There were two favorite things from the reading for this week. One was continuing to read the biographical information that is included on the composers. The other is reading the synopses regarding the music from some of my favorite films. I really admire the work of Thomas Newman and John Williams, so it was interesting to read the little blurbs about their lives and the music they have composed. I also enjoyed reading about the story behind the music of The Godfather because Nino Rota was denied the Oscar for Best Score in 1972, but went on to win it in 1974 for The Godfather Part II. Rota's love theme from the movie is one of my favorite pieces of music from film. The author also wrote about one of my favorite scenes from the original movie which depicts the baptism of Connie's child, of which Michael is becoming godfather, and the brutal murder of several men. The music is key in this scene because it heightens the emotion of this climatic moment. It also helps to illustrate the irony of the situation because it contrasts the sacred with the sinful and made it one of the most powerful scenes in the film.
Among the movies and topics we discussed this week in class were jazz as underscore and the use of popular songs. Though I really love the use of the symphony orchestra in film, I thought it was refreshing to hear that style of music more heavily employed. My favorite examples of this trend was in A Streetcar Named Desire, where it increased the sensuality and gave a sense of setting, and Man with the Golden Arm, which added to the frenetic and tense scenes depicting drug usage and withdrawal.
I also thought about the question that you posed last week about history and why people choose to study it or not. It's somewhat hard to articulate, but I think the main reason why I love history so much is not only because it provides the people living in the present with a link or connection to the people of the past, but also because I think it's how I have chosen to explore truth. I had a conversation with a former Converse graduate a few years ago that has really stuck with me and ultimately helped me to decide what I wanted to choose for my college major. She said that whatever each of us chooses to be passionate about, whether that be biology, music or poetry, is how we prefer to explore and analyze the world around us. This idea really makes sense to me. History is my way of relating the world in which I live to the people, ideas, movements, and causes that came before. It helps me to see purpose and depth in the world. That might be a really complicated answer to a really simple question, but I think that, and the fact that I think history is just plain cool, is what is at the core of the real reason.
I must begin by saying that the western film genre is not exactly among my favorites, however, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed watching High Noon this week. Not only did the story line grab my interest, but I also felt that the music was a crucial element in the movie. Tiomkin's use of the recurrent musical theme introduced in the beginning by Tex Ritter's 'Do Not Forsake Me' was a really clever and unique way of tying the movie together-- even if it did signal the sad end of the beloved Studio Era. I loved To Kill A Mockingbird! Although I had seen it before, it seemed different now that I knew to focus my attention on the film score. I definitely noticed elements of Aaron Copland's Americana style, which made sense when I read that Elmer Bernstein was greatly inspired by his work. I think it was the perfect complement to the moving story. Although American Graffiti was released in the 1970s, I thought Lucas and Coppola did an excellent job of selecting music that recreated the vibe of the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was also a lot of fun to sing along with the songs while watching the work of what are virtually baby versions of some of today's most famous and respected actors/directors.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Week 2
The subject that grabbed my interest the most from the reading for this week was that of the studio system. I enjoyed learning about how each of the different studios were renowned for specific types of movies. Furthermore, I also liked learning how the composer for a studio oftentimes established a distinct music style for a studio. For example, Alfred Newman's creation of the 'Fox String Sound' when he was the musical director for 20th Century Fox. I am sure that his perfectionism and technicality contributed to the studio's reputation for movies with great technical polish.
Although the topic of mickey mousing was addressed in the book as well as in class discussion, I enjoyed noticing it in several of the movies that I watched this week. The Silly Symphonies cartoons were really entertaining and were perfect examples of the use of mickey mousing to reflect the actions. The most notable examples in the cartoons were in dancing skeletons cartoon and the musical harmony between jazz and classical cartoon. I also picked up on mickey mousing of action in Help! starring the Beatles when I visited that class this week. Because of the use of physical comedy in this screwball comedy, mickey mousing assisted in adding humor to the film by highlighting comedic action.
From the class discussion, I enjoyed learning about the effort it takes to synchronize all of the sounds present in a motion picture. The dialogue of the actors, the action sounds and the music to accompany the scene must all be taken into account when compiling and combining the sounds in a film. This balance can make or break a movie. Learning more about these aspects of film make me appreciate so much more the technicians who are oftentimes not remembered. I was further aware of the difficulty of the science behind motion pictures during the documentary that discussed the introduction of color. I'm noticing more and more that movies are an important blend of art and science. The two sides must work harmoniously with one another to have an end result that will be memorable and enjoyable for the audience.
