Star Wars: The Last Jedi scoring sessions resume in Los Angeles

[Amer 2,107]

Has EPISODE VIII scoring sessions resumed? Cellist Armen Ksajikian just posted pics via facebook with Daisy Ridley at Sony Pictures scoring stage. 

 

[mrbellamy 6,286]

Well, it's a clue!

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Rey's Theme on Cello(s)? 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Quick! What's the significance of American Gothic in the background?

[Incanus 5,714]

21 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

Rey's Theme on Cello(s)? 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crumbs 14,314]

I hoped there might be some delicate cello solos in TLC, either for Rey's Theme or something entirely new. I'm going to preemptively take this photo as confirmation!

 

Also lovely that Daisy dropped by for another round of sessions. JW must have been overjoyed!

[Alex 2,835]

Cello darkness my old friend 

[Incanus 5,714]

4 minutes ago, Alex said:

Cello darkness my old friend 

Bad pun! Ow right in the schnoz!

[Arpy 4,145]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

After Scherzo For X-Wings, perhaps we'll get Cello For X-Wings?

[Incanus 5,714]

Or perhaps we'll get another song like The Same Cello the Same Goodbye from the Maestro.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Low Cello, Where Dead Men Go?

[Incanus 5,714]

The Celli of the Steel Beast?

[crumbs 14,314]

Apologies for ignorance but is it normal that Armen Ksajikian would be involved unless the Cello section had a pretty significant role in the score?

 

Or does it really mean nothing?

[Incanus 5,714]

17 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Apologies for ignorance but is it normal that Armen Ksajikian would be involved unless the Cello section had a pretty significant role in the score?

 

Or does it really mean nothing?

It is probably just a studio musician taking a photo with an actor, nothing more nothing less. Which is very cool news. Nice to know Daisy Ridley is so into the music she went to/was allowed to attend the scoring sessions like with Episode VII.

 

Armen has over 1000 scores to his credit so I think it is safe to assume this is another film scoring gig. Whether or not he has a soloist role is impossible to say. Stephen Erdody is usually the leader of the cello section when Hollywood Symphony performs for JW.

 

And celli in a JW Star Wars score isn't exactly first page news style revelation.  

[crumbs 14,314]

The TFA sessions Daisy attended included the recording of Rey's Theme, so she was probably worded up by Disney/JJ.

 

This being one of the last sessions for TLJ maybe they recorded the concert suites today, and Daisy was told she could hear the new theme for Rey and Luke?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

5 minutes ago, crumbs said:

This being one of the last sessions for TLC maybe they recorded the concert suites today, and Daisy was told she could hear the new theme for Rey and Luke?

 

JW recorded concert suites for TLC today? Is there another Spielberg/Williams Collaboration album coming up?

[crumbs 14,314]

Spielberg/Williams: The Lost Collaborations, which will include a selection of John's favourite tracks missing from the Ultimate Collection. Such highlights include Secret Doors and Scorpions (Extended Version) and With Malice Towards None (Piano Version).

 

The Lost World, A.I. and War of the Worlds will remain omitted, with Williams citing the "lack of disc space" as the reason (the CD will only be 45 minutes long).

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Maybe they're at the end of the currently scheduled recording sessions, but no way is this score actually close to being finished over 8 months before the film's release.  There will be more sessions as the edit for the film changes.  Guaranteed.

[crumbs 14,314]

A lot of modern films wrap post-production months before the release date. Although unlikely, it's possible TLJ spends the rest of the year fine-tuning visual effects but is otherwise finished. It was originally scheduled for a May release after all.

 

That said, I'd be surprised if there weren't pickup scoring sessions in October.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

16 minutes ago, crumbs said:

A lot of modern films wrap post-production months before shooting.

 

Whoa!  They've really streamlined the process lately!

[crumbs 14,314]

I really should lay off the red on weeknights.

[Tom 4,658]

9 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Whoa!  They've really streamlined the process lately!

 

[mrbellamy 6,286]

4 hours ago, crumbs said:

A lot of modern films wrap post-production months before the release date. Although unlikely, it's possible TLJ spends the rest of the year fine-tuning visual effects but is otherwise finished. It was originally scheduled for a May release after all.

 

That said, I'd be surprised if there weren't pickup scoring sessions in October.

