Michael Giacchino's Dawn of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

[crocodile 7,999]

No.

Karol

[Faleel 5,345]

It sounds incredibly mushy, muffled, and dull. like a blanket was over the microphone.

But I have not heard the entire score (just the first few cues) so perhaps I only heard the cues that had only a few instruments.

[crocodile 7,999]

It sounds incredibly mushy, muffled, and dull. like a blanket was over the microphone.

But I have not heard the entire score (just the first few cues) so perhaps I only heard the cues that had only a few instruments.

I find it really surprising. Truly. One of the reasons I like the score so much is because it sounds more lively to me than his Trek music.

Obviously, I'm not an engineer, can only respond to things as I hear them. So there you go.

Anybody else likes it?

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

STID is an improvement over the muddy, muffled sound of the Wallin recordings. But it's still got some of those issues. This one is probably the clearest, cleanest Giacchino recording I've heard yet.

Some of it has to do more with orchestration than recording quality.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Obviously, I'm not an engineer

Are you sure about that?

[crocodile 7,999]

Touché!

Karol

[Max 141]

Anybody else likes it?

Karol

I love it. I would dare to say that it's the best-sounding Giacchino score I've heard, or at least one of the best. I definitely hope Giacchino sticks with Iwataki for a long, long time.

[crocodile 7,999]

Erik Woods made a fine point recently that Secret Weapons Over Normandy is also a fine recording. But that wasn't Dan Wallin.

It is also one of his finest themes.

Karol

[Jay 37,336]

Dunno what you guys are smoking. Both STID and DOTPOTA sound great, clear and unmuffled. Iwataki knows his stuff.

[crocodile 7,999]

I think the problem I had with Into Darkness is that maybe Iwataki had to pay attention to the sound already established by Wallin in the first film. It sounds different, sure. But can't be from entirely different universe, so to speak.

Karol

[Max 141]

Dunno what you guys are smoking. Both STID and DOTPOTA sound great, clear and unmuffled. Iwataki knows his stuff.

I agree! DOTPOTA, STID, and Toy Story of Terror! all sound noticeably better than Giacchino's Wallin-engineered scores. I never really noticed the effect of Wallin's dryness until I heard how clear STID was.

[Jonesy 55]

I don't know, but I think The Incredibles or Ratatouille sound better than Super 8, Ghost Protocol or John Carter.

[crocodile 7,999]

I always thought John Carter was ok.

In the case of Ratatouille and The Incredibles the recording matches the film and feel of the music. As such, they're perfect the way they are. Whether they're good recordings, is a secondary issue.

Karol

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

The Incredibles is also recorded like a 70's score, and the non-orchestra players add something really special to the score.

[crocodile 7,999]

Yes. I don't listen to this quite as often as I should, but this is definitely the most overlooked Giacchino work.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

The Incredible and Ratatouille are gems among Giacchino's best, and their the Wallin dryness really benefits the sound the movies were going for.

[crocodile 7,999]

In Lost this type of recording is half of success.

Karol

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

There's a great little making-of The Incredibles where they even talk about the recording style and how they wanted to go specifically for that type of sound when it came to the recording of the music itself....

Even Dan Wallin shows up a bit!

[Jay 37,336]

So there's this Government Copyright database website, and searching through it you can find some complete cue lists, for when someone seems to have put them all on a CD and had it copyrighted. Mostly recent Fox scores seem to be on there, but there are others as well. Anyways, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is on there:

http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=6&ti=1,6&Search_Arg=dawn%20of%20the%20planet%20of%20the%20apes&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=25&PID=o0pkeyVKWNYlh6c06oibbRSb&SEQ=20150202075439&SID=1

