Epic/Action Showreel

[Thomas-Adam Habuda]

Hi Guys,

I am ready with my Epic/Action Reel. I would love to have any comments/suggestions on them, like on my previous reels. I got some really useful/helpful advices for which I am trully grateful. Feel free to comment on the sound quality (mixing/mastering) on the compositions (which tracks should I throw out) etc. anything.

http://www.mediamusicfactory.com/mus...n_reel_128.mp3

Thanks for listening and sorry for the headaches

Best,

Tom

[Phillip L.]

It's good, but why is "wish upon a star" in there? Plus, at the beginning, it's very staticy. Export it with high latency, and there won't be any of that.

[ChemicalReaper]

Originally Posted by Phillip L.

It's good, but why is "wish upon a star" in there?

Hey, whatever gets him in the mood to right action scores.

To me, this sounds very Metal Gear Solid 3. By that, I mean, it sounds like something Harry Gregson-Williams could have written... until the choirs come in, then it sounds very original.

Not sure about the random switch to John Williams in the middle where the percussion disappears.

Other than that, a fantastic piece.

Is the static at the beginning deliberate? I couldn't hear static through the rest of the piece.

[Thomas-Adam Habuda]

Hi,

Thanks for your comments!
Phillip L.: 'Wish Upon a Star' is only a subtle joke for those producers who may listen 50 Action Reels/day. May be for them it will be a refreshing moment to hear some gentle/different tune after many bombastic stuff and therefore I can 'reset' their attention level before my real material begins. Though of course I am not sure if it was a clever idea or not. I hope it's long enough to appreciate it if you 'get' the idea and short enough to ignore it if you don't. In the begining which part did you find 'staticy'? The few seconds long bridge between "wish upon a star" and my first track? If yes, that was deliberate.

ChemicalReaper: Thanks for your kind and supporting words, I really appreciate them. Could you please tell me which random switch did you mean? And why you are not sure about that? Thanks for your time and help!

Tom

[ChemicalReaper]

Sorry, not John Williams... I meant Hans Zimmer. Lol. And it wasn't near the middle at all...

Right around 13 seconds, it kicks into a Gregson-Williams style, which I love very much, and it sounds absolutely phenomenal. At 53 seconds, you add the choirs, and it goes from being Gregson-Williams to being Thomas-Adam Habuda.

At 1 minute and 25 seconds, the tone of the music suddenly shifts from being action in 4/4 to sounding like it's in 6/8. And it sounds like Hans Zimmer's "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Then at around 2:48-2:50, it goes back to being a Gregson-Williams style. Then you add the soloist and guitars, and it goes back to being Thomas-Adam Habuda again.

Then at 4:15 or so, it cuts right back to Gregson-Williams.

At 5:20, God only knows what happens lol. It goes into like... hip-hop.

From about 6:30, it begins to sound lyrical, with woodwinds and strings all over the place, like John Williams. Then at around 6:45, it subtly switches back into Hans Zimmer.

At 6:57, it sounds like underground club music like that by the Hitman series' composer Jasper Kyd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyEbDUK_pG4).

At approximately 7:05, you switch back into a lyrical, almost John Williams style. Then you go techno again, which makes it sound again like Jasper Kyd. Or maybe pop music?

And again at 8:00, you sound lyrical like John Williams, with maybe a bit of Hans Zimmer epic-ness?

Then at 9:00, it sounds like Harry Gregson-Williams, but this time, in the style of Shrek (specifically, it made me think of Fiona's bird-song scene - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9B_J...260CD857890BB7), but I know there's a better comparison... I just can't put my finger on where I've heard something similar before...

Then at 9:36, you do something amazing... you make what sounds like a Hans Zimmer's Pirates doing an impression of Gregson-Williams' Metal Gear Solid, and you take that and add choirs.

Whew! That post was a lot longer than I was anticipating (I didn't plan on going step-by-step and style-by-style through an 11-minute song!)

EDIT: Sorry, all the times I said "Jeremy Soule", I meant "Jasper Kyd" (Jeremy Soule is another game composer [The Elder Scrolls, Prey].)

[Thomas-Adam Habuda]

Thank you ChemicalReaper for your detailed response. I am honored to be compared with such big names, though I am not sure if I should take it as a compliment (not from your end, just as it's overall meaning to me), I never try or like to sound like others. I love John Williams, I am not a die hard fan of Hans Zimmer and Gregson Williams's music (though I like them pretty much, especially Hans's earlier works) and I have never heard of Jasper Kyd (sorry). Still I do appreciate your kind words and your taking the time to reply twice.
I'd love to hear more oppinions on the sound quality, the compositions/orchestrations etc. and simple facts why you like one track and dislike the other.

Thanks,

Tom

[ppjmd]

Tom,

Your stuff sounds excellent - much higher than the norm from so many sample-based composers. I really like the "Atmosphere" track that plays on your site - very creative.

Keep it up!

Chemical Reaper, so you basically tell him he sounds like other people...? These guys' styles are so general that it is not fair to put this poster in "their styles."

[Thomas-Adam Habuda]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your compliment, it feels really good to hear that. Also glad that you liked 'Atmospere'.

Jasper Blunk: Thanks for pointing out what I couldn't, I totally agree with your point.

Tom

[VinceMS]

Hi Thomas,

What is the opening cue for the intro called?