Research Proposal: Submission/Next Steps

Today I submitted my research proposal, containing an introduction to my project, the aims and objectives previously discussed in this blog, the literature review also previously discussed in this blog and the selected methodologies I will use to achieve the aims and objectives of the project. Now that this is over I can start to think about the practical side of my project. I plan on exploring some production techniques identified in the literature review, more specifically the use of "temp tracks" and "mock-ups"

Research Proposal: Literature Review

Part of the approaching research proposal hand in requires us to carry out a literature review; the purpose of a literature review is to identify existing literature relevant to the projects aim. This involves identifying suitable information and discussing the various agreeing/contradicting view points surrounding it.

If the literature review is carried out properly it can be used again in the final dissertation, however it is important to consider that there is a chance that the aim of my project may change slightly and it is likely that as research progress's I will uncover more relevant and/or suitable literature. 

For the past two weeks I have been gathering information from various sources related to my project; I chose to gather this information in the format of responses to key questions surrounding my projects aim. These questions then became headings for each section in the literature review. I have copied and pasted the literature review I intend to submit with my final research proposal below:

Literature Review

Introduction

There are numerous sources that discuss the creation process of musical score for film; this literature review intends to explore the most common themes and questions presented: How can modern technology assist the creation of film score and what technologies are available? How can a composer communicate ideas and remain in control of the project whilst working with other musicians? How can emotional peaks be identified? And how do composers work to time checks? These themes are reported in several contexts however this paper will explore them in relation to the creation of a practical framework for the production of film scores, for music and sound practitioners inexperienced in composing and producing music for film. 

How can modern technology assist the creation of film score?

When considering the creation of film score from the viewpoint of music and sound practitioners inexperienced in composition and production of music the available technology must be investigated.

According to Marc Schonbrun (2004) due to gradually decreasing equipment cost and technological developments, relevant to home studio music production, the past few years have seen a significant increase of people opting to record at home rather than in a professional music studio. Schonbrun goes on to claim that the development in computer technology made it more freezable to run audio production software and that home studio recording software is popular due to the fact it is easy to use and relatively inexpensive. Gouzouasis (2005) states that music technologies are pushing the traditional boundaries of what constitutes audio composition and are challenging the notions of the abilities and skills need to learn to compose music. This idea that modern software is an easier and more cost effective method of producing music is highly backed in the following statement regarding home production software, GarageBand (Apple Computers 2013) 

“The new GarageBand is a whole music creation studio inside your Mac — complete with keyboard, synths, orchestral and percussion instruments, presets for guitar and voice, an entirely redesigned sound library and virtual session drummers. A beautiful and intuitive interface makes it easy to learn, play, record and create greatsounding songs. And you can share your hits worldwide with just a few clicks. It’s never been easier to make music like a pro. Even if you’ve never played a note. “  

Rona (2006) agrees with these theories to an extent claiming that orchestration samples can be effective in relaying ideas to directors however samples cannot truly express all that can be created using a real orchestra and that simulating an orchestra is hard to do well and easy to do poorly. 

These viewpoints focusing on the development of modern technology highlight that there is a strong belief that modern technology can effectively assist the creation of music from an inexperienced point of view; yet working with musicians is recommended to create a more realistic score, it seems important to consider Rona’s (2006) viewpoint whilst trying to narrow the gap between professional and home recording projects.

How can an inexperienced composer communicate ideas and remain in control of the project whilst working with other musicians? 

In order for an inexperienced music and sound practitioner to remain in control of the film score creation process they must find a way to successfully communicate their ideas to recording engineers and musicians and also remain in control of the musical performance.  Davis (2000) discusses the creation of “Temp Tracks”, this is the process –conducted by the films music editor - of selecting pieces of already existing music and applying them to an otherwise empty film in order to give test audiences and studio executives an idea of what the film will feel like. Ronald H.Sadoff  (2006) also recognizes the music editor’s creation of a temp track as part of the film score creation process stating that producers consider temp tracks essential. The creation of a temp track appears to be a good way for inexperienced practitioners to communicate their creative ideas however Sobel, Ron, and Dick Weismann (2008) claim that a musical supervisor must have a wide knowledge of music and a passion for musical research. This is backed by the Berklee College of music (2013) who heavily emphasize that a music editor must possess a great musical sensitivity and an awareness of how music can make or break a dramatic scene. Richard Davis (2000) also discusses “Mock-ups”. The term “Mock- Ups” relates to the process of creating early versions of film cues and score through use of MIDI. “This is a rough version of the cue recorded with synthesizers and samplers to produce the sounds that eventually will be a real orchestra” Davis (2000), as discussed previously by Rona (2006) orchestration samples are effective to an extent but cannot highlight the capabilities of an orchestra. Furthermore Rona (2006) considers the next stage of production - taking mock ups to an orchestra - discussing the film composer’s role and their need to control an orchestra; Rona states that for some, conducting is a life-long study, and is an art form in itself requiring knowledge, musicality and practice. It appears an inexperienced practitioner can control the scores direction to an extent using methods such as temp tracks and mock ups, yet a system of working with musicians needs to be established in order to control the transmission from Midi orchestrated projects to real orchestra performances. 

