Composers Ticker Tape Parade!

TheMacB said:
my gear was an acoustic guitar, an accordian, an egg shaker, a yahama S80 keyboard , and i actually went out and bought a triangle specifically for this music. it was vital. everything was recorded using the microphone that came built into my DVX except the S80 which i used to play the piano, upright bass, and congas direct. everything was mixed in Vegas.
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WOW. I thought for sure this entry included stock / pre-recorded music. EXCELLENT WORK!
 
EditPhish said:
I totally hear what you're saying.

But as viewers, unless it's OBVIOUS that it was source music, or soundtrack-type stuff (as per your above definition), there's no way to know. Not all movies had end credits. Not all music would be recognizable as original vs. loops vs. stock... And considering a lot of people here are multi-talented (or have multi-talented teams/friends/family etc.), how COULD you judge?

For example... JTyners first love is music... and we have a recording studio in our home. If we were to put rock music into a film, at least at this low-budget level, it would probably be something he wrote, or something he had a friend come in and write/record with him. It would be original, and while it might go more to the soundtrack, it wouldn't be "source music" or "stock music".

So as the judges of these films, how would it be possible to KNOW that oh, these guys did everything in the music vs. oh, they used some stock/source music written by someone else?

On this same conversation, how do you feel about a film that used downloadable 3d models vs. models generated uniquely for the film? This occurred in the fest as well, and the same type of conversation could apply.
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I see what you're saying, there's no way to know without end credits. But AFTER the fact, we can know. A #1 score should go to a film with a Score! :) Best Score implies Best Original Music, since score means original music. Best FX doesn't imply best original fx, best camera work doesn't mean you're reinventing the wheel each time you press record, etc...

I feel CPU deserves the #1 SCORE slot since it actually has a score. There, I said it! Somebody Shoot Me! lol


C.R.
 
I agree and I don't... see, best special FX to me would go to the guy who had great FX but also created all his/her stuff from scratch. Using pre-made models would be the same as using Apple Loops for your score.

If best "whatever" is decided upon based on points, and we're the ones voting, there's just no way we're going to know when we view the movie unless something is THAT recognizable.
 
MacB....I'm impressed. Great work. I definitely thought twice about that one when I heard it, wondering "is this an original score? nah it's probably some stock crap." Because it's so unique compared to most what people come up with as "movie music". And I mean that in a good way. I'm tired of "movie music".

RMI-Studios.... I'm with ya. The point should be original score, period. People should simply have to disclose if they did an original score vs. stock/loops. These contests are just mainly for this little community to gain experience and some recognition. It makes zero sense to have original composers competing against ... whoever it is that made the latest Royalty-Free-Collection-De-Jour. So it should just be a category that all the films don't necessarily have (like effects). And people should just make it clearly known when they submit. No sense in competing against someone that just paid for the use of someone else's music.

But it does get further complicated in situations like briceman's. Original music that the filmmaker aquires (often through great lengths and difficulty and searching far and wide for something that's just right). It sure seems like they deserve props in some way (as do the bands that provide the music for folks like us). But then making another category would be a bit batty. So I don't know that there's an easy solution.
 
Owen said:
WOW. I thought for sure this entry included stock / pre-recorded music. EXCELLENT WORK!
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hemophilia said:
MacB....I'm impressed. Great work. I definitely thought twice about that one when I heard it, wondering "is this an original score? nah it's probably some stock crap."
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thanks guys. yeah, it is real music. no stock samples or loops here.

(read this sentence with an irish brogue) i've been doing the music thing a lot longer than i've been doing the film thing but i've never done the music for a film.

here's another song recorded entirely with the DVX and mixed in Vegas. i performed it and wrote the music. and the lyrics were written by my little brother, evan (abraham), the director of A Brief Case.

www.elmatadorfilms.com/AllTheTimeYouKnow.wma

i also have a band called Stairs To The Roof. me on guitar and a bass player and a drummer. we have some rough recordings on our website: www.stairstotheroof.com. and we're about half-way done with our first real record which should be completed by the end of march.

i used to play keyboards in a band called Arcoda. check out www.arcoda.com. A couple of years ago we released a record with Levon Helm of The Band playing drums and mandolin on three tunes, Nate Alpert of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on a couple of tunes, and a bunch of great Boston players on the rest. The record was called At First Sight. There should be some samples on the site from a more recent EP and At First Sight. and you can pick up a copy if you like it. and i'll keep ya posted on the stairs to the roof record.

i'm glad people dug the music for the film as it was my first attempt at scoring. and very frustrating being by yourself scoring a film for a director who is hundreds of miles away, eh? you guys were in the same situation, right? isn't that really difficult?
 
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EDIT -- so there are two posts deleted 1) a long angry rant by me, objecting to part of Chris R.'s logic, but mostly being ticked about not being inlcuded in the discussion and 2) Chris H. telling me not to be such an ass hat, after it seemed (and understandibly so) that I was dissing him in the melee of asshatness that I was flinging at Chirs R. ... oh and we self moderated and delete our own posts BTW -- END EDIT

dude (Chris H.) -- I didn't mean to diss you at all -- not at all!
just riffing on the notion that this award was some big deal as it seems like some important crusade
I'm only pissed about being talked about instead of to, that's it.

