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The Composer's Thread


Justin

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Hey guys,

Recently I've been working as a "composer" on a short-film of a friend of mine, and it was a beautiful experience. I taught me a lot of useful stuff about the process of composing for film and it makes you admire the works of the great ones even more.

Here's the demo of the ending cue of the film. Hope you enjoy it, has a couple of Morricone influences :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zMJNmKY0mI

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  • 1 month later...

I just noticed this thread, and there is some fantastic stuff here. I too compose when I get the chance but thats besides the point. I brought this up earlier on the board, but I thought I'll just do this again. If some of you guys are interested looking for new things to score for fun, just sign up for the composers challenge thats going on right now!

http://composerschallenge.wordpress.com/

Just thought I'd put it out there.

- KK

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is a short musical story (in a way) I composed as a tribute to my friends.

I absolutely adore Williams' style and his concept of leitmotif, so I decided to replicate it in this song (as in all my music as well).

Like Williams, there are some recurring motifs for the characters, both disguised and changed to fit the "scene".

There are the Hero's Theme, The Villain's Airship, and The Race Fanfare.

Other than that, each "cue" has it's own theme, or distinctive sound. Perhaps the composers in here will be able to tell me where each theme pops up (Challenge, anyone?) !

Now I'm only 16, with 5 years of piano, and no training in theory. This took me a while to create, as I don't have a midi keyboard and I had to input the notes onto finale "by hand".

Please let me know of any criticisms of any kind! Thank you! :)

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Here is my latest work. I created the preview video slideshow, including an original soundtrack, for next year's National Park Travelers Club convention.

Thanks for listening!

Do use edirol? The french horns sound like it. Good piece!

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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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Oh wow...I just realized who you are! Alain Mayrand!!! I knew that name sounded familiar!

Big fan of your score for the Legend of Silkboy. One of the best scores of that year! Love your work!

- KK (a dude who is quite happy to meet a really talented composer...alright, not really meet per se :P)

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Alain, nice music. Really refreshing to hear someone write with a flair and competence for orchestra. I'm going to buy your Legend of Silkboy off of iTunes based on the samples. Really nice stuff. Other samples are equally inspired. Love your use of the octatonic scale in Fantastic Highway Chase as well as those pointillistic sections. Keeps the listener entertained. I also like the economy of orchestration. It's not all tutti chords but instead a nice thickness through contrapuntal writing- something that is sadly lacking in a lot of big Hollywood scores. And thanks for using percussion as an accentuation in your action music rather than groove oriented. Personally you've made my week with your music.

Cheers!

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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.

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Hey Alan,

Considering I have never really communicated with many professional composers before, you'll have to forgive my enthusiasm. However, I'm curious, are there any future projects coming up for you? I love Legend of Silkboy and I'd love to hear more stuff from you. Listening to the work I can access, I love the enthusiasm and the energy you infuse into the orchestra. Just hearing all the players bursting with such great energy in its tiny details in cues like Fantastic Highway Chase is fascinating. Also found the textures of Comforting Skin very interesting.

And are you Canadian? That's the icing on the cake!

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Hello Alain, nice to see you here.

We had talked in facebook and I had expressed there my fodness for your music!!

* * *

Here's another piece from a dramatic short I scored (it has the same theme of the End credits i had posted earlier):

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Hi KK, yes I am Canadian. I have some projects coming up, one that is very promising, but nothing concrete yet. I've been busy with concerts though, so that's good, including an orchestral commission coming up for a concert in March.

Thank you very much for listening to my music KK, and appreciating all the details I so carefully put in!

Konstantinos, nice to see you here as well! I had to click on the YouTube video to find out who you were...!

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Yes, this was done with Edirol, thanks :)

Here is my latest work. I created the preview video slideshow, including an original soundtrack, for next year's National Park Travelers Club convention.

Thanks for listening!

Do use edirol? The french horns sound like it. Good piece!

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Just found this little piece when I was cleaning house. I wrote it for a friend's short film a few years ago. It's not doing me much good just sitting in a bottom drawer of my desk, so I might as well post it here. Enjoy!

http://k004.kiwi6.com/hotlink/3zym3jo58n/01_track_01.mp3

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi again,

a short video of scoring session footage from "Comforting Skin". This is definitely not in the John Williams style here, but I do hope the ladies and gents on this forum might appreciate this...

All the best,

Alain

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  • 1 month later...

Here is a piece I wrote back in University as an eager film music student: 2005 I think

http://soundcloud.co...bird-chase-2004

And score here. Bird Chase.zip

You'll might here some JW references ;)?

I love that!

