Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Explain important theoretical concepts related to music and the moving image;
Apply these approaches to specific examples, in order to develop their own analyses of music in film, television and video games;
Critically evaluate major theoretical ideas related to music and the moving image;
Describe different music and the moving image practices and aesthetics in relation to modes of media production and aspects of broader culture;
Discuss key aesthetic trends, practices and examples of media music from different periods, ranging from early sound film to the present day, including original scores as well as compilation scores.
Having completed the course, students will also have improved their skills in reading analytical texts, appraising scholarly views, offering synthetic readings of scholarly disagreements, conducting academic research, and communicating their findings to others (both in the form of essays and presentations).
Indicative Module Content:
Week 1: Key questions in studying media music
Week 2: Scoring production process
Week 3: Narrative theory, style topics, and musical affect
Week 4: Silent film music
Week 5: Classic Hollywood and the studio era
Week 6: Sound Design
Week 7: European avant garde
Week 8: Reading week and preparation for group work
Week 9: Pre-existing music in media
Week 10: Presentations - sharing research
Week 11: Television music in a changing media landscape
Week 12: Sound design for video games - interactivity