A Methodology for Contemporary Film Score Composers: a Portfolio of Compositions (Disposed As a Film Score) and Exegesis
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Collective Conceptualization – A Methodology for Contemporary Film Score Composers: A portfolio of compositions (disposed as a film score) and exegesis Martyn Love Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Elder Conservatorium of Music Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Adelaide September 2013 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................iv DECLARATION..................................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................vii 1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 1. 1 OUTPUTS ................................................................................................................2 1. 2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...........................................................................................3 1. 3 PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.............................................................................3 1. 4 WHY MÉNILMONTANT? ..........................................................................................4 1. 5 COLLECTIVE CONCEPTUALIZATION .........................................................................4 1. 6 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS........................................................................................9 2 SILENT FILM RE-SCORING PRECEDENTS ........................................................... 13 2. 1 DEFINITION .......................................................................................................... 13 2. 2 BACKGROUND....................................................................................................... 13 2. 3 CARL DAVIS .......................................................................................................... 14 2. 4 RICHARD EINHORN’S VOICES OF LIGHT – THE RESCORING OF CARL THEODOR DREYER’S LA PASSION DE JEANNE D’ ARC (1928) ........................................................... 19 3 SIGNIFICANT SILENT FILM SCORES.....................................................................26 3. 1 DEFINITION ..........................................................................................................26 3. 2 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................26 3. 3 L’ASSASSINAT DU DUC DE GUISE (1908)...............................................................28 3. 4 BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) .................................................................................. 30 3. 5 ENTR’ACTE (1924) ................................................................................................32 4 SIGNIFICANT FILMS SCORED WITH REAL-TIME MODELS ..............................36 4. 1 DEFINITION ..........................................................................................................36 4. 2 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................36 4. 3 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................38 4. 4 KING KONG (1933) ...............................................................................................39 4. 5 CITIZEN KANE (1941)...........................................................................................42 4. 6 THE PLANET OF THE APES (1968).........................................................................48 5 SIGNIFICANT FILMS SCORED WITH HYBRID/VIRTUAL MODELS...................54 5. 1 DEFINITION ..........................................................................................................54 ii 5. 2 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................54 5. 3 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................56 5. 4 HANS ZIMMER – SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009).......................................................56 5. 5 THOMAS NEWMAN – SKYFALL (2012)...................................................................62 6 DISCUSSION OF THE SCORE FOR MÉNILMONTANT ......................................... 71 6. 1 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................... 71 6.1.1 The Real Instruments ...................................................................................73 6.1.2 The Musicians...............................................................................................75 6.1.3 The Virtual Instruments ..............................................................................76 6.1.4 Sample Based Orchestral Simulation (SBOS) ............................................79 6.1.4.1 Technical Considerations ................................................................................................. 79 6. 2 INSTRUMENTAL SUMMARY ...................................................................................82 6.2.1 The Sequencer – Logic Pro ....................................................................... 83 6. 3 THE COLLECTIVE CONCEPTUALIZATION PROCESS USED ON MÉNILMONTANT........85 6. 4 THE AESTHETIC APPROACH IN THE SCORE FOR MÉNILMONTANT..........................87 6.4.1 The Synopsis.................................................................................................87 6.4.2 Cues 1 and 18 – The Opening & Closing Waltzes .......................................92 6.4.3 Cue 8 – He’s a Man......................................................................................96 6.4.4 Cue 14 – Cold Desperation ......................................................................... 98 6. 5 SUMMARY OF THE AESTHETIC APPROACH.............................................................99 6. 6 TECHNICAL ISSUES .............................................................................................100 6. 7 PRECIS................................................................................................................ 101 7 REFLECTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................103 7. 1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................................................................103 7. 2 PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.......................................................................... 111 7. 3 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................113 8 APPENDICES........................................................................................................... 114 8. 1 APPENDIX A – SCORE ..........................................................................................114 8. 2 APPENDIX B – MÉNILMONTANT – THE FILM (DVD) AND DIGITAL VERSION OF THE EXEGESIS AND SCORE (CD) ......................................................................... 228 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 229 iii ABSTRACT This study documents the intellectual process called Collective Conceptualization. The process constitutes an organization of operations that facilitate applied theory and is a holistic framework that interlinks the many creative procedures involved in screen composition and production. It can be thought of as the physical, theoretical and spiritual embodiment of the sum total of knowledge of the art of film score composition. The research shows that the Collective Conceptualization process is, in itself, a coherent compositional methodology (for real-time/virtual or hybrid composers) because it provides a simplified framework within which the composer can work. This portfolio comprises an original film score for the 1926 French avant-garde silent film Ménilmontant. The score features music for acoustic and virtual instruments, deployed in settings ranging from small ensemble to orchestra. The film score integrates methodologies and applications that demonstrate the range of real-time or conceptual/hybrid approaches studied, and documents the changing nature of the workspace used by contemporary film score composers. The dissertation comprises a film score and an exegesis that provides the rational grounding for the approach taken. iv DECLARATION I certify that this work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in my name, in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. In addition, I certify that no part of this work will, in the future, be used in a submission in my name, for any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution without the prior approval of the University of Adelaide and where applicable, any partner institution responsible for the joint-award of this degree. I give consent to this copy of my thesis when deposited in the University Library, being made available for loan and photocopying, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. The author acknowledges that copyright of published works contained