MikeH

I wonder if he was even asked? Too bad he couldn't continue with the series, but maybe his heart wasn’t in it anymore with Craven gone.

Just found it.

@ocelot might have some details on this. I can’t find the thread but a year or so ago there was a big discussion about the whole Gia/Williams Rogue One situation.

I must’ve listened to Departing Coruscant continuously on loop when the score first came out. The climax of that track is so soaring and magical.

My favorite has always been this moment between Palapatine and Anakin. At 3:04 you can hear what (I believe) are the first four notes of Shmi’s theme on trumpet. For me, Shmi’s theme in the prequel trilogy has always been more of a tragic motif used to highlight Anakin’s attachment, loss, and regret rather that just a character theme. The fact that it’s used right as Palpatine is offering to save him from further loss is such a haunting moment. Now someone on here has said that that’s not even the music Williams originally wrote for the scene (?). I’m not sure if that’s true or not. But even if it’s just lucky tracking, I think it’s a perfect moment.

I’m looking forward to whenever they put the Bond films on 4K discs, but only if they correct the majority of the audio issues that plagued the previous Blu Rays. Most of the pre-stereo Bond films have lots of issues. Why is it so difficult for studios to include the original mono or stereo tracks without messing them up? They often include heavy noise reduction, compression, and low bitrates. And the 5.1 remixes are a mess for the most part. I was watching the Man with the Golden Gun the other day, switching between the mono track and the “new” 5.1. It was very sloppy. Yes the score is in full stereo now, but cues often begin or end too early or too late, instruments are missing in certain cues (no Trumpets in “Search for Scaramanga’s Island), and there’s some severe compression which takes all the bite and air out of the score. The mono is no better, compressed to hell and the high end is lopped off. The special edition DVD and the 1993 laserdisc sound miles better. Listen to how the opening brass and the rest of the mix sounds in the Blu Ray release compared to every other released version. They took all the air and life out of it. Blu Ray DVD/Laserdisc/CD

Honestly I wonder what JW thinks when he hears new “cues” that consist of compiled 3-10 second micro edits of other cues.

What Burtt said about only having to answer to one person (George) in the past is the same story I’ve heard from other composers. John Barry said the same thing about Saltzman/Broccoli, that, love them or hate them, at the end of the day when you left their office you knew where you stood. Now you’re getting phone calls and notes from every corner. On his Spider-Man movie, Horner said he had to deal with a boardroom full of people who all had their own opinion on what the music should be.

This article details it a bit. He says they told him to just stay in his room, send sounds, and they’ll figure out what to do with them. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/12/ben-burtt-star-wars-sound/amp It’s like those new 5.1 or 7.1 remixes of older films. It’s almost always the case that the sound effects are increased in volume, new ones are added, and the score is turned way down. Jaws has such an aggressive mono track. Even though the 5.1 remix has the benefit of having JW’s score in stereo, it’s so wimpy because they simply don’t know what to do with the music levels.

Burtt has a model plane, a Nieuport fighter aircraft, dangling from the ceiling; there’s a miniature cutout of Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams standing in it, waving anachronistically from the cockpit. “Matt [Wood] put that there to torment me. I came in one day and he’s flying my plane.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/12/ben-burtt-star-wars-sound/amp

Re: Horner, this was from an article in late March of ‘98. Titanic Composer Sails to BankNEW YORK (Variety) - Forget the two Oscars he won for the music to ``Titanic.'' James Horner is creating more of a buzz for a ``Titanic'' soundtrack deal that has the composer homing in on a record payday that may be more than $20 million. Insiders familiar with the deal say it breaks down this way: Horner got an upfront scoring fee of around $800,000. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. He also gets royalty points on the instrumental soundtrack and shares publishing and songwriting fees for the Celine Dion hit ``My Heart Will Go On.'' Sources say the fees mean Horner will earn $1.20 per album -- a rate typical for platinum-selling superstar artists.

My favorite! @1m19s

“Escape Piz Gloria in a thrilling car chase through the Swiss countryside with animatronic Tracy and animatronic Irma Bunt!”

Yes. Hell I enjoyed those six seconds from 1:32-1:37 more than anything I heard in the last two scores.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll rehearse the orchestra.” -JW to an overzealous concertmaster. I wonder if this is the same person that Don Williams said stopped a take to correct bowing and then was fired the next day. Oops!

Thanks Pando! What samples are you using for playback?

That’s a pretty cool lick at 0:51!

The thought did cross my mind after the auction! But I played it last night and it definitely fit in my CD player!

I just bought a sealed copy for around $35! Couldn’t believe it, every time I’ve looked over the years it’s been $50 and above and just figured I’d wait for the expansion.

Sound effects have gotten absurdly overcooked. Listen to when Rey puts her staff in the net in that scene. Unfortunately the problem will never be solved unless you get knowledgeable directors who really understand how everything should work together.

Found two clips that compare the finales. I prefer Horner’s approach, feels more somber and tragic. Horner’s Abel (start at 9:16)

Jon Broxton goes into great detail on the situation here: https://www.filmtracks.com/scoreboard/forum.cgi?read=5299&expand=2

Lol yes. It’s a pretty hilarious argument considering what goes on with nearly every composer in Hollywood.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/fox-says-discovery-simpsons-composer-culminated-firing-1292397