How can emotional peaks be identified?

“What you’re trying to do is capture the spirit of a picture. And that means sometimes you go contrary to what’s on the screen, and sometimes you go with what’s on the screen. It’s a matter of instinct; if your instincts are good it’s going to work for you. – David Raskin Davis (2000)

Davis (2000), Neumeyer and Buhler (2001) discusses the term “Spotting”, saying that in the early stages of composition a composer receives what is know as a locked version of the film to examine, after this a composer is asked to attend a spotting meeting in which the producer, director and composer discuss how music should be used in the film. Davis goes on to explain what elements are discussed, for example where the music will begin and end for each cue, what the music will sound like and what role it will play in relation to the drama.  Similarly in an interview with Adam Smalley, Rona (2006) examines what takes place in a spotting session. Smalley supports Davis’s claim stating that the director, composer and music editor sit down with a cut of the film and decide where the emotional moments are additionally Smalley goes on to say that once he begins composing he will use a set of spotting notes in order to recall any specific emotions the director conveyed, additionally Karlin and wright (2004) state that spotting can be a time consuming process if the temp track does not provide the director with strong preconceptions. Spotting meetings appear to be an extremely effective method of identifying emotional peaks, however the literature examined states that it is the job of the music editor to attend these meetings, as previously discussed a music editor must have sufficient skill and musical knowledge; if the user has no way of identifying emotions the compositional ideas will come mainly from directors and producers causing the user to loose control of the project. 

How do composers work to time checks?

In order for a composer to create music of correct length they must work using some kind of system. Spotting notes appear to be the first stage of this system Davis (2000) states that using the more general spotting notes a music editor creates what are known as timing notes, which are detailed descriptions of each scene with corresponding timings. From these timing notes a music editor creates a master cue sheet. A master cue sheet contains detailed timings down to a hundredth second, which allows music to be synced accurately. Yet when discussing the various roles of a music editor (the creation of cue sheets included) Adam Smalley (Rona, 2006) says that in lower budgeted films the need for a music editor is less, usually (lower budgeted films) are broken down into spotting, composing and dubbing. Davis (2000) discusses dubbing as a major technological advance that allows the director or to control where music and sound effects will be placed.  Karlin and wright (2004) also talk about the dubbing process, highlighting that composers are rarely involved in this part of production; they state that it is unusual for composers to have any final say in where score is placed.  It appears there are relatively mixed view points when it come to the placement of score in film; initially it seemed the music editors and composers selected where audio was placed but further research contradicted this by stating that composers are rarely involved in the dubbing process. 

Conclusion

Research conducted highlights there is a large body of relevant literature related to the creation of a practical framework for the production of film scores, for music and sound practitioners inexperienced in composing and producing music for film. Yet there are several large gaps, the literature discusses the numerous steps taken in order to create film score yet these are mainly discussed in a professional manner, there does not appear to be a lot of formal literature relevant to inexperienced practitioners. 

Research Proposal: Aims and Objectives

After speaking to Robin today I have blocked out the aims and objectives I will be placing into my research proposal. Whilst working on the honours project and dissertation the objectives listed below will be treated as a checklist of goals which will lead to the realisation of the projects aim. 

Aim

The aim of this study is to create a practical framework for the production of film scores for music and sound practitioner inexperienced in composing and producing music for film.

Objectives

• Research – Identify and review relevant literature to the project aim using a literature review focused on key research questions.
• Define methodology – Select relevant and effective research methods.
• Develop analytical tools – Develop a method to define the practicality of research related to the creation of film score from an inexperienced point of view. 
• Case Study – Identify and gather concepts by investigating different sides of music creation for film e.g. development of home production software and methods vs. what are considered to be professional. These concepts can then be used to help create a practical framework for film score production using analytical tools.
• Apply previous objectives to create a practical framework for the production of film score for music and sound practitioners inexperienced in composing and producing music for film. 
• Identify and apply a suitable method of project evaluation – Test the process by creating at least two separate cues to generate film score for a short film. To test whether the process can be generalised have volunteers with no traditional musical abilities apply the framework and have them review the process. 

Research Proposal: Introduction Feedback

I formatted information from the previous blog post into a blocked out research proposal introduction (see below) and sent it to Robin for some feedback.

Research Proposal Introduction:

Introduction

A general overview of the research topic. 

