Final Stage: Submission

So, thought you’d all want to know that i have submitted my portoflio - am i nervous about the result? YES! But...there is nothing more i can do now so i’m staying hopeful! Anyway, now to write the essay and hand in the other works and be done with uni (can’t wait for that) 

When will it be over...I mean yay! Mastering :)

So, i may be at the final stages of mastering and editing (FINALLY - SLEEP IS NEEDED)....and i’ve just realised something. Instead of creating music for the Pixar film, i think i am going to keep it as a Foley inspired film (because in my eyes my foley is AWESOME (not really it’s just mediocre at best) and goes well with the whole piece) 

Update: Day and Night is now a more Foley focused movie and less of a music based film - if that at all made any sense *well done* I’m running on zero to no sleep....Knowing me, my brilliant little idea may change again in 4 hours haha. 

New Update: Home Sweet Home

After much deliberation and a lot of trial and error i have had to come to the sad decision not to sing in it! There isn’t something wrong with the way i sing it, i just felt that the music really didn’t need vocals to hold it? (Yes, i’m questioning myself) I mean, I like it as an instrumental. There is just something about how each instrument adds emotion of the story line - hopefully the markers will think so too haha! 

I will include the lyrics in my liner notes/program notes if my lectures would like to see them - or just might post them on my blog and say - See blog post LAST (HAHA - make it easy to find) 

Not to say that my vocals aren’t going to be in my portfolio (Because they’ll subtly be included - in Man of Steel ;) hehe)  - but not in this one :) I’ll stick to the classical operatic style of singing haha! 

FAQ’s Answered :)

If you couldn’t already tell, i will just state a few facts about my work to clear up some confusions for those who asked questions. 

1. Materials have been found from various sources 

2. All audio has been taken out using softwares 

3. All sounds and music heard from that point onwards are my own. 

4. Editing/Recording Softwares/Hardwares - Microphones, Dictaphone, Logic Pro X, Garageband and a Zoom amongst others. 

5. No samples - Everything is original! 

If you do have any further questions, please do ask :) I’m happy to answer them. Thank you. 

5. Day & Night

This one has to be interesting, it’s not that i find this one hard or anything but if you watch the original movie, you’ll see there are two characters so it was finding the balance between the two and using methods like Mickey mousing to bring out the comical elements and also creating and building on these two different personalities on the screen. 

By far the most tiring one because it was a constant battle of working well with one element but lacking in the other or vice versa. However we’ve gotten there somehow - hopefully or at least i think i have haha! Two Day and Night characters have their own personalities in the piece.

Instruments for this have been most interesting - Flute, Bassoon, Percussions, Violins and a few others...

As i had already done a funny trailer and serious little film, i thought i would try a light hearted animation - hopefully it works well. We shall see :) 

4. Man of Steel

Gah! THIS ONE HAS ME WANTING TO DOUBLE-OVER AND GIVE UP! HAHA!

But no seriously? I think i have spent more time on this one than all of them put together (okay so that’s an exaggeration) I am not a serious composer and trying to be something i am not musically is just proving to be a disaster! However, i am ploughing through and making it work no matter what! I think i have done too many posts on this one so the only update to say is that i FINALLY have something completed for it - am i happy with it? Not really! Will it work for the piece? Yes! Has it made me question my sanity? DEFINITELY haha - all for the name and love of music right? 

Anywho - hopefully my markers will see where i was coming from and mark accordingly *fingerscrossed* 

3. Home Sweet Home

This one has to be super cute and most of all fun to work with. As i recently discovered the film, i didn’t have the ample time needed to work on various approaches like the others but the fact of the matter is that i didn’t really need it. Not to sound like a snob or arrogant but when i watched this movie it just came to me and i just went for it. 

My approach to composing for this piece of work was creating a song about the film or specifically for the film. So the film in itself is about finding somewhere to belong and longing for what you can never really have - so with that i just used the images to create lyrics and a base to which i could work with. 

The instruments in this song are mostly Violins (Romantic style), Flute, Pan Flute, Piano, Voice, Drums and Bass - All the music heard has been composed by myself and specifically for this work. 

However, even though I am thinking of changing the vocals to more of a narration to the story? I might need to show this to my tutor and gather his feedback because i feel my vocals for this are too soul like and they work but i feel it misses something that i can’t do with my voice? Oh well...I shall keep working around it and let’s see where it leads us right? 

