Harry Potter: How Music Enhances the Magic

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Explore how John Williams' iconic score for Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone effectively reinforced and enhanced the overall story.
Patreon - / entertaintheelk
Instagram - @EntertainTheElk
Twitter - @EntertainTheElk
Website - www.entertaintheelk.com
MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO:
"Black Heat" by Ross Bugden - Music is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Link: www.youtube.co....
"Oxygen Garden" by Chris Zabriskie
Commons Attribution licence
(creativecommon...)
Link: • Video

[@EntertainTheElk]

Here's my ranking of all Harry Potter films from favorite to least favorite-- 1. Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 2. Goblet of Fire 3. Prisoner of Azkaban 4. Order of the Phoenix 5. Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 6. Sorcerer's Stone 7. Half-Blood Prince 8. Chamber of Secrets TELL ME YOUR RANKINGS!

[@lbdproductions1596]

1.Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 2. Sorcerer's Stone 3. Prisoner of Azkaban 4. Chamber of Secrets 5. Goblet of Fire 6. Half-Blood Prince 7. Order of the Phoenix (extra) - Fantastic Beasts 1 8. Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (extra) - Fantastic Beasts 2

[@rumozamonia6645]

Deathly Hallows pt. 1 is surely the worst movie of the saga. I consider the first one a great film, second, third and fourth are good movies and the others are just accetable

[@italex9093]

1. Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 2. Prisoner of Azkaban 3. Order of the Phoenix 4. Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 5. PHILOSOPHER'S Stone 6. Half-Blood Prince 7. Chamber of Secrets 8. Goblet of Fire (DH Pt.1 is an underrated gem imo)

[@germanikolaas]

It's funny because my list is the exact opposite of your list. Deathly Hallows would be last and Chamber of Secrets would be first. I don't really like the older ones they lose the sense of adventure they become more serious and dark and they're not the adventurous fun magical ones in the beginning.

[@Zeus.thunder]

1. Half blood prince 2.dh1 3.sorcerer's stone 4.dh2 5.GoF 6.CoS 7. PoA 8. OoP

[@theresastarmanwaitinginthe5149]

That's a funny way of spelling the Philosopher's Stone.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Haha. I'm going to get so many Philosopher's Stone comments. Us Americans ruin everything... :)

[@JigglyJuice-sl4mx]

There's a starman waiting in the sky thats a funny way to show you’re inferior

[@JigglyJuice-sl4mx]

@InspireHope I don't think thats how it works

[@bito2041]

Williams is bloody iconic; his music adds so much to every film he composes for.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Damn straight!

[@MegaTheBard]

I could watch a series of this for every HP film

[@EntertainTheElk]

I would love making that. :)

[@lbdproductions1596]

John Williams formed my childhood. Not only with Harry Potter but also with Home Alone. I love his music.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Absolutely. It's funny how similar his score to HP and Home Alone is. Maybe its the Chris Columbus/John Williams collab.

[@CappnRob]

While I always felt the movies were lackluster as far as actual adaptations go, I will always ALWAYS have a fondness for the Williams music in the first film for just so perfectly capturing the WHIMSY and mystique of the magical setting.

[@EntertainTheElk]

The music is definitely a highlight of the entire franchise.

[@AntonioRandolfi]

This video + "Harry Potter: What Magic Sounds Like" by Nerdwriter1 = magic

[@EntertainTheElk]

Nerdwriter is so damn good. So glad I could be a part of that union. :)

[@Namyii_]

I'm sure you heard this a hundred times before but I really like the sound of your voice, it's very clear, calm and soothing 👌

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you! I'm actually working on launching a side channel that focuses on me reading in order to help people fall asleep or meditate. Kind of like bedtime stories. You're the first to hear this. :)

[@DreistStudios]

Williams is the GOAT (in composer world terms)!!!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Absolutely.

[@MrOAKIL246]

Cool video! Hans Zimmer is another goat!

[@mar-wr4io]

John Williams is a god

[@EntertainTheElk]

Amen!

[@lampcrow5453]

There is a really good 3-part video called "Harry Potter: How NOT to Compose for a Series" about how the series would have been a lot better if it had a consistent series of identifiable leitmotifs and themes like Star Wars and LOTR did instead of changing it up every movie after Chamber of Secrets. I really recommend it, it goes into a lot of detail.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Oh that's interesting. I wonder if that's because Williams left after Azkaban and so other composers didn't want to just follow in his footsteps. Interesting thought.

[@lampcrow5453]

Not sure about the others, but the video says that Deathly Hallows is especially guilty of just throwing in cliche early-2010s war drums/heavy strings instead of invoking leitmotifs since there aren't any. The biggest example of what could have been, it points out, is at the very end when the Trio are seeing off their kids and the ending theme from Sorceror's Stone plays. Take that, it points out, and apply it to so many other places. Imagine, for example, if there were a consistent Snape or Neville theme through all of the movies, and have a sad and triumphant rendition of them play as Snape slowly dies and when Neville finds the sword and kills Nagini, respectively.

