"While some film scores crash through theater speakers to confidently claim their place in memory, others are more unassuming, and can successfully build a film's mood without calling attention to itself. But no matter how groundbreaking, a film's score is always integral to successful world building. This book lifts the curtain on the uniquely elusive yet thrilling art form of film music, examining the birth of the Hollywood film score, its turbulent evolution throughout the decades and the multidimensional challenges that lie ahead for the industry's greatest musicians. The history of the film score is a dazzling journey through recent human history, illuminated by extraordinary talents like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and countless others. Beginning with the formative years of vaudeville and silent cinema, chapters explore the wonders of early pioneers like Max Steiner and Bernard Herrmann, and continue through the careers of othe rmusical titans who informed the power and impact of the film soundtrack. Interspersed are revealing insights from several leading Hollywood film composers, all of whom offer fascinating first-hand perspectives on the art of film music composition, its ongoing relevance and its astonishing ability to enhance a filmmaker's vision. Above all, this is a powerful account of music's ability to encode and enhance our primal emotional response to the very nature of cinema itself"--