2. After Earth

My approach to this trailer has been minimalistic - this might come and bite me in the backside when it comes down to marking but in my defence i am just experimenting with different ways to create a story with the music. 

The music for this is very futuristic almost hip-hop like. This is because the original is very urban itself. There are very few instruments in this and i like it like that - personally feel like all the different aspects work well and make the image come to life. Warnings are there might be a little too much bass but then i realise that it is a trailer and 5.1. surround sound in a theatre - come on - you need that KICK that kind of makes you want to watch the trailer/film ;) ( or at least that is what i’m telling myself haha) anywho...back to the trailer...

It isn’t a very fast paced trailer and i won’t deny this was a struggle to figure out what worked and what didn’t, there was a lot of trial and errors + putting people through the misery of listening to me waffling on about what’s wrong with it and why haha - you know who you are...you read this! In all honesty, like this one and my Man of Steel trailer, i was trying to delver into the more serious tone trailer and expanding my work so i hope i captured this and if not it’s okay, i now know where my strengths are and what to work with in the future. 

...Let’s hope it works out though :) 

1. Justin and The Knights of Valour

Update No1: 

So as you will all know, I have been working on this for some time - i finally can say that i am at the final stages of editing and mixing (YAY!) 

Can i be honest? THIS PROCESS SUCKS AND TAKES SO MUCH EFFORT THAT I AM LOSING WILL TO LIVE - sorry about the caps haha! 

But no, on a serious note - The process has been extremely fun, working with different drum beats and experimenting with things like congas and bongos mixed with the more traditional drum sets and tom toms to create this interesting concoction of beats and rhythms + tempos + feel for the image being shown on screen, was fun (hard) but fun! 

In this trailer, i have just used drums and voice overs to bring the trailer to life - as it is a children’s trailer i thought keeping it simple and light will be engaging for the children to watch? Certainly kept a few people i’ve show the trailer to, entertained (even got smiles ;) win win). 

With the music, i have kept it light, airy and almost magical and adventurous like not only to go with the image but to keep the beat and pace of the trailer fast and upbeat as well as interesting for the viewer - visually and audio wise. 

Sadly i won’t be allowed to show you the finished trailer but just know that if i could, i probably would! 

Think an update is due...

Where am i with the creative process of my portfolio? 

Hi everyone, first off i’d like to thank and welcome the new followers and previous followers :) means the world to me that there are some of you who are interested in my work. Hope you enjoy these posts as much as i enjoy writing them :) 

Now for the update...

For the past few weeks i have been battling with this idea of increasing my portfolio from 15mins to 20mins and today i stumbled upon the cutest little video that i think fits my writing style perfectly. During this whole process, i have been trying to figure out what my strengths as a composer are and it was highlighted by one of my lecturers (who smiled at one of my works, i mean it only took..what my entire degree to do so haha... - yes, a smile can mean a lot in the compositional world too!) that i am better suited working with animation and children inspired films/trailers. I felt this to be an accurate statement because that is quintessentially where my heart lies (basically i’m a big kid...) Anywho, i shall list my current progress below for all of you to know;

1. Man of Steel - I am currently trying to step out of my comfort zone and create something more dark and serious which i am not going to deny is quite terrifying and extremely difficult to do. So far I haven’t hit a writing block and ideas aren’t solidified so there is room for improvements and modification. Initially i had the same 4/4 chords going through it but meetings with my tutor have given me other ways to tackle this piece and so far i am adapting them - i will showcase the work as some point (if i am allowed to) 

2. Justin and the Knights of Valour - This has been my favourite so far. Working with different drum patterns, voices, brining the whole peace to life and creating a comical element too - it has by far been a pleasure to work on. 

3. After Earth - This one again is a serious type of trailer and i am struggling slightly i mean everything is there that i need, i just need to put it in an order that suits the trailer? I shall keep you posted on the progress

4. Day and Night - This is an animation done by Pixar and let me tell you, it has been a hoot to work on. Creating the Mickey mouse effects and working with instruments and genres i wouldn’t rather or dare to try, is just magical and i guess it’s all about pushing yourself and making new discoveries as a composer and i’m quite enjoying it. 

5. Home Sweet Home - This is my new discovery so there isn’t much work that i have done to it, i have created a mind map displaying all the different approaches i can take with it, so once again i shall keep you posted on the progress on this piece. 

