Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman, like most film composers, creates scores that sets the emotion for film scenes. I’ve chosen Elfman in particular because he is one of my favourite composers and I believe he does this brilliantly. Elfman uses orchestral instruments in most of his works he has done, such as the scores to films ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Black Beauty’. He uses orchestration to set the mood and emotion of the given scene, along with melodies, pace and chords. I looked at scores in which he uses fast pacing music to emphasis something thats happening on screen which is either dramatic or like a chase against time, so I could relate, get inspired and get some ideas together for my given chase scene.
Examples of Elfman Setting dramatic and chase against time scenes, using orchestration
Elfman scored the music for Tim Burtons Corpse Bride, and in one of the scenes in the film, everyone is rushing around trying to put together a wedding which was going to be taken up to the land of the living. Elfman’s score to this scene, which he called ‘The Wedding Song’, uses orchestral instruments and makes the music pacing, building up dynamics and melodies until the climax at the end when they get to the land of the living and all hell brakes loose! Unfortunately I am unable to get this scene onto my blog, but when watching the Corpse Bride you can hear the build up Elfman creates in this wedding preparation scene and how it makes the next section in the film more dramatic. Here is the piece Elfman composed for this scene:-
Elfman scored the music for Tim Burtons The Nightmare Before Christmas, and in one scene, Jack Skellington is in his sleigh delivering toys to children on christmas eve. Elfman’s score to this scene which he called ‘Christmas Eve Montage’ uses fast pacing music when Jack is flying over towns and when the children have opened their presents to find something horrible inside. He uses the same techniques he used in Corpse Bride, which was adding build ups, dynamic changes and he changed pace throughout the scene, to break the scene up a bit. Unfortunately I could not get this scene onto my blog, but once again when watching the film look out for this scene and watch how the music works well with the scene. Here is the piece of music Elfman composed for this scene:-
Another scene which I think is the closest I have found yet, is from Sleepy Hollow. Elfmans music for a chase scene between the headless horseman and Johnny Dep uses all the techniques from the previous two examples, but its more fast pacing, extreme and dramatic. I am unable to get the scene on here, but here is the music for this scene, which Elfman called ‘The Chase‘, It starts at 6 mins 19 seconds on this clip:-
This particular scene is where I got my influence from for my chase scene. I wanted to set the mood, have fast pacing music and use layers or motifs and dynamics until the climax at the end of the scene where the Jokers lorry flips over. I wanted to use Elfmans techniques from this Sleepy Hollow scene, along with the other two scenes I mentioned previously.
