Rob Lane Masterclass

Mentioned musical devices:

• tritone substitution, shifting minor intervals (e.g 3rd)/chords (mysterious atmosphere)

• G minor to Gb major with the 3rd on top (upward rise)
• Minor 3rd blues (appropriate for the New Orleans setting of the film)
• Sharp 9th + 6th chord
• Octatonic chords

Advice:
• Root yourself in the genre (if you’re going to compose a vampire film, make sure
that you are aware of all other vampire films and their music to understand more eg.
Twilight)
• When the film has a jump cut (abrupt transition), don’t let the music continue
because it doesn’t make sense to have the same music when the scene and the moment is
completely different.
• Adjust the BPM flexibly, matching to the motion of scenes and also with the
transitions.
• Avoid details in the music early on
• Reuse a limited number of motivic elements
• Manipulate the phrase structure to de-emphasise repetition. (e.g. heavier emphasis
on 2nd beat randomly)
• Pin musical gestures to movements
• Transcribe music and enlarge your repertoire

Mentioned Music:
Moby “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters” from the film “Heat”
Mica Levi “The end titles” from the film “Jackie”
Bach Chorales (for good voice leading)
Link between Mozart Requiem and Hans Zimmer’s Lion King score
Film “House of Cards”
Film music by Henry Mancini
Series “Twin Peaks”
Film “Let the Right One In”
Wagner scores
Film “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Film “True Blood”
Thomas Newmann’s scores: “Shawshank Redemption” (reminiscent of Aaron Copland music too),
“American beauty”, “The People vs Larry Flint”
Howard Shore’s “The Game” and “Seven”
Alfred Brendel’s Shubert album
Tritone in The Simpsons’ theme
Film “JFK”
Film “The Parallax View”
Michael Small “klute” film