We often remember how a movie made us feel, long after we’ve forgotten what was said. More often than not, that feeling is shaped by music. Growing up immersed in both film and sound, I found myself drawn to the emotional undercurrent created by a film score. Throughout my Capstone project I explored how music can profoundly impact a film’s plot, characters, and narrative; therefore, changing the emotional perception of a film from a viewer’s perspective.

My research drew on Film Music: A Very Short Introduction by Kathryn Kalinak and Sweet Anticipation by David Huron. Kalinak explains how musical elements like tonality and key structure serve as narrative tools, while Huron’s ITPRA theory breaks down how our brains anticipate and react emotionally to music. Together, they helped me understand how film music isn’t just background—it’s a precise language of emotion, timing, and psychological response.

To see how these ideas work in practice, I interviewed two film composers: Raashi Kulkarni, a USC-trained composer who emphasized emotional nuance and collaboration, and Mike Post, whom I had the chance to shadow in his studio. Watching Mike instantly match music to a scene’s emotional rhythm was inspiring. Each composer helped me see that scoring is part instinct, part discipline, and fully rooted in storytelling.

To test and apply these concepts myself, I created two short montage-style films using identical visuals but contrasting scores. One track is upbeat and nostalgic, while the other is slow and moody. Even without changing a single frame of video, the entire feeling of each film transformed through the music alone. It was a powerful reminder of music’s role in cinema.