alainmayrand
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Posts posted by alainmayrand
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KK, that made my day. Thank you my friend for making me feel like a star! I am very, very happy to hear that my music made an impression that remains.
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<p>Hello all, My name is Alain Mayrand. Here is some of my film music. </p> <object height="325" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1469637"></param>'>https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1469637"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="325" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1469637" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/alain-mayrand/sets/film-music-45"><br>Film Music</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alain-mayrand">Alain Mayrand</a></span> <p>You can also hear more on my site if you like. http://alainmayrand.com </p>All the best, Alain
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Hello all,
I've only posted here a handful of times but JWFan is my favourite film score related forum on the internet and the only one I peruse on a regular basis. So i can't believe I never mentioned this before...
I write a blog called "Getting the Score" where I share my observation on film scoring, which of course includes many posts about my favourite film composer, whose film music is a constant educational resource: John Williams.
Here's a link to get you started where I break down how many times the Hedgwig theme happens in the frst 20 minutes of Harry Potter I.
There are many more entries referring to John Williams' scores, you can use the search function of course, I won't burden you with that here.
Also, I plan to blog a lot more this year and I set up a poll to see what subjects you would like to read about. You can vote or add some ideas in the comment box. For example someone asked about insight into working as an orchestrator, so I alread asked an orchestrator I know who worked on films like "Secretariat" to answer a few questions for an upcomgin blog post.
Thanks to everyone, and thanks for the best film music forum on the web. Hope to see you on my blog!
Alain
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For what it's worth, JWFan is the only forum I now visit because the discussions here are more positive, insightful and interesting.
And since I haven't posted much here, I thought this would be a good time to say I do like this forum!
Alain
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Yes, there are a couple of new Roadrunnner shorts to be released on theaters and Lennertz is scoring them. Here's a short clip with his music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjZIeHDfshQ&feature=search
It sounds very Carl Stalling-y! :cool:
Mmm... I don't find that to be up to the level of Stalling at all, but then again, it's only a short sample.
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Use models that force you to learn new things, follow new paths, explore new avenues and grow. Do not always rely on what you know, but stand on the shoulders of giants.
For example, find something you like, analyze the crap out of it; harmony, melodic structure etc... then write something that fits that model but that is your own.
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Thanks for posting this Alain! An insightful article indeed.
You are completely welcome!
I was very happy to get some insight into the Maestro from his daughter like finding it rude to say good things about oneself, the walk at dusk (9 holes of golf) and that he sadly wasn't around much during his children's teenage years. I really enjoyed this one.
Glad I found this and was able to give something to this board which I frequent often but have not much to contribute!
Alain
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An insightful article I thought that gave me some extra perspective.
Cheers,
Alain
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Well this whole thing seems like half-composing to me: melody, textures, counterpoint, bass line, whatever... they are all part of the piece and all part of composing.
Dodd should get a composing credit.
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During his talk at the symposium in Vienna a few weeks ago, Dodd used a cue from Journey to the Center of the Earth as an example. He played Lockington's original composition (as a MIDI mockup) and then the final cue (orchestral recording) and also gave out copies of the score sheets. Lockington's piece was basically just chords with a simple melody above. Everything else was Dodd's.
Was there a big difference between the mockups and the final orchestral version? How barebones were the mockups?
And Dodd actually added to the composition by adding instruments, textures and whatnot?
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Have you people noticed the talent of British film composer Andrew Lockington? His score for Journey to the Center of the Earth is not only very listenable, but also very effective. The music really adds suspense to the otherwise mediocre film.
Andrew Lockington is Canadian. I've actually been in contact with him, because being a Canadian composer as well, I wanted to pick his mind, and he was very generous with his time.
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One theme of his that I really wouldn't have expected to like as much as I do is the Waltz from Princess Diaries.
Really, heh? I'll have to check that one out.
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Well, with Inspector Gadget, he was using a good theme to start and build with.
I heard some of the music for Iron Man 2 on Debney's Facebook, he had a video with Tina Guo playing the electric cello. It has the right mood and energy, but again, it was missing that something that gave it a memorable character.
Writing a good metal or hard rock riff is not about just being heavy and repeating notes, but there needs to be musical substance.
Perhaps that is the problem with Debney, he has the right moods, the right effects and really knows how to spot a film, but it is just a bit too light in the musical structure department.
And his orchestrations, in general, are really vanilla for my taste.
