UGS 303: Introduction to Music and Film Sound Unique: 63865, 63870, 63875, 63880, 63885, 63890 Lecture: Welch 2.308 2:00 3:30 TTh Required Screening: Burdine 108 5:00 7:30 W Sections: 63865 Main 220A 9:00 10:00 F (Kausalik) 63870 Main 220E 9:00 10:00 F (McDonnell) 63875 Main 220C 10:00 11:00 F (McDonnell) 63880 Main 220A 11:00 12:00 F (Kausalik) 63885 Main 220A 12:00 1:00 F (Kausalik) 63890 Main 220E 12:00 1:00 (McDonnell) Primary Instructor James Buhler Office: MRH 3.722 Office Hours: 3:30 4:30 W; 12 1 Th; or by appointment Email: jbuhler@mail.utexas.edu Teaching Assistants Emily Kausalik Cari McDonnell Office: MRH 3.720 MRH 3.732 Office Hours: TBA 1:00 2:00 M; 11:00 12:00Th Email: emilyk@mail.utexas.ed carimcdonnell@yahoo.com DESCRIPTION Why do films have music? How does music and sound shape what we see in film? This course develops terms and methods for analyzing and interpreting the sound tracks of films. This course is divided into two large units. The first will develop terms and methods for analyzing and interpreting the sound tracks of films, paying particular attention to music s role in the sound track and the overall relation between sound track and image track. The second part will focus on the history of film sound, with particular attention given to sound track technology and how it affects aesthetic choice of film makers. We will explore the thesis that each major technological advance alters the structural relationships that obtain among the three relatively autonomous components of the soundtrack dialogue, music and effects. Texts Buhler, Neumeyer, and Deemer, Hearing the Movies (Oxford University Press, 2010) Additional readings will be available through the links specified and through Blackboard.
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 2 Blackboard and Reserves PowerPoint slides for each lecture will be distributed via Blackboard. Generally, these will be available the day after the lecture. Copies of all assignments will also be available on Blackboard. PDFs and links to additional readings will be posted to Blackboard as will occasional announcements. The twelve required films are on reserve and available for consultation at the Fine Arts Library. Required Screening We will be screening twelve films over the course of the semester. The screenings occur from 5:00 7:30 on Wednesdays. Attendance at these screenings is mandatory and a failure to attend the screening will be treated like an absence from lecture or discussion section. Grading Screening Reports 30% Final Project 25% Oral Report on Film Reviews 5% Discussion leading and participation 10% Ransom Center Report 5% University Lecture Report 5% Quizzes 20% Attendance will be taken at all lectures, at the discussion sessions and at the required screenings. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have signed in. 3% will be deducted from the overall grade for each unexcused absence beyond two. Each assignment is worth 100 points. Late work will be penalized 10 points per day, unless you have prior approval for an extension. If you are ill for a quiz, please let me know before the quiz is administered. Quizzes There will be six quizzes on terminology and the readings. The dates for the quizzes are listed in the course schedule. Most quizzes are planned to last between 15 30 minutes. Oral Report and Discussion Leading You will be required to research reviews for an assigned film, present your findings to your section, and lead discussion on the film. Your film assignment will be made during the second week of classes. This assignment fulfills the signature course requirement in information literacy.