[@tharunkumar6879]

I looked it up and couldn't find it. Could you help me please?

[@KOLBYreal]

Literally every video u make is good once again. The most consistent KZbind i know that drops great videos in a row over and over

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks Kolby! I appreciate the kind words.

[@Kolajer]

For me, the films as a whole all but failed to do the books any justice, however, that score all by itself is truer to the special HP feel and atmosphere than any other piece of spinoff media. An utter marvel. Thank you for this dive back into the magic

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it. :)

[@TylerJMacDonald]

Just listened to the podcast "the soundtrack show" about this movie. Good stuff too

[@EntertainTheElk]

Oh cool. I need to check that out.

[@dickcheesemcgee6978]

Halloween 1978 has probably one of my favorite if not my all time favorite soundtracks

[@EntertainTheElk]

Fantastic score. Carpenter can rock the synth.

[@brightblackgrouse6236]

movie scores are so unappreciated

[@EntertainTheElk]

Completely agree.

[@brightblackgrouse6236]

@@EntertainTheElk epic win for me then

[@gamedude96]

Sorry I must of misheard you, it's the philosophers stone

[@saltedpeanut1847]

It's a nice coincidence as I watched this film today. Great video!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Great timing!!

[@peanutismint]

Nice vid! I've never been into Harry Potter but I absolutely love the score and went to see John Williams and the LSO a few months back (video on my channel) and hearing a few tracks from the movie was, no pun, spellbinding.

[@EntertainTheElk]

That's awesome! I would love to see John Williams live before he dies. He's getting up there in age!

[@Donutkillerpro]

Finished reading the books today, and I also watched this movie yesterday! What an amazing timing. Also I didnt know John Williams composed but it doesnt surprise me

[@EntertainTheElk]

Great timing! Hope you liked the books, the movies, and maybe my video too! :)

[@Donutkillerpro]

@@EntertainTheElk I loved the books, the films are great but they miss a lot of details. Although I think I will like the later films more since I liked those books better as well. And I love your videos! Especially on movies or series I have actually seen (which arent a lot)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks!!

[@DNARuler]

Did this make anyone else want to go back and watch the movies?

[@EntertainTheElk]

:) I hope so!

[@DNARuler]

Entertain The Elk what gives you your ideas for your videos? They are all so good

[@payne2682]

I’m doing it rn

[@agirlnamedbrett.]

as a kid I loved movie soundtracks I had space jam, toy story and Batman forever just to name a few. Harry Potter was one of my first teen movie scores I bought. lol back then I had no idea how truly iconic it would become. all I knew was I loved it, I'm not suprised everyone else did too lol.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Man, you just listed my childhood too. Sounds like a fellow 90's kid. :)

[@phineasfilms]

If you liked this, watch the channel Sideways. He talks about all kind of musical concepts and in different contexts, including movies. He talks a lot about these leitmotifs and how they can connect with and affect an audience. It's a really interesting and entertaining channel and I really recommend it.

[@johnmillholland6550]

So disappointing what they did with the rest of the Harry Potter films music. They stopped using leitmotifs and underutilized the music generally. The music adds so much to this film it’s just incredible.

[@wavedash-]

Great video. I'm just now realizing how underrepresented soundtracks are in film KZbin (outside of Marvel criticism I guess)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Totally. They're not as flashy as visuals. Plus, they're harder to visually represent. It's harder to visualize a conversation about music than framing and colors.

[@EntertainTheElk]

By the way, I saw that you just became a patron. THANK YOU SO MUCH! That's really kind of you. Thanks for the support.

[@mechajay3358]

Pretty off the Theme song that is the most iconic of the series has the name of character we've rarely seen.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yeah totally. You'd expect it to be called "Harry's Theme" or something.

[@queencancerous5332]

John Williams is my favorite film composer of all time for a reason.

[@Soundole]

I appreciated your conclusions about the big-picture function of music in this film - I think you're spot on to what Williams was going for. One little thing to clarify\correct though: the bassoon's lowest note is definitely within the range of human hearing. With a low A extension, it's the same pitch as the lowest note on a piano - about 27Hz. Edge of our hearing range, for sure, though. It's also not a particularly obscure instrument; the contrabassoon became a staple of the late romantic-era orchestra, and is very commonly employed in full film-score orchestras, even if it's not put front and center. This doesn't detract from your thesis, though; I always enjoy your videos :)

[@carlosalfageme4285]

SO GOOD.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@timy9197]

This could easily be retitled why John Williams is great (which he is). I love film music. There aren't enough film analysis on film scores.

[@EntertainTheElk]

That is a good title!

[@otisw.8687]

Now all I want to do is watch HP all day. Controversial new video idea: HP&SS added to the Christmas movie cannon?

