next »

[Daniel James]

Hey Guys,

I just started up a video blog to keep a record of my progress as I work on new projects.

Would love to hear your comments (if anyone is interested in composition that is haha)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqhb9Kg5st0

Let me know guys :D

Dan

[Danmark]

Hi Daniel. The best moment in P1 was "...I'll watch the film, which I've done about 20 times now, which is a long time for an hour and a half. How long's that? I'm not even gonna work it out, I'm crap at maths".

It was worth watching, gonna see parts 2 and 3 later on.

What I wonder is where the melodramatic film score style (or whatever the hell it's actually called) comes from? Is it part of your specification? Or is it implied in the films when you watch them? No offense, the music you showed in P1 sounds good, it's just not that interesting- which I've found to be the case in all films that carry the style. In a way that makes sense, because music is rarely a primary focus of a film.

But since I cut my furious reading habit at the age of 12, and my furious gaming habit at 17, listening to music has been my primary source of enjoyment. So every time I hear a "typical" orchestral score in a film I feel somehow disappointed. Are composers like yourself are being constrained by your audience' expectations, or your masters' expectations, or the derivative style of the actual films you score (if applicable), or do you just find it the most enjoyable form to compose?

Sorry for the incoherent sextuple-barreled question, it's just something I've wondered for a long time and never had the opportunity to ask. Although I believe that most of what can be done in music has been done, films seem to be extremely limited in their importation of styles from this grand medium. Admittedly it could just be that my ears are so saturated with black and black-derived (so-called "popular") music that I can't even hear the distinctions between pieces in other styles, so feel free to make that accusation.

[Daniel James]

Hey,

I fully understand what you mean and I will try to answer the best I can.

When I compose a film I am effectively providing a service, so the music I write will be what the director (or producers) want. I do alot of independent films at present and one thing that happens alot is that the temp track will be 50% Transformers (if I hear the track 'Arrival to earth' one more time ill hit something) and 50% Hanz Zimmer score (more recently The Dark Knight')

So before I even begin I have restrictions on how far I can take my own compositional voice, If you watch my newer videos I talk about how I am harmonizing themes for the neutral situations...which I have a bit more creative freedom over.

On to another aspect of your question(s)...The Audience. When an audience watches a film they have a certain expectation of the music they are going to hear, and if I go to far from this expectation it can be verry jarring...or even worse, in their mind, the music doesnt work to picture.

At the end of the day my music must work with the picture and let the audience know 'what to feel'and 'whats going on' the most effective way is to use styles they are familiar, and already associate with.

I hope that answers your question. 

Dan