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 3 Screening Reports You will be required to make a variety of reports on the films we will be screening in class. Two of these will be combined with signature course requirements that will involve incorporating material from the university lecture and a visit to the Ransom Center into the report. The screening reports are detailed in the course schedule. Final Project You will be required to write a 5 7 page essay comparing and contrasting two scenes in a film. You will have a number of preparatory assignments for this project. Laptops You are allowed to use laptops to take notes in class and check for pertinent information on the internet. Please do not abuse the privilege by using it to email, IM, text message, or update your facebook status. Anyone caught using a computer, cellphone or other electronic device for non class activities will be marked absent for the day. Religious Holidays UT Austin policy states that you must notify your instructor at least fourteen days prior to the date of a religious holy day you will be observing. If you will have to miss a quiz or an assignment falls due on a religious holy day, please contact me so we can make appropriate arrangements. Honor Code From the official course catalog: The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Plagiarism Using the words or ideas of another person without credit and citation constitutes plagiarism. It is a form of academic fraud, and it is subject to severe sanction in the academy. Basically, you always want to cite any words or thoughts that are not your own. Narrow exceptions to this rule include simple information (but not words or ideas) widely available in multiple databases and reference works ( common knowledge ) and the use of simple rhetorical templates and common grammatical forms of expression. An example of the first type of exception would be looking up the year a film was made in the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) or Wikipedia, in which case you would not need to cite IMDb or Wikipedia as your source because the information is considered common knowledge. But using other materials from such sites (reviews, synopses, etc.) without attribution would constitute plagiarism. Please note that even when a text does not indicate an author or bear a copyright notice, you must still cite the source if you take words or ideas from it. An example of the second type of exception would be templates for constructing certain types of sentences that you will be following for some of your assignments. By turning in a
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 4 paper or assignment, you are claiming that aside from the narrow exceptions specified above all words without quotation marks and all ideas without citation are the product of your own intellectual labor. A tip sheet produced by the library on how to avoid plagiarism is available here: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/resourcesheet.pdf Official Statement on Disabilities The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471 6259, 471 4641 TTY.
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 5 Course Schedule Week 1 (26 27 August) Film: No Film Reading: HtM, Introduction, Part 1 introduction, & Ch. 1 (pp. xxi 33). Lecture (26 August): Course Organization; Music and the Sound Track: a Brief Overview; Sound Track Components Section (27 August): Commutation test; how to write an effective synopsis; taking screening notes on a film sound track Week 2 (31 August 3 September) Film: Catch Me If You Can (2002) Reading: HtM, Ch. 2 (pp. 34 64) Lecture (31 August): Terminology: Music and Sound Lecture (2 September): Musicality of the Sound Track Section (3 September): Discussion of Catch Me If You Can; masking exercise; instructions for oral reports; review taking screening notes on a sound track; review synopsis writing (bring draft of synopsis to class) *QUIZ 1: 2 September Week 3 (7 10 September) Film: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Reading: HtM, Ch. 3 (65 91) & Interlude 1 (114 27) Lecture (7 September): Terminology: Sound and Image Relationships; voice over (Kausalik) Lecture (9 September): Audio Dissolve (McDonnell) and acousmêtre Section (10 September): Discussion of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; how to write a basic screening report *DUE 7 September: Synopsis and credit list for Catch Me If You Can Week 4 (14 17 September) Film: Casablanca (1942) Reading: HtM, Ch. 4 (92 113) http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/hook.php Lecture (14 September): Music and Narrative; Transitions Lecture (16 September): Synchronization; Counterpoint; Section (17 September): Discussion of Casablanca *QUIZ 2: 17 September *DUE16 September: Basic Screening Report (1) on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 6 Week 5 (21 24 September) Film: Sherlock Holmes (2009) Reading: HtM, Part 2 introduction & Ch. 5 (pp. 129 64) Lecture (21 September): Film Form; Audiovisual Phrasing (Kausalik) Lecture (23 September): Issues of large scale form. Making a cue sheet. Section (24 September): Discussion of Sherlock Holmes; more on screening reports; outline of final project *Due 21 September: Synopsis and credit list for final project film. Week 6 (28 September 1 October) Film: Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) Reading: HtM, Ch. 8 (pp. 195 215) Supplemental Reading: Buhler, Star Wars, Music and Myth, in Music and Cinema, ed. Buhler et al. (Hannover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 2000), 33-57. Lecture (28 September): Style Topics and Leitmotifs (McDonnell) Lecture (30 September): Genre and Modes of Musical Signification Section Topic: Discussion of Star Wars; more on cue sheets *DUE 28 September: Basic screening report (2) on Casablanca or Sherlock Holmes Week 7 (4 8 October) Film: Wag the Dog (1997) Reading: HtM, Chs. 6 7 & 9 (pp. 165 94; 216 33) TBA, readings on Music and Political Advertising *Required Special Event: Cirque du Politique. Monday, October 4. 