I thoroughly enjoyed each of the movies from this week. Besides seeing my own life story adapted for the film, I thought that King Kong stood out for various other reasons. The distinct leitmotifs of King Kong and Ann Darrow that Max Steiner used to contrast the mighty and menacing character of the giant ape with his delicate love interest and damsel in distress added interesting texture to the music. When the two motives combined, it was beautiful because it helped to emphasize the convergence of these two diverse worlds. One of my favorite aspects of the film was when the subway train was racing toward King Kong as he thrashes New York City because the music mimics the sounds of a real train with dissonant strings for the wheels on the track and brass for the horn. The most obvious use of the mickey mousing technique was in the scene in which the indigenous tribe tries to escape the fury of King Kong. I felt that the film music not only reflected and emphasized the action of people jumping out of their huts and running to safety, but it also gave the natives a voice since the viewers could not understand their language.
One of the other phenomenal movies watched this week was The Adventures of Robin Hood starring the incredible Errol Flynn. As with King Kong, mickey mousing was prevalent and heavily employed in this film especially during the action or fight scenes. Additionally, I was impressed by the idea mentioned in the documentary that stated that Korngold used the key of the actor's voice for the music he composed to accompany a scene with that actor. That technique brought an interesting depth to the score of the film to highlight dialogue during conversational scenes to contrast the more energetic music in the action scenes.
My favorite movie of the week was The Best Years of Our Lives. I really loved this film for several reasons. Not only were the characters multidimensional, but the subject matter was unique and complex because it encompassed the issues being faced by three friends in different stages of their lives with the common link of military service. The film portrayed the problems of the protagonists realistically and honestly, which added to its emotion and relevance. Moreover, the film music was unique because of the Americana style that Friedhofer used to score the film.
Although the topic of mickey mousing was addressed in the book as well as in class discussion, I enjoyed noticing it in several of the movies that I watched this week. The Silly Symphonies cartoons were really entertaining and were perfect examples of the use of mickey mousing to reflect the actions. The most notable examples in the cartoons were in dancing skeletons cartoon and the musical harmony between jazz and classical cartoon. I also picked up on mickey mousing of action in Help! starring the Beatles when I visited that class this week. Because of the use of physical comedy in this screwball comedy, mickey mousing assisted in adding humor to the film by highlighting comedic action.
From the class discussion, I enjoyed learning about the effort it takes to synchronize all of the sounds present in a motion picture. The dialogue of the actors, the action sounds and the music to accompany the scene must all be taken into account when compiling and combining the sounds in a film. This balance can make or break a movie. Learning more about these aspects of film make me appreciate so much more the technicians who are oftentimes not remembered. I was further aware of the difficulty of the science behind motion pictures during the documentary that discussed the introduction of color. I'm noticing more and more that movies are an important blend of art and science. The two sides must work harmoniously with one another to have an end result that will be memorable and enjoyable for the audience.
I thoroughly enjoyed each of the movies from this week. Besides seeing my own life story adapted for the film, I thought that King Kong stood out for various other reasons. The distinct leitmotifs of King Kong and Ann Darrow that Max Steiner used to contrast the mighty and menacing character of the giant ape with his delicate love interest and damsel in distress added interesting texture to the music. When the two motives combined, it was beautiful because it helped to emphasize the convergence of these two diverse worlds. One of my favorite aspects of the film was when the subway train was racing toward King Kong as he thrashes New York City because the music mimics the sounds of a real train with dissonant strings for the wheels on the track and brass for the horn. The most obvious use of the mickey mousing technique was in the scene in which the indigenous tribe tries to escape the fury of King Kong. I felt that the film music not only reflected and emphasized the action of people jumping out of their huts and running to safety, but it also gave the natives a voice since the viewers could not understand their language.
One of the other phenomenal movies watched this week was The Adventures of Robin Hood starring the incredible Errol Flynn. As with King Kong, mickey mousing was prevalent and heavily employed in this film especially during the action or fight scenes. Additionally, I was impressed by the idea mentioned in the documentary that stated that Korngold used the key of the actor's voice for the music he composed to accompany a scene with that actor. That technique brought an interesting depth to the score of the film to highlight dialogue during conversational scenes to contrast the more energetic music in the action scenes.
My favorite movie of the week was The Best Years of Our Lives. I really loved this film for several reasons. Not only were the characters multidimensional, but the subject matter was unique and complex because it encompassed the issues being faced by three friends in different stages of their lives with the common link of military service. The film portrayed the problems of the protagonists realistically and honestly, which added to its emotion and relevance. Moreover, the film music was unique because of the Americana style that Friedhofer used to score the film.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Week 1
One of the most fascinating aspects of the reading for this week was mentioned when discussing the shift from silent film to film that included sound, the first of which was The Jazz Singer. The introduction and utilization of sound in pictures was thought of by many as taking away from the “dreamlike” nature of a film. As the author further explains, sound made films less open to interpretation. I found these statements particularly fascinating because I feel that they are extremely indicative of the early twentieth century/modern era. All forms of art, including literature, painting and music experienced a distinct shift in style and approach. The images and elements employed in Siegfried are a perfect example of the abstraction of silent films. By using a more abstract or surreal approach, more emphasis was placed upon the value and importance of personal interpretation in art above all else. As well as having a significant impact on the film music industry, I suppose I never realized the extent to which the addition of sound had on changing the entire film industry. As we witnessed in our viewing of Singing in the Rain, this change unnerved many who believed pictures with sound to be a less legitimate form of art (a theme illustrated in much of the movie, but specifically addressed in the scene in which the party-goers are shown an example of a talking picture). It was interesting to learn that what I had always considered a major and definite advancement was not viewed as such by all.
