Analysis of music in an opening of a fantasy

We looked at the opening sequence of Narnia as it a fantasy film. From the very beginning there is a dramatic, upbeat element to the music and immediately draws the attention of the audience. This instantly sets the energetic motion of the scene. It also represents the characters by displaying their feelings by showing their fear. As the action starts to fade down, so does the music which gives and indication of what is going to happen next, as well as allowing the audience to hear the dialogue more easily.

The non-diegetic sound is very action-themed but includes a fantasy element which has added in to relate to the genre of the film. As the film is aimed at a child audience the music used is helping the audience understand and identify with the emotion and feeling that will assist them into understanding more. The music is used very straightforwardly as the movements of the camera shots and the characters cooperates with the sound.

Additionally, there is a lot of use of diegetic sound to emphasise the motions of the action that is happening. It has a slight exaggeration to build tension and intensify the opening scene. Overall, the vivid use of music brings the opening scene together to engage and interest the audience, allowing them to understand the dramatic and upbeat beginning that will set the scene for the remainder of the film.