In week 6 of Sound Studies and Aural Cultures we viewed scenes from ‘The Shinning’ directed by Stanley Kubrick and score composed by Rachel Elkind and Wendy Carlos. This lesson directed me towards choosing the analysis of guitar and film sound for my topic to research and create an audio essay for. In this lesson we explored the techo-asthetic perspective and utilization in Kubrick’s films, discussion around Wendy Carlos and her compositional techniques, and the development from mono to stereo to 5.1 audio in film.

The minimalism and tonality used in the shinning specifically creates a sense of the isolation and vastness of the Colorado hotel the film takes place in. The use of synthesizers in the score also creates a sense of coldness and distance between the characters contributing to the overall themes of the film. This initial analysis prompted me to look into the use of guitar as a motif and tonal quality in film scores dating from the early 1960s.

To expand my perspective on the score of ‘The Shinning’ and Wendy Carlos’s instrumentation for the film I viewed an interview through the British Library.