Theme Music

Theme music is a repetitive piece of music, easily associated to a programme or film. The repetition is makes the
music recogniseable. Theme music can also be connected to certain places or characters.

Theme music is commonly made by instruments (Instrumental) and occasionally computer generated.
A digital Audio Workstation is used to record, edit and mix music on computer.
Different instruments are used for different emotions e.g strings are used for more melancholy atmospheres.
Mics would be used to record the music and a music stand would be used so that you don’t get paper rustling.

Theme music originated from Opera. Theme music would help the audience recognise different characters during
the performance. During love scenes, strings and piano would be used, for the ‘bad guys’, the piece would be more
dramatic using techniques such as stiletto’s etc. Associating different theme music with emotions and characters.

Incidental Music
Incidental Music is background music, in order to enhance an atmosphere or mood. Containing of different
melodies, pitches and structures.
Incidental music can also be known as a score. An underscore is a soft layer, low in volume, which helps indicate
the mood of a scene. This can also work effectively and provoke more emotion (from being a quiet piece of music)
as in high intense emotional scenes, it is subtle yet essential.
Accompanies the action in a performance.
In order to create Incidental Music, Equipment used is the same - Mics, Music stands and a Digital Audio
WorkStation.

WildTracks
A wildTrack is used as a back up. Audio Is recorded on a separate microphone, not related to the visual recording.
This mic would pick up clearer vocal sound and naturally block out some background noise, e.g in a busy
restaurant or on a street with harsh ambient noise.
Equipment needed : Microphone and Adobe Audition to sync up the audio with the recording.
Voice Overs
Can be used to tell a backstory.
Recording is done in the studio in post production. If recording is done throughout the
film/programme/series, it is important to record in the same space and use the same mic
throughout for consistency.
Examples of voice overs : Blue Planet, How I met your mother and gossip girl.
Equipment used : An Audio Interface, Microphones (Newer), sheet stand, headphones
….
Adobe Audition can be used - maintains the purest clarity of sound.
A preface allows you to check quality before recording.
It is important to have the fader on full in order to pick up and record sound well.
A pop shield is used so that harsher sounds don’t burst the mic (plausive words) and so that
the mic doesn’t pick up spitting sounds.

SoundScapes
Also referred to as establishing and ambient sounds.
The room tone would be recorded (the space used for filming).
The soundscape is added in during post production and is layered into the recording and
existing audio. Sounds can also be layered in order to replicate certain environments.
Equipment used : Mics (picks up 360 sound e.g Marantz), headphones, Mic stands,
Adobe Audition.
Foley can also be used for sounds that can’t be picked out when recording on location.
Recording for the length of the scene prevents having to loop the audio.
In post production, producers can change the amplification in order to get the desired
Effect.