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FFX Rescore and Sin based CGI mash up

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5 comments, last by WillderBeezy 6 years ago

 This is a rescore of several Sin scenes from Final Fantasy X, put into an epic cinematic with accompanying, original soundtrack!

 

-Beast

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There's a lot happening here and I think one of the things that would really help your music improve is to have defined themes that are "humable." Likewise to have a set progression so your chord progressions and harmonies make more sense. There are times to have themes which are chaotic and all over the place and there are other times when having a approachable theme makes more sense. This theme can still be super intense and action oriented, it just has a more simplified message to it. This kind of ratio (between chaos and structure) is super important when creating music because if it's too chaotic, the human ear and brain quickly dismiss it. Players will quickly dismiss it as "noise" or "can't figure it out" and they'll move on to something they can figure out. It's super important to remember, as video game composers, that we're creating music to accompany a story. And if the music gets too much in the way of that game or the player's experience, then we've not done our job well. 

When I listen to your music it has a feeling of being very disjointed. Harmonies are often clashing with little to not resolution between progressions. I like your passion and enthusiasm but I really think spending some time studying song structure, arrangement and theory would take your work to the next level! 

Thanks for sharing! 

Nate 

Nathan Madsen
Nate (AT) MadsenStudios (DOT) Com
Composer-Sound Designer
Madsen Studios
Austin, TX

I felt that all of the structures on songs that I have learned inevitably rely on beating the gamer senseless. For example, Wall Market in FFVII has built it's way into my brain because when I played it through originally, I had no idea of guides....Video Games require "modular" construction, as far as audio engineering goes. What if no module was quite "exactly" the same. I will admit, song structure has been a...balance point. (I don't feel any of my songs are weak, except maybe Opus No. 3...)
   I find that a traditional sonata can be summed up in a certain measure of bars...I don't need 5 minutes to introduce a theme to a melody. However, I understand this doesn't form a "skeleton." Video games, inherently, evolve. The whole idea is to get to a better position than prior, even old stuff. Why isn't the Town music different every time you go in? The people are prone to different emotions....Different events happen, people get happy or sad...To even reflect the nature of a story line is to reflect the details. That song was written for the moments it captured. 
 Sin attacking anywhere was chaos...The attacks only increased in multiplier as they went, and I thought my song also reflected the chaotic nature of Sin....Maybe I'm just good for Chaotic Boss Battle themes?

-Beast

Wait, by "chaos" did you mean my ADHD?

-Beast

I'm not saying you have to write in classical, traditional sonata form for the music to be good. I'm saying that your piece, as it is right now, is so chaotic and scattered all over the place that... to be completely blunt, most audio directors or clients wouldn't find it useful in their projects. But some might. I cannot (and don't) speak for everyone. :P Soundtracks can have frenzied, crazy sections but they often have more "straight forward" sections that help anchor the action and orient the listener/player/viewer. 

"Video Games require "modular" construction, as far as audio engineering goes." 

Yes they do and the real masters of VGM composition and implementation can make it sound like the music was written for each of the possible situations that arise in a game. Seamless, perfect transitions and changes to different cues. But we're getting off topic a bit here - because I'm not discussing your piece as it could possible be implemented with different tracks of music based on gameplay events. I'm just reviewing/analyzing this one piece. 

"Different events happen, people get happy or sad...To even reflect the nature of a story line is to reflect the details. That song was written for the moments it captured." 

Fair enough. It would certainly be chaotic when Sin attacked but, and this could be personal preference, but I didn't feel your piece reflected the visuals very well. And I think one of the main reasons is due to the writing and arrangement of your piece. It needs a decent amount of work, in my opinion. Just curious, have you gone and checked out what the original did then compared/contrasted that with your version? Again, I'm not trying to brow beat you. Just offering up some constructive criticism. I hope it helps. 

Nathan Madsen
Nate (AT) MadsenStudios (DOT) Com
Composer-Sound Designer
Madsen Studios
Austin, TX

I love the criticism! I think you greatly fr your patience....Having played the game several times, no I still do not know each piece individually...  I have a better luck with FFVII... I do remember a lot of Risset builds and a lot of volume swells, sweeping arpeggios and such, but when you play through the game, the music makes an almost subliminal appearance...During these scenes, the focus was much more on the sound effects and voices....I tried to capture the FEELING of a kaiju attacking....Not just any Kaiju, but your father transformed into one...The very idea of a cycle like FFX's invites the chaotic nature, but I must admit I don't follow the "Chorus, verse, chorus..." forms like I should...I try to move the song steadily towards a heavy conclusion, and I'll admit I do that with more songs than I should....
   Have you checked my Soundcloud? Is there a song I have done that performs well to the axiomatic structure?

-Beast

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