Our second task is to write the music and sound effects for up to one minute of animation. In the lecture we watched a Warner Bros animation and analysed firstly what had been done, and secondly how it could be achieved. I found this very useful as it enabled me to see how I could achieve certain things using different effects and techniques, and also provided me with techniques I can draw on when completing the task.

I have chosen to score a clip from a black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1929 called ‘The Opry House’, in which Mickey is playing the piano in a concert. I chose this particular cartoon for a number of reasons. Firstly, as this clip contains no speech it relies solely on the music and sound effects to create atmosphere, comic effect and changes in mood, allowing a lot of room for imagination. Also, it requires a mixture of classical scoring (and therefore attention to orchestration and instrumentation as well as the harmonies and structure of a classical score) and synched effects e.g. footsteps.

I have split the aspects of the task into five sections, so that none of the effects/music required is neglected:

1. Write a score for the piano music
2. Sound effects for the crowd
3. Sound effects for Mickey
4. Sound effects for instruments
5. Draw it all together using other elements/effects/music etc.