1M01 Level Plaguing Field

1M01v3 Level Plaguing Field

1M02a Look Who’s Stalking

1M02c The Cold Bear Truth

1M03 The Great Ape Processional

1M03 The Great Ape Processional_alt

1M04 The Tribal Dance

1M05 Past Their Primates

1M06 Close Encounters of the Furred Kind

1M07 Colony of the Wild

2M07 Colony of the Wild

2M08 Monkey to the City

2M09 Ticked Ape Parade

2M10 Malcolm What May

2M11 The Lost City of Chimpanzee

2M12 Dam Dirty Apes

3M13A Candy Apple Island

3M13B Camp of Approval

3M14 Koba Black Sheep

3M15 Along Simian Lines

3M16-17 Strong Armory Tactics

3M18 Dam Them All To Hell

4M19 Truce’s Wild

4M21 Cutting Through the Red Ape

4M22 Caesar No Evil Hear No Evil

4M23 Flash in the Orangutan

4M24 A Shot in the Armory

5M26-27 Monkey See Monkey Coup

5M26-27 Monkey See Monkey Coup_Alt

5M28 What’s the Dreyfus All About

5M29AB Gorilla Warfare

5M30 Search and Caesar

6M31-32 The Apes of Wrath

6M31-32 The Apes of Wrath_Alt

6M33 Gibbon Take

6M34 Caesar the Light of Day

6M34 Caesar the Light of Day_Alt

6M35 Aped Crusaders

6M36 Let’s Be Franco

6M37 The Great Ape Escape

7M38 How Bonobo Can You Go

7M39 Enough Monkeying Around

7M40 Getting the Monkey Off Your Back

7M41 Primates For Life

7M42 Planet of the End Credits

7M43 Ain’t That A Stinger

I compared that list to the OST track list, looks like there's a lot of unreleased cues:

1M01 Level Plaguing Field = OST 01

1M01v3 Level Plaguing Field = OST 01

1M02a Look Who’s Stalking = OST 02

1M02c The Cold Bear Truth

1M03 The Great Ape Processional = OST 03

1M03 The Great Ape Processional_alt = OST 03

1M04 The Tribal Dance

1M05 Past Their Primates = OST 04

1M06 Close Encounters of the Furred Kind = OST 05

1M07 Colony of the Wild

2M07 Colony of the Wild

2M08 Monkey to the City = OST 06

2M09 Ticked Ape Parade

2M10 Malcolm What May

2M11 The Lost City of Chimpanzee = OST 07

2M12 Dam Dirty Apes

3M13A Candy Apple Island

3M13B Camp of Approval

3M14 Koba Black Sheep

3M15 Along Simian Lines = OST 08

3M16-17 Strong Armory Tactics

3M18 Dam Them All To Hell

4M19 Truce’s Wild

4M21 Cutting Through the Red Ape

4M22 Caesar No Evil Hear No Evil = OST 09

4M23 Flash in the Orangutan

4M24 A Shot in the Armory

5M26-27 Monkey See Monkey Coup = OST 10

5M26-27 Monkey See Monkey Coup_Alt = OST 10

5M28 What’s the Dreyfus All About

5M29AB Gorilla Warfare = OST 11

5M30 Search and Caesar

6M31-32 The Apes of Wrath = OST 12

6M31-32 The Apes of Wrath_Alt = OST 12

6M33 Gibbon Take = OST 13

6M34 Caesar the Light of Day

6M34 Caesar the Light of Day_Alt

6M35 Aped Crusaders = OST 14

6M36 Let’s Be Franco

6M37 The Great Ape Escape

7M38 How Bonobo Can You Go = OST 15

7M39 Enough Monkeying Around = OST 16

7M40 Getting the Monkey Off Your Back

7M41 Primates For Life = OST 17

7M42 Planet of the End Credits = OST 18

7M43 Ain’t That A Stinger = OST 19

[Luke Skywalker 1,794]

Now there is something to expect for...

[Jay 37,336]

I'm finally watching the film now, and I wanted to bump this analysis by libraloco, and thank you again f or your hard work!

NOTE: I've never tried anything like this before, so it's very likely that I haven't caught the more minor motifs or variations. If I've messed up anything or left out something, or if I need to be more specific with the theme descriptions, just let me know and I'll fix it!

As far as I've been able to tell, there are four main themes.

The most prominent theme of the score is what director Matt Reeves has called the Noble Apes theme. This theme is used to reflect the apes who align with Caesar and the utopian society in which they live.

Opposing this theme is the Rogue Apes theme, which is a harsher, angrier theme representing primarily Koba, the film's antagonist, and also, to a smaller extent, the apes who follow him.

The Human theme is relatively quiet and sad. It represents the main group of humans who interact with the apes, as well as the human civilization in San Francisco. The theme's apparent simplicity is a reflection of these humans' way of life.

Caesars theme appears only a few times throughout the score, when Caesar stands out as a leader of the apes. (In general, Caesar is associated with the Noble Apes theme.)

I believe there are also at least two smaller motifs: the "war" motif, which appears in Gorilla Warfare and The Apes of Wrath, and the "baby" motif, which appears in The Great Ape Processional, when Caesar and Cornelia's baby is born, and (from what I could tell) one another time in the film, when Ellie (Keri Russell's character) plays with the baby in the scene preceding Along Simian Lines.

Hopefully any disagreements, additions, or questions you have about this can drive the discussion!

