Contribution in an anthology

Appeared in: Empirische Forschungen – Ästhetische Experimente (Musikpsychologie, Band 10)

Editor list: Behne, KE; Kleinen, G; de la Motte-Haber, H

Publication year: 1993

Pages: 140-158

ISBN: 3-7959-0663-6

Title of series: Musikpsychologie : Jahrbuch der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Musikpsychologie

Number in series: 10

Abstract: 
In May and June 1992 an empirical investigation into the effects of film music was :arried. out by Claudia Bullerjahn and a project team, consisting of Kulturpadag~glk students of the Universität Hildesheim. For this study the Landesme.dlenstelle Hannover produced an experimental film lasting approx. 10 mmutes. The film contains a deli berate ambiguity and offers various possibilities of interpretation. It was supposed to give the impression of a~ open-ended excerpt from a real feature film. Several professional film mUSlC co~posers responded to the unconventional request of composing three musical accompagniments to the film, in the style of a thriller, a mdodrama and a comedy or »neutral« version. Altogether five versions by the composers Rainer Kühn, Eugen Thomass and Peer Raben were selected for the study which differ in intended style and orchestration, in the use of motifs, and the place and length of the music relative to the film. Guessing that responses would depend on age, gender, media competence and musical Experience, we tested 412 subjects in 21 groups from various backgrounds, mcludmg school. children, students, police men, choristers, and the elderly. Each of the subJects only watches one of the selected versions. Since the empirical investigation is not concluded yet, just few results can be shown: 1. While the music only reinforces tendencies regarding the characters of the acting persons, the music can have a determining influence on the emotional atmosphere and the film genre. 2. Frames may be increased in value by means of music, screenplay and actors only for subjects without media competence. 3. Subjects with musical experience, who hear the film music more sophisticated, are influenced by the shaping elements of music in their 156 interpretation of individual film components. On the other hand, subjects without musical experience merdy reliably discern the intended genre, because they necessarily classify the music and from that the ambiguous film into a well-known cliche. 4. Older persons do not perceive film music as consciously as younger ones. Because of missing experience with feature films they also failed to classify precisely into film genres.

Harvard Citation style: Bullerjahn, C., Braun, U. and Güldenring, M. (1993) Wie haben Sie den Film gehört? Über Filmmusik als Bedeutungsträger – Eine empirische Untersuchung, in Behne, K., Kleinen, G. and de la Motte-Haber, H. (eds.) Empirische Forschungen – Ästhetische Experimente (Musikpsychologie, Band 10). Wilhelmshaven: Verlag Florian Noetzel, pp. 140-158

APA Citation style: Bullerjahn, C., Braun, U., & Güldenring, M. (1993). Wie haben Sie den Film gehört? Über Filmmusik als Bedeutungsträger – Eine empirische Untersuchung. In Behne, K., Kleinen, G., & de la Motte-Haber, H. (Eds.), Empirische Forschungen – Ästhetische Experimente (Musikpsychologie, Band 10) (pp. 140-158). Verlag Florian Noetzel.