Overview
In this unit you will study the structure of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s. You will analyse various primary source materials as you study the various stylistic changes that occurred with the film music and contextualise these developments within the important technological, social and political movements of this period.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Evaluation
Assessment items assisted in developing skills necessary for film music analysis.
Continue providing assessment tasks that develop a range of essential analysis skills through the study of various genres/periods.
- Describe the principal stylistic characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Analyse the aural characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Contextualise the developments in film music within the important technological, social and political movements from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||
2 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||
3 - Written Assessment - 40% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 - Communication | |||
2 - Problem Solving | |||
3 - Critical Thinking | |||
4 - Information Literacy | |||
5 - Team Work | |||
6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
8 - Ethical practice | |||
9 - Social Innovation | |||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
3 - Written Assessment - 40% |
Textbooks
Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music
Edition: 2nd edn (2017)
Authors: Roger Hickman
W.W.Norton
New York New York , USA
ISBN: 9780393937664
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.smyth-tomkins@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Topic 1: Exploring Film and Music
Chapter
Chapter 1: Exploring Film and Music
Chapter 2: Elements of Music
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 1: Exploring Film and Music
Chapter
Chapter 3: Listening to Film Music
Chapter 4: Forerunners of Film Music
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 2: The Silent Film Era
Chapter
Chapter 5: A New Art Form
Chapter 6: The Foundations of Modern Filmmaking
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 2: The Silent Film Era
Chapter
Chapter 7: Breaking the Sound Barrier
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 2: The Silent Film Era
Chapter
Chapter 8: Europe after World War I
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: The Golden Age of Sound
Chapter
Chapter 9: The Classical Hollywood Film Score
Chapter 10: Lighter Musical Scores
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: The Golden Age of Sound
Chapter
Chapter 11: Hollywood and World War II
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 3: The Golden Age of Sound
Chapter
Chapter 12: International Filmmaking: A Golden Age Interrupted
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: New Challenges for Hollywood
Chapter
Chapter 13: The Post-War Years
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: New Challenges for Hollywood
Chapter
Chapter 14: Expanding Modern Music
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: New Challenges for Hollywood
Chapter
Chapter 15: Country, Rock and All That Jazz
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Topic 4: New Challenges for Hollywood
Chapter
Chapter 16: The Revitalisation of International Filmmaking
Hickman, R. (2017). Reel music: Exploring 100 years of film music. New York, NY: USA
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Length: 1500 - 2000 words*
Task: Complete a film music analysis of the Odessa Steps montage from Battleship Potemkim (1925). A link to the Youtube clip can be found on the Moodle course website.
Task description:
- Begin with a brief overview of the work of film director Sergei Eisenstein and his innovations in film technique.
- Describe the term 'montage', and how this is demonstrated in this film sequence - the Odessa Steps montage.
- Provide a brief synopsis of the film and where this scene comes.
- Create a plot and music cue list to describe the events in the film clip (the Odessa Steps montage) and the type of music used. You may use the template from page 81 of the textbook and download here.
- Discuss how the musical elements are used with this film clip (the Odessa Steps montage). Using specific examples from the plot and music cue list, consider how the choice of instruments, tempo, volume, rhythm, dissonance are used to:
- establish the varying moods of the montage
- support the plot and the various plot changes
- establish character
- You may use your own words to describe the musical elements, but be as precise and musical as possible.
- Include a reference list and use in-text referencing to acknowledge your information sources.
Assignment presentation:
- Include your name, student number and topic title
- Must use 12 point Times New Roman font
- Must use 1.5 spacing for the body of the assignment
- You may use sub-headings to organise your assignment clearly
- You may refer to Youtube clips to demonstrate aspects of your discussion and reference appropriately
- Include in-text references
- Include a comprehensive reference list, adhering to the CQUniversity APA Style Guide
- All excerpts from URLs for music scores or recorded audio/video examples should include an in-text reference, and full details included in the reference list.
- Submit Microsoft Word (.docx) documents only.
