Sounds taken from:

Door Creeks

Small motors

Popcorn popping

microwave

polariod flash

record scratches

sparks

value pump

bus door

apple crunch

deodorant

drill

metal clank

digital camera flash

Report:

Objective:

My objective was to create a sound design sequence for Terminator 2.

Visual element/s highlighted

One of the parts I wanted to highlight was at 0.06’ where the robotic arms are moving in unison when drilling the robot body. I wanted to capture its smooth motion using the sound of a door squeak which changes pitch up or down dependant on its forward or back movement.

The composers approach you adopted:

From watching the film THX 1138 I closely observed how Walter Murch’s sound design played an integral part in capturing a scene’s context.  In the scene where Robert Duvall is getting examined, all the little arms and devices have sounds, which replicate small motors, clicks, pops and gyros giving the robotic parts a brittle and mechanical sound.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

A new audio technique I made use of was the piano roll’s automation control, which allowed easy pitch manipulation of selected samples through my self made exs24 SFX instrument.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

This task is practice as research as through experimenting with a large array of everyday sounds I gradually found ways of creating gestures which implied/suggested/etc the motion of a selected object. An example of this was my use of pitch to give an impression of a speeding up drill filament as it began to perforate the metal body frame.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would give myself a 70% as I have created a piece that explores how sound can be manipulated in an accurate fashion to make a sound design piece believable and contain a strong amount of attention to detail.

Word Count: 247

References:

THX 1138.1970.[dvd] George Lucas. America: Warner Bros

The microphone was placed over the ‘bell’ of the cymbal (including inverted cymbal) to achieve a sound that would contain obvious the various harmonics the cymbals produced. I exsperimented with different mallets, fingers, pencil and a woollen mallet. The tones were then further varied through how hard I played and where I struck the mallet. The effect was meant to capture the cymbals tones from “Root Beer”.

Report:

Objective:

My objective for the task was to create a percussion score for a selected clip from “American Beauty”.

Visual element/s highlighted

One part I wanted to highlight was at 1.47’ where we see the eruption of the rose petals. The bursting motion was captured using an ascending muted harp in conjunction with a cymbal being hit harder and harder with a soft mallet.

The composers approach you adopted:

I wanted to capture Thomas Newman’s use of percussion in “Root Beer”, especially the cymbal playing.  I experimented with different mallets whilst hitting the instrument at different areas in various dynamics to try and achieve contrasting percussive colours.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

A new sequencer technique I learnt was the use of syncing the music from the cheerleader performance. This was done by accurately chopping the audio in the sample editor before finding its tempo through the locators.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

A music technique I learnt was the use of creating polyrhythms through layering simple beats on top of each other often giving the impression of complex rhythms.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

My experimentation of using exs24’s ethnic samples gave me control over a sound’s characteristics through changing midi parameters. An instance is pitching the percussion to extreme low and high ranges.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would give myself a 70% as I have used percussion in a way that shows stylistic traits of the original track “Root Beer” with special attention to re-creating the cymbal sounds found within the original score.

Word Count: 243

Report:

Objective

My objective was to compose a piece using woodwind instrumentation to the ‘Firebird’ section from Fantasia 2000.

Visual element/s highlighted

The clip demonstrates two clear contrasts; firstly nature’s spirit exploring the smoke from the crater and secondly to the dramatic eruption of the volcano which leads into a chase scene. I took inspiration from Stravinsky’s  ‘Firebird’  & ‘Rite of Spring’ as a basis for my composition.

The composers approach you adopted:

An aspect of “ The Rite of Spring- Part 2” in which I wanted to interpret was the staccato string motif. I used a similar string rhythm in my piece incorporating other instrumentation to play melody lines often on an offbeat on top of the steady pulse.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

In terms of technical findings, I made special use of the velocity MIDI parameter. This created a more dynamic orchestral setting that could better reflect the visuals.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

A music technique I learnt was woodwind colouration through listening to Stravinsky’s style of this technique and then applying it to my piece.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

Through emulating Stravinsky I learnt about how he uses ascending and descending scales of melodic motifs to link contrasting parts of the score together. I found through applying this it helped my piece have smoother transitions from one musical cue to the next.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would award this task a 70 mark as I feel the extensive research and compositional process has improved my orchestral skills required to hopefully work effectively with the clip.

Word count: 246

References:

Book:

Adler,Samuel. (1982). Scoring for Woodwinds. In: n/a The Study of Orchestration. London: W.W Norton and Company. 214-217.

