Claude

On 08-03-20, at 19:32, Hummie Mann wrote:

> 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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>
> _______________________________________________
> The Film Music Pro List is sponsored by Film Music Magazine -  http://www.filmmusicmag.com
>
> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy  
> Hale Music
>
> To edit your list options or unsubscribe, visit:
> http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/fmpro