Major Project

The Major Project is the capstone of the degree candidate's FSAE portfolio and the summative work of the twelve-month course of study. It will demonstrate in a single work, generally an original motion picture score presented in professional-quality electronic/hybrid form, the composer's command and comprehension of the key concepts and techniques covered during the course of the year. This musical work will be supported by a written commentary that is expected to be of Masters level, though secondary in importance to the musical work itself.

 

The final project is the summative assessment of the MFA in Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media and may be approached as an original piece of work that incorporates compositional skill, knowledge, associated technologies learned during the course and theories of creative practice, within a musical or sound context that is synced with visuals and accompanying thesis.

Students will be expected to develop and describe an original piece of work contextualising it within the scoring for visual media field, and plan, schedule and describe the resultant original artefact. The choice of the creative practice-based field of interest lies with the student, in consultation with the Academic Director and supervisor(s).

 

Students will write a commentary of 7500 words to accompany and explain the compositional approach, influences and implementation process, the context for the work and document the resultant outcome. The thesis offers the student an opportunity to synthesise knowledge and practical skills acquired in the course of earlier courses.

 

The commentary should be written during Semester 3, alongside the final project work, and be completed after the final production of the artefact. It should place emphasis on the compositional/ experiential/ audio/ technical aspects of the work and implementation process and should include a documentation of the resultant user/ audience experience. It should also highlight and clarify various issues relating to the practical/technological/implementation elements of the project. The dissertation should follow academic guidelines and standards.

 

At the end of the course students will be able to:

 

Students are required to demonstrate a level of originality and skill in their approach to scoring for visual media, integrating various compositional approaches and music related technologies towards a creative expression of their work. Elements of artistic originality, compositional and technical skill, and professional production must be illustrated in the final project. The project should present 15 minutes of musical content that demonstrates variation and the underscoring of visual narrative.

The commentary requires an approximately 7,500 word written report within an academic structure that includes a clear description of the work, documentation of related works of influence and compositional genres together with a video/audio recording or mock-up of the experience on an attached data disc. The commentary will provide an opportunity to explain the context for the work including an analysis of landmark works and, pre-production plans, and aims and aesthetics for the work. The main body of the paper should be a self-contained exercise in communication and documentation of the implementation process, including a context for the project, methodological and compositional approach and practice-based theories. The assessment of the student’s performance will take into account assimilation, synthesis, and critical appraisal of all relevant material, as well as content, methods used and standard of presentation.