My bad movie and Symphonic Choirs & Orchestra

[thanatopsis]

We put this rough cut of our 5-minute movie together one weekend in October, and had planned to fix it up for the local college film fest at the end of the semester. But then I learned that there wouldn't be a fall film fest, so it sat unfinished. Then I found out about the spring film fest in April a few weeks before it happened, but still managed to do nothing to get anything finished.
So the "full" orchestra I had pictured is pretty much just a few strings and a horn. It is certainly nothing to write home about.
But people kept asking me who sang in the choir. I had thought this rough draft was pretty lame, but some people actually thought it was real! Of course they weren't listening real closely. But it does show what a great piece of software Symphonic Choirs is, if a total novice with no real musical experience or training can make something somewhat presentable with it, after having played with it only a week. I'm sure none of you pros will be impressed, but maybe some newbies that are considering SC might be interested.

The "film" is really just our comment on all the "crappy" things people submit to the film fest; if they can do it, why couldn't we? Yes, it is dumb, but the 19-year-old target audience seemed to like it.
One of my vegetarian friends said it gave him nightmares, so viewer discretion advised I guess.

13-meg low-quality video version:
http://homepage.mac.com/thanatopsis/lost-lo.html

31-meg higher-quality video version:
http://homepage.mac.com/thanatopsis/lost.html

Stuff used, if you care:
a guitar (a real guitar, not RealGuitar)
Symphonic Orchestra Gold
Symphonic Choirs
U-he.com's Zebra 1.5 (weird noises)
RealGuitar
AmpliTube (distortion)
Reason 2.5 (drums)
Digital Performer 4.6 (sequencer)

Cheers,

Jim

[waldorf&stadler]

Man, you really stirred my interest! I really want to watch that film, but my browser keeps telling me I need a different plug-in, which (of course) it cannot automatically install. But I do have Quicktime installed!

I hate PCs............AND Macs...............Let's all switch back to ATARI :mad:

[fongi]

Back to Atari :p !? you don´t mean that Johannes right?:D

[thanatopsis]

Man, you really stirred my interest! I really want to watch that film, but my browser keeps telling me I need a different plug-in, which (of course) it cannot automatically install. But I do have Quicktime installed!

I hate PCs............AND Macs...............Let's all switch back to ATARI :mad:

Hmm. It worked for me on my Mac and my PC. (I haven't tried my Atari yet, but I do have an ST in the closet. Does it run QuickTime?) :)
Trust me, it REALLY isn't worth the effort, but I have another way that might work.
http://homepage.mac.com/thanatopsis/lost-download.html
If you click on "download" it might sit there forever and then play in the browser when it is ready.
If you right-click on the filename "i_once_was_lost" you should be able to "Save Target As...". The ZIP file automatically becomes an .MP4 on my Mac and PC. Hope that helps.

Jim

[waldorf&stadler]

Back to Atari :p !? you don´t mean that Johannes right?:D


Sure, I do! :D :D :D
Just think about how boring the computer world will become now that PCs and Macs use the same processors and possibly even the same OS... No more funny flame wars!

Now is the time: Rule Atari, Atari rule the circuits!

I'll try to download that film as soon as I've got a faster connection again. Will have to free up some space on my 30 Meg Atari HDD though...

[waldorf&stadler]

Trust me, it REALLY isn't worth the effort,

It definitely is! I really had a lot of fun watching your film :) . And the score is very well done, as is the sounddesign (especially in the end ;) ). The sound of the choirs to me is a mixed bag: The first Aaahs sound very synthetic, but in the end, when they sing words, they sound awesome. Overall, your scoring to picture works really great, and I like the movie that much, that I'll keep it on my harddisc, if you don't mind.
Btw. are you studying film?

[thanatopsis]

I really had a lot of fun watching your film :) . And the score is very well done, as is the sounddesign (especially in the end ;) ). The sound of the choirs to me is a mixed bag: The first Aaahs sound very synthetic, but in the end, when they sing words, they sound awesome. Overall, your scoring to picture works really great, and I like the movie that much, that I'll keep it on my harddisc, if you don't mind.
Btw. are you studying film?

Like I said, it was supposed to be a rough draft. The very faint "ahs" at the start with the guitar were intentionally cheesy. The more ominous "Ah" choir was supposed to be a placeholder. I was planning on going back and maybe make words, or at least varying the modulation and volumes. For the "test" (which became the final product) I just put the mod on full blast and left it there.
Even the final choir that sings words had nothing done to it. it started as "ahs" and then I used Word Builder with English words and maybe changed a few things after converting it to Votox. I didn't use the "learn" command or anything. I made this after having Choirs less than a week. It really is much more powerful and impressive if you know how to use it and spend more than 30 minutes on something. But it is still pretty useable right out of the box with little effort. Also, I was trying to make them understandable, as opposed to real. I can never understand a word real choirs sing. Symphonic Choirs can sound much more real if you don't care if they can be understood at all.

I'm glad the overall feel of the "score" came through even though I never got past the preliminary stuff. I just need more practice getting the stuff out of my head and accessable to others as I intended it. Very difficult!

No, I have never studied film, but I did major in news-oriented broadcast journalist. I can point out everything that is wrong with every shot in this "movie." But then we had 2 hours one afternoon to tape the whole thing, with no real plan in mind, and the next day it snowed and my sister left town for 6 months. So I guess I was able to do it "good enough."

Maybe next time the video will be good enough to merit spending more time on the music.

And feel free to do whatever you want with it.

Jim

[sinkd]

Sheer, undiluted genius.

(Excuse me. Nature calls.)

DS