Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) Review

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Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) ReviewSound Theory, Sound Practice is a great collection of essays that goes beyond the (then) current state of film sound scholarship. There were two main approaches: one dealing with psychoanalytic and semiotic theory, favored by the film theorists; and the other dealing almost exclusively with music, favored by the musicologists. This volume represents the work of important scholars who see the value in both, but also go beyond approaching the film not as a text, but as an event.
The obvious highlight is Rick Altman's many contributions that make the rest of the scholarship possible. These writers demonstrate not only a thorough knowledge of critical theory, but of the physics of sound as well. This is a rather unique approach as most authors don't want to get too technical outside the field of film. That's not to say these essays are purely technical - far from it. They simply use technical explanations when a technical explanation is required.
Overall, this is definitely the most essential book on film sound out there. Altman's previous collection "Cinema/Sound" in the French Yale Review was great for the time and still offers a lot of great ideas, but this represents a couple more decades worth of work in the field. Film sound theory has come a long way.Sound Theory, Sound Practice (AFI Film Readers) OverviewSound Theory/Sound Practice provides a major re-examination of the place of sound in cinema. Individual essays cover such diverse topics as the conversion to sound, cartoon sound, documentary sound, and voices of women in third-world cinema. This collection combines unpublished articlesby established scholars who first attracted academic attention to cinema sound - Rick Altman, John Belton, Michel Chion, and Alan Williams - with work written by a new generation of sound-sensitive scholars.

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The Emerging Film Composer: An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business Review

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The Emerging Film Composer: An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business ReviewThe key to this book lies not only in the title but the subtitle as well: "An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business. Other possible titles, though already used, could also fit: "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Being a Film Composer but were Afraid to Ask," or "Film Composing for the Rest of Us." This book fills a gap that no other book has filled to date and does the job so thoroughly, it may just be the final word on the day-to-day practicalities of being a film composer.
Can you work as a film composer without a college education? How much do you expect to earn per year as a film and television composer? Can you live - or more accurately - survive on that amount? Do you know how to break down the costs of doing a score into fees and hard costs? How many films would you have to score per year just to get by? And this is just the first two chapters.
Richard Bellis has been known point out that he may not be a "household word" in the music business, but he may showing some humility here, because for certain, he is a household word in the film music business and highly respected at that. (See his credentials above.) He also knows his audience, and identifies that there are the eight or so A-list composers who make millions of dollars, the next level down in the six-figure category, and finally the remaining 90 per cent - composers working on movies for television, games, TV series, independent features, documentaries, commercials, and so on. That's us, folks. That's who this book is for, the emerging composer, hopefully on his or her way to even bigger and better things down the film music road.
Chapter 3 is about the most sought-after knowledge, "Getting Work." Here, and elsewhere in the book, Bellis paints a very realistic portrait of how things work - or don't work - when it comes to actually getting work. It is best summed up in his statement, "This is a buyers market." And this is typical of the knowledge that Bellis imparts on the reader throughout the book - it's a very no-nonsense approach which not only deals with the difficulties, but with the inequities of landing the gig. He describes the "randomness" of the business which can work in your favor or against it, but in either case, you should not be discouraged from pursuing the goal, better put in his statement, "When you realize that everything good comes `out of left field,' your job is to go to the ballpark every day."
Bellis goes on to cover Spotting, the Writing Process, Recording and Podium Procedure, Delivery and the Dub, and fills in some of the blanks with Random Thoughts. As if that weren't enough, he wraps things up with great stories from other talented composers in the business, each filled with words of wisdom, sometimes in the form of truly hilarious experiences.
I have all the other books - great books - on the topic of film music. This one is a real gem. In addition to the great information it provides, it's written in a nice, easy style filled with wit and touches of wry humor. Because of that, it's more like a special treat - an invitation to hang out with Richard Bellis over a beer and discuss the film music biz. If you're an emerging composer trying to fill in a lot of the blanks, this book is a must-have. If you're an established composer trying to get a better handle on the biz, this book is a must-have. And if you're simply curious about the film music business and want a glimpse into how it all works, this book is, well you guessed it - it's a must-have. (But you can't have my copy, because I won't let it out of my sight!) Kudos to Bellis for even thinking of writing this highly valuable book.
The Emerging Film Composer: An Introduction to the People, Problems, and Psychology of the Film Music Business OverviewAn introduction to thePeople, Problems and Psychologyof the film music business

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On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring Review

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On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring ReviewAn excellent book, and the principal how-to text in the field of film scoring. It's used as the text in university-level film-scoring classes, and it's on the desk of many practicing feature-film composers. Karlin and Wright teach their subject by means of interviews and case studies, and also discuss the terms and technologies that relate to the gear being used today. Content-wise, Karlin and Wright don't hold back, presenting a whopping 886 pages of information. Ron Simpson, Brigham Young University Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESSOn the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring Overview

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A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann Review

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A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann ReviewThe story of Bernard Herrmann does not begin and end with Hitchcock. It actually begins with Charles Ives and ends with Martin Scorcese. Along the way Orson Welles, Francios Trouffet, Brian DePalma, Sinbad, Gulliver, Rod Serling, and the "It's Alive" baby turn up. A biography of Bernard Herrmann tells the history of the use of music in radio, television, and film. It also tells the story of a brilliant, infuriating, and ultimately tragic figure. If you have an interest in film composing - real composing, not gathering 10 pop songs on a CD and calling it a soundtrack - you owe it to yourself to read this biography. And better yet would be to listen to some of his music while reading - the book vividly describes the music but hearing is believing.A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann OverviewNo composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over 40 scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. In this first major biography of the composer, Steven C. Smith explores the interrelationships between Herrmann's music and his turbulent personal life, using much previously unpublished information to illustrate Herrmann's often outrageous behavior, his working methods, and why his music has had such lasting impact.From his first film (Citizen Kane) to his last (Taxi Driver), Herrmann was a master of evoking psychological nuance and dramatic tension through music, often using unheard-of instrumental combinations to suit the dramatic needs of a film. His scores are among the most distinguished ever written, ranging from the fantastic (Fahrenheit 451, The Day the Earth Stood Still) to the romantic (Obsession, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) to the terrifying (Psycho).Film was not the only medium in which Herrmann made a powerful mark. His radio broadcasts included Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre on the Air and The War of the Worlds. His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic, and he was chief conductor of the CBS Symphony.Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. Smith separates myth from fact and draws upon heretofore unpublished material to illuminate Herrmann's life and influence. Herrmann remains as complex as any character in the films he scored--a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love.Films scored by Bernard Herrmann: Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Vertigo, Psycho, Fahrenheit 451, Taxi Driver, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Man Who Knew Too Much, North By Northwest, The Birds, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Cape Fear, Marnie, Torn Curtain, among others

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