CHAPTER 68 Underscoring Meaning: Williams and Music for
Film
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Why is music important to motion pictures?
a. It can reveal the emotions of the characters.
b. It can set the mood of the film.
c. It can tell the audience where or when the story takes place.
d. All answers shown here.
2. Which of the following best describes the music at the climax of The Godfather?
a. The mood reflects the action.
b. The mood runs counter to the action.
c. No music is heard until the last moment.
d. The lack of music creates a sense of realism.
3. Who composed the music for The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
a. John Williams c. Howard Shore
b. James Horner d. Tan Dun
4. Which movie director has frequently used lighthearted rock music for scenes of graphic violence?
a. Steven Spielberg c. Alfred Hitchcock
b. Quentin Tarantino d. Ang Lee
5. Music that is performed on screen and is part of the drama itself is called
a. underscoring. c. counter to the action.
b. leitmotifs. d. source music.
6. Which nineteenth-century composer was the inspiration for unity in film music through the use of leitmotifs?
a. Beethoven c. Wagner
b. Brahms d. Tchaikovsky
7. John Williams composed music for which TV series?
a. Gilligan’s Island c. Emergency
b. Get Smart d. The Mod Squad
8. John Williams was the music director and principal conductor of the
a. Los Angeles Philharmonic. c. Boston Pops.
b. New York Philharmonic. d. Vienna Philharmonic.
9. Which of the following film scores were composed by John Williams?
a. Schindler’s List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Superman
b. Titanic, Superman, Star Wars
c. Avatar, Superman, Jaws
d. Jurassic Park, The Godfather, Braveheart
10. Which of the following characterizes the Imperial March?
a. It features woodwind instruments. c. It is in sonata-allegro form.
b. It creates a playful mood. d. None of the answers shown here.
11. Which movie first introduced the Imperial March?
a. Star Wars c. The Return of the Jedi
b. The Empire Strikes Back d. Raiders of the Lost Ark
12. Guitar Hero is a
a. movie featuring Santana. c. multimedia ensemble.
b. composition by John Corigliano. d. video game.
13. Video games have
a. long used source music. c. never used source music.
b. only recently begun using source music. d. avoided using music.
14. Who composed the music for Final Fantasy?
a. Jeremy Soule c. Nobuo Uematsu
b. John Williams d. Ge Wang
15. Which of the following characterizes “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII?
a. large orchestra c. two primary themes
b. distinctive use of dynamics d. All answers shown here.
16. Music that comes from an unseen source is called
a. underscoring. c. counter to the action.
b. leitmotif. d. source music.
17. Which Alfred Hitchcock movie only used source music?
a. Rear Window c. Psycho
b. Lifeboat d. The Birds
18. What is source music?
a. Music that is performed on screen and is part of the drama.
b. Music that runs counter to the action.
c. Music that comes from an unseen source.
d. Music composed specifically for a film.
19. Which phrase best defines a leitmotif?
a. a theme associated with a particular character
b. a musical representation of light
c. a melody written by Richard Wagner
d. a motive written by John Williams
20. The Imperial March represents which Star Wars character?
a. Luke Skywalker c. Han Solo
b. Princess Leia d. Darth Vader
21. Who composed the soundtrack for Gone With the Wind?
a. John Williams c. Bernard Hermann
b. Max Steiner d. Elmer Bernstein
22. Which composer wrote the score for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and Ghostbusters (1984)?
a. John Williams c. Bernard Hermann
b. Max Steiner d. Elmer Bernstein
23. Which app by Smule is on the iTunes store “Top 20 Downloads of All Time” list?
a. Garage Band c. Ocarina
b. Rock Band d. Final Fantasy
24. Why is underscoring a challenge for video game composers?
a. Because video games only use source music.
b. The player’s choice opens up a much more dynamic set of musical options.
c. The rigid set of choices limit the composer’s options.
d. All answers shown here.
25. Which game-music composer used Kickstarter to fund the recording of his first symphony?
a. Jeremy Soule c. Nobuo Uematsu
b. John Williams d. Ge Wang
1. Most Hollywood films use music to establish an overall mood, not to reflect the emotional content of a given scene.
2. Film music that contradicts the mood of a scene is referred to as “running counter to the action.”
3. Music can help create a sense of place and time in films.
4. In films, music that can be heard by a character on the screen is called underscoring.
5. The use of leitmotifs in the Star Wars films mirrors that in Wagner’s Ring cycle.
6. Williams’s Imperial March is in standard march form.
7. John Williams devotes his compositional activities strictly to films.
8. John Williams attended the Julliard School of Music.
9. In films, music that can be heard by a character on the screen is called source music.
10. The scary two-note oscillating motive from Jaws is an example of a leitmotif.
11. John Williams has written over ninety film scores.
12. The Imperial March represents Obi-Wan Kenobi.
13. Guitar Hero is the name of a 2011 biography of Jimi Hendrix.
14. Video game music employs both source music and underscoring.
15. Stanford University has a Laptop Orchestra.
16. Nobuo Uematsu is a composer of video game music.
17. John Williams composed “Aerith’s Theme” for The Empire Strikes Back.
1. Discuss how music for films contributes to the onscreen action.
2. Discuss John Williams’s contribution to film music.
3. Discuss how video game music blurs the line between composition and performance.
4. Discuss the difference between underscoring and source music. Cite examples from movies that you have watched.