Score:

IGOR STRAVINSKY. 1967. The Rite of Spring. Music Score. London: Boosey and Hawkes Publishers Limited

Here below is the video of the Re-Score for the film North by Northwest. The reason its slightly lower quaility than the file given is because my computer could not handle a ‘mov’ in logic so I had to convert to mp4

Report:

Objective:

 My objective for this task was to compose a score using brass instrumentation for the film North By Northwest.

Visual element/s highlighted

The part I especially wanted to highlight was at 0.58’ where the plane turns round and dives towards the main character. The pitch and texture of the ostinato gradually increases, creating tension and suspense, which are relieved in a climactic crescendo once the plane has narrowly missed the character.

The composers approach you adopted:

I developed my piece based on Bernard Herman’s main theme for ‘North By Northwest’. The main theme is based on call and response in the brass section and begins in the key of Am before being modulated to the minor 7th (Gm) in the second phrase. I implemented this throughout my piece using not only the call and response method but also similar instrumentation and tonality.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

For the first time I used the exs24 zone editor to trigger the different brass variations through inputting MIDI triggers from the piano roll.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

Musically I used several instrumental playing techniques including glissando, staccato, legato and trills to create variation within the brass arrangement.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

This is practice as research as I attempted to added realism to my orchestral score by using elastic time. This was extremely effective at 58’ where the increase in tempo illustrates the planes acceleration.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would give this task a 70% because I successfully explored the areas of the brass family with reference to Bernard Herrmann’s original score in an attempt to create a piece that would seem similar to fit the musical context of the film.

Word count: 254

References:

Web:

n/a. (n/a). North By Northwest – Bernard Hermann. Available: http://www.soundtrack-express.com/osts/northbynorthwest.htm. Last accessed 25/2/2011.

For this task I wanted to make the score relevant to the original by taking some of themes and then making variations from theme. I took around four different themes in total. Here they are below!

Theme 1

As you will hear when listening to my score the main parts of the composition are constructed through this theme. I really wanted to using this as a backbone for the composition and I feel it really works. The variations upon this theme are broad, obvious and in some cases very subtle!

Theme 2

The classic theme that everyone knows! This was used within the score at points of climax mostly once the tension had built. Such a scene when the women wakes up and this notes are played when shot of the cops face is at the window.

Report:

Objective:

My objective was to compose a score for a section of the film Psycho.

Visual element/s highlighted

I particularly wanted to highlight the section where the lady is responding to the officer’s questions. I used a clear ostinato which used a call and response technique so that the phrase rose in pitch every time the lady answered the policeman’s question, to imply tension.

The composers approach you adopted:

The composition for this clip was inspired by Bernard Herman’s score for “Psycho”. I wanted to approach this task by using the film’s original theme but incorporating what I had learned from the “themes and variation” task to recycle and manipulate the themes in a creative manner.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

A MIDI editor I used was the piano roll. I used it for syncing parts carefully and accurately to ensure that the musical changes happened in cohesion with the visuals.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

A musical technique I used in this clip was the manipulation of notes within a theme to create variations, such as applying augmentation and diminution to the intervals between the notes.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

I found how to emphasize tension within the scene by creatively exploring the use of strings and certain unusual playing techniques of this instrument to create tension that would fit the context of the clip.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would give this task a 65% mark  as I feel, through practice as research that my score is similar to the original with variations of the theme through the experimentation of arranging for strings.

Word count: 248

Violin range: G3-A7

Viola range: C3-E6

Cello range: C2- C6

Double Bass range: C2-C5

Some Stringed Instrument Playing Techniques:

Vibrato: This a difficult technique to accomplish on a strings instrument. It is created by the finger  being placed on the neck of the instrument which then moves slightly up or down with pressure creating a sound of the note ‘flexing’ back and fourth.

Glissando:  This is a slide effect sometimes used as a transition between two notes, a glide if you will from one note to the other.

Trill: This technique is where the string player plays one note then quickly applying another finger just after the first note then choosing between the too notes and the trill speed.

Tremolo: This effect is created with a exstremely fast motion on the bow. Quickly moving up and down, the speed at which to the players preference. Of course the quicker the movement the more difficult it is to distinguish.

Staccatto: This is a more harsher tone separating the notes playing one at a time. The bow is pressed hard onto the strings and then the bow moves once for this technique, per note. It can not be a smooth motion otherwise it would then be classed as a legato technique. This affect is great for more rhythmic sections.

Spicatto: This technique is similar to ‘staccato” the difference being that the string is bounced on by the bow it still has a sharp attack however a much shorted release.

