Star Wars: A New Score - Week 3

Dr. Moser and I met and decided on the truly important themes for the film:

• The Force
  • “Prototype" version (TBD)
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi (light side)
  • Dark side
• The Empire
  • Grand Moff Tarkin motive (screechy, high, sliding strings?)
  • Death Star (low brass?)
• Darth Vader
  • Capable of being menacing, evil, sad, heroic, redemptive…
  • Can be used alongside Imperial theme
  • Contains a rhythm or 2 bar phrase that can immediately create associations with the character
• Luke Skywalker
  • Contains a rhythm or 2 bar phrase that can immediately create associations with the character
  • Should not be the main theme, because Luke is not Star Wars
• Princess Leia
  • Needs to be very flexible (showcase both damsel in distress and bossy rebel leader)
• Han Solo/Falcon/Chewbacca
  • An “everyman” theme
  • Represents Han Solo, the Millennium Falcon, and Chewbacca, because the three are inseparable
• Droids
  • Contains a rhythm or 2 bar phrase that can immediately create associations with the characters

          We decided the Rebellion does not play any significance outside of Luke, Leia, and Han, all of which will have themes; therefore, the Rebellion does not get a theme. Tarkin and the Death Star play an important role, but it is more important that they are associated with the evil Galactic Empire, rather than as independent entities. Vader’s theme also needs to mesh well with the Empire, but he is such an important character, he needs his own separate theme as well. In a way, Obi-Wan Kenobi represents the epitome of the light side of the Force, and so it makes more sense to have his theme be a grand representation of the Force in general. Han Solo, the Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca are nearly inseparable, so the best way to give them a “sound” is to have one heroic, “everyman” theme for all of their actions.
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            Dr. Moser listened to my themes, and provided feedback. He was very complementary of my themes, but in general, expressed interest in expanding my harmonic progressions beyond I-IV-V. My book on leitmotifs mentioned that films are not made in a way that allows for constant tonal progression, and Dr. Moser believes that my themes and variations need to be more harmonically complex. Here are his more detailed comments regarding my themes:

• Han Solo
  • Liked the “everyman” portrayal
  • Liked the use of Dorian
• Hyperspace
  • Liked the flurry of notes at the beginning
  • Liked the thematic material in the middle section, he thought it was catchy and had good orchestration, but did not think it should be used for Hyperspace…perhaps a theme for a hero?
• “Opening Crawl”
  • Liked the orchestration, but said I need to be careful about orchestrating too closely to Williams
  • Wanted more harmonic complexity than I-IV-V
• Darth Vader
  • Liked the flexibility for which the theme allows
  • Liked the catchy, rhythmic drive
  • Said the quiet marimba in the second section worked really well with my orchestration
• The Droids
  • Liked the less tonal approach, wants more along the same line, perhaps modulating up and down half steps
• Death/Sorrow
  • Liked the middle section, especially the double suspensions leading to the final section

 
          We discussed in depth the cantina scene. The question becomes: how much diegetic music should I use? Should the entire sequence (10 minutes or so) be diegetic, with the band playing the entire time? Or should I try and transition to non-diegetic, “storytelling” music? We decided it might be best to write diegetic music (perhaps disco…) for the entire sequence. Han Solo’s theme will be introduced later, when he is standing with the ship, preparing for takeoff (00:54:35 in the film).

          I timed Darth Vader’s theme to fit an important scene in the middle of the film that features his music (01:06:18 in the film, entitled “Secret Compartment”). The first section of this theme arrangement fits perfectly with Vader walking onscreen; I later wrote music for the remaining portion (him talking to an Imperial Officer and then storming away).

          Leia’s theme presents a challenge because the role of her character is very two-faced. She is often used as a stereotypical “damsel in distress,” (a large chunk of the film is dedicated to tracking her down and rescuing her) but she speaks and acts very headstrong (after all, she is a leader and general for the Rebellion). I need to write a theme for her that is capable of reflecting both of these sides.

          I was not a huge fan of the theme I had written for Luke Skywalker; I didn’t think it fit his character very well. However, I thought the melody had potential. Since Dr. Moser had greatly encouraged me to expand my harmonic complexity beyond I-IV-V, I decided to take the first phrase from Luke’s theme and use it to create a theme for the Force; I wanted it to be more mysterious than the original, so I re-harmonized it utilizing a chromatic mediant. Upon doing so, I further explored this one phrase, lengthening it to be much more harmonically complex than the original Luke theme, and creating (in my opinion), a very appropriate theme for the Force.

          Once I had completed this theme for the Force, I worked on a “dark side” arrangement of the theme, and decided to write the cue that would most prominently feature the dark side arrangement, a scene called “The Death Star.” The dark side arrangement enters when Vader mentions the Force. I also added a small motive for Tarkin that plays when he enters during this scene. He strikes me as a “weasel-like” villain, and so I tried to choose a timbre that would represent his character. I really like this motive, I think it fits him well, and it works well with the overall “sound” I have created for the Empire. I’m still working on a Death Star motive, but I included a small section (13 seconds into the piece) that might work as its motive. Like Tarkin’s motive, it fits well within my Imperial theme, and can be orchestrated in many ways depending on the circumstances in the film.