On this page, you can find the Culminating Experience (CE) Projects for all graduate students from the Berklee College of Music master’s program Scoring for Film, Television and Video Games (SFTV) from 2015 – present. Click on any title for more information and access to the full paper and other deliverables (if available).
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Lullabies and the Labyrinth: Music as Psychological Expression in Pan’s Labyrinth
Larrie Fisher
2015The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough analysis of Javier Navarrete’s score for Pan’s Labyrinth, as well as a researched argument for the use of music as psychological expression in the film.
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Traditional Scoring Concepts From A Great Film Scoring Era
Casper Ivel
2015Film Soundtrack Analysis Of Leon the Professional (1994).
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ACCORDION, LOTS OF ACCORDION: MICHAEL GIACCHINO’S APPROACH TO SCORING ‘RATATOUILLE’
George Karpasitis
2015The goal of this paper is to identify, analyze and evaluate the compositional techniques used by composer Michael Giacchino in his score for the animated film ‘Ratatouille’ (2007). In the first part, an overview of the film is presented including plot and chapter list. The thesis then examines the music and how it relates to the characters and events in the film. The composer’s influences are identified. In conclusion, the thesis argues that while the influence of early cartoon composers such as Carl Stalling is undeniable, Giacchino takes it a step further by creating emotional arcs and not simply ‘mickey-mousing’ the on-screen action. This thesis hopes to offer an insight into the way of thinking of one of Hollywood’s finest composers.
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Atonement: A case of study
Ana Kasrashvili
2015Diversified ways of approaching instruments and variety of the use of the main motif (fullground) of “Briony’s theme” according to the scenes in “Atonement”.
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The Role of Finishing, Polishing the Film: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jimin Kim
2015The current study is deliberate to be an analysis of the music and its narrative function for the movie.
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"Isabella" (2006): The approach for Peter Kam in applying Fado’s musical elements and the effectiveness in relating the context of the film
Ching Man Tse
2015This thesis examines Peter Kam’s approach in applying Fado’s musical elements to his film score for ‘Isabella’ (2006) and the effectiveness of his score in relation to the context of the film. It is a study to examine approach in composing music to relate the content and emotion on the film. Also, it provides references for scoring film music in Fado or Portuguese music styles.
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Gravity (2013): The Sound of Silence
Andrea Mastroddi
2015This thesis describes the music in Gravity (2013) and it explains the use of electronic and acoustic elements that brought the score to life. A hybrid score which contains musical texture that melts into the picture pointing out of every small narrative detail, taking into consideration characters’ state of mind, surroundings, camera perspectives and the idea that mirrors what it is like to be in space. A score that plays a vital role in the movie, which demonstrates a thorough structure and a firm statement of the great amount of planning made ahead before the scoring process. The music never overtakes the importance of the picture; it does so without drawing your attention away from it. This C.E. will include a musical and dramatic analysis based on three parts of the movie, Gravity: Above Earth, Don’t Let Go and Tiangong (Price, 2013) Steven Price recorded a 80-minute score, which contains elements of traditional classical music and avant-garde sound-designing that will blow you away.
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Pride & Prejudice: Musical Treatment of the Classical Literature Story Preserving the Spirit of The Historical Époque While Reaching a Contemporary Flavor to Touch Present Day Audiences
Zuzana Michlerová
2015The story of Pride and Prejudice is based on Jane Austin’s 1813 novel which leads the viewer back to the late 18 century society. In relation to this fact and classical conception of the movie Beethoven’s early piano sonatas became a point of reference for the score to Pride and Prejudice. Nevertheless, Dario Marianelli abandons historical correctness for a more intimate and emotional treatment of the story when needed. The spirit of the historical époque is thus preserved while a contemporary flavor intended to touch present day audiences is pursued. The architecture of the score and the employment of themes and their character will be analyzed in the following text. This will bring a closer insight of how Dario Marianelli uses classical musical material while giving it a contemporary character when desirable.
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A Case Study on Plagiarism in Film Music: A Film Soundtrack Analysis on the movie “300”
Joel Nah
2015The objective of this paper is two-fold: Firstly, I, the writer, will attempt to analyze three music cues in the “300” soundtrack, and study its use in the imagery of the film. Secondly, I will cross-reference these cues with the supposedly original sources to which these cues had plagiarized from. From this thesis, I hope to gather some findings, conclusions, and lessons that film composers can avoid in future.
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Between tradition and modernity – The eclectic approach of Joe Hisaishi to Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” soundtrack
Matteo Nahum
2015In the world of Japanese animation movies, the way composers work on the creation of the soundtrack is quite different from the way we’re used to in the western world. The creation of what is called an “Image Album”, often based on simple suggestions and ideas about the movie, before it is actually completed is one of the most relevant differences. The music created for this album, which is published as a trailer months before the movie itself, sets the boundaries within which the composer should remain while composing the final soundtrack. There are many consequences to this habit: the music is used often as a simple commentary to the scene (or to the emotions that are expressed or that are proper to a specific character) without a proper syncing, and many editing and re-writing or re-orchestrating techniques are involved, in order to use the pre- existing material in a proper way. With this paper, I would like to concentrate on the soundtrack of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away”, written by his usual collaborator Joe Hisaishi. Through a selection of different cues I will analyze the relationship between the Image Album and the final soundtrack as well as the editing and re- orchestrating techniques that allow Hisaishi to adapt the themes to the actual images. Due to the frequent “commentary” nature of the music, I will also concentrate on the symbolic role that it has in relation to the dramatic action.
