This project is an investigation of melodic and harmonic material written in the Aeolian Mode, something that I have noticed to be particularly prominent in Science-Fiction, Comic Book and Fantasy genres of film and television soundtracks in the 21st Century. I have compiled a list of over 120 examples of prominent use of the Aeolian Mode within these genres. The first phase of this project was to produce a report into the various functions of the Aeolian Mode and other identical modes from around the world, before researching multiple psychoanalytical studies which investigate emotional perception of different modes, investigating major modes against minor modes, as well as comparing all of the Diatonic Modes in this manner. This is detailed in the Contexts chapter of the thesis. The second phase of this project is the analysis of 120 examples of Aeolian melodic and harmonic material, detailed in a thorough Analytical Portfolio, separate to this thesis. The methodology and findings are detailed in the thesis. The third stage is to determine whether any of the trends from the analysis link back to the psychoanalytical studies and if the use of the Aeolian Mode is more effective in certain emotional settings when composing for film. The fourth phase of this project is to apply these findings to create a research-based portfolio of compositions for film, of which four have been submitted separately to the thesis, in order to develop compositional practice when applying the Aeolian Mode to composition for screen. The process of this is detailed in the thesis, as well as avenues for further research.
| Date of Award | 6 Jun 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Dan White (Main Supervisor) & James Moffatt (Co-Supervisor) |
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