Exile's Return

[vurt]

the marvel trailers are additionally interesting though seeing as you brought them up, because it was the first time, you could be seeing a film, where the trailer preceding the film, did follow on in the story from the film.

[ChameleonMusic]

id imagine reprise, yeah, as it's part of the main theme.

the trailer, will often contain either music that is a sort of medley of the actual film, or in some cases, as with scenes, music that doesn't make the final cut.
there are trailers with one composer, then the actual film has a different composer as there was a change mid project.

That's all spot on, but just to add...

Writing music for JUST trailers is massive business at the moment - it can earn significant money!

Most of the BIG Hollywood composers don't write trailer music - not really in their skill set as it tends to be needed VERY quickly and more 'out of the box'...meaning high quality orchestral mock ups or the orch mock up merged with a few real instruments...all massively saves money and time!

This leaves a niche market which has been filled by a number of specialist composers who make a living purely writing music for short trailers / teasers for big film releases...so often the trailer music has no link to the final film at all!

Immediate Music and Two Step From Hell are two of the biggest 'trailer music' specialists.

[vurt]

ah, thanks
makes sense really, as trailers often come long before a film is completely shot, let alone edited even for the first cut.
big hollywood composers, will generally score to one of the edits (or at least used to, my film studies, most of the books used older films, up to the late 80s possibly early 90s)

wasn't an area i had much interest in tbh, beyond sfx. so didn't go too deep.
by which i mean, my interests were in studio production, so my hard work went on those!

[ChameleonMusic]

Liked the instruments used in the outro, and the change of energy in the middle.
Also liked the choir. Can I ask what choir library you used? Was it storm choir?

Hi Ian,
Thanks for the listen and feedback!

Choir library is: Soundiron's 'Olympus Elements'...cheap cut down version of the full Olympus Choir!

I only use it's 'Syllable Master' function which excels at punchy, staccato, epicness that fits well into the mix with a bit of tweaking! Rest of the library is mediocre!

For soft, gentle choir writing I use Dominus by Fluffy audio...these short prayer songs are 100% Dominus Choir:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=536760&p=7614242&h ... s#p7614242

incidentally Aurora Choir (decent enough reputation) has just been reduced from £300 to around £30 on Pluginboutique.com...couldn't resist at that insane price!

[ChameleonMusic]

It flows beautifully moving seamlessly from delicate sounds to a massive orchestra.

What is that bell-like percussive instrument in the intro?

Perhaps there is a bit too much reverb in general? It sounds like I am listening sitting towards the back of the hall.

The weird rippling riff is a piano layered with a bell like synth.

The other bell (with a touch of delay on it) is a weird handbell bought in a bric-a-brac shop hit with a homemade beater (twig through a baked conker)...My studio is full of some seriously weird shit...I still go around garden centres testing out the acoustic properties of terracotta pots...well, I did before Covid anyway!

Reverb - too much for your tastes without a doubt!

Sort of necessary for this style, but I've made a note to possibly pull it all back a notch or two when I do the final version!

Reverb is actually varied a lot across different parts for a decent soundstage, but I fully accept that it's used quite significantly in this piece as a whole and it is a tad excessive on the choir...seriously, actually helps the voices blend in with such a full mix without pushing them 'forward' as such...lifts it 'up above' the mix' if you put a high pass filter on the verb!

Thanks for the listen and feedback!Always appreciated and often VERY useful!!!

[vurt]

i was once caught in morissons by the staff, attaching a clip on tuner to various kitchen items, then hitting them

[ChameleonMusic]

i was once caught in morissons by the staff, attaching a clip on tuner to various kitchen items, then hitting them

Been in that sort of situation a few times over the years...

"No I don't want to put plants in it, I want to use it as a percussion instrument, that's why I'm tapping it very gently with my hand"

"Yes, I'm aware that it's a f**king large fork, but it makes a really interesting noise...I'm not gonna break it and I'll probably buy it if just you let me tap it a few more times"

"Dude, to you it's a simple plastic tube, but to me it's a sonic marvel...just leave me alone so that I can blow a few more raspberries down it and then I'll take it to the till"

[vurt]

[jancivil]

So, the bass clarinet was real?

And as Jan has correctly mentioned (very good to hear from you,by the way..been a while) - I should've said "bass clarinet" not the more widely used Bb model! Yeah, it's real; if only recorded in very short melodic loops as such - listen with headphones and you can hear the keys clicking! Was going to be a little more involved, but became too complicated over the internet! Truth is that the final short melodic loops could've been done pretty convincingly via a Kontakt library anyway! tely IN at the moment! But I will also upload the 'none-choir' version as well for the more restrained clients!

It stood out as having a real kind of grain to it; very few libraries in my experience will sound like that without an exciter and very astute compression (preferably the source doesn't need all the help). Actually I know of one it might have been. Not a lot of key click in it, however. VSL has been putting key clicks in updates of certain of their woodwinds, and more multiphonics and gestures (eg., teh Rhapsody clarinet 'gliss').
Bass clarinet also built on Bb. A favorite instrument of mine.

[layzer]

epic.
this had sufficient wagbell
even for its short length.

[ChameleonMusic]

you have a knack for creating a dramatic feel in the music, I like that you found the orchestral climax, sounds good here, well done

Cheers - thanks for having a listen and taking the time to comment!

