Zimmer's Man of Steel - Analysis

[Ludwig 1,120]

A different kind of Superman score for a different kind of Superman movie:

http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/hans-zimmers-score-for-man-of-steel/

I've devoted a section to a comparison between Zimmer's Superman theme and Williams'. The two are closer than you might think.

Your thoughts welcome as always. Cheers.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Another great article, Mark.

Could you do a sequel to this, perhaps focusing on some of the recurring harmonic and timbral ideas? I thinking of things like the white note clusters, Eric Norris's world engine sound design (a good example of a diagetic sound being foreshadowed in the score), the chord progressions for the lament etc.

[Ludwig 1,120]

Another great article, Mark.

Could you do a sequel to this, perhaps focusing on some of the recurring harmonic and timbral ideas? I thinking of things like the white note clusters, Eric Norris's world engine sound design (a good example of a diagetic sound being foreshadowed in the score), the chord progressions for the lament etc.

There's just so much in this score, it was hard to know when to just stop writing and say that's enough. Even simple but meaningful things like how the Jor-El/Kal-El theme is in A minor, but the Superman themes are in C major - the father and son are not only physically, but musically, "relatives" of one another, one a more tragic figure, the other more heroic.

Let me think about how to attack a sequel to this article. It would probably focus more on harmonic/tonal aspects - I didn't go too much into it here just for readability.

In the meantime, do share your thoughts on timbre and the world engine design - fascinating stuff, I'm sure.

[Quintus 5,399]

Great stuff as always Ludwig. Glad to see you're among the enlightened where this score is concerned. There's much more to it than meets the eye, which for me at least is a rarity these days.

Terrific soundtrack.

[Hlao-roo 389]

A different kind of Superman score for a different kind of Superman movie:

http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/hans-zimmers-score-for-man-of-steel/

I've devoted a section to a comparison between Zimmer's Superman theme and Williams'. The two are closer than you might think.

Your thoughts welcome as always. Cheers.

I think you're a dickhead for posting this.

[Ludwig 1,120]

A different kind of Superman score for a different kind of Superman movie:

http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/hans-zimmers-score-for-man-of-steel/

I've devoted a section to a comparison between Zimmer's Superman theme and Williams'. The two are closer than you might think.

Your thoughts welcome as always. Cheers.

I think you're a dickhead for posting this.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

The drone of the world engine is a fascinating sound. From what I've gleaned from this thread at Gearslutz it's partly sampled from acoustic sources (possibly things like car engines or the buzz of a wasp) and partly synthesised. The synthetic part is created through granular synthesis, an exciting and relatively unexplored (in film scores and pop music) means of sound creation. Here, sound is reduced to tiny grains, and the density, size and overlapping of these grains can all be controlled in real-time. The world engine effect is also randomly autopanned (explaining how it quickly swoops from one ear to the other), time-stretched, pitched down, and has a couple of LFOs at work (some for pitch, others for filter cutoff). An LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) is basically a low soundwave (usually a sinewave) below the threshold of human hearing, and like a ripple, it can create tremolo, vibrato or 'wah wah' effects.

@ 2:08

If I were to notate it, I'd have it in 12/8, with the C-Eb-C octave figure in the bass taking up 3 dotted semiquavers (1 1/2 bars), with the world engine motif on the last two beats of the second bar - 3 Eb/Ab triplet quavers to same dotted crotchet.

Although Zimmer didn't create this sound himself, the way he uses it as a signature for Zod and his cohorts' ruthless efficiency and their inhumanity, is quite ingenious.

IIRC, it's used in the following moments:

- Zod storms the Kyrptonian council

- Zod kills Jor-El

- Faora fights Kal-El in Smallville

- Zod activates his heat vision

[Ludwig 1,120]

Fantastic stuff, Prometheus.

You know, the insertion of diegetic sound effects into the score itself makes me wonder. Why do this? Why not leave it to the foley artists?

I'm starting to wonder if the trend towards these more percussive and sound-effect-like scores with highly manipulated sounds is an attempt to compose music within a framework that is now more dominated by booming sound effects than ever before.

Star Wars AHN was the first film to use Dolby stereo, which basically created the position of the foley artist. From there, it seems sound effects has been developing more and more to the point where, in blockbuster action films like Man of Steel, they are more prominent - not just louder, but also more detailed, and therefore more lifelike - than they've ever been before.

With that in mind, I wonder if scores like this one of Zimmer's has overwhelming percussive elements and this infusion of diegetic sound in order to compete with the bombardment of sound effects.

If that's the case, I also wonder how JW will manage to fit his more traditional-style symphonic score around all these sound effects in the new Star Wars film. Food for thought.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Interesting stuff. I think a similarly detailed analysis could be done for Inception, which I feel is another Zimmer score that is unfairly tossed aside as bland synthy droning. It's actually a fascinatingly tight work.

[Ludwig 1,120]

Interesting stuff. I think a similarly detailed analysis could be done for Inception, which I feel is another Zimmer score that is unfairly tossed aside as bland synthy droning. It's actually a fascinatingly tight work.