Overall I have to say that there are some amazing pieces of work coming from my colleagues and it’s a pleasure to hear them and comment on them. As for my own portfolio, i am enjoying this process and feel comfortable in my element - let’s just hope my lecturers marking this think so too ;) haha! Wish me luck! 

Hope you enjoyed my update...hope to hear from more of you soon - feel free to leave me messages (as some have done so already) I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you. 

Man of Steel Trailer progress

The image above is a screen grab of the software Logic Pro X, this is the program I am using to create and compose my various trailers. 

From the above I can walk you through some of my processes. 

At this point in time, I am working on the editing and alignment part however, it has taken me quite a while to figure out what I want the piece to sound (and I might still tweak a few areas) otherwise it is near completion. 

First Stage: Sourcing 

To being with, I had to find the trailer and see if it was good to compose for, as I got this off YouTube, I made sure there was no copyright issues. As this was an empty trailer, everything heard in it is my own. Next came that task of finding out what sounds i could use and sourcing them - either using samples found on the internet or live recording them into the trailer. My initial work process started with Garageband, this is why the sounds are showing as part of the audio file. 

Second stage: Planning 

To any great work comes planning. During this stage, it was mostly trial and error - seeing what worked and what didn’t. This stage proved most hardest as I had various ideas but none seemed to fit very well. Once I created a mind-map of all the ideas, instruments, visual times and chord structures, I went to recording - this was the fun part because it is where it came to life and I was able to not only visually see but hear the sounds against the film which allowed for tweaks and improvements to be made. 

Third stage: Showcase/Amendments 

This is the stage I am currently on. This stage is the longest because not only does it involve myself it also involves the opinions of my fellow classmates and tutor - from then I can make relevant changes. 

Fourth Stage: Final Editing

I am yet to reach this stage because I need the go ahead from my tutor to say it sounds good (I will later update you...) 

This is Man of Steel - 1/4 films I am doing. I shall be uploading more about the other 3 soon. Stay Tuned! 

An Update...

Hi everyone, 

I would like to apologise for the lack of content being uploaded however, this is about to change and here’s why. 

Firstly, where have I been? Well for the past couple of weeks, I have been busy concentrating on my Dissertation and now that it is all over and done with, I can focus my attention on the remaining coursework’s. 

What this means is that the upcoming blog posts you shall read, will be about my Compositional Portfolio process and progress. I hope you will enjoy my posts as you come along this journey with me. 

Thank you :)  

The plan - proposal

Music Portfolio Harkiran Mudher – Music Composition a) The Main Idea − 2 Film Clips (1 Horror/Thriller + 1 Animated) − 5 – 6 different compositions − Some live played/recorded (If allowed) − Others to be midi/recorded in The clips that I am currently looking at are ones that carry different types of emotional plays to them, as the general idea is to compose to the emotion of the film and find my own compositional character through out this. I was thinking for the pieces to either be in black and white (horror/thriller) as there would be elements that I could recreate and compose something completely new to it or a clip/piece with minimal music to bring it to a different level of viewing to an audience. Why I would like to work with real instruments? Personally I feel that working with real instruments will add depth to my portfolio, by allowing me to expand my score skills. However in saying that I would not be 100% if I would be doing this option I would just like keep it in mind. b) Sourcing I have looked into sourcing some works from the British Film Archives but I am not sure what angle to approach my general sourcing, as I would need to look into copyrights and use of allowance. c) Why only 2 pieces? Honest answer – working with different emotions and different viewpoints – victim, accomplice, hero, villain. Playing with the movements of characters, scenes or film and if I was to work with a black and white film I could work different instruments to that time and if I was to use the live music then I could create real time tension or emotion, as I would be working with strings.

Portfolio Update 1...It all begins

Here’s just a little update as to what i am planning on doing...

My current idea is to look/take two film clips and compose various pieces according to what i see - playing to the strengths of either the scene, characters, emotion...so on so fourth. 

Why 2? Right, simply because i feel that working with 2 would be 1. simpler 2. more options to play with in the sense and 3. It would fine tune my ideas and make me have to think/tackle the pieces in various ways and see them from different view points. 

AND....

Honestly, it’s a rather selfish reason as to why 2 scenes. Firstly i have always aspired to be a film musician however that dream is slowly drifting away as reality sinks in but in that being said i would still like to enjoy my portfolio and most importantly putting my heart and soul into something i will proud to show. 