[ChameleonMusic]

well done.
All klischees of this sort of contemporary compo-style were fitted in very well.
Just had to stop, when the unavoidable epic choir broke in

Thanks Thomas - I occasionally write this sort of 'cheesy' stuff...why? Because I can sell it!

It's very much a little stale now, the 'epic trailer' style but it still needs 'composing' if you know what I mean!?

I think It's time though for some more varied ideas in the blockbuster film music world...a return to a few more electronic or hybrid scores or something a little more leftfield? Nice if more directors went out on a limb and took a few more chances with the music?

[ChameleonMusic]

So, the bass clarinet was real?

And as Jan has correctly mentioned (very good to hear from you,by the way..been a while) - I should've said "bass clarinet" not the more widely used Bb model! Yeah, it's real; if only recorded in very short melodic loops as such - listen with headphones and you can hear the keys clicking! Was going to be a little more involved, but became too complicated over the internet! Truth is that the final short melodic loops could've been done pretty convincingly via a Kontakt library anyway! tely IN at the moment! But I will also upload the 'none-choir' version as well for the more restrained clients!

It stood out as having a real kind of grain to it; very few libraries in my experience will sound like that without an exciter and very astute compression (preferably the source doesn't need all the help). Actually I know of one it might have been. Not a lot of key click in it, however. VSL has been putting key clicks in updates of certain of their woodwinds, and more multiphonics and gestures (eg., teh Rhapsody clarinet 'gliss').
Bass clarinet also built on Bb. A favorite instrument of mine.

Know what you mean about the 'grain' - agreed!

Have to admit that the trend to add elements such as 'key noise' into sample libraries is probably a step too far for me...I've always more looked upon them as 'instruments' in their own right that are based upon the real thing rather than clones as such?

Bass clarinet also built on Bb. A favorite instrument of mine.

Me too...brother played both clarinet for 20 years + and my eldest son (27) still does reasonably regularly...

Uni bandSoc 6 years ago (phone recording from the audience):

[ChameleonMusic]

It flows beautifully moving seamlessly from delicate sounds to a massive orchestra.

What is that bell-like percussive instrument in the intro?

Perhaps there is a bit too much reverb in general? It sounds like I am listening sitting towards the back of the hall.

The weird rippling riff is a piano layered with a bell like synth.

The other bell (with a touch of delay on it) is a weird handbell bought in a bric-a-brac shop hit with a homemade beater (twig through a baked conker)...My studio is full of some seriously weird shit...I still go around garden centres testing out the acoustic properties of terracotta pots...well, I did before Covid anyway!

Reverb - too much for your tastes without a doubt!

Sort of necessary for this style, but I've made a note to possibly pull it all back a notch or two when I do the final version!

Reverb is actually varied a lot across different parts for a decent soundstage, but I fully accept that it's used quite significantly in this piece as a whole and it is a tad excessive on the choir...seriously, actually helps the voices blend in with such a full mix without pushing them 'forward' as such...lifts it 'up above' the mix' if you put a high pass filter on the verb!

Thanks for the listen and feedback!Always appreciated and often VERY useful!!!

REVERB - update...yeah, I reviewed it for my final version and I'm gonna pull it down a few % across the board...definitely will add more clarity...thanks, again!

[thomekk]

well done.
All klischees of this sort of contemporary compo-style were fitted in very well.
Just had to stop, when the unavoidable epic choir broke in

Thanks Thomas - I occasionally write this sort of 'cheesy' stuff...why? Because I can sell it!

It's very much a little stale now, the 'epic trailer' style but it still needs 'composing' if you know what I mean!?

I think It's time though for some more varied ideas in the blockbuster film music world...a return to a few more electronic or hybrid scores or something a little more leftfield? Nice if more directors went out on a limb and took a few more chances with the music?

Mark, I did not want to sound harsh or so, sorry. Was just a spontaneous reaction I guess.
And part of my perception of this kind of movie score music. Which you managed to do well.
And yeah, I know of course that it is work to make something like that, no doubt!

I see myself here often more as a listener or better (as it is the case with movies it's underscoring/commenting) movie watcher, who has to bear this kind of stuff - and very often it is annoying me, because of the klischees it is carrying out. I really do see me in this case more as a consumer, who wants to have a good movie... and often the repeatetedly bombastic score gets me out - and that's not ideal.
Don't want to open the "old movie music vs. new movie music" can, but yeah, I like the old movie music more (not that all of it has been good, but most seems more colourful - maybe because there was more freedom for the composers

And yeah, I've seen lots of movies with that kind of epic stuff. All those epic ingredients seem indeed to me sort of stale - as the years go by.

I don't have an idea for what could be better... only - as you mention - if the directors would took more "risk" to let more colourful, maybe "leftfield" or whatever it should be called, alternative styles, ideas, freedom let go for the composers.
What I learned so far from others, who do stuff for trailers and movies, is more on the opposite side - not much time, the job has to be done, composer as part of the team, sometimes the last in the chain with not much range to act autonomous.
Which is the case, I guess.

But this should not forbid a consumer disliking how that cheesy music sounds. Not subtile and just a foreign matter (to me in some of those movies). Of course it is hard work nevertheless