Film, Music, and the Narrational Extra Dimension

This thesis addresses the role of so called nondiegetic film music, also known as background or score music, as it pertains to the overall structure of processes involved in cinematic presentation. Some of the questions that are normally asked here are: Where is this music supposed to be coming from? Who is responsible for it? What is it really doing? In addressing this common filmic feature we will clear up several foundational concepts in film, provide a rough categorization of film music, critique Jerrold Levinson’s recent attempt to answer the above questions, and ultimately arrive at a consideration of nondiegetic film music as a kind of narrational extra dimension. We will ultimately reject the view that music is instrumental in building narrative facts, in favor of one that holds music to be significant to the very processes of film narration, affecting how a film is presented.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

Grantor dc:publisher

Ohio University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Bauer, Shad A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bender, John

• Aesthetics
• Philosophy
• Film Studies
• Film Narration
• Philosophy of Film
• narrative significance
• narrational significance
• Film
• music
• narration
• narrative
• extra dimension
• Levinson
• narrative agency
• indefinite narrator
• narrator
• ubiquitous narrators

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1365444831

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:ohiou1365444831