UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (UiTM) COLLEGE OF CREATIVE ART RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (FTA532) TITLE: ANALYSING THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF NIER'S MUSIC STUDENT’S NAME & MATRIC NUMBER: WAN MUHAMMAD AFIQ DANIAL BIN WAN MOHD SANUSI 2021610036 LECTURER’S NAME: NORHASHEILA BINTI MUHARAM DR. HAZLIN ANITA BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN SUPERVISOR'S NAME: TS. ASRUL HAFIZ HULIMAN HAMI AHMAD PROGRAM CAFF238 – 2D ANIMATION DATE OF SUBMISSION: 1st February 2023
Introduction 1.1 Background of Study In this chapter, the researcher will talk about the subject and the keywords connected to the story of the NieR series and how it implemented passive storytelling through its music. The researcher will also be presenting the background of the studies on the implementation of music to convey strong emotions. The problem statement along with the research objectives will be covered in this chapter. In addition, topics relevant to the research studies and their limitations will be discussed. The significance of the research, as well as its scope and limitations, will be highlighted. Additionally, this chapter will project definitions of terminology throughout. Music has been commonly used in video games since its inception. The emergence of music in video games started with monophonic, looped melodies only used between stages or at the start of a new game notably used in arcade games (GamesRadar_ US, 2010). Over the past decades, the growth of technology has led to many astounding music tracks being created; Tomohiro Nishikado's Space Invaders was the first game to use a continuous background soundtrack (Collins, 2008, 12). A soundtrack is a commercially released soundtrack album of music that is featured in the soundtrack of a film, video, or television (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). In video games, soundtracks are technologically engraved into the coding. In the past, technological limitations resulted in the use of sound chips, one of the sound chips developed was Programmable sound generators (PSGs) (Collins, 2008, 10). This past limitation has created a style of 8-bit music known as chiptune.
Later on, computers and home entertainment systems began to take over. Computers had been designed with sound cards integrated into them; The inclusion of soundcards were predominantly aimed towards musicians and gamers (Collins, 2008, 21). Thus, the limitations of the past were slowly dissolving. Though technology had improved massively; the soundtrack had massively stayed as a background sound that exists to either fill in the ambience or set the tone. NieR is one of the games that broke the barrier set by the current soundtrack norm; the soundtrack set itself apart from other games as the experience of the world and the music are one, thus resulting in the viewer being able to resonate with the music. 1.2 Problem Statement Lately, existing soundtracks have been rather generic and colourless (Extra Credits, 2021). The move from memorable and quirky soundtracks can be pinpointed towards the more cinematic and narratively focused games. Most recent soundtracks had been composed for the sole purpose of fitting the ambience. This has also led to a more constrained or narrow soundtrack that fits the overall themes (Extra Credits, 2021). Lately video games shifted their focus to include a compelling narrative (Jarema, n.d.). Moreover, the increase in budget production causes fewer experimental methods to be used in development as the familiar tunes and symphonies are more guaranteed to produce the desired effects. Thus causing the underutilisation of musical storytelling methods for the audience to convey strong emotions.
1.3 Research Questions - What is the characteristic of NieR’s music? - How does the Music in NieR contribute to the storytelling - How does the music of the NieR series compare to other forms of music? 1.4 Research Objectives - To identify the characteristics of NieR’s music. - To analyse the importance of music to NieR’s story telling . - To compare the difference between NieR's and other video games music. 1.5 Significance This study focuses on the implementation of music in the NieR series. This research is crucial for understanding the fundamentals of creating music that is meaningful and memorable to the audiences. Furthermore, this study could open the door for future researchers to learn more about establishing and anchoring the theme and emotions of the story. This research would also aid in further explorations of future arrangements of the soundtrack. 1.6 Scope and limitations The focus of this research is on the music of the NieR series, which impose a very limited scope of the study. This research will be conducted by studying and analysing past research papers. This study will not be delving into deeper topics and specialisation of music such as music theory and will be viewing them at the surface level.
2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction An investigation into the use of music in the NieR series aims to examine how the music completes the NieR experience as a whole. The study will include 4 subtopics related which are; The theme of the NieR series, music in video games, the recurring leitmotif, and past research of NieR’s music. Songs have distinct functions in many mediums, including movies, TV shows, and video games. They can elicit feelings, advance the plot, or provide insight into the mind of a character. To fully comprehend the main topic, it is crucial to examine the sub-topics. This study will examine relevant literature on these sub-topics in the given order. 2.2 The Theme of The NieR Series In the NieR series, the theme of identity and self-discovery is a major part of the game and is reflected in the struggles and challenges faced by the characters. This theme is present throughout the game and helps to give depth and complexity to the characters and their stories. In NieR:Automata, a theme that is heavily discussed is the theme of the nature of humanity. It asks the question of what defines humanity, as in the world devoid of humans, androids made by humans are able to experience and create emotions (Sugiarno, 2021). While also asking what is the threshold of humanity, as some machine life forms attempted and failed to emulate behaviour of humans, and yet other machine life forms are able to not emulate but fully experience humanity.