 

Yeah, I think Williams will still be needed at some point later on to accommodate any post-production changes through the year but who knows, this could be the last we hear of it for awhile if they were serious about the bulk of scoring being March/April. I'm not so convinced that the score isn't close to being finished just because they've got all this time left. TFA didn't even start recording until June, right? Whereas TLJ has already had, what, 3 or 4 sessions that we know about? Of course the pacemaker thing put a halt on 7 for a little while, but still, just purely looking from the outside they seem to be ahead of themselves this time. Maybe they'll give us an idea at SWC next week on where the film is at currently, but I don't think that just because we're used to hearing about highly pressurized productions locking picture weeks or days ahead of release means that it has to be that way. I obviously wouldn't be surprised if Johnson and co. keep plugging away until winter, of course, but hell if they're done they're done. I could see the film being finished a little earlier than expected, say mid October rather than late November/early December, with Williams doing his final session in August or September.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

My biggest concern of course is that the music gets edited to hell, bit by bit, as they tweak the film edit over many months.

[mrbellamy 6,286]

It's definitely one of my biggest curiosities just to see how Johnson approaches that, whether he feels the freedom to mess around with the score and cut it up to hell or if he overall preserves Williams's intentions. I really could see him going either way.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I like all 3 of his previous films, but they definitely used music more as mood-setting than as an active part of the storytelling like in a Star Wars movie.  I don't think we can draw any conclusions from that though.

[mrbellamy 6,286]

I do really hope he talks about the music at Celebration, not even spilling details about the compositions so much as I just want to hear his thoughts on how he's been approaching it with Williams, how he views music's role in SW, film in general, this film specifically etc. Any possible influences they might have talked about, all that crafty stuff.

[Will 2,215]

Still holding out hope that we'll get new JW stuff in the trailer a week from tomorrow. 

[RICHARDSTRAUSS68 107]

I can't wait to see where this will be going  this is gonna be fun! 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

 

[crumbs 14,314]

These cryptic podium quotes are frustrating without hearing what he's referring to.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why?

[crumbs 14,314]

You're not frustrated by intrigue of what cue, "Don't worry, that's an intentional horror!" might be referring to?

[Faleel 5,347]

Its stefan, he is only curious about himself!

[crumbs 14,314]

I might be extrapolating from nothing, but it gives the impression that maybe there's some abstract and unusual writing in the score that surprised the musicians?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Musicians: "Wow. That's some really scary music right there! Really horrifying. But why? It's just the Jar-Jar cameo scene."

JW: "Don't worry, that's an intentional horror!"

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Immediately followed by Jar Jar's graphic decapitation.

[Alex 2,835]

The Decapitation Scene

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,714]

It is for the scene where Snoke is revealed to be Jar-Jar. An intentional horror.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Perhaps he meant international horror, a reference to Kelly Marie Tran's character.

[DominicCobb 194]

Okay, you're going to have to believe me when I tell you this, because it absolutely happened...

 

It's kind of a long story but suffice to say I just met, in person, Rian Johnson (yes, THAT Rian Johnson), and I just had to ask him what it's like working with John Williams. I wish I could remember his exact words, but something to the effect of it's been incredible, and also something about how when the orchestra plays the cues for the first time every applauds him when they finish. He said it's amazing that John's in eighties and still sharp as a tack. I also believe the words genius and surreal were used (or something like that).

 

Basically he's loving the experience (and I'm sure we'll hear him say as much soon enough when people start interviewing him).

[crumbs 14,314]

Well, that was unexpected!

[Incanus 5,714]

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

Well, that was unexpected!

 

Almost as unexpected as celli playing in a SW score.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I really expected Johnson to say Williams was an awful person and that he considered changing the composer of the film.

 

Disappointed.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

And you expect us to believe you?!

[crumbs 14,314]

15 minutes ago, Incanus said:

 

Almost as unexpected as celli playing in a SW score.

 

I can't wait to hear the extended cello solos of Rey & Luke's new theme! It's going to make Seven Years in Tibet look restrained by comparison. 

 

Seriously cool though if true, @DominicCobb. I doubt many Star Wars geeks would even think to ask about John Williams if they met Rian Johnson. The orchestra applauding after hearing every cue is a fun little anecdote.

[mrbellamy 6,286]

13 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

I really expected Johnson to say Williams was an awful person and that he considered changing the composer of the film.

 

I bet that's what he really thinks and he's just memorized JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg's interviews on Williams to save face!