Film score is defined as a body of original pieces of music combined to accompany film, these individual pieces of music are known as cues. In order to create these cues the music composer must meet with producers and the director to discuss the various aspects of the music: How music will be used in the film; what it will sound like; what part will it play in relation to narrative? And where cues will begin and end.  

You can highlight the main research questions that are related to the project. 

The project intends to look at the creation of film score from a beginners point of view; it will investigate the creation process, timeline and time constraints of film scoring and will look at the individual professional roles related to soundtrack creation i.e. musical composer and editor and how these roles work with other members of a films creative team.  Most importantly the project will consider these research areas from an amateurs perspective and address their capabilities when composing film score.  In order to investigate these areas there are certain research questions that must be focused on, such as: 

• How does composed soundtrack work in film?
• What technology is available to assist?
• How does a composer remain in control of the score while working with other musicians?
• How does a composer work to tempo and time constraints?
• Identify emotional peaks and how to portray these emotions, how many emotions are there?

End the Introduction chapter with a clear description of your final Project Aim and 3-4 Objectives. 

The project aim is to create a process in which complete amateurs can compose, record and sync emotive soundtrack for dramatic films.

Robin replied with the following feedback:

Hi Oliver,

You're starting to block out a clear Introduction, which is good.

I'd suggest  that you clarify the use of 'amateur' - this might not be the best word, as it is unclear precisely what you mean here. Do you define yourself as the amateur? Or someone with film but not audio experience? Or someone with no media production experience at all?

I think you should use much more specific terminology so that your aim is not ambiguous. 

Can you state in one short sentence what you intend to produce, and who for? I'd state this, make it very clear, and keep referring to this as you write up your introduction.

There are some issues if what you are proposing to do is effectively create a 'soundtrack tool'

Music composition is an artform - an amateur without musical training can't create high calibre soundtracks just because a tool exists (this is true of filmmaking, animation etc. - amateur users can make more polished content than ever before, but it is not of professional production standard). 

The question 'what technology is available to exist' is effectively one you need to answer within the proposal, not the dissertation, if the aim of the project is to develop a pipeline for soundtrack composition. Discussing existing technologies is essential to establishing a rationale for your whole project, and thus needs to be addressed before you start. What if you set out to examine technologies and make a solution in semester 2, and find out right away that there are lots of great solutions already available? So make sure you address this in the proposal lit review.

Overall the project intro is looking fine, but you need the aim and objectives, lit review and method to really state what it is you are doing.





In response to this feedback I plan on on establishing my projects aims and objectives as soon as possible and will research available tools and technologies in my research proposal as a section in the literature review. I have also reworded my project aim using more specific terminology and addressing issues Robin mentioned above. The new project aim now reads: The aim of this study is to create a practical framework for the production of film scores for music and sound practitioners inexperienced in composing and producing music for film.

New Research Question

I have spent most of this week trying to develop a new research question based on the feedback Kenny and Robin provided me with. The current draft of my research question is as follows

"The project aim is to create a process in which complete amateurs can compose, record and sync emotive soundtrack for dramatic films. "

Although this needs to be refined slightly this is currently the direction my project is heading in. In order to achieve this aim I intend to look at the creation of film score from a beginners point of view; it will investigate the creation process, timeline and time constraints of film scoring and will look at the individual professional roles related to soundtrack creation i.e. musical composer and editor and how these roles work with other members of a films creative team.
Most importantly the project will consider these research areas from an amateurs perspective and address their capabilities when composing film score.  In order to investigate these areas there are certain research questions that must be focused on, such as:

• How does composed soundtrack work in film?
• What technology is available to assist?
• How does a composer remain in control of the score while working with other musicians?
• How does a composer work to tempo and time constraints?
• Identify emotional peaks and how to portray these emotions, how many emotions are there?

Meeting With Robin

I emailed Robin (Lecturer) on Tuesday (5th) and arranged a meeting today to discuss the direction of my project. We talked about the feedback Kenny gave me at the small group project meetings and I presented my most recent ideas for where the project is heading. I'm currently thinking about producing a step by step guide that amateurs can use to produce music for films.
Robin thought this was a suitable project aim and asked me to take my ideas and arrange them into a suitable project aim and research proposal introduction.

Small Group Project Meeting

Today I met with Kenny to discuss my suggested project aim and my ideas surrounding the honours project. As i feared Kenny confirmed that the proposal simply lacks enough of a practical element to merit a pass at honours level. We discussed the fact that I have no previous experience in scoring for film and the likeliness of me producing a score that could be used to show how the relationship between key emotional factors in the score and in the film work together, was slim at best.
The discussion regarding my lack of experience creating film score progressed to to a discussion about what methods existed to allow amateurs to create score for film; Kenny suggested researching this further and said to consider this as a potential direction for my dissertation and project.
Although I still feel behind I also feel like I have a focus point now and potentially have a relevant idea that incorporates both a dissertation and an honours project.