Inception, eh? I'll make a note. I have a list of suggestions I keep and it's only a matter of time before I'll do them. I just rewatched it recently too. There's certainly a lot that could be said there. Thanks.

[Richard Penna 3,695]

Very enlightening

My problems with the score have never been the main theme actually, which is a guilty pleasure (I love the trailer music). Nice to see Zimmer did bring something of Williams to the score.

It's the rest of the score that's just either boring or noise to me.

[Ludwig 1,120]

Very enlightening

My problems with the score have never been the main theme actually, which is a guilty pleasure (I love the trailer music). Nice to see Zimmer did bring something of Williams to the score.

It's the rest of the score that's just either boring or noise to me.

You mean the Joe-El/Kal-El theme or the Superman Heroic theme, or maybe the Superman Introspective theme? Just curious.

[Quintus 5,399]

The drone of the world engine is a fascinating sound. From what I've gleaned from this thread at Gearslutz it's partly sampled from acoustic sources (possibly things like car engines or the buzz of a wasp) and partly synthesised. The synthetic part is created through granular synthesis, an exciting and relatively unexplored (in film scores and pop music) means of sound creation. Here, sound is reduced to tiny grains, and the density, size and overlapping of these grains can all be controlled in real-time. The world engine effect is also randomly autopanned (explaining how it quickly swoops from one ear to the other), time-stretched, pitched down, and has a couple of LFOs at work (some for pitch, others for filter cutoff). An LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) is basically a low soundwave (usually a sinewave) below the threshold of human hearing, and like a ripple, it can create tremolo, vibrato or 'wah wah' effects.

@ 2:08

If I were to notate it, I'd have it in 12/8, with the C-Eb-C octave figure in the bass taking up 3 dotted semiquavers (1 1/2 bars), with the world engine motif on the last two beats of the second bar - 3 Eb/Ab triplet quavers to same dotted crotchet.

Although Zimmer didn't create this sound himself, the way he uses it as a signature for Zod and his cohorts' ruthless efficiency and their inhumanity, is quite ingenious.

IIRC, it's used in the following moments:

- Zod storms the Kyrptonian council

- Zod kills Jor-El

- Faora fights Kal-El in Smallville

- Zod activates his heat vision

When speaking of the World Engine motif, are you referring to that deep 'sci-fi klaxon' sound? Because I agree that it's an absolutely brilliant and evocative piece of sound design used pretty much perfectly to signal dastardly and otherworldly technological deeds here on Earth. One of the most unique effects I've heard in all of film music in fact.

And yet you're saying Zimmer didn't engineer that particular sound himself? That's a bit of a shame, because it's possibly the most memorable piece of the overall aesthetic from the score.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

When speaking of the World Engine motif, are you referring to that deep 'sci-fi klaxon' sound? Because I agree that it's an absolutely brilliant and evocative piece of sound design used pretty much perfectly to signal dastardly and otherworldly technological deeds here on Earth. One of the most unique effects I've heard in all of film music in fact.

I mean this awesome sound:

And yet you're saying Zimmer didn't engineer that particular sound himself? That's a bit of a shame, because it's possibly the most memorable piece of the overall aesthetic from the score.

Zimmer often outsources sound design to others - i.e. the iconic 'batwings' effect was created by Mel Wesson (who also worked on MOS for the more ambient bits).

For a complete list of credits see here:

http://www.discogs.com/Hans-Zimmer-Man-Of-Steel-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/release/4664203

I can't blame Zimmer for working like that. He thinks 'band' and comes from that collaborative background. Composing can be a very lonely business, and the guy is a natural extrovert (unlike Williams) - so a lot of this is just to keep him sane.

I compare it to Jerry Goldsmith not coming up with the blaster beam from STTMP or the stainless mixing bowls from POTA (that's Francisco Lupica/Craig Huxley and Emil Richards respectively). But that's the job of an inventor. The composer is the one who puts them in a musical context.

[Quintus 5,399]

Oh I'm not really criticising Zimmer for not coming up with it himself - I know how he works and do not object to it in the least. It's more just a case of Misty Mountains melody not actually written by Shore, again. My sentimental side just would have liked it if the composer was directly responsible for the most memorable parts, that's all. It's nothing really.

The sample you provided above is the sound I'm talking about, but it sounds relatively weak and non distinct in that particular instance compared to other moments in the soundtrack.

Anyway, have you heard Zimmer's and Lorne Balfe's work on Crysis 2? It's choc-full of this sort of stuff. One of my recent favorites.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

The sample you provided above is the sound I'm talking about, but it sounds relatively weak and non distinct in that particular instance compared to other moments in the soundtrack.

Yeah, I think that clip's from one of the teasers.

Anyway, have you heard Zimmer's and Lorne Balfe's work on Crysis 2? It's choc-full of this sort of stuff. One of my recent favorites.

No, but will check it out. Cheers.

[Quintus 5,399]

Sneak and Shoot is a brilliant track, imo. But the whole score is very strong.

