Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I have finished conducting an experiment on the affect of music on a movie scene and I need to complete an interview. For my experiment, I showed five eighth grade boys and five eighth grade girls two movies of me performing monologues. The monologues were similar in length and were targeted at the same emotions. One film had music that I thought went well with the scene. I had the audience members fill out surveys regarding the intensity of the targeted emotions felt in each movie scene. The results proved my hypothesis, that the movie with music elicited responses reflecting more affected audience members.

1. Here are the questions for the interview:
2. How does music affect human emotion?
3. How do movie directors or producers know what type of music will be most effective on audiences?
4. Why does music affect the way people feel?
5. How do film makers incorporate that into a movie score?
6. Do upbeat and slow music have the same affect?
7. Is it possible to get ahold of a movie scene without its music?
8. Who chooses the music to be put into a movie?
9. Which is more effective on audience members: happy or sad music?
10. Do different people (boys and girls, older and younger) react to the same music in different ways?
11. Why are minor chords "sad" and major chords "happy"?

Thank you so much for your help!
-Carly

Hi,

I don't think we have any experts in music on the forum, and we certainly don't have anyone who works in the movie industry. I would therefore suggest contacting your local public broadcasting station or someone similar for an interview instead.

Just so you know, here is Science Buddies' policy on interviews: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... =26&t=5681. Sorry I can't help more, but you probably know more than I do about the effects of background music now.