Author Topic: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)  (Read 20124 times)

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s_d

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2013, 07:32:09 PM »
A puzzle that incorporates different musical cues would be amazing!  Or something you have to figure out by recognizing repetitions or changes in the music...

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Lambonius

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #16 on: February 10, 2013, 07:48:04 PM »
A puzzle that incorporates different musical cues would be amazing!  Or something you have to figure out by recognizing repetitions or changes in the music...

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MusicallyInspired

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2013, 10:15:26 PM »
First time reading this. Wonderfully put, James. I completely agree with your outlook on music. Movie music used to be far more memorable than it is now. Game music too for that matter! Good to see, as I've always expected and seen from what little I've heard so far, that QFI's score will indeed be something special!

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #18 on: July 20, 2013, 09:43:00 AM »
Hey James, I was wondering what kind of software you're using, both in terms of composing as well as sample sets?

sickfiction

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #19 on: July 21, 2013, 01:48:03 PM »
Hey. I use cubase 7 to score the music and I purchased east west quantum leap complete Composer's Collection platinum edition especially for this game. I love the sounds and recommend it to anyone who wants to do this kind of work.
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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #20 on: September 14, 2016, 10:28:12 AM »
Back on topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vfqkvwW2fs
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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #21 on: September 14, 2016, 03:42:20 PM »
oh for the love of all things holy

ive heard this in movies just didnt know how bad it really was

i was like isnt that the same score from... etc
yes yes it is .. wtf

temp music ahhh runn runn hisss

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #23 on: September 16, 2016, 06:40:33 PM »
As a fan of film music since 1977/1978 (specifically science-fiction scores -- my aunt had the Star War soundtrack on 8-track as my first exposure), a few semi-coherent thoughts...

1. Star Wars is 39 years old (2 generations old), and James Bond is 54 years old (2.7 generations old).  Even the first Harry Potter movie is 15 years old.  They are part of the public/pop-culture consciousness.  In that respect, the Marvel franchise is still relatively young and covers a WIDE variety of different films; I'm not commenting on their musicality, and you could say there's little carry-over of themes within each sub-franchise (Iron Man movies, Captain America movies, etc.).

2. The above (non-Marvel) movies were written with the Wagnerian leitmotif in mind -- recurring themes linked to people, relationships, and actions.

3. For many movies today, the music is merely sonic wallpaper.

4. The video rebuttal is quite right; at a movie music website I browse, many forum contributors there detest and blame Hans Zimmer and his various acolytes & proteges for the "sad" state of what passes for "film music" these days.

5. Would thematic music be better for the current crop of movies?  Probably, but this is where we are at in the current "evolution" of film music.

6. The concern over the lack of "hummable" themes in the popular Marvel movie franchise is a bit overwrought, IMHO.  MUST it have better music, for what it is?  Silly moving pictures about superheroes?

As one forum contributor mentioned, the music serves the movie; the movie does not serve the music...

7. Even if they are not blatantly repeated, there are musical themes in the Marvel movies -- if you know where to look for them.  Though there was no specific theme or main title of which to speak, I bought the score for "Guardians of the Galaxy" because it has a nice number of one-off themes.

I also like the Transformers scores; Steve Jablonksy (a Zimmer protege) has a nice heroic Autobot theme, among others.

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #25 on: September 18, 2016, 09:40:07 PM »
The "rebuttal"  only adds more and more reasons why modern filmscore is bland and unmemorable.  Having said that there are some exceptions. Jonny greenwood's scores from there will be blood or the master and also the movie "birdman" has extremely original if not particularly memorable melodies...
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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #26 on: September 19, 2016, 09:41:15 AM »
As technology makes things easier and quicker, people tend to be more lazy about the finished product, and readily accept the limitations of current technology, rather than work on overcoming them.

(...like from the video: percussive and non-thematic music is quick and easy, while replicating "traditional" movie or classical music is hard!)

As Dr. Walter Gibbs famously said in Tron (1982): "Won't that be grand? Computers and the programs will start thinking and the people will stop."


Also, while technology is the great equalizer (Anyone Can Do It!™), most of the people who make videos / music / games / art are simply making a lot of stuff that just isn't very good...

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #27 on: September 19, 2016, 12:16:31 PM »
I totally agree technology makes people lazy instead of allowing them to be even more creative.  But I can assure you that when writing music for infamous quests, I worked hard on every note.  If I needed to cut and paste a section,  I made sure that variations were made or new layers added (or taken out). The instant gratification of hearing my written music played back by an orchestral library is easy to get memorized by. I strive for originality in my music and I hope I come across as having a memorable melody or two
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Goatmeal

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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #28 on: September 19, 2016, 12:33:03 PM »
I totally agree technology makes people lazy instead of allowing them to be even more creative.  But I can assure you that when writing music for infamous quests, I worked hard on every note.  If I needed to cut and paste a section,  I made sure that variations were made or new layers added (or taken out). The instant gratification of hearing my written music played back by an orchestral library is easy to get memorized by. I strive for originality in my music and I hope I come across as having a memorable melody or two

You, my friend, have nothing to worry about.  Your dedication to quality shines through with each note, melody, and theme you have created.  Thank you for that.

And not a week goes by that I don't listen to both IQ scores for QFI and OOTT:TKC !   :)


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Re: How I write the music for Quest for Infamy - (or quest for a theme)
« Reply #29 on: September 20, 2016, 10:09:39 AM »
Ok, let's take Batman Begins. That movie is 11 years old. Can you hum the theme from that movie?

And I don't think not having a hummable theme for a "silly moving picture about superheroes" is something to let slide. If anything it's all the MORE reason to have hummable themes. Spiderman. Superman, for goodness' sake. Tim Burton Batman. Even Joel Schumacher Batman! All memorable themes. Superheroes are prime candidates for hummable themes! "Silly motion pictures" in general are prime candidates for hummable themes! Even the new Wonder Woman has a theme, not as interesting as it could be, but hummable nonetheless and recognizable. And it was written by Hans Zimmer, no less. So I don't buy that argument. Even The Mask, a silly comedy about a mask that turns Jim Carrey into a cartoon human, has a memorable score (one of my favourites actually!).

I also completely don't buy the argument that these other movie themes are memorable because they're older. Besides the Batman Begins example, these movies themes were instantly recognizable the moment I watched them for the first time. They instantly snagged my ears and I was humming them after the movies were over the first time I watched them and have stayed with me ever since.

As far as music is concerned in Hollywood (and the games industry), the ball has been dropped and standards have been lowered, make no bones about it. It's just what has happened.