Join us for an illustrated talk exploring the wondrous and multifaceted world of film music.

Bristol-based Film journalist Sean Wilson has translated his passion for the medium of the film score into his first book, The Sound of Cinema: Hollywood Film Music from the Silents to the Present, due for release this May by McFarland Publishing.

In this special presentation, Sean will take the audience through the inspiration and the creation of the book, which traces the extraordinary 126-year history of the film score as we know it.

From silent cinema to Chaplin, Max Steiner to Bernard Herrmann, John Williams to Hans Zimmer, the essence of film music is defined by the astonishing artists who have helped sculpt it.

No two film scores are alike, yet the intrinsic relationship between sound and the moving picture continues to enthral us on a near-atavistic level.

What exactly is it about music in conjunction with cinema that continues to prove so powerful?

Sean will be on hand to explore this fascinating dichotomy, as well as the triumphs and challenges that routinely emerge as part of the film composer’s art.

This event forms part of Watershed’s 2022 Filmic season, exploring classic soundtracks throughout June 22.

---