Music and how it affects the plot

[Texasdoll2104]

Hello-

Im a High schooler and I am doing a project on Diney Music. I was wondering if you had any thoughts or information that would be helpful to me. My main topic is how some songs are important to the movie like beauty and the beast's bonjour it sets up the charcters for us and their relationships and if you took it out of the movie it would change it. The opposite would be the lion kings be prepared yes it does effect the movie but its not imperative.
Sorry I have gone on a ramble but I could use some help and im in class trying to get work done.
Thanks either way!

 

[dtats]

T-doll,

Welcome to the Forum! My guess is you plan to check out your local library and research the topic of music in animation. You should be able to find information there, as well as your local bookstore. A number of animation books exist, some better than others, offering insight into how music can help/hinder a storyline. Two books I have in my library include "Animation: From Script to Screen" by Shamus Culhane, and the "Illusion of Life" by Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas. Both of these address this subject.

For instant gratification, you may want to read the online article "Songs In Animated Features," written by Donald Alan Siegal, November 1999. This article can be found at the Animation World Magazine site: [url="http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=all&sort=date&article_no=1129"][URL="http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=all&amp...article_no=1129"]http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=all&amp...article_no=1129[/url][/URL]..[/url]

Try the other online resources, like Google, the usual search engines, and the like... I'm sure you'll find the information you need for your project.

Good luck with your research!
- Mike

 

[Michael Zielski]

T-doll--interesting observation about those two songs. The songs of Beauty and the Beast were composed by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. It was probably their crowning achievement, the songs having really an operatic feel to them, with Belle singing the opening number you mentioned, yet at the same time, talking, very frankly, to us, the audience--it's a high point of the film, just brilliant. The storyline is clearly laid out after her performance. Tim Rice and Elton John composed "Be Prepared", a great villain song, a favorite of mine, but these composers had a different approach to the film's songs, I suppose a more traditional one, compared to Menken and Ashman's animated opera.

Another source book you might be interested in is "The Cartoon Music Book," in paperback, which I picked up right off the shelf in the local Borders last year. While it covers a wide spectrum of material, there are chapters concerning Disney music in particular that you might be interested in.

Have fun with your topic,
Mike

 

[Michael Zielski]

"......and a Riddle-De-Diddle-De-Day"

Yer darn right that's what I'm proposin', Bill! It gets back to this here darn Disney music again(brushing up on my Western talk, might see Home On The Range today), not only affecting the plot, but affecting my life! Walt's been giving us all subliminal messages since we were kids--take for instance his live-action Robin Hood film from the 50's, and the song "Riddle-De-Diddle-De-Day"--how about the line, "we rob the rich to help the poor, and surely that's no sin!" I still have my old 78 of that song, musta listened to it a million times--it's Walt's fault I tell ya, pushing me to advocate a life of crime!!!!!

Phew.......glad I got that out,
Michael

P. S. You'll have to excuse me, didn't get much sleep last night.......I get this way when I'm sleep deprived.....