Practical Honours Project?

Although I am extremely interested in my proposed research area and want to continue the research I have started, I am beginning to doubt whether it is possible to produce a practical and successful honors project.
The only way that I have came up with in which to make a practical project which coincides with my research question (How do the emotive peaks of film score work effectively in relation to the peaks of a films visual?) seems to be to create my own film score and sync it with a video. However I am inexperienced in composing for film and don't know if my attempts at writing and producing film score would result in work good enough for an honors year project, or even if simply creating some music and syncing it to film merits enough work to pass at honors level.

On the 22nd I received an email telling me that on November 1st I will have the opportunity to discuss my project developments with Kenny (Lecturer). Hopefully this meeting will help me flesh out some practical project ideas.

I am at the stage of the project now where I am expected to be submitting draft Research Proposals with a decided project aim, I am starting to doubt the viability of my research question and generally feel like I am falling behind.  

1st Pitch Session

Today I met with Laurie (Lecturer) to discuss my project ideas. After explaining my proposed research question - How do the emotive peaks of film score work effectively in relation to the peaks of a films visual? - Laurie agreed it would be necessary to identify key sections of film score (narrative, characters, setting, tone of the film etc) and how separately each one of those add to the relationship between score and visual.
Laure also asked the interesting question of how I plan to make a practical honors project from this research question, I had no answer before I continue research into how score works in film this will have to be addressed.

Score In Films

This week I simply just listened to film score. Although I am interested in my chosen research area I still don't really know a lot about it; this week basically involved watching films from a critical point of view. I took note of several of the scores that interested me (see below) and after the first pitch session (and hopefully confirmation my research question is suitable) I plan on investigating their workings further to see how they effectively triggered my emotions.

As it was Thomas Newman who initially interested me in film score, I began with him. A simple Google search revealed that Newman has been nominated for a total of 12 academy awards. The second of these nominations in 1995 was for his work on "The Shawshank redemption". I felt I connected with several of the movies scenes largely due to the music, the music in the scene above particularly effected me.

By chance the next film I watched was Michael Bays sci-fi/drama "Armageddon". The film as a whole was relatively poor, however I felt Trevor Rabin's score really carried the film adding to drama of the film and making it feel like a real human interest story. Personally I feel the music in the scene above works incredibly well with the presidents speech, it highlights the intensity of the situation and the sacrifice the characters are making.

Although the music used in the above scene is incredibly simple it is my favourite of the three examples provided in this blog post. Even in this short clip the overall mood of the film to come is clearly established through the score. This piece of score - titled "Hand Covers Bruise", written by Trent Reznor - appears in several scenes of the movie and appears to be linked closely if not exclusively to the lead character Mark Zukerberg and is used to portray him emotions at key moments.

Although only having briefly examined film scores use within film I am beginning to develop some ideas on how score can be used to stress emotional high points.

Development Of Research Question

This week I have been considering the research question I mentioned in my last blog post and how best to go about answering it. For film score to highlight the emotive peaks of a film it appears necessary to consider the following as research headings: Narrative Of The Film (the films story line); Characters and Setting. Basically for music to coincide with a films peaks it must reflect how characters act or interact with each other in certain surroundings and how these actions develop the plot of the film.

Emotive Peaks

I have decided to further investigate the relationship between the emotive peaks between the score and visuals in film.

The following is a clip from Martin Brest's "Meet Joe Black". The score was written and produced by Thomas Newman. Newsman's work on "Meet Joe Black" was what initially interested me in film score. I think was the first time I had actively paid attention to what the music was doing throughout a film.
The scene shows a young man and woman meeting for the first time and hesitantly discussing what they want from a relationship. The score first appears when Brad Pitts character admits that he "likes" Claire Forlanis character and is relatively uplifting. The music further builds in this uplifting manner when Claire Forlanis character admits to liking Brad Pitts. However when the couple have to say goodbye and walk away from each other the music takes a more negative turn, reflecting the characters emotions of sadness and regret.

A brief examination of this clip has led to an initial research question: How do the emotive peaks of film score work effectively in relation to the peaks of a films visual?

Initial Thoughts

My initial thought is to conduct a project centered on film score. The honors year is a chance to 100% commit to a project I may not have the chance to undertake later in life and film score is what interests me. However as my personal interest isn't justification enough to carry out an honors project a relevant research area/aim must be established.

Personal Note: Look into emotive peaks of film score and how they coincide with emotive peaks of visuals in film.

Blog For Honours Year Project: Introduction

The following blog posts will keep an up to date record of any research undertaken, developments made or any ideas had regarding my honors project. The first stages of my process will involve establishing a research question.