KVR Audio

You™ · Post by **You™** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:11 pm

In all fairness, there are some interesting theme’s that don’t really seem like “themes” at first blush – although the Jeff Rona quote that Sepheritoh posted probably covers all the bases…

For example, Forbidden Planet’s theme - one of the first all electronic scores by Louis and Bebe Barron sounds as unique today as it did in 1956. Alain Gorageur’s music for 1973’s Fantastic Planet is way cool – although it has a nice repetitive theme that I can hear in my head right now... Abigail Mead’s spooky music for Full Metal Jacket and of course Wendy Carlos’s stuff for everything from Clockwork Orange to The Shining to Tron. (That last one’s pretty thematic!) I was also thinking of Stewart Copeland’s percussive soundtrack to Rumble Fish and Carter Burwell’s stuff from Being John Malkovic.

The point is, it’s not about “retro,” “techno,” “pop,” “ambient” or harmonic structures so much is that (to me at least) it’s about creating a passage of music or sound that symbolizes the concept or character of some science fiction story. A theme could sound like almost anything but it should at least be obvious. It’s kind of like the old Justice Potter Stewart ruling on what constitutes hard-core porn, "I shall not …attempt further to define the kinds of material… but I know it when I see it…"

That’s my personal definition, so please don’t feel like it has to be applied to everyone. However, it would seem that I am not alone. Just let’s not have this digress into an argument about what is dub or not.

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:48 pm

I think themes are about branding and to support the visual storytelling with an audio-shorthand for identifying characters and actions...

You hear 10 seconds of Star Wars, and you know it's star wars, no matter what crappy modern movie it's atached to.

You hear "lukes theme", and you go:"Oh, I see...he's yearning...searching for something more.

You hear the Empire's excellent theme, and it encapsulates militant facism in 5 seconds.

IMHO, a theme says:"Here I am, this is what I do" and does it in a way you walk away whistling.

I like some ambient stuff, but I couldn't tell you what the Blade Runner "theme" sounds like, or the "Alien" theme or whatever.

My entry this month is admittedly meant to be a change of pace, as much "Cleopatra 2525" and "Powerpuff Girls" or "Teen Titans" or "Buffy" as anything else...all of which are fine fantasy wiv sci-fi overtones.

Yep,

-S.

bluedad · Post by **bluedad** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:52 pm

You™ wrote:Just let's not have this digress into an argument about what is dub or not.

You™ · Post by **You™** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 8:55 pm

Hi Gary! I hope you'll enter

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:00 pm

Just let’s not have this digress into an argument about what is dub or not.

Oh, I forgot this one.

My entry is not dub!

-S.

pHz · Post by **pHz** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:02 pm

Sleek Month wrote:
Just let’s not have this digress into an argument about what is dub or not.
Oh, I forgot this one.
My entry is not dub!
-S.

yes it is

slainte

rob

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:09 pm

Well, the song isn't...what "entry" are you referring to?

-S.

Glooper · Post by **Glooper** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:12 pm

You™ wrote:PS: Glooper, I love your song and the cover art! Where did you get the picture(s)? I mean, was it from something really called "Captain Starman?"

Cheers You...

I'd like to take full credit for the cover art...

... but really I did a google search on captain starman and found this...

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/ ... 645659.htm

Believe it or not it's an old 50s Japanesse cult tv series! It looks fantastic! I especially like the alien costumes, amazing stuff!

Ben

mystahr · Post by **mystahr** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:12 pm

In the intrest of human kind there should at least be a theme. For some reason I seem to be receiving vibes that tell me that there is no theme;

When did that happen

Ja.x · Post by **Ja.x** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:13 pm

If you ask me, IMHO this "theme" thing is pointless (it translates for bullshit)

: you know what the theme is (if any) after listening to the whole soundtrack, or after seeing a movie endless times. Can somebody listen to a 2 min track and say "Yeah, it's a theme!!!", or "Nah, not a theme..."

Come on, get serious!

mystahr · Post by **mystahr** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:15 pm

It would help me greatly if there was a theme...

I can get on with my entry then

Sleek Month · Post by **Sleek Month** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:50 pm

you know what the theme is (if any) after listening to the whole soundtrack, or after seeing a movie endless times

I'd say you're incorrect there. Your John Williams stuff, you know the theme as soon as you hear it...what did it take, 10 seconds of Star Wars before you knew the theme?

-S.

Ja.x · Post by **Ja.x** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:26 pm

I'd say you're incorrect there. Your John Williams stuff, you know the theme as soon as you hear it...what did it take, 10 seconds of Star Wars before you knew the theme?

Nope, I don't agree:

1-You figure out it's the theme because it's placed on the movie in what it was suposed to be the movie's theme place (along with the generic intro, or any other critical moment of the movie).

2-You know it's the theme after watching the movie. Before that, it's the theme just in the author's mind and will, not because any special caractheristic of the music itself (tempo, duration, key, number or type of instruments, etc...).

The bottom line is, in my opinion, no bit of music is a movie's theme before the movie makes the theme of it. And the theme of a movie can be any piece of music: I can remember several pieces that existed prior to the movie itself (remember Kubrick's 2001, for example).

Sepheritoh · Post by **Sepheritoh** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:35 pm

Jax, I'm not sure what it is you are saying, but it sounds like bull. The Jaws theme as an example was totally unique and as soon as you heard it in the movie you knew that the shark was approaching (maybe because you knew the story is about a shark). The changing tempo and the specific notes of the music sounds scary even to a child. I can think of many other examples but the basic point is that a good theme will put the emotions in the mind of the viewer the first time he or she hears it.

plunge · Post by **plunge** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 11:40 pm

It's an interesting discussion, the idea of theme.

I agree that a theme can be just about anything, but I don't think any ol' piece of music will make a good theme just because you repeat it when the main character makes an appearance. If that were the case, then everyone would be making film music.

Obviously the key element is how it works with the picture and since we don't have a picture, then perhaps the point is moot. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" was carefully selected to evoke certain emotions for 2001 because it defined an idea. I also love how Barber's "Adagio for Strings" fits in Platoon because it sort of works against what you see on screen.

Perhaps a better contest would be to provide a two minute video clip for which everyone has to score a soundtrack. I wonder who would have the ability to do that? I don't mean talent, I just mean the technical set up and know how to score to a quicktime .mov file.

june contest - GOSSIP