How to Create a Theme Song: The Art of Sound Design

 

Whether you're a composer, musician, producer or sound designer, creating themes for movies and TV shows can be a tricky business. You have to create a song that will fit perfectly with the scene as well as tell the audience what is about to happen. Creating an original theme song can be challenging but with these tips and tricks offered by professional musician and composer Andrew Huggett, you'll find it easier than you think.

 

What is a theme song?

A theme song is a piece of music that plays before the opening credits or main titles of a TV show or movie. It's often instrumental, but some themes have lyrics.

The theme song is used to set the tone for the show and tell viewers what's about to happen. For example, if you're watching Game of Thrones, the theme song will play as snow falls during winter. This can be an important element in setting up your audience for what they are about to see.

 

The art of sound design

Creating a song that fits the tone of the film or show perfectly is difficult. In order to do so, you must first understand what the song is going to be used for. Is it going to be a full-fledged musical number? Is it going to be a calm and soothing theme song that plays at the beginning of an episode? Once you've figured out what your song will be used for, you can start planning how you'll write and create it, explains Canadian jingle master, Andrew Huggett.

A wide range of instruments are available for use in sound design: drums, piano, woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion. You also have different types of sounds like noise loops and voice samples that can help you create your sound design. With these initial tools at your disposal, often all you need is just one note to make your sound design sing!

 

How to create an original theme song

First, you should decide what genre of music you want your original theme song to be in. If the movie is a comedy, then you might want to use an upbeat and bubbly pop song. If the movie is a drama, then it would make sense to use a more somber and serious orchestral song. Next, figure out how long your theme will be: 15 seconds? 30 seconds? A minute?

Next, think about how many instruments you want to include in your theme song. This can range from one instrument all the way up to three or four. You might even want to string multiple instruments together such as a piano and drums playing simultaneously.

Finally, think about how you want your themes sounds like and what emotions you're trying to convey with it. Will it be dark and brooding or light and whimsical? Will the lyrics be sad or happy? How fast or slow should your tempo go? Andrew Huggett advises to think about these aspects of your new theme song before moving on to compose it.

 

The process of creating an original theme song

The process of creating an original theme song is actually quite simple. You just need to start with a short idea and build upon it. As long as you have an idea and some small portion of the song, you can create a full theme, states music composer Andrew Huggett. This can be done on your own or with the help of someone else who will help you put the song together.

Once you have your idea in place, you'll need to find a genre or style that will compliment it well. Once that's done, you'll find yourself writing lyrics for the music. The lyrics should tell the story of what's about to happen in the scene so that when people hear the music, they know exactly what is happening in terms of what those around them are feeling and thinking.

After your lyric ideas are all set, you'll need to find someone who knows how to sing, so that they can give it life by singing it out loud.

At this point, everything is in place but one last step: editing! Editing will make sure everything sounds perfect and there are no mistakes left for anyone listening it.

Conclusion

Your theme song will be an important part of your brand. It's a song that will be heard everywhere, so make sure it's powerful enough to stand the test of time.

Cartoon Underscoring: Creative Ways to Add Music to Your Cartoons

 

Characters are much more interesting when they're animated and brought to life with sound. This is the reason why most cartoons today use music to bring the story alive. Below, Canadian music composer Andrew Huggett, shares some creative ways you can add music to your cartoons.

 

How to Use Music in Cartoon Soundtracks

One idea is to use music that's a little bit more on the background. This can be done by using music from other sources. For example, if you're making a cartoon about a rock band, you can use a song from the band's album or even a cover of their song. If you're making a cartoon about an orchestra, you could use music from your favourite movie soundtrack or even the classic "Ode to Joy." Another way to go about this would be to make your own soundtrack! It might sound difficult at first, but it is actually quite easy and it will help with establishing a consistent visual tone for your cartoons.

If you're thinking about creating your own soundtrack, there are some things that you should consider beforehand:

- Consider what kind of mood your character needs to convey

- Consider what kind of soundtrack suits the theme

- Remember that great music doesn't have to cost much

 

The Benefits of Using Music in Your Cartoon Intro

One of the best benefits of using music in your cartoon intro is the fact that it can attract more viewers. People are drawn to things that are catchy and enjoyable. If people watch your video and like it, they will share it, which means you'll get even more views from their friends.

Another benefit is that adding music to a cartoon can increase the viewer's interest in your story. This is because when you start the video with a song playing, it will set up the pace for what's to come. In addition, Andrew Huggett explains, songs can be used as triggers in order to engage your audience's emotions at certain points during your story or sequence of events. With this, you can create an emotional connection between the viewer and character. A good example of this would be using a sad song as a trigger for sadness or heartbreak in one part of the story, whereas using a happy song as a trigger for happiness or joy in another part of the story.

Another benefit is that music can help add more depth to your characters' personalities. For example, Andrew Huggett states, if you're drawing an intro scene where your character has low self-esteem or doesn't believe in themselves, then starting off with upbeat music could help them feel better about themselves and their situation.

 

Creative Ways You Can Add Music to Your Cartoons

Using music to animate your character is a creative way to make your cartoon stand out. One idea is to have the music tell the story of your cartoon. This is a technique that can be seen in the popular show "Rick and Morty." The song used in the opening sequence tells an interesting story about how Rick got his job at the Citadel. Another idea would be to add sound effects or songs that fit your style of cartooning. If you are looking for songs, start with mood-based selections like sad, happy, and silly. If you are looking for sound effects, think about how things move in nature like wind, rain, or thunderstorms. There are so many different ways you can use music to create a unique intro!

 

Conclusion

If you are looking for creative ways to add music to your cartoon, check out Andrew Huggett’s Behance portfolio for some creative inspiration that will take your cartoons to the next level.