Music For Fairy Tale Animation

From Folktales to Film: The Unseen Art of Scoring Fairytale Animation

For thousands of years, storytellers have captivated souls by narrating legends, fables, and myths. Children, with their highly creative minds, have always immersed themselves in these tales with incredible intensity. With the advent of film, the role of the storyteller has been transformed into a collaborative, audiovisual art form where many artists work together to bring new productions to life.

A film without music or sound would lack a soul. The true power of music in a motion picture is to enhance—and even multiply—the emotions the audience experiences. In animation, this effect is crucial. When it comes to composing music for a fairytale, it’s not enough to focus on the goal of composition; you must first understand the context.

The context is the very essence of the fairytale itself. Folktales have existed since the dawn of humanity, collected by our ancestors and studied by scholars who recognize them as an art form with a vital function in society. The music must reflect this. A score for "Alibaba and the Forty Thieves" would be vastly different from one for "Cinderella" or "The Grateful Dead Man". Understanding the tale’s roots allows a composer to select the right sounds and melodies to multiply the audience's emotions and deepen their connection to the story.

To truly understand a fairytale’s context, you must delve into its origins. By reading these stories, we often find common patterns: humble heroes who defeat adversaries, ascend to kingdoms, and marry princesses. Other times, the structure is more episodic, a simple succession of events, as seen in tales of mythical creatures like fairies, ogres, ghosts, or spirits. The environment is also key, as the combination of real and fantastical settings influences the story's psychological unity. The prominent role of animals in many popular tales, for instance, reflects the beliefs and geography of a specific culture.

From a modern neuroscience perspective, our brains are shaped by environmental, cultural, and contextual factors. This biological approach reveals the plasticity of our minds, especially at a young age. If a group of people grows up with the same traditional lore, their psychological view of the world will be similar, and so will the development of their folktales. Therefore, composing music requires a deep understanding of a tale’s cultural inheritance. This process is similar to brand creation, where a conceptual map begins with a central idea. In both cases, the freedom to add new elements should never be restricted; a balance must be found to enrich the composition without losing its core essence.

Now, give it a listen! Enjoy the vibes of new fairytale music animation at Pond5.