Sorry if it seemed like any of that was directed towards you.

And you know what -- Chris R. is right, you and MacB desreve it. I'm just pissed about being ignored by Chris R. in the other thread and talked about. I'm also very tired and stressed from moving, so I'm going to delete my tome, and give over the best score award to the teams that deserve it, you guys and a brief case.
 
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I really don't feel the need to worry. This competition is great, and I would rather not have the award changed. We didn't clarify any terms, so as far as I'm concerned, everything should stay where it is. I get my fun out of working with the great filmmakers here, not talking about awards. That's nice, but I'd rather spend my energy on what actually matters - the music itself.

Great work on the competition jdanstan, and I hope to see your film in Hero Fest.

:)

-Chris
 
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thanks for understanding but,

I would rather have it changed - because
A) its tainted for me
B) while I was initially, using a very narrow definition of score that would exclude both ODD Squad and CPU, there's really no valid reason in the world to use that definition.
C) you and MacB wrote original music, I didn't. I curated and mixed. So lets make it an "original score" award this time around and we'll get it sorted for next contest as to how to handle this category.
D) it may not matter to you and the music may be more important but I feel it does matter to the community here, as folks like to feel that "things went down right" and that the awards are fair, and Chris R. is certainly voicing a reasonable opinion, so let's give the award for score to the top ranked guys that actually wrote original music!

And if none of that sways you, you can look at it as doing a favor for me if you like, you'd getting this albatross of speculation off my back, and I would be very appreciative. I don't like having something people seem to think I don't deserve.
 
yeah well I wish I had the time and the skill to get my Amelie on like you did -- I also assumed it was stock, because it was so good.

I did compose music for "Shed", which also won 2nd place in DVXuser fest, always the bridesmaid lol, but what was just right for it happened to be just at the edge of my compositional abilities, and I had time ...check it out if you like -- I'm a total hack compared to the guys here, but woudl welcome feedback from real composers on my "real score"
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=36136

This time I was doing all these compositing effects for the first time ever, and we started and wrapped a week late on shooting due to illness in the older cop's family + it would take me like 3 months to produce full on nasty funk piece like the ones I used and then it still wouldn't be as good.

But surprise, after MUCH searching I was able to find some royalty free funk music that didn't suck ass.

I was gonna get this, which is a great value, and vary useful for the right project:
http://www.liquidcabaret.com/products/02.php
but the Jive Turkeys don't have a download option, only mail, which wadn' gonna work friday, 2 days before the final, final Sunday deadline.

So I got my two main tracks from
http://www.royalty-free.tv

you check out those two pieces below -- pretty nice for royalty free even if the slow piece is kinda cheesy , it's cheesy in a very period approriate way though -- I mean SLOW GROOVE FLUTE, lol.
“The Odd Squad Theme” (AKA “New Orleans Funk”) by The Futz Butler
left click to stream

“North City Theme” (AKA “So Low”) by Vincent Varco
left click to stream
 
It's official -- though I don't know why it hasn't been announced -- Barry_S is just trying to get to it probably.

But CPU and A BRIEF CASE are now tied for BEST SCORE, as per a PM's between Barry and I.

Chris R. I'll leave it to you to update the 1st post in this thread, and to see that the 1st post of the "And The Winners Are" thread is updated.

Thanks and Congratulations guys.
 
jdanstan said:
EDIT -- so there are two posts deleted 1) a long angry rant by me, objecting to part of Chris R.'s logic, but mostly being ticked about not being inlcuded in the discussion and 2) Chris H. telling me not to be such an ass hat, after it seemed (and understandibly so) that I was dissing him in the melee of asshatness that I was flinging at Chirs R. ... oh and we self moderated and delete our own posts BTW -- END EDIT

dude (Chris H.) -- I didn't mean to diss you at all -- not at all!
just riffing on the notion that this award was some big deal as it seems like some important crusade
I'm only pissed about being talked about instead of to, that's it.

Sorry if it seemed like any of that was directed towards you.

And you know what -- Chris R. is right, you and MacB desreve it. I'm just pissed about being ignored by Chris R. in the other thread and talked about. I'm also very tired and stressed from moving, so I'm going to delete my tome, and give over the best score award to the teams that deserve it, you guys and a brief case.
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JDANSTAN! what other thread? i have been working non-stop for the last two days (yay, sleeping on the couch in a recording studio, so fun! and great for your back!) that I haven't been able to browse the forum like i usually do..where did you post? Let me know and I'll check it out! I wasn't ignoring you! Where is this post?


C.R.
 
Also, my issue was never with you or your film Odd Squad (which I loved), but more with the category, which I lobbied for a few months ago. Back then I PM'd Jared and posted that since there were so many composers who were working hard on this fest there should be a Best Score category, albeit prizeless, to both reward and challenge them. Since there was to be no prize, it was purely for the merit of the award and for peer recognition of good composition. After I brought up the matter, another prizeless category was created to recognize the hardwork of the Sfi-Fi Fest actors as well. I would just feel as if all of my lobbying on behalf of the composers in the Fest was in vain if the winner of the Best Score category went to a movie with no composer.

