Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores Trevor Jones’s toolkit scores for director Alan Parker, who commissioned him to compose the music for Angel Heart having heard his score for Konchalovsky’s Runaway Train. It considers the pictures from the late 1990s and early 2000s respectively, noting the development of Jones’s approach and techniques across a period of significant technological change. The book provides a significant opportunity for exploration of his compositional approaches and working practices in this related medium. It also considers Jones’s output since 2004, when he completed the Hollywood feature film Around the World in 80 Days and the low-budget animated short The Unsteady Chough. The development of Trevor Jones’s working practices over time is analysed, notably with respect to technological advances, evaluating key phases in his career within the context of changes in both the British and global screen-music industries.