Much of the media we consume on a daily basis contains a combination of images, sounds, and music, and this synthesis of art forms enables creators to generate highly nuanced characters and stories. Over years of exposure to films and television, we have acquired a shared knowledge of conventions and expectations that direct how we interpret various forms of media. Anyone can close their eyes and identify complex emotions and ideas (loss, transcendence, fear, etc.) just from a film’s soundtrack. What types of sounds and music evoke heroism in your mind? Why is the music that accompanies a monster often scarier than its appearance – for example, Jaws or A Quiet Place? How do music and ambient sounds bring you into the world of a video game? This seminar will explore the relationship between the entire universe of moving images (from film, television, video games, YouTube, TikTok, advertisements, social media, and others) and that of music and sound. We will investigate how music functions within these contexts and explore how the synthesis of music and moving images can reflect and influence our identity and culture.