Game vid 'Music'.

[poitings 0]

Hi. This is a 'video music' thread and not a video thread per se so please let it stand alone.

Ok let me start off by stating a principle.

The is a difference between a 'piece' of music and a 'type' of music. I think everyone will agree.

Good, glad that's settled.

Now, Hans Zimmer is a competent and prolific composer and the movie soundtrack he composed for 'Crimson Tide' back in 1995 was 'quite good'.

The main themes of which (determined millitary intent and soaring millitary pride and elation being the top two) would be categorised for this purpose as a 'piece' of music. I gave two examples of the moods and tones they set but in fact they are one, the morph as the on screen action evolvs.

No matter how great a 'piece' of music is though, when you hear it for the one thousandth time it will become unbearable.

Imagine if the very same music for the Batman 1 movie (which i thought was great and idealy suited for that film) was then used for every single action movie for the next ten years, how sick of it would you get? A lot right. Well, if instead, that 'type' of music were used then it would be ok because there would be a lot of scope for variation.

Here is the problem i have with the original 'Hans Zimmer' 'Crimson Tide' composition . . . . . . . . the very same piece ( not type but piece) has been used in over 100 . . . that's 'one hundred' productions since Crimson Tide. Usually productions by 'Jerry 'cookie cutter/same camera filter' Bruckheimer'.

I'm serious, since Crimson tide the very same 'piece' has become 'the' piece associated with anything remotely millitary in theme from The Rock, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Pearl Harbour and King Arthur to name just some of the movies that have the very same piece. Then it pops up in countles TV show such as E Ring, The Contender, The Apprentice and load of others. Every time i suddenly hear it again my heart sinks at the formulaic nature of its use.

Now i've even noticed other composers aproximating it. If you listen to the sound track to the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter game it's very close.

Now, finally, to my point. This Zimmer 'piece' has begun to pop up in various Armed Assault user vids. The vids are often very nice but as soon as I hear the Zimmer music over them i can't bear to watch any more.

I just watched the exquisitely produced 'Zodiac' ArmA video and although it had some variation in the mix the Zimmerism kept rearing it's ugly head now and then.

Pleeeeeaaaaase people, in the interest of variety don't use that piece any more. It was a good piece ten years agao but has been hackneyd to death now and its time to put it to rest.

An artistically and technically inferior piece of music would actually be preferable simply due to the fact that it has one thing the zimmer piece doesnt and that is freshness.

[smellyjelly 0]

Couldn't you just turn the volume down on the videos if you don't like the music?

I don't really have much else to add because I have no idea who Hans Zimmer is.

[Maddmatt 1]

Looking at the title, I thought this would be a useless stupid topic, but you have a good point. There are plenty of songs people could use, just open up audacity or a similar program to cut out the piece you want or 'remix' it a bit. People always seem to use good music to death until it gets unbearable.

Edit:

@Smellyjelly: Well then you wont enjoy the video much now would you?

[deanosbeano 0]

very simple solution is to open up windows movie maker and slap your own music on the video.never before as the statement

"you cant please everybody" been more applicable

some like hans some like heavy rock some like classical etc etc

[Maddmatt 1]

very simple solution is to open up windows movie maker and slap your own music on the video.never before as the statement

"you cant please everybody" been more applicable

some like hans some like heavy rock some like classical etc etc

A persons taste in music shouldn't matter if the music suits the scene well. I don't like classical on it's own but if it is used well in the video then it is good. This topic has nothing to do with taste in music anyway - but the repetitive use of the same music.

[deanosbeano 0]

dont like to repeat myself but like i said before

Quote[/b] ]very simple solution is to open up windows movie maker and slap your own music on the video.

but remember "Getting the music right in a video takes more than to just "slap" it on."

[Maddmatt 1]

dont like to repeat myself but like i said before

Quote[/b] ]very simple solution is to open up windows movie maker and slap your own music on the video.

Well no offense but that is a stupid solution. Getting the music right in a video takes more than to just "slap" it on. It's not like you're going to watch the video more than once or twice in most cases anyway.

[Jack-UK 0]

Personally i dont see the issue, players create videos, the good ones will have a piece of music which 'fits' the video itself, whether or not its to anyone's personal taste shouldnt matter, a good video with a good piece of appropriate music is usually very good to watch and listen to.

But seriously does this warrant a thread at all?

[wamingo 1]

It really shouldn't matter what music is used because, and now I quote some unknown truthspeaker, the best music for a movie is the music you don't hear.

Music needs to underscore the scene, not take the attention of the viewer. As soon as you can hear the music, the film, the picture, is failing.

So when you make video's and you just add some random piece of music and you turn the volume up so that it sounds way more important than it really is, well, there's your real problem.

It is definately not easy to make video that fits zimmer-ish music because it's so temperamental. But heck it's not easy fitting in someone elses music, period. So I won't point fingers.

[Crankep 0]

I'm beginning to hate the Themes from "The Rock" + Tom Clany Movies etc etc ´STOP USING THEM!

The music in Zodiac sucked. And the story was ok but badly done. The footage etc itself was very good.

[poitings 0]

Personally i'm still interested in seeing straight ArmA footage so most of the time would like no music as i cosnider the games sounds to be just as intersting as the graphics.

For movies like Zodiac though a soundtrack is needed.

Well my main point was a general one, it was to complain about the ubiquity of one specific piece of music. I like to download and watch lots of vids but in a casual yet enjoyable way. If i had to go into Moviemaker and edit every one it would defeat the purpose.

This isn't about taste, according to my taste the Zimmer piece is a darn good piece of music. But i've been hearing it again and again for the last ten years in sooo many movies and tv shows and now a game and now game footage. Again, not about taste, its about variety.

This isn't a live or die issue i know. I just started this post to bring the blandness of Bruckheimerism to attention.

Jeez i forgot Armageddon, i think it was used in that too.

I'm thinking of downloading alllllll the examples i can find and cutting scenes together to show just how over used that piece is. It will be a huge project just to make a 5 minute vid to make the point and will take months but might be an interesting venture.

If anyone has any editing flair then leave your contact info here and i can do all the searching and cutting and writing and you can do the constructing.

[Average Joe 0]

Its either a Hans Zimmer or a Harry Gregson Williams composition or some shite rock or death metal. I know my videos have used both [exception being goodrock music]. The main reason such tracks are used is because they have so many changes in the music its like listening to a story such as tense build ups when the music changes tempo to a dramatic climax.

And that often inspires movie makers as when I close my eyes to such a piece I seem to visualise each scene and how it will interchange from the next. This is often very challenging with rock but I do understand what you are saying

[poitings 0]

I know what you mean dude. The music is intentionally designed to be story like. The same story told over for ten years kind of gets a bit dull though.