Music in Film

Music in Film examines the central role music and sound play, both as narrative and expressive elements, in film. One of the core outcomes of this course is for students to engage in more analytical and intentional viewing and hearing of the films they watch. We focus mainly on commercial cinema since the 1960s, with a brief history of film and sound to lay the groundwork.

We will delve into the theoretical frameworks- both film music theory, and film theory- of sound and music in film, then apply that to the films and scenes we watch in class. This course will also provide a basic overview of musical analysis, to support students’ analysis of music and sound in film.

Viewing includes shorter scenes for each class meeting; optional weekend movies to view; and we will screen 3 full films in the Fairhaven studio.

For the final project in this course, students will re-score 2-3 scenes from commercial films. (No experience is required with composing or film editing!)