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Returning the Mystery to the Viewer
Jonathan O'Hara
2015A Musical and Psychological Analysis of the Music of "Homeland" : Season 1.
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Herrmann’s Artistry: Scoring the Human Condition
Dan O’Neill
2015‘All my life needed was a sense of someplace to go. I don’t believe that one should devote his life to morbid self-attention. I believe someone should become a person like other people.’ – Travis Bickle. These words are spoken by the protagonist in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film, ‘Taxi Driver’, the subject of this thesis. My intention of this thesis is to explore and uncover some of the reasons why this screen character has become almost mythical to generations of wrought, social alienated youngsters the world over. His dialogue is quoted arguably more than any other male lead and his famous lines have resonated with every person who has ever felt acute loneliness and worthlessness. It is this inalienable fact that draws us in and makes the viewer confide and emphasize with this character, Travis. However there is another ‘character’ that permeates alongside our tragic hero in this narrative, Herrmann’s score.
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AVATAR -SCORE ANALYSIS
Satish Raghunathan
2015In this paper, I aim at analyzing the function of music in this film and the way the music conveys the very sensitive and subtle emotions of the film that couldn’t have been conveyed without the music’s role. My goal is to understand how the composer has approached this completely non-conventional setting and his treatise of music according to the newly created culture and emotional quotients.
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The Principle of Immersion in Film Music: A Case Study using the Film Score from Anastasia (1997)
TJ Richardson
2015I have prepared in this work a description of the Principle of Immersion, a theory I have about Film Music and Storytelling Media in general. Within the first section, I plan to explain my Principle of Immersion and the reasoning behind it in a broad fashion. I will then clarify what it means for Film and for Film Music. My goal is that the Reader should have both a clear understanding of my thought process as well as the ability to apply it to other forms of Media, provided they meet a certain criteria.
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Breaking Through the Muk: Defining a Successful Film Score
McKenna Smith
2015James Newton Howard (JNH) composed the score for The Last Airbender and was the only member of the film’s team to be congratulated instead of criticized for his role in its creation. Howard’s score earned him an IFMCA* nomination for Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film and his composition track “Flow Like Water” gained him a nomination for Film Music Composition of the Year. In the end JNH won nothing, but he must be condoned for his ability to create music that can flourish and shine, even through the smog-polluted film for which it was composed. By all looks and appearances Hollywood had a classic case of bad movie, brilliant music. However, there is hesitation in labeling this an open and shut case. Despite Howard’s seemingly successful film score, one might suggest we narrow that definition. What does it mean to write a “successful film score?” What is its purpose? Music that sounds brilliant off screen does not necessarily possess that same enlightened genius when paired with the cinematography that inspired its creation. For the purposes of this paper, we will define a “successful film score” as a body of music that compliments/enhances the quality of cinematography as well as helps to translate to the audience the films intended emotions. This paper will not only analyze James Newton Howard’s score for The Last Airbender, but will delve deeper into its placement and function in order to determine if it can (by the above definition) be considered a “successful film score.”
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Bleed of VideoGame FPS Techniques and Sound Design Elements into Contemporary Scores- Case Study: Gravity (2013)
Felipe Téllez Fina
2015We will explore the approach of Sound and Music in Gravity, how it has borrowed elements from the FPS VideoGame world, and how the Sound Design is deeply woven into the film, critically boosting the impact of the story. It is no coincidence that Gravity’s Music Composer Steven Price, specialized in Sound Design work before diving deep into Music Composition for Film, and it is perhaps this, what sets Gravity aside; regarding Music as Sound, and taking that notion to the nth power.
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Super 8: A Film Score Analysis of Theme Duality
Joseph Williams
2015Super 8: Sci-fi monster movie meets coming-of-age love story. Although this film was slightly overlooked at the time of its release, its creativity, significant themes, and incredible musical score make it deserving of detailed analysis. Super 8 was produced in 2011 by Paramount Pictures, Amblin Entertainment (in association with Steven Spielberg), Bad Robot, and K/O Camera Toys (Abrams, J. J., Spielberg, S., & Burk, B., 2011). The film was written and directed by J. J. Abrams, and the musical score was composed by Michael Giacchino. Primarily, this paper will analyze the unique use of theme duality by Michael Giacchino in the film Super 8. In addition, this analysis will also examine the effectiveness of the music in assisting character and story development and in portraying the director’s vision for the film.
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How Music Follows the Criminal: A Film Soundtrack & Score Analysis of Memories of Murder (2003)
Jongho You
2015Through the history of film, film directors have been telling a lot of story about human’s life, fantasy, drama, etc. Among others, the true story, based on real events, has been most attractive elements for the directors. Especially, the mystery of serial murders is one of the most important things because the directors want to show the story in many ways, unlike TV News. They bring the audience into the story as a kind of witness with a lot of dramatic elements. At this point, music, called film score, connects the audience to the story and the director. Especially, in the serial murders movie, music can help the audience to understand how the story goes, who the criminal is, how to follow him or her. Further, if the story has been unsolved yet, which means we cannot see the actual criminal in the movie, the audience might feel stuffy and a gap between the detectives and the criminal after watching the movie. The aim of this paper is analysis of ‘How Music Follows the Criminal”, through a Korean serial murders movie, “Memories of Murder.”
