A Composite Theory of Transformations and Narrativity for the Music of Danny Elfman in the Films of Tim Burton

Abstract

Much discussion concerning Danny Elfman’s music in collaboration with Tim Burton has centered on the creation of an inimitable sound through instrumentation to match the typical gothic, quirky visuals. Passing mention has been made of a tendency to use distinguishing themes which are frequently manipulated throughout a film, as well as atypical harmonic progressions and sonorities, but many of these initial inlets are left unexplored in deference to finding an immediately recognizable “Elfman sound” easily identifiable by larger audiences through timbral colors. This dissertation explores the notion of a clearly defined musical style through means beyond instrumentation, embracing the use of transformation of theme, harmony, and rhythm/meter as the primary method of expressing the core components of Burton’s narrative. Using the concept of a “filmworld,” proposed by Daniel Frampton in Filmosophy, the consistency of specific elements in Burton’s narratives are identified to establish a “Burtonian filmworld” that discusses not only individual films but also encompasses multiple pictures encapsulated within the same narrative space. Similarly, through the use of the filmworld, film music becomes an equal contributor in the explication of the narrative within the self-contained entity of the film. The elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm/meter are treated individually, discussing issues in terminology and current trends within film music analysis, before identifying commonly recurring models contained within Elfman’s film scoring technique and their relationship to patterns in Burtonian narrative. Beyond simple repetition, however, each component explores its independent transformative nature, identifying corollaries between distinct transformational processes and changes in narrative states. Using The Nightmare Before Christmas as a case study, a thorough analysis of the songs explores a “Composite Theory” of transformations and narrativity, combining the shifting states of melody, harmony, and meter to produce a reading of Burton’s narrative contained within his filmworld—but devoid of his directorial hand.