Thomas Newman's Joyful Dystopia - Film Score Analysis
🎶 Scoring Points: The Hopeless Romantic - On the Music of WALL•E (Episode 2)
🚀 Let's explore the score for WALL•E!
Join me in this episode as we delve into the enchanting score of WALL•E (2008), composed by the brilliant Thomas Newman. We’ll explore the innovative compositional techniques that bring this Pixar masterpiece to life, showcasing how music enhances the film’s emotional depth and storytelling.
📅 Episode Highlights:
• 00:00 - Introduction
• 0:51 - WALL•E
• 2:08 - Intertextuality and Quotation in Film Music
• 4:21 - Understanding Anempathetic Music
• 7:12 - Tonality and Key
• 11:10 - Playfulness in Composition
• 14:05 - The Art of Spotting
• 14:55 - Waltz, Harp, and Romance & Lydian
• 18:50 - Creating Space for Needle Drops
• 20:25 - Summary
• 21:22 - Part II: Midi Mockup of “The Axiom”
🎧 What to Expect:
In this video essay, we’ll listen to examples from Thomas Newman’s score that illustrate the creative techniques he employs in WALL•E. Plus, I’ll share my MIDI mockup of the cue “The Axiom,” crafted in Logic Pro X, where we’ll put into practice some of Newman’s signature ideas.
📚 Further Reading:
For those looking to dive deeper, explore the literature references listed in the description for insightful perspectives on Newman’s work and the art of scoring animated films.
🔔 Subscribe for More!
If you’re a fan of film music and want to uncover the secrets behind the scores, hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications for more episodes of Scoring Points! Share your thoughts in the comments, and let’s discuss how music shapes our cinematic experiences.
#WALL•E #ThomasNewman #Pixar #FilmScore #VideoEssay #MusicAnalysis
Literature References:
Beato, R. (2022) The Thomas Newman Interview | Where Does THIS Music Come From? YouTube. 12 October. Available at: • The Thomas Newman Interview | Where Does T... (Accessed: 07 December 2023).
Hill, A. (2017) Scoring the screen: The secret language of film music. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Books.
Rizzo, F. (2019) Jerry Herman on his music from ‘WALL-E’, Showriz. Available at: https://showriz.com/blogcategoryrevie... (Accessed: 07 December 2023).
Tran, K. (2023) Seventh chords: Intro to advanced songwriting, MelodyStudio. Available at: https://melodystudio.net/2023/02/25/s.... (Accessed: 07 December 2023).