*The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
Week 5 Monday (5 Apr 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7
10% - Accuracy and depth of treatment of director profile
10% - Discussion on the structure of the montage
5% - Accuracy of film synopsis and identification of scene
25% - Accuracy of plot and music cue list, and use of appropriate descriptors
30% - Discussion on use of music to establish the mood, support the plot and establish character
10% - Implementation of appropriate presentation and technical requirements
10% - Correct use of academic referencing conventions
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Describe the principal stylistic characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Analyse the aural characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Contextualise the developments in film music within the important technological, social and political movements from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
2 Written Assessment
Length: 2000 words*
Task: Write an essay to discuss the use of classical music in five 'talkie' films from late 1920s to the end of the 1930s. This is referring to classical music that has been included in a film score by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven etc. These pieces have not been written especially for the film, and were originally written for the concert hall.
For each of the five films, find one Youtube clip demonstrating the use of a piece of classical music, identifying it by title, composer and timing within the clip. Consider the following points:
- What purpose does the music play at that point in the film?
- How does the music inform the viewer about character, plot, point of view and mood?
- For each film score extract discuss whether the music is diegetic or non-diegetic and how this alters its purpose in the film.
Assignment presentation:
- Include your name, student number and topic title
- Must use 12 point Times New Roman font
- Must use 1.5 spacing for the body of the assignment
- You may use sub-headings to organise your assignment clearly
- You may refer to Youtube clips to demonstrate aspects of your discussion and reference appropriately
- Include in-text references
- Include a comprehensive reference list, adhering to the CQUniversity APA Style Guide
- All excerpts from URLs for music scores or recorded audio/video examples should include an in-text reference, and full details included in the reference list.
- Submit Microsoft Word (.docx) documents only.
*The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
Week 8 Monday (3 May 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 10
25% - Accurate identification of five film clips and the classical music used
35% - Appropriate discussion of the purpose of the music
20% - Ability to synthesise information in a precise and relevant manner
10% - Implementation of appropriate presentation and technical requirements
10% - Correct use of academic referencing conventions
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Describe the principal stylistic characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Analyse the aural characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Contextualise the developments in film music within the important technological, social and political movements from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
3 Written Assessment
Length: 2500 words*
Task: Considering the period from 1945 to 1959, discuss the way film music is used in each of the following film genres:
- drama
- film noir
- thriller
- epic
- horror
- romance
- western
- comedy
- animated feature
For each genre:
- Give specific examples of films and film music for each genre and find relevant Youtube clips that support your argument about how film music is used in that genre in various films and by various composers.
- The examples can be either diegetic or non-diegetic music examples.
- For each Youtube clip provide a Cue sheet guide that links the description of the action to the description of the music. You may not replicate any of the Viewer Guides that are provided in the textbook, but use these as a template for your own analysis.
For each film music example discuss:
- What purpose does the music play at that point in the film?
- How does the music inform the viewer about character, plot, point of view and mood?
- How does this music link to the usual conventions of this film genre?
Assignment presentation:
- Include your name, student number and topic title
- Must use 12 point Times New Roman font
- Must use 1.5 spacing for the body of the assignment
- You may use sub-headings to organise your assignment clearly
- You may refer to Youtube clips to demonstrate aspects of your discussion and reference appropriately
- Include in-text references
- Include a comprehensive reference list, adhering to the CQUniversity APA Style Guide
- All excerpts from URLs for music scores or recorded audio/video examples should include an in-text reference, and full details included in the reference list.
- Submit Microsoft Word (.docx) documents only.
*The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
Week 12 Monday (31 May 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
End of term
10% - Appropriate introduction and conclusion
30% - Appropriate discussion of the purpose of the music within each genre
20% - Appropriate choice and discussion of film music examples
20% - Ability to synthesise information in a precise and relevant manner
10% - Implementation of appropriate presentation and technical requirements
10% - Correct use of academic referencing conventions
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Describe the principal stylistic characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Analyse the aural characteristics of film music from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
- Contextualise the developments in film music within the important technological, social and political movements from the beginning of the twentieth century to the end of the 1950s
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