Type of Submission
Podium Presentation
Keywords
Film, cinema, music, leitmotifs, mood, culture, psychology, aesthetics
Abstract
Ever since the invention of cinema, film producers have always played music with movies. The addition of quality music to a well-crafted film can change the feel of the entire film. Over its one hundred and thirty years of existence, cinema has evolved into an extremely diverse art form that addresses a wide array of subjects. Given all these factors, this paper explores how film music is extremely diverse and can be used in a wide variety of ways to enhance, affect, and contribute to the way we experience a film. It explores storytelling methods as a narrative device, mood setting and psychological immersion into the narrative, allusions to extra-filmic ideas, and creating a pure aesthetic experience for the audience. Films that are discussed include Alfred Hitchcock’s "Vertigo," George Lucas’s "Star Wars," Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings," Oliver Stone’s "Platoon," Spike Lee’s "Do the Right Thing," Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight," Terrence Malick’s "Tree of Life," and more.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center, Room 245
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-11-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
4-11-2018 3:30 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Composition Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, Film Production Commons, Music Theory Commons, Other Music Commons
Film Music and the Cinematic Experience
Cedarville, OH
Ever since the invention of cinema, film producers have always played music with movies. The addition of quality music to a well-crafted film can change the feel of the entire film. Over its one hundred and thirty years of existence, cinema has evolved into an extremely diverse art form that addresses a wide array of subjects. Given all these factors, this paper explores how film music is extremely diverse and can be used in a wide variety of ways to enhance, affect, and contribute to the way we experience a film. It explores storytelling methods as a narrative device, mood setting and psychological immersion into the narrative, allusions to extra-filmic ideas, and creating a pure aesthetic experience for the audience. Films that are discussed include Alfred Hitchcock’s "Vertigo," George Lucas’s "Star Wars," Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings," Oliver Stone’s "Platoon," Spike Lee’s "Do the Right Thing," Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight," Terrence Malick’s "Tree of Life," and more.
