3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Film and music have always shared an intimate relationship. Classical Hollywood style dominates the American film industry, dictating the look and sound of most films. Yet filmmakers have always challenged this status quo. Through close viewings—and listenings—of film, we will pursue a more concrete understanding of how music guides our film comprehension, explore how American film music continues to develop, and evaluate how these varied approaches shape the societies in which we live. During this course, you will hone your skills as an academic writer by learning to critically evaluate and craft your own arguments about the roles of music/sound in film. Some of the films covered will include King’s Row (1942), Rebecca (1940), Touch of Evil (1958), Vertigo (1958), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Batman (1989), The Remains of the Day (1993), The Social Network (2010), It Happened on Beale Street (2018), and Midsommar (2019). Our topics of inquiry will include representations of jazz, the role of the acousmatic voice, the use of pre-existing music, auteurism, the musically-politically subversive, musical appropriation, and media convergence with digital technologies. Your work will include readings in which we interact with both current and classic scholarly literature; short writing responses that respond to our films and the issues they raise (15-300 words); a short paper focused on the close reading of a scene (800 words); and a final research project on a film music topic of your choice (3000 words). This final project may take different forms—from a recorded analytical film commentary to a more traditional academic paper. Paired with writing workshops and peer review exercises, you will develop the skills necessary to contribute to the greater academic community, write clearly and logically for your intended audience, and formulate original, persuasive arguments.