Christopher Nolans caped crusader trilogyBatman Begins,The Dark Knight, andThe Dark Knight Risesis considered by many to be one of the finest translations of comic book characters to the big screen. The second film in the series,The Dark Knight, was both a critical and commercial success, featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker. The scoreby Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer and eight-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howardalso received accolades, including a Grammy. Intricately interwoven with the sound designand incorporating Mel Wessons ground-breaking ambient music design, Zimmers and Howards music gives the film an added layer of ominous tones that makes palpable the menace facing Gotham City.InHans Zimmer and James Newton Howards The Dark Knight: A Film Score Guide, Vasco Hexel delves into the composers backgrounds to reveal the many facets of meaning in the highs and lows of the score. This book also highlights the working methods of Zimmer and Howard and how they collaborated with each other and the filmmaking team to create such a memorable soundtrack.By drawing on unprecedented access to some of the key creators of the film, the author provides unique insights into the scores composition.Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howards The Dark Knight: A Film Score Guide will be of interest to cinema and music scholars, as well as fans of both composers.

Vasco Hexel leads the Masters Programme in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music, London, and is visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge. He has composed music for documentaries, commercials, and feature films, and his work has been featured in numerous broadcasts for such clients as ABC Television, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel.