38 | P a g e The placement of pop songs in film as promotion: The PRINCE of Egypt—a mini-case study

From humble origins as a masking sound for the clicking and clacking of early film projectors to epic masterpieces by masterful artists such as John Williams and James Horner, the use of music in film has evolved over time. This paper briefly examines the impact of the consolidation of entertainment companies into massive media giants covering film, television, video games and record labels on the use of music in film. As these media conglomerates seek to create synergy between their various divisions there is an ever-increasing potential for the aesthetic use of music in the creation of an aural atmosphere within which film makers tell their story to be compromised by the intentional introduction of songs for the purpose of increasing exposure and licensing income for priority artists. The paper includes an examination of the use of pop music in the marketing of the DreamWorks film PRINCE of Egyptas an illustrating case based on the author’s personal experience as the General Manager of a record label involved in the process