[@EntertainTheElk]

Kate likes to lump SS into Christmas movies, but I call BS. Christmas takes place for all of 10 minutes in this 2.5 hour movie. But I do love those 10 minutes. :)

[@bikko3089]

RIP Hedwig

[@EntertainTheElk]

:(

[@apanda1122]

Hey man, I've linked your channel to a reddit post asking for good KZbin channels. I just found this and I wanted more people to come here and see these videos. Good luck

[@EntertainTheElk]

Awesome! Thanks so much man. I'm glad you liked the video. :)

[@horizon92lee]

Great vid, love the series

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks so much!! :)

[@ImaginaryMdA]

I have chills all over my body, and I'm crying. O.O

[@EntertainTheElk]

Haha. Such a great reaction!

[@spenser9908]

Great vid.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Bill-Groundhog Day, Ghost-Bustin' Ass-Murray. Thanks!

[@debondtboris]

Love your videos! Keep up the good work ;)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you! I will. :)

[@nikulmmadhu6566]

Do more film score essays plz

[@EntertainTheElk]

You got it! Check out my Interstellar video if you haven't already. I talk about Hans Zimmer's score.

[@nikulmmadhu6566]

@@EntertainTheElk i already watched that one,well that's the real reason i subscribed to u in the first place

[@EntertainTheElk]

Awesome!

[@VenusinCalico]

Please make more stuff about the Harry Potter universe. :D

[@EntertainTheElk]

Gladly! I love talking Harry Potter.

[@zachsmith3]

That ending of Stone gives me chills

[@EntertainTheElk]

Agreed!

[@niclachs]

Another great video really enjoying your work :)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thanks so much!!

[@bendu8282]

Yeah baby!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@Coswagrigus]

Harry Potter is like dipping your toe in the world of fantasy, and stopping there

[@EntertainTheElk]

What do you mean "stopping there"?

[@somerandomguy2073]

Magic realism.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Ah. Well that's a shame.

[@adamgrunther1367]

Can you make The Day The Flash Died?

[@EntertainTheElk]

That's a great idea! I'll add it to the ever-growing list.

[@TheAtoZReviewBlog]

OK, I'll re-watch the Harry Potter series tonight. Just leave me alone now!

[@EntertainTheElk]

I'll never leave you alone, Luis! :)

[@mergieismoronic]

+Beyond the Frame Read the books! They are amazing!

[@TheAtoZReviewBlog]

@@mergieismoronic Wait, there are books??

[@KOLBYreal]

Btw nice beard

[@EntertainTheElk]

:)

[@rounakmahato67866]

how have you avoided copyright claim?

[@EntertainTheElk]

It's magic!

[@Coswagrigus]

Hi there

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hey!

[@kathlynp.6697]

This is Sideways territory... But I still love you :)

[@EntertainTheElk]

Sideways territory? Like the movie? Explain!

[@kathlynp.6697]

@@EntertainTheElk Sideways is a music analysis channel on KZbin! He goes in depth with analyzing musical components and how it can be used to improve the story in films, games, etc. He has a video specific to leitmotifs and a follow-up video about how he was inspired to use music as a way to tell a story in video games.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Oh cool! I need to check that out.

[@jones2455]

Steven king pllleeeeesssseeee

[@EntertainTheElk]

He's definitely on the list! It's just a long list. Ha

[@jones2455]

Entertain The Elk cmon please

[@EntertainTheElk]

What specifically would you like to see? A close read of one of his works? That's really the easiest thing I could do. If I have to examine his entire career's work that would take years. Is there a specific book you'd like examined?

[@jones2455]

Entertain The Elk do what makes Steven king scaries or maby make the thriller and scare of Steven king

[@EntertainTheElk]

I like it. Be patient with me but I'll get to Stephen King at some point. :)

[@denysshkabriy421]

#FromFD

[@entewente]

Why are all video essayists on youtube misspelling "Leitmotiv"?

[@EntertainTheElk]

Google it.

[@potatosupreme4213]

PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. FFS, IT'S PHILOSOPER'S STONE.

[@EntertainTheElk]

That's not what it says on my book and bluray...

[@thanos-themadtitan6277]

@@EntertainTheElk Lol, on my book and dvd is "La pietra filosofale". @Potato Supreme Every nation has its title, boy!

[@haldir108]

But mister ETE, I've already watched all of "Sideways" and his videoes. I already know this. Actually, i think you might be mis-using the term "leitmotif" a bit.

[@EntertainTheElk]

2nd time I've heard of Sideways. I need to check out their stuff.

[@mcanning1087]

Is this your video about the day that the Hedwig died?

[@EntertainTheElk]

Haha. Never!!

[@hemorrhaginghamster]

Hey, don't wanna sound like a douchebag, since I'm not a patron or anything, but what's up with the South Park video? I'm biting my nails here :D

[@EntertainTheElk]

Haha. 2019. Get ready!

[@jones2455]

First

[@EntertainTheElk]

:)

[@kamikazilucas]

the music is annoying to me, almost as annoying as the movies