[wanner251 17]

Very well conceived. The so-called "homage" is believable, as long as it didn't happen by accident. Since Zimmer did listen extensively to John Williams' original score before composing, the case could be made for both sides. It could be accidental or on purpose; no one can know for sure, unless it is documented as such from the source. As for the brilliance of the score itself..... I'm calling B.S. It's still Zimmer, Inc., and until he changes that approach, his scores will always remain to be Zimmer, Inc. It used to not be that way..... It doesn't HAVE to be that way....

I'm gonna go cry now...

[Ludwig 1,120]

Very well conceived. The so-called "homage" is believable, as long as it didn't happen by accident. Since Zimmer did listen extensively to John Williams' original score before composing, the case could be made for both sides. It could be accidental or on purpose; no one can know for sure, unless it is documented as such from the source. As for the brilliance of the score itself..... I'm calling B.S. It's still Zimmer, Inc., and until he changes that approach, his scores will always remain to be Zimmer, Inc. It used to not be that way..... It doesn't HAVE to be that way....

I'm gonna go cry now...

Thanks for your thoughts. One thing you'll notice is that I rarely make value judgements like good/bad, brilliant/awful in my analyses. There's enough of that on the internet. I always strive to offer something more on the objective side of things. (I didn't say brilliant, did I? I think this one was clean of those kinds of statements.)

It's harder with a composer like Williams, where the music is so obviously brilliant that to not say so would be very odd indeed. But with Man of Steel, readers can make of the analysis what they will. I'm simply trying to show what I believe to be objectively there.

As for the Zimmer Inc. thing, being a composer from the classical tradition myself, I certainly understand the criticism. That said, however, I think it's healthy to still see it as a bias. After all, think of past portrait artists like Reubens or Van Dyck. Those guys had armies of people in their studios and the artist himself would basically just do the face and hands. The same also existed in classical music, where composers would sometimes "farm out" the recitatives of their opera to their students instead of writing them themselves.

Now, of course, Zimmer isn't a classical master, but then, that's the point. I think too often we apply the same standards we hold artists to in the classical, concert hall tradition to film composers. In other words, for the past two hundred years, classical music has had the idea that if a piece of music wasn't all written by the same composer, it's no good because it lacks a kind of authenticity, a trueness of expression, if you will. I actually don't buy that argument, but that's the way it is.

Now take film music, which by its nature is a very different kind of music from that of the concert hall. It has a completely different function, different tradition, different expectations, etc.

If Zimmer and actually most film composers aren't primarily concert hall composers, why should we hold them to those same standards?

I'm not defending Zimmer here, but rather the idea of why we criticize film composers when they have help on their scores.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Very well conceived. The so-called "homage" is believable, as long as it didn't happen by accident. Since Zimmer did listen extensively to John Williams' original score before composing, the case could be made for both sides. It could be accidental or on purpose; no one can know for sure, unless it is documented as such from the source. As for the brilliance of the score itself..... I'm calling B.S. It's still Zimmer, Inc., and until he changes that approach, his scores will always remain to be Zimmer, Inc. It used to not be that way..... It doesn't HAVE to be that way....

I'm gonna go cry now...

Thanks for your thoughts. One thing you'll notice is that I rarely make value judgements like good/bad, brilliant/awful in my analyses. There's enough of that on the internet. I always strive to offer something more on the objective side of things. (I didn't say brilliant, did I? I think this one was clean of those kinds of statements.)

It's harder with a composer like Williams, where the music is so obviously brilliant that to not say so would be very odd indeed. But with Man of Steel, readers can make of the analysis what they will. I'm simply trying to show what I believe to be objectively there.

As for the Zimmer Inc. thing, being a composer from the classical tradition myself, I certainly understand the criticism. That said, however, I think it's healthy to still see it as a bias. After all, think of past portrait artists like Reubens or Van Dyck. Those guys had armies of people in their studios and the artist himself would basically just do the face and hands. The same also existed in classical music, where composers would sometimes "farm out" the recitatives of their opera to their students instead of writing them themselves.

Now, of course, Zimmer isn't a classical master, but then, that's the point. I think too often we apply the same standards we hold artists to in the classical, concert hall tradition to film composers. In other words, for the past two hundred years, classical music has had the idea that if a piece of music wasn't all written by the same composer, it's no good because it lacks a kind of authenticity, a trueness of expression, if you will. I actually don't buy that argument, but that's the way it is.

Now take film music, which by its nature is a very different kind of music from that of the concert hall. It has a completely different function, different tradition, different expectations, etc.

If Zimmer and actually most film composers aren't primarily concert hall composers, why should we hold them to those same standards?

I'm not defending Zimmer here, but rather the idea of why we criticize film composers when they have help on their scores.

Agreed completely. I'm also from a "classical" background, and I can appreciate that it's somewhat jarring to even see something like "orchestrated by (not the composer)", at least at first. But, I've been almost equally steeped in the tradition of groups like, say, Pink Floyd. Is their music lessened any by the collaborative nature of its creation?

In recent memory, look at Cloud Atlas' score. Written by three different people, and even a few other collaborators I believe, and it's really a stunning work to my ears.

As for whether or not "Zimmer Inc." is successful, or more fairly, consistently successful, with that approach, well....