When I saw the movie "Dreamer" I didn't even realize there was a featured violin soloist. We saw "Aliens in the Attic" the other night with my two sons, and again, couldn't even tell if there was a theme in there. It was generic, safe music.
Also, have you ever noticed that his scores are pretty much always mixed very low in the film? Greg 1138 got it right: purveyor of musical wallpaper.
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I agree.
He is a very good, solid film composer. His scores always seem to follow the film very well.
I do find that he tends to be sort of unmemorable, generally. I often end a film with a Debney score with little or no sense of what the music was.
I also find that his orchestrations tend to be sort of opaque. They lack colour. Although once in a while he does something that has more colour, more transparency. Like "Dreamer" and even "Cats and Dogs", but his score to Zathura I found to be watered-down "Empire Strikes Back". (I think they must have temped with a lot of that score, and my impression is that he just took some part and removed the tune or something along those lines...)
I like his scores generally, bought some CDs and realized that they left me unfulfilled. The CD is over and I feel like I haven't really been listening to anything. It's almost there, but not quite, and I must admit I am not 100% sure what is missing.
I have "Cuthroat Island" as a movie, and even after having seen it a bunch of times, I couldn't sing you the tune. And I pay attention to those things!!!
Alain
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What do you guys think of John Debney?
I have my own opinion, of course, but I will reserve it for the moment. I am curious.
Alain
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But what did you guys think of his music?
I gave it a quick listen, no in-depth by any means. I thought it showed some promise, but overall, not sure... the textures felt too drawn out for my taste in general. But like I said, I didn't have the time to listen to everything.
Your thoughts?
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Do you still demo cues for directors using only piano?
Do you come up with ideas in your mind's ear only, or through improvisation at the piano, or both?
How many hours do you work a day?
Do you compose with the orchestrator in the next room still?
Where is your office/studio located?
In this digital age, does your music editor still serve the same function as before?
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If Williams had not changed his action writing since then, we would be complaining about him always doing the same thing! Some suggested that his use of dissonance is more extreme than before, so perhaps we cna consider that an evolution in styler.
He does seems more concerned with texture and movement/rhythm in his newer stuff, that is true. But things have changed since then as well. Before you actually HEARD the action cues! Now, the explosions and other sound effects overpower everything. Can you blame him for not sweating blood over things that people will not hear in the theaters?
On a personal note, I like his older action writing, such as "Tie Fighter Attack".
Alain
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Here's the beginning of a cue I'm roughing out for a documentary I'm scoring. Gotta love the fact that the filmmakers want a Goldsmith styled score.
Nice work! Great sounds, too, and nice antiphonal effect.
Alain
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For sure JW doesn't demo his own stuff. It was the USC seminar where he said that computers for music are beyond him. I think, personally, he was being humble, since he uses synths in most scores, including lots of sampled instruments as well. These days samplers = computers.
I seem to recall that Elmer Bernstein had someone sequence his mock-ups for him, based on his sketches.
For sure directors become "yes men" when faced with John Williams!
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But as you know, these days directors expect full-blow orchestral mock-ups of the cues. But with John Williams, his orchestrations fit the orchestra so well that a mock-up could never do it justice.
I am sure that people trust him in a way that they don't trust other composers. A new composer would never get away with demonstrating on the piano these days, sadly...
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I know Goldsmith was an early adopter of synths for mocking up cues, but as far as I know, JW doesn't use them to mock up, but I was often wondering about that.
Does he still present the music to directors only on the piano?
Alain
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Great thread!
You guys have already mentioned many good ones. Here are a few off the top of my head, all from JW.
Recorder: Window to the Past and Parade of the Ewoks
Celesta: Hedgwig's Theme. (I can't believe no one mentioned that one.)
Harp: Fluffy's harp
Contra Bassoon: Fluffy's Harp
Violin solo: Diagon Alley
Piano: The Snow Battle (I don't have the CD in front of me, it's in my van... but the title is something like that...)
Clarinet: March of the Villains
I'll keep thinking! This would be great for a film music take on "A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra"!
Alain
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www.alainmayrand.com
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Addams Family, by Marc Shaiman. It's a Shame, man, the he doesn't score movies anymore...
(Did you catch the pun?)
Alain
The Composer's Thread
in General Discussion
Posted
Hi David, that is very kind of you and very perceptive observations! The orchestra is not just a big mass of sound, and I personally like to have variety of colours and transluscency.. I am happy to see that my efforts did not fall on deaf ears! Your insightful comments are very much appreciated.