THEME-BY-THEME BREAKDOWN:

Noble Apes theme
02. Look Who's Stalking 1:42-1:52
03. The Great Ape Processional 0:55-1:39, 2:29-2:32, 2:37-2:40, 2:46-2:49, 2:54-2:57, 3:01-3:04, 3:10-3:13, 3:17-3:20, 3:26-3:28, 3:33-3:36, 3:41-4:20
04. Past Their Primates 0:33-1:45
08. Along Simian Lines 2:41-3:15
10. Monkey See, Monkey Coup 0:45-1:37
17. Primates for Life 2:29-4:35
18. Planet of the End Credits 5:32-7:32

Rogue Apes theme
05. Close Encounters of the Furred Kind 3:11-3:55
06. Monkey to the City 0:32-1:05
08. Along Simian Lines 4:13-5:00
10. Monkey See, Monkey Coup 3:21-3:58
11. Gorilla Warfare 0:31-0:42, 5:59-6:11
16. Enough Monkeying Around 1:05-1:23, 1:27-1:29, 1:33-1:35, 1:39-1:41, 1:45-1:47, 1:50-1:52, 1:56-1:58
18. Planet of the End Credits 3:32-4:10, 4:27-4:29, 4:32-4:34, 4:36-4:52

Human theme
01. Level Plaguing Field 0:00-2:05
05. Close Encounters of the Furred Kind 3:56-4:36
08. Along Simian Lines 0:28-1:45, 1:58-2:26, 3:47-4:12
11. Gorilla Warfare 1:51-2:02, 6:12-6:48, 6:55-7:13
12. The Apes of Wrath 0:55-1:26
16. Enough Monkeying Around 2:54-3:16, *0:26-0:31, 0:35-0:40, 0:43-0:47, 0:52-0:57, 1:01-1:06* (maybe?)
18. Planet of the End Credits 0:33-3:26

Caesar's theme
05. Close Encounters of the Furred Kind 1:18-1:29
16. Enough Monkeying Around 2:12-2:25
17. Primates for Life 0:15-0:54, 4:35-5:16
18. Planet of the End Credits 4:59-5:22, 7:32-8:13

"War" motif
11. Gorilla Warfare 0:18-0:28, 4:59-5:36
12. The Apes of Wrath 4:02-4:19

"Baby" motif
03. The Great Ape Processional 3:06-3:09, 3:14-3:17, 3:22-3:26, 3:29-3:33


TRACK-BY-TRACK BREAKDOWN:

01. Level Plaguing Field
Human: 0:00-2:05

02. Look Who's Stalking
Noble Apes: 1:42-1:52

03. The Great Ape Processional
Noble Apes: 0:55-1:39
Noble Apes (first four notes): 2:29-2:32, 2:37-2:40, 2:46-2:49, 2:54-2:57, 3:01-3:04, 3:10-3:13, 3:17-3:20, 3:26-3:28, 3:33-3:36
"Baby" motif: 3:06-3:09, 3:14-3:17, 3:22-3:26, 3:29-3:33
Noble Apes: 3:41-4:20

04. Past Their Primates
Noble Apes: 0:33-1:45

05. Close Encounters of the Furred Kind
Caesar: 1:18-1:29
Rogue Apes: 3:11-3:55
Human: 3:56-4:36

06. Monkey to the City
Rogue Apes: 0:32-1:05

07. The Lost City of Chimpanzee

08. Along Simian Lines
Human: 0:28-1:45, 1:58-2:26
Noble Apes: 2:41-3:15
Human: 3:47-4:12
Rogue Apes: 4:13-5:00

09. Caesar No Evil, Hear No Evil

10. Monkey See, Monkey Coup
Noble Apes: 0:45-1:37
Rogue Apes: 3:21-3:58

11. Gorilla Warfare
"War" motif: 0:18-0:28
Rogue Apes: 0:31-0:42
Human: 1:51-2:02
"War" motif: 4:59-5:36
Rogue Apes: 5:59-6:11
Human: 6:12-6:48, 6:55-7:13

12. The Apes of Wrath
Human: 0:55-1:26
"War" motif: 4:02-4:19

13. Gibbon Take

14. Aped Crusaders

15. How Bonobo Can You Go

16. Enough Monkeying Around
Human(?): 0:26-0:31, 0:35-0:40, 0:43-0:47, 0:52-0:57, 1:01-1:06
Rogue Apes: 1:05-1:23, 1:27-1:29, 1:33-1:35, 1:39-1:41, 1:45-1:47, 1:50-1:52, 1:56-1:58
Caesar: 2:12-2:25
Human: 2:54-3:16

17. Primates for Life
Caesar: 0:15-0:54
Noble Apes: 2:29-4:35
Caesar: 4:35-5:16

18. Planet of the End Credits
Human: 0:33-3:26
Rogue Apes: 3:32-4:10, 4:27-4:29, 4:32-4:34, 4:36-4:52
Caesar: 4:59-5:22
Noble Apes: 5:32-7:32
Caesar: 7:32-8:13

19. Ain't That a Stinger

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I think this may be the only Giacchino work besides Lost and La Luna that doesn't have *something* holding it back for me, at least not in a major way. It's solid. Probably because it doesn't rely on big themes, and his seldom do much for me.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Giacchino's sentimental, tonal writing holds it back for me, especially when the piano joins in.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's a part of his language that he's stretched too thin in its current form, and it needs to evolve. It's directly tied to his problem with themes.

