Disney/Pixar influenced piece.

[Hanu]

Hi all!

It's been a while since I've had any time to compose, because my other music projects. Now I am doing a website portfolio, so I need some cues for that. This is the first one. It was hard to get back to composing after such a long break and also I've bought lots of new tools, so I had to figure how to use them. I made it yesterday and today (listening it with fresh ears) I changed some levels. First time for me to compose something like this and I know it's a bit repetitive. I tried to make it more interesting with orchestration. Tell me how it worked. I might go back to it after a couple of weeks and maybe add some parts to the piece.

I used Symphonic Orchestra Platinum for the percussion, brass and woodwinds, LASS for the strings, Hollywoodwinds for the runs and some Cineharp also. Theres also Cubase plugin Reverence with Bright Viennese Hall preset in the master channel and limiter to boost the volume.

The story: The idea in it is really simple. Basically it's a scene where a comical delivery boy is trying to deliver a fragile package that is already late. Lots of running and jumping around. In the end(0:54) somebody pushes him and he starts to spin. The package flies high and in the final hit the delivery boy jumps on his belly and catches the package.

Please comment the composition, use of libraries and mixing. I don't have any mastering skills, so if you have any suggestions about that it would be great.

Enjoy!

http://www.box.net/shared/z7hsjb0szq

[paulwr]

Originally Posted by Hanu

Hi all!

It's been a while since I've had any time to compose, because my other music projects. Now I am doing a website portfolio, so I need some cues for that. This is the first one. It was hard to get back to composing after such a long break and also I've bought lots of new tools, so I had to figure how to use them. I made it yesterday and today (listening it with fresh ears) I changed some levels. First time for me to compose something like this and I know it's a bit repetitive. I tried to make it more interesting with orchestration. Tell me how it worked. I might go back to it after a couple of weeks and maybe add some parts to the piece.

I used Symphonic Orchestra Platinum for the percussion, brass and woodwinds, LASS for the strings, Hollywoodwinds for the runs and some Cineharp also. Theres also Cubase plugin Reverence with Bright Viennese Hall preset in the master channel and limiter to boost the volume.

The story: The idea in it is really simple. Basically it's a scene where a comical delivery boy is trying to deliver a fragile package that is already late. Lots of running and jumping around. In the end(0:54) somebody pushes him and he starts to spin. The package flies high and in the final hit the delivery boy jumps on his belly and catches the package.

Please comment the composition, use of libraries and mixing. I don't have any mastering skills, so if you have any suggestions about that it would be great.

Enjoy!

http://www.box.net/shared/z7hsjb0szq

Very repetitive as you say. Also very short. Any library music I've done is required to be longer than this... just fyi. Three minutes is common. Would work very well for what you suggest and I like it. I think this would broadcast pretty well as underscore. Some added verb may add some more depth as well, but not necessary. You hear a lot of underscore done both ways: pretty dry and fairly ambient.

Keep at it. At least some of your music examples are going to need to show you are skilled at changing moods well through a piece.

-Paul

[Strezov]

Nice vibe, but really gets a bit repetitive. Perhaps you could jump through some keys and make some modulations?

[Hanu]

Originally Posted by paulwr

Very repetitive as you say. Also very short. Any library music I've done is required to be longer than this... just fyi. Three minutes is common. Would work very well for what you suggest and I like it. I think this would broadcast pretty well as underscore. Some added verb may add some more depth as well, but not necessary. You hear a lot of underscore done both ways: pretty dry and fairly ambient.

Keep at it. At least some of your music examples are going to need to show you are skilled at changing moods well through a piece.

-Paul

Hi Paul!

I am really happy that you replied for this, because last time you were such a big help with my trailer experiment. I agree that it's too short and repetitive but I kind of like that it's happy and fast troughout the piece and doesn't change it's mood. I am going to work on some other cues now and get back at it maybe next week. Hopefully next version is going to be longer. Any comments on the realism or the orchestration? What about mixing?

Thanks for the reply!

Originally Posted by Strezov

Nice vibe, but really gets a bit repetitive. Perhaps you could jump through some keys and make some modulations?

Hi Strezov!

Your absolutely right! I have one modulation in there in the end but thats not enough. I could use more modulations and try to add some changes in the piece overally. I am glad that you liked the vibe.

Thanks for listening and taking the time to reply!


-Hannes

[Matthias]

The overall sound is very good. Nothing to complain.

About the piece itself, well, everything has been said. It just needs lots of more work and ideas. But the direction is right

[Hanu]

Originally Posted by Matthias

The overall sound is very good. Nothing to complain.

About the piece itself, well, everything has been said. It just needs lots of more work and ideas. But the direction is right

Hello Matthias!

I was kind of hoping that you would jump in and say something about the sound. I've loved the sound of your pieces and if you say it's fine, I have to believe it. Of course it's not even close to your production level but the most important thing here is that directors and producers who I might work with think it sounds good enough.

Thanks for the answer!

-Hannes

[Benedict Nichols]

I really like the opening phrase, nice harmonies, but then yes, i would say it was little too repetitive for the loose story idea you have in mind...for that kind of thing I would want definite hitpoints to work to.....

[Hanu]

Originally Posted by Benedict Nichols

I really like the opening phrase, nice harmonies, but then yes, i would say it was little too repetitive for the loose story idea you have in mind...for that kind of thing I would want definite hitpoints to work to.....

Hi Benedict!

Thanks for the nice words. I agree with you that if I had a video to work with I'm pretty sure that it would be easier to create changes in the music to fit the picture better. Now without the video I have to make the scene in my head and try to get some changes in there. I'm going to try that next week and see what comes out.

-Hannes

[tedreedy]

hey Hannes!I really like the colors you have going on here, esp. with the wind accents! yeah the repetition limits the piece's effectiveness... I think the first 1 or 2 times is fine, but then it needs a modulation or some kind of development, otherwise it sounds like we're stuck in a looped video game music. for instance, I think the part near the end where the drama increases was great, but it's not that big of a change! -- musically something like this could actually come much earlier in the cue as a subtle development to the story, and then the "catch" moment itself could be much bigger! also I think you might be able to improve the short string pulses' articulation & execution to liven it up a bit. use some RR, layering of patches, and CC11 to really make those short notes breathe some life! then it will be totally OK. this is a really solid start though man, quite enjoyable! good job!

[Hanu]

Originally Posted by tedreedy

hey Hannes!I really like the colors you have going on here, esp. with the wind accents! yeah the repetition limits the piece's effectiveness... I think the first 1 or 2 times is fine, but then it needs a modulation or some kind of development, otherwise it sounds like we're stuck in a looped video game music. for instance, I think the part near the end where the drama increases was great, but it's not that big of a change! -- musically something like this could actually come much earlier in the cue as a subtle development to the story, and then the "catch" moment itself could be much bigger! also I think you might be able to improve the short string pulses' articulation & execution to liven it up a bit. use some RR, layering of patches, and CC11 to really make those short notes breathe some life! then it will be totally OK. this is a really solid start though man, quite enjoyable! good job!

Hey Ted!

Because all the the feedback, I am definitely going to work on this and try to develop it further. I agree with the modulations and I already added one modulation in the "main theme". Hope it helps a bit. I just need to think what could happen in the story so I can compose some music for it. Any ideas about that would be greatly appreciated.

I agree that I could use some more time for the realism of short notes.

Thanks for the encouraging words Ted!

-Hannes