Music and Cinema Workshop directed by Giovanni Renzo
PLAN
The course aims to provide the appropriate historical and technical knowledge for the creation of soundtracks for cinema, television, multimedia installations, videos, as well as music for theater and ballet.
Historical notes on music in silent films: the function of musical accompaniment, manuals and repertoire, cue sheets, synchronization difficulties, and the first original soundtracks.
Audiovisual viewing and analysis:
Enter act, by Renée Clair, music by Erik Satie
Classical Music by Hal Roach, music arranged and performed by Giovanni Renzo
Cops, by Buster Keaton, music arranged and performed by Giovanni Renzo
Activity - Creation and live performance of the soundtrack of a silent film (where students with sufficient instrumental ability are present).
Functions of music in film. Background music and background music. Implicit and explicit synchronicity. Mickey Mouse. Level theory. Reproduction. Asynchronism and decontextualization. Audiovisual analysis.
Activities - Listening, analyzing, studying, and performing film scores by various composers. Score a short film using existing music.
Audiovisual viewing and analysis:
Internal level
The Man Who Knew Too Much, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, music by Bernard Herrmann – internal level, antecedent/consequent relationship, use of song: opening credits, attack scene.
The Legend of 1900, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, music by Ennio Morricone – internal level, playback: challenge scene.
The Leopard, directed by Luchino Visconti, music by Nino Rota – internal level: singing, band, church organ: scene of the journey to Donnafugata.
'Round Midnight, by Bertrand Tavernier, music by Herbie Hancock – internal level: jazz club scene
The Color Purple by Steven Spielberg, music by Quincy Jones - interior level: church scene
Marja's Love, directed by Anne Riitta Ciccone, music by Giovanni Renzo – internal level: radio scene.
External level
The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch, music by John Morris – outer level: Barber's Adagio.
Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone, music by Georges Delerue – outer level: Adagio by Barber.
Spellbound, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, music by Miklos Rozsa – external level and synchronous
Henry V, directed by Kenneth Branagh, music by Patrick Doyle – external level and synchronous: scene of the king's incitement.
Picnic at Hanging Rock, directed by Peter Weir, music by Bruce Smeaton – exterior level: scene of the exploration of Hanging Rock
Mediated level
Blue Film, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, music by Zbigniew Preisner – lack of an external level, internal and mediated level: scene of the piano score and the orchestral score.
The Road, directed by Federico Fellini, music by Nino Rota – internal and mediated level: theme with voice, violin, trumpet, voice.
Dancer in the dark, directed by Lars Von Trier, music by Bjork – internal/mediated level, music born from noises: Cvalda.
Marja's Love, directed by Anne Riitta Ciccone, music by Giovanni Renzo – internal/mediated level, use of synchronicity, noises: scene from Alice's dream.
Transition between levels
For a Few Dollars More, directed by Sergio Leone, music by Ennio Morricone – transition between levels: duel scene.
The Piano Lessons, directed by Jane Campion, music by Michael Nyman – transitions between levels, playback: piano scene on the beach, lesson scene.
Henry V, directed by Kenneth Branagh, music by Patrick Doyle – transition between levels: piano – soldier’s song sequence.
Decontextualization, synchronism and asynchronism
The Leopard, directed by Luchino Visconti, music by Nino Rota – ballroom scene, interior level, orchestra tuning its instruments.
2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, music by various composers – decontextualization: waltz scene.
Koyaanisqatsi, directed by Godfrey Reggio, music by Philip Glass – external level and synchronism
Powaqqatsi, directed by Godfrey Reggio, music by Philip Glass – external level and synchronism
Compositional techniques
Concert at the Arena, music for cinema, music by Ennio Morricone from various films
Duck, You Sucker!, directed by Sergio Leone, music by Ennio Morricone – analysis of the main theme, musical use of the characters' names (Sean, Juan): Duck, You Sucker!, principle of modularity: Invention for John, March of the Beggars: scene of the robbery at the bank, relationship between dialogue, music and noises: scene of the explosion on the bridge.
Once Upon a Time in America, directed by Sergio Leone, music by Ennio Morricone – use of pedals, orchestration, transition from external to internal level: scene of Noodles' return.
Pre-production: the role of producer, director and screenwriter.
Production: shooting the film.
Post-production: film editing and soundtrack creation (dialogue, sound effects, music). Spotting session, temp track, tempo notes, mock-ups, composition, orchestration, recording, mixing.
The musical staff: music editor, composer, orchestrator, music contractor, music supervisor.
Music notation for film. Sibelius software.
Analysis - Analysis of scores with video tracks, timecodes, and sync points: excerpts from Alexander the Great, Mr. Bean, More is Less.
In-depth study - audio/video editing, Dolby Surround, Logic and iMovie software.
Analysis - Step-by-step creation of the soundtrack for the silent film “Le mélomane” by Georges Mélies: film analysis, music composition, score writing, recording, video production.
In-depth study - The music computer system (hardware, software). The sequencer, notation software, sound libraries. The structure of sound libraries: the usual ones (single, multiple). The musical grid. Creating a simple project: creating tracks, assigning them, basic MIDI programming techniques.
- Composing a soundtrack.
Activities - Composing music for a short film. Creating a DVD containing the musical film.
Supports for the creation of the laboratory
- Grand or upright piano, 88-key weighted keyboard.
- Audio and video connection for a laptop, white screen, sound system.
The training course consists of 20 2-hour sessions, totaling 40 hours of training. The cost of the seminar is €520, which can be paid in four installments of €130.
Minimum 8 participants, maximum 14.
Bibliography
Sergio Miceli - Music and Cinema in Twentieth-Century Culture - Sansoni
Sergio Miceli and Ennio Morricone - Composing for the Cinema - B&W
Sergio Miceli - Morricone: Music, Cinema - Unicopli
Gianni Rondolino - History of Cinema - UTET
Gianni Rondolino - Cinema and Music - UTET
Richard Davis – The Complete Guide to Film Scoring – Berklee Press
Ennio Simeone – History of Music in Cinema – Rugginenti Editore
Various Authors - Encyclopedia of Music - Garzanti
Project by
John Renzo
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