KS3 Soundtracks | Musical Contexts

Exploring Film Music

Soundtracks Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways

Soundtracks Music Theory

Pupils construct intervals of a 5th adding notes above and below treble and bass clef staff notation and work out the note names of chords (also in treble and bass clef notation with accidentals) before aurally evaluating whether they are a concord or discord.

Soundtracks DOITNOW Presentation

Large selection of DOITNOW lesson openers with embedded audio and video files

Download the entire "Soundtracks" unit as a .zip file bundle (2.9 GB)

Soundtracks Knowledge Organiser

Soundtracks Dictation

Bass and Treble Clef Melodic Dictation based on Film Music Themes

Soundtracks Plenary Review Activities

The Musical Contexts Soundtracks Composing Videos Bank

A collection of short films (all in .mp4 format) suitable for soundtrack composition activities all preceded by the “5-4-3-2-1 countdown timer” and with an on-screen timer throughout. Most videos are given in “silent” form and with the original soundtrack, dialogue, underscore or sound effects.

Music Spotting sessions and the construction of a Storyboard and/or Cuesheet can then be completed before pupils attempt to create their own film music soundtracks.

"Collapse" Short Film

(2 mins 29 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Collapse" Short Film

(2 mins 29 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Crows Attack" from 'The Birds'

(2 mins 29 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Crows Attack" from 'The Birds'

(2 mins 29 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"The Force Awakens" (ending)

(2 mins 34 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"The Force Awakens"

(2 mins 34 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Guardians of the Galaxy"

(2 mins 12 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Guardians of the Galaxy"

(2 mins 12 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Harry Potter"

(3 mins 42 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Harry Potter"

(3 mins 42 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Dementor Train Attack"

(3 mins 42 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Dementor Train Attack"

(3 mins 42 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"The Lit up Sea and the Wale" from 'The Life of Pi'

"The Life of Pi" (Whale)

(1 mins 43 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"The Life of Pi" (Whale)

(1 mins 43 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Metropolis"

(3 mins 32 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Metropolis"

(3 mins 32 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Monsters Inc" (Scare Floor)

(3 mins 32 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Monsters Inc"

(3 mins 32 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Star Wars"

(1 mins 44 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Star Wars"

(1 mins 44 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

"Train Arrival at La Ciotat"

(53 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Train Arrival at La Ciotat"

(53 seconds)

Early Piano Accompaniment

"Woman in Black" (Trailer")

(1 mins 31 seconds)

Silent with on-screen timer

"Woman in Black"

(1 mins 31 seconds)

Original Soundtrack

Soundtracks - The James Bond Film Music Project

How the James Bond Leitmotif and Themes are used in a Soundtrack

Soundtracks - Leitmotif Resources

Batman, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter & Star Wars Leitmotifs to Perform

14-page Study Guide exploring how the Elements of Music are used in Film Music Leitmotifs

Exploring how Leitmotifs can be varied, changed and altered using the Elements of Music

Soundtracks - Horror Film & Haunted House Soundtracks Resources

"The Ghoul" - Film Music selection task/music spotting using existing music by Wagner

5-page Study Guide exploring the soundtrack to "Psycho"

Performing "In the House - In a Heartbeat" from '28 Days Later'

Performing the Theme to "Halloween" by John Carpenter

Composing a "Haunted House" piece of Film Music Ideas Mind Map

Haunted 'Psycho' House Video 4 with on-screen timer

Haunted 'Psycho' House Video 4 with on-screen composing prompts

Haunted 'Psycho' House Video 4 with original soundtrack

Haunted House Video 1 - with on-screen timer

Haunted House Video 1 - with on-screen composing prompts

Haunted House Video 2 - with on-screen timer

Haunted House Video 2 - with on-screen composing prompts

Haunted House Video 3 - with on-screen timer

Haunted House Video 3 - with on-screen composing prompts

Soundtracks - Westerns & Cowboys and Indians Films Soundtracks Resources

4-page Study Guide on Film Music in Westerns

Differentiated Performing Sheets for "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly"

Soundtracks - Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Magical Films Soundtracks Resources

Exploring the Elements of Music in the "Capsule in Space" sequence from 'You Only Live Twice'

Exploring Film Music in "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Harry Potter"

Soundtracks - Action, Thriller and Spy Films Soundtracks Resources

Exploring the Film Music from "Mission Impossible" and "The Pink Panther"

Performing the Theme to "Mission Impossible"

Soundtracks - General Film Music Resources

Orchestral and Electronic Resources in Film Music Listening Sheet

Film Music as an aid to Narrative Listening Sheet

The First Specially Composed Film Scores & Music Spotting

Exploring Music in Cartoons and Animated Films

Film Music Composing Briefs (useful for GCSE Music Film Music composing to a brief without a video)

Soundtracks - 5 Minutes Reading Tasks and Cover and Homework Activities

6 sheets on Film Music with 'Questions to think about' (can be used as lesson openers)

Pupils answer comprehension questions and then think about how they would use instruments, sounds, sound effects and genres of music in different types of films.

Pupils think about how mood, instruments, tempo, pitch and musical features can be used in their choice of film types before creating a mini storyboard for one film and writing the lyrics to a theme song for it.

Comprehension-style activity based on Film and Background Music and Cinema Sound Systems.

Pupils match the titles of films to their soundtrack composer. Suggested answers provided. Requires Internet access for research.

Pupils answer questions relating to key words and terms in Film Music and find the answers within a word search grid. Answers provided.

Pupils complete missing words on the music used in different film genres before answering questions on Westerns and Horror soundtracks.

Another comprehension activity based on Film Music with film music genre planning.

Pupils plan a soundtrack o a Sci-Fi film scene using a Storyboard.

Pupils suggest how music could be written for different film situations.

Pupils plan a soundtrack to a Horror Film using either a 6, 7 or 9-frame Storyboard.

Soundtracks - Forms Quizzes (available via the Shop & Add-On Extras page)

Soundtracks (Exploring Film Music) unit is supported by THREE Forms Quizzes (in both MS-Forms and Google Forms formats) available as part of the Secondary/KS3 Year 9 Units Quiz Bundle from the Musical Contexts Shop & Add-On Extras page.

Each multiple choice quiz is self-marking and worth 25 points and cover Knowledge and Understanding (Part A) and have a Critical Engagement: Listening and Appraising section (Part B) with listening questions linked to YouTube videos.