Dixon Hill

not too shabby. second best hobbit poster so far, I'd say!

They're showing the new vlog. Some shots of the recording sessions so far.

Ye gods, there really is no pleasing you!

Even more changes! PJ has made the Dwarves French!

Ye gods, there really is no pleasing you!

You know, Shore/Metric is a catchy combination. I dig the singer's voice. I think I like the idea of a Shore/Sheeran tune. Why not?

Not bad at all.

Saw yesterday Anastasia (1956) as a sequel to Nicholas and Alexandra I had seen the day before.
A well deserved Oscar for Ingrid bergman.

Does anyone miss the opening main titles with sweeping melodies in old films? I surely miss them!
I don't know but it's an element that makes a film timeless for me.. That grand introduction waiting for the movie to start...

Super 8
Loved this even more the second time. Omnipresent lens flare "jokes" be damned. I am an unapologetic Abrams fan. Plus, there's this.

I was at a friend's house last night, and she has one of those TVs with a higher "scan" rate or whatever. The result is essentially the same as 48fps in film. An episode of Modern Family looks as though it were a home movie you shot standing behind Ed O'Neil with a handheld camera.
It's not a matter of "progress" or "getting used to it." It's a fundamental aesthetic problem. It looks too real. You might say that that's the point, to make things more immersive, and yet audiences for many decades have had no issue being immersed by traditional filming techniques. However paradoxical it is, one of the linchpins of immersion and cinema magic is to present things through that flat, dreamy lens we're all so familiar with. I don't think 48fps will last.

Naturally. One for each room.

Probably one of my favorite John Adams pieces...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyU-Zazmk0E
It's so infecting! (in the good way)

Thursday night, I felt compelled to conduct the first two discs of Two Towers ... again.
Amazing how short two hours can feel with a stick in your hand.
Eh ,,, wait

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d6gt5fBzjc

Ooo la la, that white one is nice looking.

I think Doug should get an Oscar or something for his patience, good humor, and general contributions to the film music community in both literary and message-board form.

KHAAAAAAAAAAAN!

I think Doug should get an Oscar or something for his patience, good humor, and general contributions to the film music community in both literary and message-board form.

I'd bet you wouldn't get anything but a hole in your bank account.

Hmph!

I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind.
Karol

Shore wrote every note you'll hear, same as ever. He writes themes away from picture, then writes the actual compositions to picture. It's the same process he's always used.
At the same time, he supervised the orchestration and the recording. This is a newer part process, however, he's implemented it to a lesser degree on his last couple of projects (going all the way back to Hugo), so it's not entirely new. No one noted a signifcant difference in sound then, and no one will notice one now.
Does the NZSO sound like a different ensemble to discerning ears? Sure, a bit -- but no more so than the sound of the LPO changed over the years as membership changed. The ensemble that played FOTR wasn't exactly the same as the ensemble that played TTT, etc. If you picked up on this, you'll notice a slightly different sound to the group. If you didn't notice this, you won't notice anything here. The engineers, etc. are all Middle-earth vets, so they've made sure the sound flows seamlessly.
Does the conducting change the sound? Well, not really, to be honest. Shore's principal job as a session conductor is to make sure that the ensemble understands the overall concept. So Shore worked with Pope through much of the summer -- and continuing through the fall -- to make sure he understood the concept. A session conductor is obviously not playing with tempo or even with interpretation, because that messes with the sync and the mix. It's a different gig. Even most of the balance comes from the ears in the booth.
And though it's getting silly, I will reiterate, Shore is entirely healthy. Saw him last month, and he looked better rested than I do on the Hobbit appendices ... speaking of ...
No, Shore did not sit down for a new face-to-face interview for the appendices. Part of that was due to schedule (most of the appendices material was shot during the spring and summer when Shore was working on DOS; part of that due to the fact that sometimes people just don't enjoy having a camera shoved in their face. Shore is a pretty private guy. Despite the fact that he knows everyone in the industry, his inner circle is relatively small. There's a reason he lives in a forest. He likes quiet. Many composers do, which is hardly surprising.
The musical emphasis in this years appendices was songs, anyway. That was always going to be the focus, Shore or no Shore. I was asked to speak a little about the songs and to speak a little more about Shore's work, which I was happy to do. I've watched the doc once with my wife, and I showed the first few minutes to my parents, and that'll probably be the last time I look at it. I hate seeing myself on camera. But, it's good! The emphasis is definitely on the songs, but I believe the tentative plan is to do more in-depth score discussion next year.
I know that these threads last longer and are more entertaining when we all resort to exaggeration, in-character posts, and negativity that requires responses, but please try to remember that this is how ugly rumors get started. And rumors are strong currency in the fan community. Making a joke of a person's health is never cool; there's no way to sugar-coat that.
I don't stop by here that often -- though I stop by often enough to see who's making fun of me ... gotta keep the "naughty list" up-to-date! But, if you have questions -- the type that I can actually answer -- feel free to flag me on Twitter (@DougAdamsMusic) or on the blog (www.MusicofLOTR.com)
I don't want to dissuade conversation here, but maybe all these "curious," "suspicious," "doom," posts could give way to actual material discussion if you'd just ask! I'm not scary. Just look at me in the appendices doc ... I'm really just a scrawny musician-type with access to interesting people.
Ok. Horse out.