Doctoral Degrees (Music)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Music) by Author "Dreyer, Jesse"

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    Mapping composers' experiences of contemporary film score composition processes in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Dreyer, Jesse; Roux, Gerhard Wachtendonck; Schonken, Philip Antoni; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Music.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The experiences of film score composers working in South Africa is under-represented in academic literature. Known factors such as limited resources, competing artistic visions, negotiations between role-players, emotional stress, and variations in working processes are largely based on Hollywood film industry practices. This study explores key concerns of film s core composers working i n S outh Africa in particular, drawn from their own accounts by means of grounded theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and common themes between participant accounts explored, categorised, analysed, and placed into dialogue with extant literature. Three central categories that emerged from the data suggest that the key concerns of film score composers in South Africa relate to experiencing intrinsic value in film s core composition work, c reative control, and rapport building. Experiencing intrinsic value motivates composers to engage with and enjoy their work despite typically unfavourable working conditions. Creative control relates to the need for autonomy when engaging in creative work. Perceived factors influencing this can be categorised by limitations from the client, from the industry, or from the composers themselves. Rapport building strategies employed by film score composers involve building and maintaining friendships, chasing repeated collaborations, and doing favours and working for free. This is done to get work, to increase trust and creative control, to improve communication and understanding between role players, and to pursue collaborative environments.