Realizations Decisions and Actions: Toward a Framework of Dramatic Structure for Film Composers

Bellware, Andrew

Abstract

The goal of my research is to develop a theoretical and practical framework for film composers that helps to determine the moments in a film that should be underlined or “marked” with music during the spotting process. Spotting means defining music entrances and exits, along with particular “hit points” indicated by the dramatic narrative. This guide provides the language and concepts necessary to directors, producers, and editors intimately involved in the spotting of films.
The style of music has a very powerful and well-documented effect on the dramatic impact of a film and has been the subject of a great deal of academic writing. Music’s placement, while considered important, is much less well-documented. In this thesis I examine and reflect on where to place music within a dramatic film to support the drama. How should a composer (sometimes in collaboration with a director) find a film’s important moments that would be emphasized by beginning or ending music cues?
Textbooks on scoring music for film detail technical aspects of film scoring, as well as notes on the types of music used in films. However, the decision-making process on spotting is neglected. Additionally, one can find many monographs about the style of music, the orchestration, or the use of electronic and acoustic instruments, but they offer a completely inadequate explanation on how composers should undertake to spot a film.
Using my experience as a director, writer, producer, and composer, I have observed my composing practice using autoethnographic methods to create, examine, and reflect on the framework I created. My unique experience means I have invested time in developing a practice, theory, and a framework. for spotting a film. The framework utilizes concepts from several disciplines, including narratology, acting theory and drama theory, as well as screenwriting, in order to understand the specific “beats” in the audio and video language of film. Specifically, the thesis examines the role of the entrances, exits, and “marking” in the music as it applies to the dramatic material of film.
Narratology, the study of narrative structure, is critical to understanding the overall story, discourse, and point-of-view of a film. By determining the narratological “layers”, such as flashbacks, as well as narrative moments such as unanswered questions and anticipations (foreshadowing), important points in a film can be identified for spotting.
Narratology on its own, however, is not adequate for finding many of the hit points within a given scene. Acting theory, or using an acting approach, as first developed by Stanislavski is key to further breakdown of the film into “beats”. These beats (which are not musical beats but rather “bits” or, sometimes, “reversals”) are primarily in three categories: realizations, decisions, and actions. I strive to precisely define the locations of these beats as they then become the places where music typically enters, exits, or otherwise marks or underscores the drama.

Citation

Bellware, A. (2024). Realizations Decisions and Actions: Toward a Framework of Dramatic Structure for Film Composers. (Thesis). The University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Aug 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 27, 2024
• Keywords: Film, music, composition, narratology,
• Award Date: Sep 26, 2024