MODULE Assignment: MUSIC IN THE MOVIES
OVERVIEW
Film has been one of the major areas of growth for composers in the 20th and 21st centuries. In this paper, students will explore the role of music in movie-making by watching a movie with an Academy Award winning scare and analyzing the role of the music in that film.
INSTRUCTIONS
Watch a movie with an Academy Award winning score titled Academy Award Winning Scores. If you have any trouble using the downloadable resource, reference the list of Academic Award winning scores. In your paper, you will be researching the music in that film, examining the role of music in film, and drawing parallels between film music, opera, and program music from the Romantic era.
Begin your paper by providing information about the film and the music in the film. Questions to cover are: When was the film made? Who directed and produced the film? What kind of award did the score receive? Was it for Original Score, Musical Score, Score of a dramatic or comedy picture, Score of a musical picture, or some other award? Who won the award? Did they compose the score or adapt it from other sources? Provide some biographical information about the composer or adaptor of the score.
Discuss the score at some length. Is the instrumentation a traditional orchestra, or does it use other types of instruments, or groups of instruments? Does the score have separate parts that support specific scenes? How does the music function in the scene? Does it amplify emotional responses like joy or sadness? Does it create tension or suspense? Draw parallels from Romantic-era opera and program music to modern film music. Does the music in your film use any compositional devices that stem from the Romantic era? Is the score in your film particularly groundbreaking for some reason?
This paper should be at least 1000 words in length, be thoroughly spell- and grammar-checked, and contain an introduction and a conclusion. Your works cited list should include a variety of sources, and the film must be listed as a source. YouTube and Wikipedia are not appropriate sources. Do not use them in your list of sources. Listen to This is also not allowed because research implies reading beyond the textbook. Your paper and your works cited list should be in MLA format. For more information on MLA format, please consult the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide. It goes without saying that your paper should be your own work. Any text that is directly copied from other sources should be identified as a direct quote.