Alan J Moore's Film Music Chat

What's Opera, Doc? (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

Cartoon music has to be one of the most challenging aspects for a composer. It’s frequently fast and there can be hundreds of hitpoints where the music has to match the action on screen to a split-second.

However, it is also great fun to write and immensely satisfying!

Here’s some cartoon music ‘food for thought’…

5 Musicians Who Look Like Cartoon Characters | MusicReview

Initially, this article began as a celebrity look-alike piece, but, let’s be honest, that’s been done to death. So, we decided to start looking at the.

man_size: Russian Cartoon Music

I had the great honor of being invited to view and listen to the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra play live music to old Soviet cartoons in Brighton Beach among a select group of cartoonists.

Classical Cartoon Music with Lyrics – ChoralNet

Early cartoons were accompanied by public domain classical music (Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit!) and I would like to have us perform a piece that was associated with this early animation.

…and some cartoon music videos to entertain you!

Old Time Cartoon Music

Cartoon Music sample a clown draws a band that comes to life original music- Alex Valdes alex8valdes@yahoo.com.

Cher – Dark Lady [Official Cartoon Music Video] [HQ]

A cartoon “music video” of Dark Lady from the Sonny & Cher show.

Danse Macabre Camille Saint-Saëns 1980s cartoon, PBS, Halloween, Music

This originally aired on PBS in the 1980s featuring a poorly made up vampire host to introduce and discuss. I used to teach this music to High School students! One of the best short length Halloween animations ever created.

Related cartoon music articles

• Never Underestimate the Power of Animation (musicatyourhouse.wordpress.com)
• Watch Pereval, a gorgeous 1988 Soviet cartoon about a crashed spaceship [Video] (io9.com)
• A gorgeous music video about a werewolf going on a rampage in the 1940s (io9.com)
• Laziness craziness (dailykos.com)
• Pigs Are People, Too: Animal Abuse, Haters and Worldly Woes Quashed in Debut Musical Cartoon Video (prweb.com)

Top 30 Saddest Movie Soundtracks (part 1)?

What do YOU think?

One of my all-time favourite composers is Danny Elfman.

In particular, the work he does withTim Burton is just so unique and memorable.

Warner Bros. music have released a 25th anniversary box set commemorating the orchestral soundtracks Danny Elfman has composed for Tim Burton.

Have a look at Danny Elfman’s Ten Greatest Soundtracks for details of his composition and see if you agree with this list:

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
2. A Simple Plan (1998)
3. Batman (1989)
4. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
5. Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
6. Beetlejuice (1988)
7. Nightbreed (1990)
8. Big Fish (2003)
9. Dolores Claiborne (1995)
10. Scrooged (1988)

Not sure I’d agree exactly with the order, but it’s a great place to start to get to know Elfman’s work.

Here’s a link to a very funny short film called, ‘Let’s Launch Leonard’.

The filmmaker is Joe Hepworth (‘Shot in the Dark Productions) who I’ve worked with before on ‘Night Fishing‘.

Here’s how Joe explains about the film:

As many of you will know, I spent a week last summer shooting a film with the Fitzwilliam Amateur Rocket Club (FARC) as they prepared to test launch the rocket that they hope will propel the first amateur astronaut into space.

Leonard Thacklewaite and Nigel ‘Nitro’ Scuffum truly are two individuals that changed my life. I will never quite be the same again.

Take that with a pinch of salt!

Here’s the link to the film: http://www.vimeo.com/23128854