If i ever make a film, you'll be the composer :D

By the way, those samples are FANTASTIC! It actually sounds like a live orchestra! I cannot believe my ears.

<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

Did i notice some influence from BTTF in "The Arrival"?

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This is a song I composed for a class competition. In it, each of the grades (9-12) were supposed to make a song that best represents their class. Instead of covering an existing song and changing the lyrics, I decided to compose and write my own. Of course, since it's orchestral and not modern it was hit with a LOT of hate. But in the end, we pulled second place (First place was freshmen, who did "Price Tag") because my complex lyrics and rhythm were hard to follow. I don't have the actual footage of us singing up yet, because I want to put lyrics on it so you know what were saying, but in it, it really sounds like we're mumbling. The only intelligible part was the chorus. The lyrics themselves tell a story about each year of high school. Tell me what you think!

And yes, it is very inspired by "America, And The Dream Goes On". And yes, that is me conducting the Senior class.

This is the instrumental I wrote in Finale!

Lyrics:

Seniors, Seniors, and we will conquer all

Seniors, Seniors, and we will conquer all

In grade 9 we young we were just freshmen

We were Scared and shivering

We didn’t know what the year had in store for us

But this is only the story’s beginning

We tried our best to fundraise money

By washing cars on Friday

We brought our class together with

an event called Fresh Day

Seniors, Seniors, and we will conquer all

Seniors, Seniors, and we will conquer all

Sophomore year, that’s when we evolved,

class spirit to a degree

We were well on the way to becoming the

Class that we were always meant to be

In Junior year, we had some stress with

AP classes teaching.

Even though we had that work we all

Still Knew what we were seeking

Seniors, Seniors, and we will conquer all!

Remember Joseph’s T-Rex Arms,

And Lica’s moldy chicken

And Grace accepting an award for Grace Wang

With the mem’ries that we all have

you can hear us sing:

“Seniors, Seniors!”

Now we are all at the end of the year

Our story comes to close

However there are still things more to tell

With memories to still expose

Students surviving English 12,

With books like Ivanhoe

And government quizzes about the Law

Making us say “ oh, no”

Seniors, Seniors And we will conquer all!

Think of Pastor Collins and Ms. Marquez,

Our freshman class sponsors

Now Mr. Raj and Ms. Yeaton

Sing with us

“Seniors,”

Even though next year, were going to schools

That may be really far

In our hearts we will always be together ‘cause

we all know what we are

We’re Seniors, We’re Seniors , and we all came

We’re Seniors, We’re Seniors , and we all saw

We’re Seniors, We’re Seniors,

We’re Seniors, We’re Seniors a

and we conquered all!

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Here is a piece I wrote back in University as an eager film music student: 2005 I think

http://soundcloud.co...bird-chase-2004

And score here. Bird Chase.zip

You'll might here some JW references ;)?

I love that!

If i ever make a film, you'll be the composer :D

By the way, those samples are FANTASTIC! It actually sounds like a live orchestra! I cannot believe my ears.

yes, I agree, it's a very good piece.

But i'm positive those are not samples. It's a real orchestra! ;)

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This is a song I composed for a class competition. In it, each of the grades (9-12) were supposed to make a song that best represents their class. Instead of covering an existing song and changing the lyrics, I decided to compose and write my own. Of course, since it's orchestral and not modern it was hit with a LOT of hate. But in the end, we pulled second place (First place was freshmen, who did "Price Tag") because my complex lyrics and rhythm were hard to follow. I don't have the actual footage of us singing up yet, because I want to put lyrics on it so you know what were saying, but in it, it really sounds like we're mumbling. The only intelligible part was the chorus. The lyrics themselves tell a story about each year of high school. Tell me what you think!

pretty good, though I am NOT a fan of your samples, especially the strange clicking sound, but the rest is quite good.

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This is a song I composed for a class competition. In it, each of the grades (9-12) were supposed to make a song that best represents their class. Instead of covering an existing song and changing the lyrics, I decided to compose and write my own. Of course, since it's orchestral and not modern it was hit with a LOT of hate. But in the end, we pulled second place (First place was freshmen, who did "Price Tag") because my complex lyrics and rhythm were hard to follow. I don't have the actual footage of us singing up yet, because I want to put lyrics on it so you know what were saying, but in it, it really sounds like we're mumbling. The only intelligible part was the chorus. The lyrics themselves tell a story about each year of high school. Tell me what you think!

pretty good, though I am NOT a fan of your samples, especially the strange clicking sound, but the rest is quite good.

Oh yes. I only have the default samples that came with my Finale 2009. And that clicking sound is the snare drum, I think. What clicking sound are you referring to?

