Although writers on film music frequently allude to specific parts of scores, comprehensive examinations of entire scores have been rare. In addition, most analyses of scores composed for the screen are discussed outside of their cinematic context. To best understand the role that music plays in the production of a motion picture, however, it benefits the viewer to consider all of the elements that comprise the film experience. In The Synergy of Film and Music: Sight and Sound in Five Hollywood Films, Peter Rothbart examines a handful of motion pictures to convey how a variety of elements work together to create a singular experience. Rothbart considers the aural and visual aspects of five representative films: West Side Story, Psycho, Empire of the Sun, Altered States, and American Beauty. After reviewing the various roles that music can serve in a film as well as an overview of the film scoring process, the book looks at each film, examining them one musical cue at a time, so that the reader can watch the film while reading about each cue in real time.In these analyses, timecode markings from commercial DVDs are provided in the margins alongside the text, which allow the reader to correlate to the second the on-screen drama under discussion in the book. Rothbart explains how the music is used in a specific cue and why the decision was made to use that particular musical idea at that moment. Consequently, film music aficionados-as well as students and composers of film music-can gain real world perspective on how music is used in conjunction with the other elements. In this way, the author raises awareness of music's relationship to virtually every other aspect of cinema-dialogue, sound effects, costuming, set design, and cinematography-to deepen the viewer's experience. Written in a deliberately non-technical way, this book is intended for anyone interested in film to easily follow along. At the same time, the information given can be of great benefit for the professional filmmaker or composer, since they can see with great detail how each cue unfolds along with all of the visual elements of the film.This unique analysis makes The Synergy of Film and Music a fascinating and instructive volume that both casual viewers and students of cinema will appreciate.

Although writers on film music frequently allude to specific parts of scores, comprehensive examinations of entire scores have been rare. In addition, most analyses of scores composed for the screen are discussed outside of their cinematic context. To best understand the role that music plays in the production of a motion picture, however, it benefits the viewer to consider all of the elements that comprise the film experience. In The Synergy of Film and Music: Sight and Sound in Five Hollywood Films, Peter Rothbart examines a handful of motion pictures to convey how a variety of elements work together to create a singular experience. Rothbart considers the aural and visual aspects of five representative films: West Side Story, Psycho, Empire of the Sun, Altered States, and American Beauty. After reviewing the various roles that music can serve in a film as well as an overview of the film scoring process, the book looks at each film, examining them one musical cue at a time, so that the reader can watch the film while reading about each cue in real time.In these analyses, timecode markings from commercial DVDs are provided in the margins alongside the text, which allow the reader to correlate to the second the on-screen drama under discussion in the book. Rothbart explains how the music is used in a specific cue and why the decision was made to use that particular musical idea at that moment. Consequently, film music aficionados-as well as students and composers of film music-can gain real world perspective on how music is used in conjunction with the other elements. In this way, the author raises awareness of music's relationship to virtually every other aspect of cinema-dialogue, sound effects, costuming, set design, and cinematography-to deepen the viewer's experience. Written in a deliberately non-technical way, this book is intended for anyone interested in film to easily follow along. At the same time, the information given can be of great benefit for the professional filmmaker or composer, since they can see with great detail how each cue unfolds along with all of the visual elements of the film.This unique analysis makes The Synergy of Film and Music a fascinating and instructive volume that both casual viewers and students of cinema will appreciate.