CORE 320 - Film Music: Sounding the Screen and the Pursuit of the Extra-Narrative (GIP)

CORE Designation: GIP

Course Times:  9:15am - 11:55am
Course Materials Fee:  $10
Instructor(s): Helena Michelson
Email:  hm4@stmarys-ca.edu

Music lies at the heart of film. It can transcend, subvert, decenter, and refocus the film’s narrative space. Yet, its potent presence is at once immediately noticeable and invisible. In this course we will focus on one of the most conspicuous yet often overlooked aspects of film -its accompanying music. Reading from diverse authors with a variety of perspectives and viewpoints, we will explore different approaches how music is used in film, the role it plays, and examine how music relates and interacts with other elements of the film such as dialogue and visual elements. Our focus will be an eclectic mix of films produced in the last four decades coming from Hollywood and the international world of cinema, particularly Bollywood. Musical experience is helpful, but not required. This is an in-person class.

Prerequisites & Notes
SEM 150 or SEM 327

Credits: 3-CU