7 pm Bass Concert Lecture (5 October): Scene typology; scene analysis; Main Title Sequence, End Credits and Establishing sequences (Kausalik). Lecture (7 October): Performance scenes, montage scenes (McDonnell), dialogue scenes, action scenes Section (8 October): The Musical Rhetoric of Political Ads *Due 5 October: Cue sheet; scene log and basic screening report for final project film *QUIZ 3: 7 October Week 8 (12 15 October) Film: Chaplin Short and Jazz Singer (1927) Reading HtM, Part 3 introduction, & Ch. 10 (pp. 245 77) http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/doing.php http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/07/illustrating song slides.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/07/jackass music.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/09/orchestra conversation and censorship.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2010/03/musical conditions in new york.html http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/3_etwag2.htm Supplemental Reading
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 7 Michael Rogin, Blackface, White Noise: The Jewish Jazz Singer Finds His Voice, Critical Inquiry 18.3 (1992), 417 453. Lecture (12 October): Music and Sound in Silent Film; Exhibition Practices of the Nickelodeon Lecture (14 October): Exhibition Practices of the Picture Palace Section (15 October): Discussion of Jazz Singer or silent film show. *DUE 12 October: Screening report (3) on Wag the Dog with considerations of musical rhetoric (University lecture assignment). Week 9 (19 22 October) Film: King Kong (1933) Reading HtM, Ch. 11 (pp. 278 307) http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/04/truth about voice doubling part i.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/04/truth about voice doubling part ii.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/04/truth about voice doubling part iii.html http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2009/04/truth about voice doubling part iv.html http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/31_rs_5.htm http://hearingthemovies.blogspot.com/2010/01/talking picture.html Supplemental Reading Peter Franklin, King Kong and Film on Music (Out of the Fog), in Film Music: Critical Approaches, ed. K. J. Donnelly (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2001), 88 102. Lecture (19 October): Early Sound Film Practice; Types of Sound Films Lecture (21 October): the Construction of Non Diegetic Sound Space (McDonnell) Section (22 October): Discussion of King Kong and preparing a cue sheet *QUIZ 4: 22 October in which case the quiz will be next week. Week 10 (26 29 October) Film: Rebecca (1940) Reading: HtM, Ch. 12 (pp. 308 35) Lecture (26 October): New Music in Classic Hollywood (Guest: Reichardt) Lecture (28 October): Codification of Soundtrack Practice; Miking and Mixing; Issues of Mono Sound Section (29 October): Visit to HRC. *Due 26 October: screening report (4) on Star Wars, Jazz Singer or King Kong incorporating response to a critical essay. Week 11 (2 5 November; No class 4 5 November) Film: No Film Reading: TBA Lecture (2 November): Rebecca as classic Hollywood film score (Guest: Neumeyer) Section Topic: None Week 12 (9 12 November) Film: Breakfast at Tiffany s (1961) HtM, Ch. 13 (pp. 336 65)
Buhler, UGS 303, p. 8 John Belton, The Frozen Revolution Lecture (9 November): The Transition to Stereo; Widescreen and Stereo Sound; Frozen Revolution Lecture (11 November): Popular Music in the Cinema to 1960 Section Topic: Discussion of Breakfast at Tiffany s *Due 9 November: Extended screening report (5) on Rebecca incorporating visit to HRC (Gem of the University Assignment). *Quiz 5: November 11 Week 13 (16 19 November) Film: Pretty in Pink (1986) Reading: HtM, Ch. 14 (pp. 366 91) Lecture (16 November): Scoring with recordings; sound track albums (Kausalik) Lecture (18 November): Dolby stereo; Thawing of the Frozen Revolution Section Topic: Discussion of Pretty in Pink *Due 16 November: Scene analyses of two contrasting scenes for final project film. Week 14 (23 26 November) (No class 25 26 November) Film: No Film Reading: HtM, Ch. 15 (pp. 392 418) Mark Kerins, Constructing the Diegesis in a Multi Channel World, Offscreen 11.8 9 (2007), Lecture (23 November): Transition to Digital Sound; Digital Formats; DVD and Television Technologies Section Topic: None *Due 23 November: Introductory paragraph of final paper due. Week 15 (30 November 3 December) Film: Hurt Locker (2008) Reading: HtM, Afterword (pp. 419 24) Lecture (30 November): Music and the Soundtrack Today; The sounds of War Lecture (2 December): Future of the Sound Track; Course Summary Section Topic: Advice on final paper *Due 30 November: Expanded Screening Report (6) Comparing and Contrasting Breakfast at Tiffany s with Pretty in Pink *QUIZ 6: December 3. Final paper due: 9 December