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I've been composing experimentally with FL Studio, EWQL Silver and Edirol since a few years (as a hobby) and uploaded a few of the better pieces here - http://www.myspace.com/rkrish_muzik/music

I'm having difficulty creating traditional symphonic pieces as I have no idea about musical theory, but am trying to work on that. Please do tell me your views and suggestions. Thanks! :)

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  • 1 month later...

This is a song I wrote for a girl (but she's not my girlfriend), and I decided to play it for my consecration!

Her brother is on violin.

Any thoughts?

It's heavily inspired by the Theme from Sabrina, and it's a new style of writing for me!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
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  • 2 weeks later...

I got a better library, so it sounds much better than my previous ones, and it's my second ever "flow-ey" song.

Enjoy!

Great cue!

Have you considered redoing some of your earlier compositions with the new library?

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http://soundcloud.co...west-soundtrack

^^ This is my attempt at a Morricone style - and I mean Morricone specifically. I listened to a lot of his stuff and made a list of all of the distinctive elements that make the music sound so 'wild westish' (excuse the terminology) - and then tried to compile them together into my own original composition that borders on pastiche :)

The trumpet part was actually recorded live which I feel gives it more of an authentic sound.

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Hi all,

I thought I would share some of my compositions here. At www.markcandasamy.no/listen.html you can listen to a fair amount of my film work. I just recently got a website, so would be nice if some of my fellow composers here might check it out! :)

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This is a movie I filmed last friday. It's a "prologue" to another video I made last year, and this was supposed to be a longer video, but Iat the time, I was only able to film the first half. As I was editing, I thought I should just upload it!

I used Finale's movie window to write an actual score (as opposed to writing general music before the actual movie). It was an intense experience.

If you listen closely there's only two themes.

Darren's theme , which I tried to make like a classic Williams bad guy motif, inspired by Dovchenko's theme

Christopher's theme, which sounds a bit like Key's theme from E.T (played in it's true form at the end logo)

yes, we're teenagers and we're not professional, but I enjoyed making this and writing the score.

And yes, this was a big homage to The Dark Knight Rises Bane/Batman sewer fight.

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[media=]

This is a movie I filmed last friday. It's a "prologue" to another video I made last year, and this was supposed to be a longer video, but Iat the time, I was only able to film the first half. As I was editing, I thought I should just upload it!

I used Finale's movie window to write an actual score (as opposed to writing general music before the actual movie). It was an intense experience.

If you listen closely there's only two themes.

Darren's theme , which I tried to make like a classic Williams bad guy motif, inspired by Dovchenko's theme

Christopher's theme, which sounds a bit like Key's theme from E.T (played in it's true form at the end logo)

yes, we're teenagers and we're not professional, but I enjoyed making this and writing the score.

And yes, this was a big homage to The Dark Knight Rises Bane/Batman sewer fight.

Do you not have any orchestral sample libraries? Good effort by the way.

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The third trailer I created and wrote the score for. In this one, Christopher Pratt's motif is very prominent (perhaps over used). I developed it more than the previous trailer, and yeah.

This is the last video before I move to college, as I move in to my dorm tomorrow. I don't know when I'll be able to write music or film more videos, so enjoy! :)

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  • 2 months later...

An orchestral / action / random cue I started but abandoned:

http://soundcloud.co...le/no-direction

Do you think it sounds too Williamsy?

... Ah, while I'm here I might as well post here what I'm working on today! Only started it this morning but it's a bit more focused than that other track. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxJchh4XMPInMUhqOGNJQ3dIVWc

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  • 1 month later...

The FINALE of a short historic war drama I scored (i had posted the End Credits some pages before).

The special thing about it is that i posted the alternate (original version) [0.00-0.59] and the film version [1.00-end] of the piece together.

For the alternate, I was asked by the director to write something in the mood and atmosphere of a certain John Williams piece.

I'm not sure if you can find what it is. ;)

Anyway, it didn't work so much, and so I did the final film version..

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ah, there's a "composer's thread", didn't know!

The FINALE of a short historic war drama I scored (i had posted the End Credits some pages before).

The special thing about it is that i posted the alternate (original version) [0.00-0.59] and the film version [1.00-end] of the piece together.

For the alternate, I was asked by the director to write something in the mood and atmosphere of a certain John Williams piece.

I'm not sure if you can find what it is. ;)

Anyway, it didn't work so much, and so I did the final film version..

That's really nice. love the viola (violin?) that joins at 40 sec.

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Also, guess I'll post my new song here then instead.

God damn I love that Shadow of the Colossus feel...

it's the old EWQL platinum..

Yeah, that's the SO. They are good samples actually. (good work with the balancing too, in your score)

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