Hi Luke,

I believe seeking aid on a formal dissertation for an academic degree is usually illegal on most university campuses....but what the hell! 

I'm not sure what you mean by "Primitivism"? I looked it up and it is loosely definied as looking to the past, or looking in the opposite direction as technology that causes self alienation, or a cultural attitude that has informed diverse aspects of Modern art (which doesn't really say anything), or a reaction to the Enlightenment, or the general tendency to idealize any social behavior judged relatively primitive, or permissiveness, sexuality, the revelation of repressed urges associated with tribal culture and pre-Christian religious practices including human sacrifice.

It doesn't seem to imply that a work of art labeled as "Primitivisim" is lacking in sophistication or is primitive in its construction.  From this I can only assume that you are looking at Stravinsky's early period and not the neo-classical period, and certainly not the late serialist period?  Well, if you go for the early period, the Rite of Spring seems to be the piece that most displays the musical aspects of "Primitivism" as I understand it.  However, it's the most famous orchestra work of the 20th century so its musical characteristics have influenced everyone. It might be hard to tie all "primitive" musical moments in movie scores to the Rite because everyone started "trying" to write like that after Stravinsky wrote that piece.

I would start by looking at movies that have primitive themes (I don't mean musical themes) or moments like "Planet of the Apes", or movies that explore primal sexuality or exoticism like "Interview with a Vampire" (that's not the best example, but it's the first one that came to mind), or movies that take place in "older" more primitive times, or movies that explore psychological "Primitivism" like horror movies, "Psycho" comes to mind.

Then there is music that seems to have no connection to Stravinsky on the surface, but oozes "Primitivism" in sexuality and perverse dancing like electronica/dance music ("The Matrix"...that fluttery woodwind sound that Don Davis uses with 4ths and 5ths is also very Stravinsky-esque), or anything with perpetual rhythm.    

Then they are movie composers that have assimilated Stravinsky-esque sounds into their own musical pallette.  Danny Elfman's music always seems heavily Stravinsky influenced to me though the quality of his music is never that great.  Elliot Goldenthal would be another.

Then there are moments where the film music sounds like it was almost cut and pasted right out of the Rite, but the films themselves really have nothing to do with primitivism. Star Wars "A New Hope" when R2D2 and C3PO land on Tatooine and are walking in the desert...that sounds a lot like the Second Part "The Exalted Sacrifice" Introduction to me.  Almost any perpetual motor rhythm with horns and strings is going to sounds like "The Augurs of Spring"...you hear that all over the place in films.

Also if you include exoticism or orientalism as part of "Primitivism" then other early Stravinsky works open up to you like "Fireworks", or "Song of the Nightingale".

Ok I'll stop now.

Brian 

Probably the reason this is somewhat difficult to respond to is that Stravinsky is imitated all the time, by concert composers, film composers who imitate others who imitated him, etc. etc.  

Chiming in with Brian, my immediate reaction to your question was that it fell into the category of "please do my homework for me", which I hope you didn't intend it to be.

However, my (slightly more considered) response is: "don't do that." 

In my opinion, writing a dissertation on the influence of Stravinsky on film music is a bit like writing a dissertation on the influence of Elvis Presley on popular music. I'm just not sure what you can say that hasn't already been said numerous times, and so I can't see a top-class dissertation coming out of it.  (I am assuming you want to write a top-class dissertation, right?)

In terms of your studies, what are you really passionate about? What are you curious to spend time digging away at, maybe to learn something original? Is it film music? Is it Stravinsky? Is it something else? 

(Listen to me, I've gone from chider to coach in four paragraphs, and short ones, at that.)

Yes, Holst and I would add Vaughn Williams have had a huge influence.  I think fcw may have a point about this dissertation topic - it is huge and vague.  Though perhaps it can be done.  Thank goodness I am not doing it... 

 "Actually, dependent on the depth required, you could probably get a
dissertation out of tracing the connections between Goldsmith's score
for 'Star Trek: the Motion Picture' and various Vaughan Williams symphonies" - fcw

Yes, that was what I was thinking was the only way to do this in some meaningful manner - to severely limit it, as it is right now so vague a subject.  Pounding drums?  Dissonant, chaotic woodwinds?   Loud brass fanfares? Yeah, I guess Stravinsky had that influence. So did about a thousand other composers.   And then yes, since his music is good many composers imitated him.  Wow, that's a news flash.   I do think you need something more intricately detailed, such as what fcw mentioned.

Hey, looks like someone took my comment, about writing a thesis that traces connections betweeen ST:TMP and Vaughn Williams, seriously. Curiously, they managed to read the comment in 1986.

http://filmscoremonthly.com/daily/article.cfm/articleID/6484/

I see the troglodytic lurker Clematide has re-surfaced from the Lovecraftian netherworld he sunk to after his ludicrous "How-to-do-all-dynamic-ranges-in twelve-steps" thread was mercifully dispatched into the cybernetic non-existence it richly deserved.

Stravinsky originally wanted to do film music but was rejected from a Hollywood studio gig and only then said film music was 'wallpaper."  Talk about sour grapes!  And yet you believe everything he said.  Like many other great artists he was a source of disinformation and distorted opinions concerning other artists  - which he didn't happen to be - and other arts  - that he did not do - like the  art of film music. 

well you two, from your responds I must assume that you are both hollywood movie soundtrack tinker

Insist upon yourself. Be original. You've gotta be original, because if you're like someone else, what do they need you for