But boy, a decade ago, he could do it like no one else could. Shit....

[Quintus 5,399]

I can't believe there's a massive thread for this, a totally average score. From what I can recall it was a bit too reliant on its typically simplistic suspense motif with little else of note going on.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Only on JWfan!

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I can't believe there's a massive thread for this, a totally average score. From what I can recall it was a bit too reliant on its typically simplistic suspense motif with little else going on of note.

Thanks for keeping it bumped up!

[KK 3,307]

I can't believe there's a massive thread for this, a totally average score. From what I can recall it was a bit too reliant on its typically simplistic suspense motif with little else of note going on.

The action writing is good. The themes and sentimental music sucks though.

[Jay 37,336]

LOST's first season themes were very good, but the next five years kept bringing even better ones IMHO.

As a whole it will probably always be his magnum opus

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

List's first season themes were very good

Franz List?

[Wojo 2,453]

Which way did Giacchino List, left or right?

[Quintus 5,399]

Some of us have been waiting for him to right himself for a while now. Because apparently he is sea worthy, so they tell me.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

As a whole it will probably always be his magnum opus

Could end up being the case for Abrams, Lindelof, and Cuse, too. Not a bad legacy.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Didn't Abrams hardly have anything to do with the show after the pilot?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Doubt it. Most people dislike Lost because of the final season. The greater public recoiled from the excess science fiction/mythology towards the end.

The final episode didn't help matters.

Every year since the final episode, the show's IMDb score has dropped by over a tenth of a point.

It's comrade-show during that time period, BSG has remained fairly stable by comparison!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Didn't Abrams hardly have anything to do with the show after the pilot?

No, it's not that simple. He wasn't on hand for much of it, but a huge part of the general story was his work.

Doubt it. Most people dislike Lost because of the final season. The greater public recoiled from the excess science fiction/mythology towards the end.

The final episode didn't help matters.

"Most people?" I smell hyperbole! Anyway, fuck them!

[Quintus 5,399]

Most people who dislike Lost didn't make it to the final season.

I gave up on it because I got bored of the flashback/contrived padding rumble sound effect.

[Wojo 2,453]

I got tired of each episode wasting half its run time on the flashback material. I know it was important but it bored me.

[Quintus 5,399]

Was it important though? Sure it was for key characters and plot points no doubt, but while watching I could just tell so much of it was going nowhere. It was filler, and it definitely was boring (compared to the fantastical mystery of the main story). I'd have watched it all if the back stories didn't keep destroying the pace of riveting events on the island.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Didn't Abrams hardly have anything to do with the show after the pilot?

No, it's not that simple. He wasn't on hand for much of it, but a huge part of the general story was his work.

Doubt it. Most people dislike Lost because of the final season. The greater public recoiled from the excess science fiction/mythology towards the end.

The final episode didn't help matters.

"Most people?" I smell hyperbole! Anyway, fuck them!

I smell a fanboy! Fanboy!

[Wojo 2,453]

OK, important in the sense that the pretentiousness of the show said it was. That everybody had run ins with other passengers before the island. Still boring. Like how every other chapter of Moby Dick is just boring whaling info.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Fuck you too! Idiot!

[Wojo 2,453]

Sometimes it's annoying to quote a post before replying. This is not one of those times.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's convenient actually. It's to both of you!

[Wojo 2,453]

I don't deserve that. Maybe you should go fuck yourself.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I don't expect such insolence from you! That Wojo guy, maybe, but not the esteemed Suina.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

As a whole it will probably always be his magnum opus

Yes.

I got tired of each episode wasting half its run time on the flashback material. I know it was important but it bored me.

Wasting? It was essential for understanding the characters and their motivations.

Was it important though? Sure it was for key characters and plot points no doubt, but while watching I could just tell so much of it was going nowhere. It was filler, and it definitely was boring (compared to the fantastical mystery of the main story). I'd have watched it all if the back stories didn't keep destroying the pace of riveting events on the island.

Boring filler that destroys the pacing? Come on, man! Considering the constraints of network television and commercials, the editing in this show is top notch. I'm interested to know where you left off (I'm sure we've discussed this before though), because the flashbacks stop at Season 3 when the entirety of these characters are established and understood.

[Wojo 2,453]

I didn't want to understand the characters' motivations.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Like how every other chapter of Moby Dick is just boring whaling info.

NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You broke your little ships!