Handout: Scoring Original Music to a Photograph or Short Video

Objective:

1. Create an original piece of music that conveys an emotion to a photograph or short video.

2. Use Garageband (or Logic and other DAWs as available) to compose and record their music.

3. Understand the connection between imagery and music and how music can enhance the emotional impact of visual media.

4. Present the final production to the class.

Materials:

• Computer with video-capable DAW

• Photographs or short videos (either created by the students or obtained from copyright-free sources)

Copyright and royalty free sources for images and videos

1. Pixabay - This is a popular website for downloading high-quality images and videos that are free for commercial use. You can browse by category or search for specific keywords.

2. Pexels - Pexels offers a wide variety of high-quality images and videos that are free to use. You can browse by category or search for specific keywords.

3. Unsplash - Unsplash has a large collection of free, high-resolution photos that you can use for any purpose, including commercial use.

4. Videvo - This website offers a large selection of free stock footage and motion graphics that you can use for your video projects.

5. Coverr - Coverr provides free, high-quality stock footage for use in your creative projects.

Procedure:

Introduction

Music can be a powerful tool for enhancing the emotional impact of visual media such as photographs, videos, and movies. By adding music to visual media, it is possible to create a more immersive and engaging experience that captures the viewer's attention and evokes a range of emotions. In the film industry, soundtracking is a critical component of the movie-making process. A well-crafted soundtrack can enhance the mood, pace, and atmosphere of a film, providing cues to the audience about what they should feel at different points in the movie. Similarly, in music videos, the music is often used to create a cohesive story that complements the visual imagery. By carefully selecting the right music and integrating it with the visuals, it is possible to create an emotional response in the viewer that can be incredibly powerful. In short, music and imagery can be a perfect combination for creating an unforgettable experience that resonates with the audience on an emotional level.

Composition

Working alone or in pairs and using the resources above, find a photo or video, or make one yourself that you want to compose music for. Your goal is to create an original piece of music that enhances the emotional impact of the visual media.

You must use Garageband, Logic or a similar DAW to compose and record your music. iPads will not work for this assignment. Experiment with different instruments and sounds to create the desired emotional impact.

You will be provided a plenty of time in class to complete this assignment. We will present our final projects in class in April 28th, however, you should aim to be completed this assignment one week before then on April 21. Missing assignments on April 28 will receive a grade of zero. 

Criteria

• It music be 100% original. No loops.

• A screenshot of your session file must be uploaded to your folder

• It must be between 30 seconds and 60 seconds in length.

• A copy of the final video must be uploaded to your folder

• The beginning should fade in, and the end should fade out.

• There must be at least 4 different tracks/instruments.

Presentations

Each group or individual will present their photograph or short video with your original music score to the class. After each presentation, prepared to discuss how the music enhanced the emotional impact of the visual media.

Rubric