Comments on: Home http://www.deaneogden.com the official website of Deane Ogden Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:58:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Douggibsoncomposer http://www.deaneogden.com/#comment-3015 Douggibsoncomposer Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:40:00 +0000 http://www.deaneogden.com/?page_id=928#comment-3015 I don't really understand the full extent of this argument. "Moment Form" is of course a very valid music form and used in both concert hall and film scoring. I think this is what you are promoting. I don't agree that memory does not have a place in film scoring. You can think of form in different ways.....  as individual cues, or how the whole film is shaped. There are so many cases in film music where a theme is referenced from earlier. Granted... sonata form is not going to get you very far in film scoring, but I also know plenty of concert composers who have disowned theses forms too.  Take a look at say Hedwig's theme by John Williams. Completely using a set 4 bar phrase A/B form. Also Take opening theme to Basic Instinct. Classic 8 bar A-B-A form even with a I 6/4 to V to I cadence. A great opening theme.  You are correct in that picture is king. Most likely Director is Queen in that what they want will also make you shape your music in a certain way. "Traditional" Musical form devices are most often employed in scenes in which music is in the foreground. (Opening titles) long shots of no dialogue etc.  If anything I think using 4 bar phrase forms is more popular now than ever before. My theory is this has to do with a new generation of directors who grew up watching music videos.  The bottom line for me is that it is not about rules, or the absences of them. It is about artistic choices that a composer must choose. One should have as many tools in the tool box as possible. Experience in writing in both a top - down (form then material), or bottom - up (material creating the form) will allow you to understand what your own strengths are and  the effect they have on the listener.   I don't really understand the full extent of this argument. "Moment Form" is of course a very valid music form and used in both concert hall and film scoring. I think this is what you are promoting. I don't agree that memory does not have a place in film scoring. You can think of form in different ways.....  as individual cues, or how the whole film is shaped. There are so many cases in film music where a theme is referenced from earlier. Granted... sonata form is not going to get you very far in film scoring, but I also know plenty of concert composers who have disowned theses forms too. 

Take a look at say Hedwig's theme by John Williams. Completely using a set 4 bar phrase A/B form. Also Take opening theme to Basic Instinct. Classic 8 bar A-B-A form even with a I 6/4 to V to I cadence. A great opening theme. 

You are correct in that picture is king. Most likely Director is Queen in that what they want will also make you shape your music in a certain way. "Traditional" Musical form devices are most often employed in scenes in which music is in the foreground. (Opening titles) long shots of no dialogue etc. 

If anything I think using 4 bar phrase forms is more popular now than ever before. My theory is this has to do with a new generation of directors who grew up watching music videos. 

The bottom line for me is that it is not about rules, or the absences of them. It is about artistic choices that a composer must choose. One should have as many tools in the tool box as possible. Experience in writing in both a top - down (form then material), or bottom - up (material creating the form) will allow you to understand what your own strengths are and  the effect they have on the listener.  

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