Anyways...enough waffling on - i will shortly be updating this process and showing the step by step on how i approach and plan this coursework - wish me luck! 

P.S THERE WILL BE AN OBSURD AMOUNT OF COLOUR AND MIND MAPS (i work well with colour) 

Film Video

Recently we were asked to compose music to an amateur production. The following link is to the said performance. As it is a university assignment it has been password protected. 

https://vimeo.com/143033589 

3. BMW M5 “Bullet” - High Performance Art

Web-link 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDuxWGHA-Z4

What is there/why? 

- Opening scene is in a concrete tube - amplifies the sound of the revving engine 

- Revving engine expresses power, speed, ready for whatever is to come 

- Wheel spinning with effective spoke from tires allows the viewers to feel some sense of power and excitement that is building up. 

-From dark to light - with the all snowy exterior shows isolation and allows the blue colour pop against its background showcasing the beauty of the car. 

-Advert illustrates control, movement, fierceness, thrill and adventure. 

-Driving high speeds on ice indicates the lightness of the once (fragile) against the rugged muscle power car - shows quickness 

- Targets being colourful, could be for visual purpose in the car 

-Targets being time lapsed down to milliseconds shows the speed and agility of the car as it pierced the target at high speeds. 

- Only when the car has made contact do we hear the musical element 

- Piano, soft romantic piano as it drives through mimics the effortless, smooth, elegant, beautiful, sophisticated motion of the car. 

This advert shows a lot of different elements. The car and its speed and potential to the piano, composure of the car as it drives smoothly against the ice. 

I felt that the music complicated the scene very well, very picturesque and scenic. The softness of the white background broken down with the pop of colours from the props and the car itself showing the finesse of the car. Found the mirroring of the bullet effect quite clever as it is captured in slow motion the soft romantic piano plays allowing the ear to be gently cocooned in the moment as the car passes stylishly and gracefully.   

2. Let it fly - Virgin Atlantic’s new AD 2015

Web-link 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s87zEz4Ybho

What is there/why? 

- Opening scene - scribbling of ideas, leading to an explosion (representing a mind blowing idea) 

- Narration - low tone, appealing to the ear, sense of structure with the characters internal monologue 

- Use of imagery (statue) - the word ‘bigger’ being exemplified as a historic figure which could mean solidarity, structure, monumental and sheer size of the statue showing the scale of ‘big’ 

- ‘Get on a flight’ - two flights shown 1. Bad flight - not peaceful, chaotic 2. Good flight peaceful, stress free, simple, elegance. 

- The scene of the flight in air could signify a sense of direction of ones dreams/ideas 

- Chauffeur moment - door opening, this could symbolise new beginnings and doors being opened by this amazing idea. 

- Looking the part - image, first impressions are important, standing out by trying to fit in, sense of belonging in this new world of yours. 

-Use of boxing ring - implying you should be prepared for the tough battle ahead of you. 

- Sleeping scene of flight - sense of calm before the storm 

- Pupil dilation - zeroing on future goal, focused, prepared for whatever is to come. 

- Use of tigers - shows power, intimidation, merciless, vicious and harsh - in relation to people’s characteristics at meetings or pitches for ideas. 

- Use of breath - nervousness 

- Delegates meeting - gives a bigger picture, something being foreign about the said actor, endless possibilities, the world you’re about to enter which is foreign to you. 

- Baseball bat and ball replicating ‘knocking it out the park’ - linking imagery to words. 

- Hallway scene - being pulled which way, heels clicking on the floor (amplified/echo - daunting ominous) 

- British humour - ‘this little fella’ - has 2 bodyguards (intimidating, do not mess with them vibe going on...) 

- Mass crowd, large-scale future. 

- Flight at the end - life is what you make it, journeys ahead, allowing for growth and a sense of trust. 

Felt like this ad was trying to portray the sense of trust and comfort that the airline is trying to help with the nervousness of those day to day business men and that making the journey easier will allow them to go out there and conquer the world with the help of being well prepared and rested. 

Music was simple yet very effective, the use of the electric guitar gave the advert that sense of empowerment, movement, rock ‘n roll - meaning business. The drum pattern gave the feel of rhythm, consistency and up-beat motion all while being exhilarating. The use of strings - played with the emotion of the advert, the fact it was peaceful and relaxing before the guitar and drums kick back in.