Legato:  This effect generates a smooth motion from the constant bow movement of ‘up and down’. This motion means that the notes that are played are smoothly transitioned from one to the other.

References:

Websites:

n/a. (n/a). Range of Instruments. Available: http://www.orchestralibrary.com/reftables/rang.html. Last accessed 18/2/2011.

n/a. (2001). String Technique Glossary. Available: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~leonid/glossary.htm. Last accessed 18/2/2011.

Report:

 Objective:

My objective for creating this score was to compose a piano piece for the chase scene in “The Dark Knight”.

Visual element/s highlighted

A section I highlighted was  at 0.41” in which Batman passes under the lorry. This was musically expressed by scale patterns, flowing from extreme highs to extreme lows.

The composers approach you adopted:

Through studying Danny Elfman’s Batman score it became apparent that he uses a diverse range of instrumentation. I composed for piano with this in mind to use it in an orchestral manner.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

A MIDI technique I learned was related to the step input keyboard. With this I was able to program notes that I could not play live, enabling more complex rhythms and more control over the selected note durations, pitch and velocity values.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

A music technique I learnt was concerned with making effective use of scale patterns and arpeggiations to convey drama.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

Through only using a piano we were given a compositional boundary. This proved to be a challenge, as I would normally rely on the orchestration effect to portray a style of film composition. Through using only piano I had to replicate orchestration effects and dynamics in a manner that reflected the visuals.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

I would give myself a 60% as I feel I used the piano in a way that showed how versatile the instrument could be with reference to Danny Elfman’s “The Batman” score as a compositional guide.

Word count:  242

Augmentation & Diminution:

‘ In melodic parts, the respective lengthening and shortening of the time-values of the notes. Thus, in a fugue, the subject may (epescially towards the end) appear in longer notes, a device which adds dignity and impressiveness’

(Kennedy, 1996, p31)

This use of rhythmic variation is a extremely strong way of making melodies stick out, giving the piece a “freshness” and direction that is based around a given theme. Of course there are other ways to variate a theme this can be done through, medoly variation, instrumentation  and timbre. With this in mind the below videos are from Danny Elfman showing how just from variation a rhythm the melody can take the composition through different transistions.

The Simpsons Theme

(I tried to find one with the video to match the theme, but most of the youtube ones were poor quality recorded on camera!)

The variations upon this theme are very simple often reflecting what the actions of the simpsons characters are doing. This creates a composition that reflects the actions of screen, a fantastic example of making the music contextualized! Throughout the video the notes of the melody shortens and lengths often with the same melody in mind. This is a classic example of how Danny Elfman has created a theme and variated accordingly and obviously throughout the track. In some cases there are elements where the theme is changed completely in terms of melody and rhythm often using using the same notes just re-arranged with a different orchestra texture.

Broken down into melodic segments, the last post shows how different parts of the melody re-arranged into shorter or longer melodic parts for the theme The Batman. Compared to the Simpsons tune the Batman offers much less subtle variations often that can only be heard through careful hearing. To me what strikes as a fantastic tool is the repetition of the melody often done with another instrument. The repetition re-enforces the theme often disguised behind layers of other orchestrated parts.

References:

Books:

Kennedy, Michael (1996). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of MUSIC. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. n/a.

Websites:

Variation 1

Variation 2

Variation 3

Variation 4

Variation 5

Variation 6

Report:

Objective

My objective was to create a theme then to create six variations focusing on rhythm and melody.

The composers approach you adopted:

The composer that inspired me was Danny Elfman. ‘The Batman” was a piece that used a simple theme, which would vary in rhythm and melody. At the start of the piece the brass introduction is a legato motif using Csharp, D, G then Fsharp. At 0.50’ it then changes to a staccato motif of the same melody line with the note durations shorter.  I made sure that rhythm was one of the main points for creating different variations with shortening and lengthening phrases, with re-arranging the notes in a manner to mask its original theme.

A MIDI/ sequencer technique you learnt:

A midi technique I used was using the piano roll’s velocity editor to create a more dynamic melody line.

A music technique you learnt through doing the task:

A main music technique practiced was the development of variations from a theme.

What did you learn through this task that is an example of practice as research?

For this task I wanted to focus on rhythm and I found through changing the duration of the melodic phrases I could construct variations that seemed different from one another exploring how I could make each variation contrasting.

What mark for this task would you award yourself and why?

For this task I would estimate the result to be a 65%. I feel through researching into different approaches of variations especially from Danny Elfman I could use apply these into this task ,the result hopefully showing my understanding.

Word count: 245