Though it somewhat embarrasses me to admit because I'm sure its something that other people have probably understood early on, the class discussion that had the most impact on me was learning about the significance of the Major and Minor chords in evoking the emotions of happiness and sadness. Learning about how the use of consonance and dissonance can appeal to the mind and the senses by invoking pleasure or discomfort was also interesting. Discovering the presence of these features in music made clearer so many things I had previously only subconsciously understood. Furthermore, I am impressed by the ability of a film composer to have such a firm grasp of ways in which to manipulate emotions as well as aid the viewer in experiencing a specific feeling. With that discussion, I feel that I better understood the psychology and physiology of music-- or at least the methods used to connect the viewer to the film music.
In keeping with the previous theme, I think that the two movies that played with my emotions the most were Jaws and Carrie. In the scene we watched in Jaws, the shark was not even shown but the music was completely successful in indicating his ominous presence and conveying fear. Though relying more on the dark tone and rapidly quickening tempo of the music accompanying the scene rather than the actual image of the predator, the viewer still feels fear and will continue to associate the shark's leitmotif with this emotion. In Carrie, the film score became most terrifying for me when the melodic music used during Carrie's acceptance of her crown and title as Prom Queen stops abruptly and changes to silence followed by a compulsive repetition of Carrie's thoughts and feelings of embarrassment. The screeching and dissonant sounds intensify as Carrie widens her eyes to pinpoint her target and continues her rampage of destruction and murder. Fear and dread are not only implied by the images of suffering both in the foreground and background, but also increased by the film score.
I know that I've far exceeded the word limit (oops), but I did want to mention that my two favorite movies of the week were The Jazz Singer and Singing in the Rain. The musical aspects that I liked most about the The Jazz Singer were the portions of audible singing and the nostalgic pieces used when the protagonist either wrote or visited home. Moreover, I was really impressed by the subject matter of a young man facing a choice between family/responsibility and his own dreams because I thought was somewhat unexpected and unique, but could resonate with audiences then and today. Singing in the Rain was fantastic and wonderful because of the physicality and energy of the musical numbers and historical aspects addressing the technological and historical revolution of talking pictures.
Though it somewhat embarrasses me to admit because I'm sure its something that other people have probably understood early on, the class discussion that had the most impact on me was learning about the significance of the Major and Minor chords in evoking the emotions of happiness and sadness. Learning about how the use of consonance and dissonance can appeal to the mind and the senses by invoking pleasure or discomfort was also interesting. Discovering the presence of these features in music made clearer so many things I had previously only subconsciously understood. Furthermore, I am impressed by the ability of a film composer to have such a firm grasp of ways in which to manipulate emotions as well as aid the viewer in experiencing a specific feeling. With that discussion, I feel that I better understood the psychology and physiology of music-- or at least the methods used to connect the viewer to the film music.
In keeping with the previous theme, I think that the two movies that played with my emotions the most were Jaws and Carrie. In the scene we watched in Jaws, the shark was not even shown but the music was completely successful in indicating his ominous presence and conveying fear. Though relying more on the dark tone and rapidly quickening tempo of the music accompanying the scene rather than the actual image of the predator, the viewer still feels fear and will continue to associate the shark's leitmotif with this emotion. In Carrie, the film score became most terrifying for me when the melodic music used during Carrie's acceptance of her crown and title as Prom Queen stops abruptly and changes to silence followed by a compulsive repetition of Carrie's thoughts and feelings of embarrassment. The screeching and dissonant sounds intensify as Carrie widens her eyes to pinpoint her target and continues her rampage of destruction and murder. Fear and dread are not only implied by the images of suffering both in the foreground and background, but also increased by the film score.
I know that I've far exceeded the word limit (oops), but I did want to mention that my two favorite movies of the week were The Jazz Singer and Singing in the Rain. The musical aspects that I liked most about the The Jazz Singer were the portions of audible singing and the nostalgic pieces used when the protagonist either wrote or visited home. Moreover, I was really impressed by the subject matter of a young man facing a choice between family/responsibility and his own dreams because I thought was somewhat unexpected and unique, but could resonate with audiences then and today. Singing in the Rain was fantastic and wonderful because of the physicality and energy of the musical numbers and historical aspects addressing the technological and historical revolution of talking pictures.
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