80 Look up the opening scenes for the Star Wars series, which uses extra-diegetic music from composer John Williams to create a highly accessible sci-fi experience for the audience. In the broadest sense, the term soundtrack simply means everything you hear in the movie sound effects, dialogue, music but it can also refer to the entirety of the music in the film, including the score. A film score is the music composed specifically for the movie to serve and develop the story. It is usually instrumental only, so as not to compete with the dialogue. FILM SOUNDTRACKS Never just a mere background The history of film music parallels that of cinema. Music takes part in the visual by reinforcing it, accompanying it, commenting on it, and sometimes contradicting it. Music in films is never just background music; it can say what images can t, and it can convey and reveal emotions and feelings. Just as in pantomime, it supports and highlights the gestures of the actors, and just as in theatre it enriches a plot in a functional way through stage noises or in a more substantially interpretative way, in the same way, on the screen, music has integrated the two-dimensionality of images by giving depth to immateriality. Music can contribute to the success of a film, but it can also have a life of its own, and sometimes it becomes as iconic as the films themselves. Inside and outside the narration Music has a meaningful role, and it can be found: in the main titles, where we can read the title, the names of the producer, director, screenwriter, and actors. It usually reflects the kind of film that is going to be broadcast; during the plot, as leading soundtrack; in the end credits, where all the names of the people who have taken part in the film making and the locations appear. In some cases, some main themes are played again to reinforce the emotion of the ending. 184 CREATIVE ARTS Music (as well as sounds) can occur: inside the narration, when it can be heard or is produced by the characters (e.g. if characters sing a song or listen to music on a car stereo). In this case it is referred to as diegetic, since it comes from within the narrative sphere of the story: the music can be heard, played, or manipulated by the characters; out of the narration, when it can be heard by the audience, but not by the characters. In this case it is called extradiegetic, and it is always added in post-production. Types of music There are two types of music used in films: songs that already exist and can help set a film in a specific period of time or in a specific mood; songs written specifically for a certain film. The main soundtrack is the sum of all the music (also called score ) and songs played or sung in the film, giving it its own personality. The Academy award for the best soundtrack is called the Oscar for the Best Score. depth: profondit end credits: titoli di coda foley: tecnico del suono, rumorista to highlight: interpretare score: spartito musicale, musica usata nel film screenwriter: sceneggiatore to set: ambientare