I hope I don't seem like I'm on a crusade to discredit your film or anything, I just don't want to see the one category created to recognize Composers lose its meaning and/or relevance in this and future festivals.

Do I still sound like a raving lunatic? I can't tell..I need some sleep :(


C.R.
 
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On behalf of Stirling McLaughlin, who did the music for Signal Decay, thanks! On behalf of myself, I love the credits music he created, and honestly have been listening to it on my iPod since he wrote it -- based on the script.
:)
 
hemophilia said:
Hey gang. Composers unite! :P
I certainly put a LOT into this score. It starts kinda slow with lots of creepy-crawly stuff, but really gets going about half way (these aren't solo musical pieces after all, they have to follow on screen action).

-Kevin
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Hey man! Nice col legno action in the first half! I really liked it, reminded me a lot of some Hitchcock scores (north by northwest maybe?). Good Stuff!


C.R.
 
first no worries at all ... we are both sleep deprived and you've been in the studio all week and I'm moving.


RMI Studios said:
Also, my issue was never with you or your film Odd Squad (which I loved), but more with the category, which I lobbied for a few months ago. Back then I PM'd Jared and posted that since there were so many composers who were working hard on this fest there should be a Best Score category, albeit prizeless, to both reward and challenge them. Since there was to be no prize, it was purely for the merit of the award and for peer recognition of good composition. After I brought up the matter, another prizeless category was created to recognize the hardwork of the Sfi-Fi Fest actors as well. I would just feel as if all of my lobbying on behalf of the composers in the Fest was in vain if the winner of the Best Score category went to a movie with no composer.

I hope I don't seem like I'm on a crusade to discredit your film or anything, I just don't want to see the one category created to recognize Composers lose its meaning and/or relevance in this and future festivals.
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well is it a prize to recognize the composer? the person that made the best -music?

or

is it a prize to recognize the best score - the music utilized by the filmmaker, however obtained or created to support the film.

Sounds like - as you were instrumental (pun inteded) in creating this cagtegory, the intention was to recognize a composer or team of composer who created original music ... so lets go with that, although I think it was voted as "best use of music".

howeverm As I am a filmmaker 1st and a composer only in a pinch, and as I did just curate and mix, it does seem fitting that the award would go to those who actually went through the pangs of creation wrote original music.

luckily two such folks are the next highest scores - might be a problem if we had to leapfrog other films without original scores to get to an original works, but since that's not the case, glad to give recognition where recognition is due.

And to both Chris H. and Chris R. -- thanks for letting a grumpy tired dude have a spike of temperment without holding it against him :)

RMI Studios said:
Do I still sound like a raving lunatic? I can't tell..I need some sleep :(


C.R.
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As for the lunatic thing ... it's probably the only time the phrase "it takes one to know one" doesn't apply. So as a bonefied lunatic (see custom member status name) I am afraid that I cannot accurately access your lunacey or degree there-of.
 
Sound Design - How well is the soundtrack mixed? Did the filmmaker include foley, sound effects, and capture clear dialogue? How well does the audio track contribute to creating atmosphere?

Score - The quality of the musical score. Is it appropriate for the film?
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If you're supposed to vote on the QUALITY of the music, wouldn't it be unfair for people to use amazing John Williams themes in their entries and qualify in that category? OK Now I'm just being a complete a$$hole haha lol. Just kidding, I wave the white flag.


OK This issue has been laid to rest, everyone is right, everyone is wrong, Bush is a moron, and in order to move this thread forward we must forget the past!

:( Does anyone have a few hours of sleep saved up that they cn lend me? :(


C.R.
 
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RMI Studios said:
If you're supposed to vote on the QUALITY of the music, wouldn't it be unfair for people to use amazing John Williams themes in their entries and qualify in that category?

:( Does anyone have a few hours of sleep saved up that they cn lend me? :(
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yes unfair in a composition contest, no not unfair in a FILM contest if williams and whatever film studio has granted the rights to the filmmaker.

we are making srtories come to life and the score is one tool toward that end, how it serves mise en scene is the issue not who wrote it or if you ever met them.

It's the filmmakers job to make the best film possible and to put the best, most story enhancing, suppotting music to it that he/she can

Same would be true of rented costumes or set pieces.

BUT

if the award is designated for ORIGINAL music only, then yes it would be unfair.

that's not what it says in the guidlines for scoring, it says, as you quoted, is it good? and does it support the fillm? In other words does it work towards the whole. not a peep about who wrote it or how it was obtained.

now that's the technicality.

as I have said I agree with you that the spirit of the award, which you helped get into place, probably has to do with original music and recognizing a composers contribution as they worked with the filmmaker, noty the filmmakers accuity at applying music, from whatever source in an effective manner -- which is what the rule actually says that you quoted.

but as I have said I agree with you in spirit

now go get some sleep.
 
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