I participated in this competition, I was not selected among the top 5. I wanted to share the piece I created; it is the soundtrack for a rather surreal cartoon, it was my first experiment with audio/video synchronization and I believe it was very useful for me.
If anyone is interested, I also have the score because it was intended to be played live.
This version was created using the following libraries: Berlin and LASS for the strings, Orchestral Tools for the woodwinds, Sample Modeling for the horns, EW for the trumpets, Cinebrass for the trombones and low brass, VSL for the percussion, the piano is from Spitfire, and bass and drums are those libraries implemented in Kontakt. Then I used virtual sound stage to put all these different libraries together and a series of plugins for mastering.
Congratulations, very well done, both in terms of orchestration and synchronization (probably the most complex aspect when composing a piece like this).
I especially appreciate the use of brass, which is usually excluded (in favor of strings) from the soundtracks of various Italian formats.
Regarding synchronization, one of the "tricks" is to not rely, as a matter of principle, on various ritardando or accelerando, especially if the piece is intended for actual performance, because it is impossible to predict in what ways such tempo variations will be realized. It is better to remove or add a quarter or an eighth note and create an odd measure, trying to make it coherent with the context nonetheless, rather than acting on the metronome....
I agree with you; in fact, thinking about it carefully, on the contrary, it would be risky for the performers to go doubly in sync with each other and with the images, the result might not be satisfactory.
Furthermore, doing it this way makes things considerably easier for them.
Hi Frank, actually, compared to the version you listened to, I remixed and remastered it, adjusting a couple of little things in terms of EQ, compression, and reverb; perhaps that's why you appreciated it more. The fact is that mastering should be done by someone other than the composer and the person performing the mix, because after working on the same material for so long, the ear gets used to it. I was able to notice certain things to correct because I hadn't listened to it for a few months now. I will send you the score as soon as possible.
Hi Frank, actually, compared to the version you listened to, I remixed and remastered it, adjusting a few little things in terms of EQ, compression, and reverb; perhaps that's why you appreciated it more. The fact is that mastering should be done by someone other than the composer and the person performing the mix, because after working on the same material for too long, the ear gets used to it. I was able to notice certain things to correct because I hadn't listened to it for a few months now. I will send you the score as soon as possible.
In fact, I find it very well-balanced in terms of sound... I will wait for the score and again, congratulations. Out of curiosity, did you listen to the contest winner?
Regarding sound design, I imagine Simone means the person (or people) who deals with "soundtracking" the video to recreate, where necessary, the ambient noises specific to a particular subject and/or context.
No, I only handled the music; the sound effects were already present in the footage, and we were asked to mix the two audio sources in order to achieve what we felt was the right balance.
