<p> The process of writing music for a film involves preliminary discussions between the composer and filmmakers where decisions are made on how to create an effective score that supports the story. This project report explores the composition process of <i>Dead Man&rsquo;s Bluff</i>, a short film noir story directed by Franklin Guerrero, Jr., produced by Calvin Green, Sandra McCurdy and Matt Carmody. In this project, one musical motive representing the <i>femme fatale</i> character is used to create the framework for the entire score. Variations in the musical motive demonstrate nuances in the mood and tone of various scenes. The process of scoring a film also involves a stage of revisions from the filmmaker&rsquo;s feedback. Final stages of creating a film score involve mixing on a professional stage where the sound effects, music and dialogue volume levels are adjusted to perfect the overall sound.</p>

<p> In 2005, materials from Hungarian composer Mikl&oacute;s R&oacute;zsa's personal collection were donated to Syracuse University. Among them were copies of materials used in the recording of the original film score to the 1946 movie, <i>The Killers</i>. In this report, these materials are analyzed and compared to the concert suite that was orchestrated by Patrick Russ and John Kull at the request of the composer. This comparison is augmented by an analysis of each of the score's themes including their cinematic functions and discussion of <i>The Killers</i>' origin as a short story by Ernest Hemingway. A brief historical overview of Rozsa's life and notable works is also included.</p>

<p> Scholars have long been dismissive of the viability of long-range tonal organization in film music. Controversy over questions of authorial intent, aural perception and tonal memory, and the ability of a sound track to function as a cohesive "work" have led scholars to steer dear of (or reject) the concept of tonal design in film. To date, filmic tonal design has been explored by only a few scholars in the context of a few films. Having analyzed over sixty films, my work addresses this lacuna, and establishes a systematic methodology for tonally analyzing film sound tracks. My analyses reveal overarching tonal organization and elaborate networks of harmonic relationships, in which specific keys serve explicit functions within the filmic narrative and structure. In addition to overturning prevalent assumptions about the feasibility of large-scale tonality in film, my findings foster a fascinating new level of engagement between a film's music and narrative, and challenge the sedimented notion that key is an irrelevant parameter in the study of film music.</p><p> The following films will be analyzed: <i>The Talented Mr. Ripley </i> (1999), <i>The English Patient</i> (1996), <i>Breaking and Entering</i> (2006), <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel </i>(2014), <i> The Royal Tenenbaume</i> (2001), <i>Fantastic Mr. Fax</i> (2009), <i> Moonrise Kingdom</i> (2012), <i>The Darjeeling Limited</i> (2007), <i>Persuasion</i> (1995), <i>Emma</i> (1996), and <i>Amadeus</i> (1984). i</p>

Despite a gradual, albeit still hesitant turnaround in music and film studies, film music is considered a musical genre that, for a long time, was not seen without the associated medium of film. Film music was thus regarded as an accompaniment to the film narrative, more or less inseparably connected with it and not appreciated as a separate work of art. Nevertheless, with the spread of sound storage media such as the gramophone record, albums came onto the market on which “only” film music could be heard. Today, film music on CDs or as digital releases is an integral part of the distribution chain of film studios and is usually commercially available. In a niche segment, labels have also specialized in releasing film music outside of mainstream cinema or in completing film music that has only been released incompletely and bringing it back onto the market in a remastered version. In addition, there are numerous releases where film music is not released as original recordings but as re-recordings, sometimes in the form of suites or new arrangements. The paper would like to argue that through this work of labels and releases, film music is held in high esteem, which goes far beyond viewing film music as a mere accompaniment or underscore to the accompanying film. Instead, albums enable the listener to perceive film music independently of the film, which corresponds not least to the performance of film music in concert halls. In this paper, a few examples will be worked out and interviews with producers and label managers will help to find out to what extent film music can be regarded as independent works (which, like program music, are based on an extra-musical idea) and what advantages or disadvantages the tendency from CD to digital releases has.