Music Analysis: Film Score

A film score (also sometimes called background score, background music, movie soundtrack, film music or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. [source]

In 1949, Aaron Copland outlined five categories of film music function:

1. Creating atmosphere.
2. Highlighting the psychological states of the characters.
3. Providing a neutral background filler.
4. Building a sense of continuity.
5. Sustaining tension and then rounding it off with a sense of closure.

In animation and film, "Mickey Mousing" (synchronized, mirrored, or parallel scoring) is a film technique that syncs the accompanying music with the actions on screen. [source]

A leitmotif is a recurring musical idea (a melody, chord sequence, rhythm or a combination of these) which is associated with a particular idea, character or place. For example; whenever Darth Vader appears in Star Wars the same tune is played.