This week, we were introduced to the term Leitmotif, which is a short, recurring piece of music that represents a specific person, place, idea, or emotion in a story, like in movies or operas. Each time the idea or character appears, the leitmotif plays, helping the audience connect the music to the story.
When working on a movie clip for Soul, I wanted to capture the heart of the main character’s journey through music. The scene was filled with flashbacks, each showing moments of joy, struggle, and growth in his life. To represent the journey he’s been on and his inner turmoil, I wrote a musical phrase exemplary of this idea.
I created a simple piano melody and it plays at the beginning of the clip when he lays down the different items on the piano, which triggers him to relive these emotional moments in his life. I wrote the phrase in the aeolian mode (natural minor) instead of the harmonic minor because its softer, smoother sound creates a sense of calm and reflection, avoiding the tension that the raised seventh in the harmonic minor would bring. Furthermore, the aeolian mode fits well with the character’s state of mind, his reflections about his past in a introspective way, while still carrying the great emotional depth of the past.
By the end of the clip, the leitmotif returned in a different key with a more complex instrumentation, as a reminder of his journey.
Using a leitmotif in this way helped make the flashbacks feel connected and gave the scene an emotional impact. It’s a simple, powerful tool to tell a story through music. It also helped me tie the beginning of the clip with its end.