NieR:Replicant is a sequel of NieR:Automata and a remake of Nier:Gestalt. NieR:Replicant largely explores the aspect of the bleak side of humanity; The theme of cynicism is a main prospect of the whole game. From beginning to end, NieR:Replicant presents a tragic tale (Rowett, 2021). The main character ultimately succeeds in saving his loved ones, but only after he has destroyed the system that was designed to bring humanity back to life. 2.3 Music in Video Games With advancements in game graphics and storytelling, music in video games has evolved and grown (Gibbons et al., 2014, 9). Audio-visual stimuli were created by combining musical and video materials in order to study the relationship between semantic congruence and emotional coincidence (Marumo et al., 2018, 366). Taniguchi and Yamada (2021) had performed a study on music on video games in order to examine how the musical pieces in the game convey different emotional qualities across its different versions; the music were categorised into 3 different arrangements that are dynamic, medium and quiet. This clearly shows that music is essential in video games, contributing to the overall experience and atmosphere. It aids in setting the mood, creating tension, reinforcing the game's themes and storylines, and even improving gameplay. There is no doubt that music is very essential to the identity of video games; this can be further evident by the fact that recording of original sound tracks are commodified and sold to the general public (Gibbons et al., 2014, 10).
2.4 The Use Recurring Leitmotif A leitmotif, also known as a leitmotiv, is a "short, repeated melodic phrase”, the phrase leitmotif can be pointed to the German words “leit” and “motif” which stand for “leading” and “motive” respectively (Merriam-Webster, 2023). This can be done for individual motifs or multiple motifs at the same time, which allows for a detailed representation of the events occurring on the screen (StudioBinder & Scullion, 2022). The existence of leitmotif allows the audience to make connections between ideas without explicitly being told so. Leitmotifs are utilised to assist the audience recognise characters and locations, but they can also be used to convey additional information (Kolenc, 2015, 9). The term "Leitmotif" has operatic roots, and is most often connected to Wagnerian opera (Merriam-Webster, 2023). Although the word has its roots in Wagnerian opera, leitmotifs have subsequently been employed in movies, opera, and even video games. The implementation of leitmotifs in modern media has been proven to be a game changer. One of the forms of leitmotif that can be commonly found is character leitmotif. A great cannot be separated from their protagonists; In the film media this can be seen with a few of the most iconic melody including the Jaws’ theme, You Know My Name or more known as James Bond’s theme, and Hedwig’s theme from Harry Potter (StudioBinder & Scullion, 2022). Leitmotifs also plays an important part in video games, for example the Overworld theme from the Original The Legend of Zelda composed by Koji Kondo released on 1986 (Heflin et al., 2015); is a mainstay of the series’s music as the leitmotif occurs numerous times in the series itself (MediaMotifs, 2019). The NieR series are not free of this either, though not a prominent theme to the series itself, the Emil’s theme appears in both instalments of the NieR series.
2.5 Past Research of NieR’s music Few of the past studies conducted on NieR’s Music includes one that is written by Hayden Harper which emphasises on the ludo musical aspect of NieR and how it challenges traditional gender expectations in music (Harper, 2021, 61). Not only that, there are studies that explore the rather niche way that the director Yoko Taro portrays ideas and philosophies. According to Solberg (2021), the game's depiction of machines functioning beyond human perception, the player's experience of the world through machine characters, and the director Yoko Taro's statement that the game intentionally raises questions about what remains after we are gone rather than what it means to be human. Therealso exist multiple studies that delve into the innards of NieR’s music. One of the would be the analysis of NieR’s dynamic music; According to Butineau (2018), the soundtrack of NieR: Automata uses dynamic and vertically dynamic music to change the mood and tone of the game based on the story and in-game actions, these different variations of the songs can be by multiple variables including time, combat, area, and story events. Furthermore, few studies have managed to use the variations in NieR’s music in order to analyse the responses of the participant by measuring their stimulus in the form of arousal and valence (Taniguchi & Yamada, 2021, 814).
2.6 Conclusion In conclusion, the NieR series is a popular video game franchise known for its themes of identity, self-discovery, and the nature of humanity. The usage of repeating leitmotifs in the game's music is a significant element that adds to the ambiance and overall experience. Leitmotifs are a type of musical device that conveys additional information while also aiding in character and location identification in video games. Studies on NieR's music have previously been done, including ones that concentrate on the ludo-musical component, the philosophical concepts shown in the game, and the musical composition itself. The NieR series is still a well-regarded and respected franchise, and its influence on the video game market is proof of its quality and appeal. 3.0 Research Design 3.1 Methodology In terms of methodology, the author employs the qualitative approach for this study. This method is used to collect data to answer research questions. For in this method, the author employs the interpretive method of observation, which entails listening to the original soundtrack and reading previous discussions of the music. The author examines the musical characteristics of NieR. To back up the theory, the author read previous research on ludo music, leitmotif, and the theme of the NieR series. The author searches for secondary data on the internet as a source of material.
3.2 Theoretical Framework The theory of Musical Semiotics deals with the interpretation of signs and symbols, including musical signs. In the context of NieR music, semiotic analysis could involve examining how specific musical elements, such as melody, harmony, or timbre, are used to convey meaning or evoke specific emotions. The goal of this study is to recognise the structural composition of NieR’s music and to study and identify its music and to deconstruct the importance of its music to the storytelling.
The main focus of this research that will be used as the case study are both instalments of the NieR series which are NieR: Replicant (2010) and NieR: Automata (2017) . Data and information will be gathered from previous studies, journal articles, and credible online sources. This study will proceed with qualitative methodology.
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