Neo-Classical 3

Synthesized Scores Synthesizers are used in 3 ways: – Modern Scores: creates electronic scores with new colors – Traditional Scores: used to replace or support acoustic instruments (imitates their sound) – Popular Scores: used in rock music and popular music scores Popular Scores: Impact on Film Industry – Could hear colors without hiring an orchestra (saved money) – Directors could create their own scores

Synthesized Scores Halloween – Director John Carpenter did the score himself to save money – Theme is used in all the sequels

Comedy/Adventure Films of the 1980s More emphasis on comedy than adventure, characters are realistic Music is either popular or a popular/orchestral combination Cast TV comedians as stars in adventure films

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) – Brought rock music to the detective genre -Reinforces city tough cop in Beverly Hills – Music used for: credits, underscore movement, underscore the hero’s character, or source musicunderscore movement

Ghostbusters(1984) Score by Elmer Bernstein – Mixed traditional music with popular music Mixed traditional music with popular music Featured theme song “Ghostbusters”

Back to the Future (1985) Score combines rock and traditional music The style of rock music helps set which time they’re in – 1950s and 1980s 1950s1980s Theme is altered to be used in triumphant and tender moments Theme is altered to be used in triumphant and tender moments – Cameo in A Million Ways to Die Cameo in A Million Ways to Die

Lethal Weapon & Die Hard Conventional Heroes have traditional symphonic underscoring Scores by Michael Kamen – Use Christmas songs for the setting Use Christmas songs for the setting – Uses underscoring to support the drama Die Hard: some source music but mostly suspense and action cues Die Hard: Lethal Weapon: uses two solo instruments to provide different themes for the 2 heroes Lethal Weapon:

Witness Uses synthesized score Supports the mood, not the action like the other crime movies

Americana & Exotic Locations Instead of escapist films about space or disasters, people turned to stories about real people or recent history Used symphonic scores w/ extras – Exotic locations: included ethnic music – Americana: included popular music of the time period

Americana: Gangster Movies – Both have symphonic scores by Ennio Morricone – Once Upon a Time in America – The Untouchables

Americana: Sports Movies The Natural: score by Randy Newman Copland’s American style for most of the underscoring In training montages, used jazz instead of rock to set the film in the appropriate time period

Exotic Locations Composers blended traditional Western music with music and sounds that were from the location of the film

India Gandhi (1982) – Tells the story of Gandhi and British culture in a non-British nation – Combines Indian music by Ravi Shankar with Western musicRavi Shankar – Indian music used for montages and to create atmospherecreate atmosphere – Western music used to support the drama

Empire of the Sun (1987) – Tells the story of Japanese internment camp for British prisoners as seen through the eyes of a young boy Tells the story of Japanese internment camp for British prisoners as seen through the eyes of a young boy – Combines British and Chinese music to show different viewpoints