The King Kong Film; How The Movies Uses Music and Underscoring

When films first started being viewed in the late 19th century, early 20th century, they were silent films. In silent films from that era there was no audible dialogue. A blank screen with words usually explained actions and scenes occurring on the screen, so the audience knew what was going on. Sound films incorporated synchronized sounds, matching up with particular events happening on screen, but now music.

When music started being used for films, it was usually played by an orchestra present at the film screening, at first with little to no indication of particular style. The music was not recorded, and often times would be different depending on what theatre you went to or when you went to view the film. Most of the music played during these films was relatively well known pieces by famous composers. As time progressed and so did technology and film, the organization of film music became more precise. Orchestras started playing pieces based on the ‘mood’ of the scene.

Cue sheets were introduced and then orchestras started using specific pieces for certain scenes and films. Once sound and film was combined, the use or music in films was usually always present or not at all. An example of a film that uses underscoring throughout almost the entirety of the film is Metropolis. Other films didn’t use music at all, or very little. Intrinsic music, early on, came in the form of musicals. Films that used music as a focal point of the film, with scenes of characters singing or dancing to music that is a part of the scene. Filmmakers thought that in order for the music to make sense it has to have a source. Sometimes this didn’t make sense in films, such as a scene of a lonely trumpeter accompanied by a full orchestra in the underscore but yet the site of the single instrumentalist makes the music the audience is hearing seem like a part of the scene.

Underscoring and intrinsic music are now both used meticulously and precisely. An early film that showed how music could benefit the action seen on screen is King Kong. An example from King Kong would be the chords heard in the underscore reinforcing the footfalls of the native chief of Skull Island as he approaches the film crew. Film and music did not always perfectly align, and over decades the elements of music and film were slowly incorporated together. Through trial and error, different styles and different ways of accompanying films changed. And through the advancement of technology, music was brought to life in films, and vice versa.

Cue Sheet:

30:50 – Fluttering woodwind, shorter notes/melody. Loud brass, plays ostinato.

31:02 – Buffy enters - Sweeping descending scales of harp. Combines with minor chord progressions of strings. The music builds up then cuts out.

31:40 – Piano plays high pitched melody, Gentleman’s cue - brass sustains notes, orchestra crescendos then cuts.

32:20 – Gentlemen’s cue. Brass and strings get louder.

32:50 – Silence, then whole orchestra enters at site of gentleman. Brass plays eerie melody. Longer sustained notes that carry combined with pauses in music for suspense.

33:25 – Single voice, starts out quiet, gentleman’s cue when Riley is attacked from behind. (Music matches fight moves, short blasts of horn and woodwind with percussion.)

34:03 – Music escalates then cuts abruptly, quiet until Tara opens door to site of gentleman, gentlemen’s cue. Short, fast, descending scales on flute.

35:00 – Orchestra matches move of fight scene, percussion and brass play staccato notes, strings play couple chords at time, crescendos and accelerates, then cuts at face off between Buffy and Riley.

The scene starts out with the guys getting ready to fight, grabbing weapons. The music accompanying this scene and the next scene includes a loud ostinato played by brass instruments combined with fluttering woodwind and the percussion matches the suspense of the scene set by the ostinato played by the brass. As buffy enters the shot, you can hear descending scales played by a harp as well as minor chord progressions/melody played by strings.

The music slowly builds up as the characters look around and then abruptly cuts out at the change of the scene. The piano plays a few notes back and forth as the brass crescendos. Tara walks through the street as flute or high woodwind plays minor melody. The music cuts when she trips and falls. As she sees the gentleman the music comes back in, louder and more intense than before. Loud brass and percussion. Buffy looks towards a gentleman, the music jumps in again when one jumps out at her.

Following is the scene of Tara knocking on people’s doors. The music is loud, brass and percussion play sustained notes. Woodwind and strings are quieter, playing sweeping scales and melodies. The music cuts and re-enters at the sight of the gentlemen. During the scene where Riley is looking around a building, it starts with a single voice(?) on “ah” and then as the gentleman attacks him from behind, the gentlemen’s cue comes in with loud brass/percussion. The music stops as Riley and Buff face each other.