The main difference between film writers from the 1930s through to the early 1970s is the fundemental understanding of harmonic structure and the build up of an orchestral score. 

Sometimes the score can be very sparce and effective, and sometimes it can be full blown and very effective. 

There's an argument that these old style scoring methods are not relevent in the 21st century. Indeed, they probably haven't been relevent since the mid 1980s. John Williams actually revitalised the orchestra in the 1970s for a while. He was very influenced by classical works and did not mind borrowing from them. A lot of his scores were also influenced by army band music. Quite strident at times and very much 2/4 march time. What he really excelled at was the writing and use of memorable melodies.

Film producers liked memorable melodies way back. One of their less understandable tricks was to stick a song in a film, almost as if it came out of nowhere. It used to happen a lot more than you would think. It's a selling tool, just as later on, John William's melodies were always synonomous with the film. You hear the music, and you think of the film. Very profitable arrangement.

Into the 1990s and suddenly films were discovered by the ostinato. The ostinato seems at first to be a mild cold, but it soon infects every aspect of filmscore writing and you soon realise this a category 4 outbreak. The ostinato is about as easy a way of scoring as there probably is, next to plain and simple noise.

Plain and simple noise is mostly what you get today. Otherwise known as Sound Design.

So that's where we are today. Sound Design.

Sound Design in film and TV scores is just another way of saying you're an untrained, uncultured monkey that can't write music for shit. What???? I hear the cry.

Well if that's not the case, then fucking prove it.

I sat through a film recently at the cinema called Life. The entire film was awash with fucking noise from beginning to end. It is the worst irritant imaginable. The film was crap which didn't help. The only people that are immune from this illness are under the 25s. 

"Sound Design in film and TV scores is just another way of saying you're an untrained, uncultured monkey that can't write music for shit." - PaulR

It is so refreshing to hear a blatant statement of the truth every once in a long while!  

"The main difference between film writers from the 1930s through to the early 1970s is the fundemental understanding of harmonic structure and the build up of an orchestral score"

This is an apt comment emphasizing the absolute lack of harmonic and orchestrational interest in  ostinato/arpeggiator scores. They could not have proliferated had they called for such qualities, for those won't magically materialize with the press of a mouse-button. Hence, the complete reliance on rhythm (elementary one at that), and loud volume.

Now of course I know what Paul is referring to with his last comment but, just to clarify, Sound Design per se is a demanding, rewarding, and exciting area of music making when done seriously to which I've had the great fortune to have been exposed, and I believe there are many a film that would be served superbly by a talented, proper electronic music composer-programmer (by 'electronic' I don't mean 'dance', and by 'programmer' I mean sound creation and code), TRON2 being the first one that jumps to mind (and was scored badly!). 

As far as orchestral music is concerned, if you really want to find out your worth in this genre of composition, turn the power off, light a candle, and grab a pen (and/or an acoustic instrument), and the end result will accurately reflect your inspiration, talent, and skillset. In essence, the real you! Let's see how "Epic" you can sound without the presets...

"...if you really want to find out your worth in this genre of composition, turn the power off, light a candle, and grab a pen (and/or an acoustic instrument), and the end result will accurately reflect your inspiration, talent, and skillset." - Errikos

You left out the wig.  

William: I would recommend getting the Criterion release of B & B as, in addition to the wonderful Auric score there's a fascinatining alternative score by Philip Glass with The soundtrack replaced by song, in French, in lip sync with the actors, accompanied by a mixed chamber ensemble of acoustic instruments and synthesizers. Besides being some Glass' better music (he *does* tend to repeat himself :-) the singing turns the film into a kind of opera, and he develops themes around characters, locations and situations in an effective fashion. The love theme for scenes with Beauty and the Beast is particularly lovely. There's a good surround mix as well, making this a very high quality production.

Nadia Boulanger would apparently ask her students to play some music as a way to gauge the level at which they might be able to compose. Learning that sent me back to the piano to recover the deeper bits of repertoire I'd known over the years.

kenneth

You are right, the Criterion edition is awesome.  They put out the most beautiful versions of so many great films.