A Theory of Film Music

This video essay is a response to the Every Frame A Painting video, 'The Marvel Symphonic Universe': https://vimeo.com/channels/everyframeapainting/181873015

Should film music be original? That's a question that goes right back to the earliest of film sound. But with new technology came changes - and just maybe, the answer to why all Marvel films seem to have forgettable music.

This video was made by Dan Golding: http://www.twitter.com/dangolding

For educational purposes only.

All credit to Tony Zhou for his incredible channel, and for finally getting me motivated enough to make a video essay.

Archival and interview footage:

John Williams conducts The Empire Strikes Back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu7_dMhdciw

Hans Zimmer talks The Dark Knight Rises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvqwyKwWOj4

Hans Zimmer: the making of Interstellar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_8t2VlwK4w

Man Of Steel Soundtrack - Percussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTOMIyynBPE

The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs

Academy Awards 1936: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VJU61IKJ6E

Pierre Boulez conducts The Rite of Spring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn_PGrl5vYg

S. Rachmaninov. Symphony 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ey-Ecr_3ro

Adorno about Popular Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd7Fhaji8ow

John Williams conducts The Force Awakens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjNfOhbzxfI

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmWdUCiZ-RE

The Searchers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30N-weocZT4

Music Cues and film score excerpts:

John Williams - Let There Be Light (Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Hans Zimmer - Message From Home (Interstellar)

King's Row - Erich Wolfgang Korngold

How The West Was Won - Alfred Newman

Star Wars - John Williams

2001: A Space Odyssey - Strauss: Also Spruck Zarathustra

Troy - James Horner

Enemy At The Gates - James Horner

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan - James Horner

Avatar - James Horner

Inception - Hans Zimmer

Driving Miss Daisy - Hans Zimmer

Chinatown - Jerry Goldsmith

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Hans Zimmer

The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer

Man of Steel - Hans Zimmer

All films and music owned by their respective rights holders.