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#the vibe when the heroic music swells. like there was no orchestra but that was HOW IT FELT
essektheylyss · 7 months
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I really need to emphasize how gutting the camera shot in the arena of Liam in profile with Matt in the background, half of his face obscured behind him, while Caleb was just listening to the messages Trent had left him. It was so goddamn eerie, and it was phenomenal.
Thematically unhinged to make you feel like this was the devil on Caleb's shoulder, the voice in his head, everything he'd managed to move away from six or seven years ago, now given voice again by this horrible Solstice that Caleb couldn't prevent. They used it with most of the messages, as well as the "Let him come." They also later used it when Caleb told Beau to make sure Luc got out safe in the event of Caleb's death, in which Marisha leaned forward into the shot (I'm not even sure it was intentional on her part considering they had to really crane their necks to see the screen, but it was just timed so perfectly) to lean forward to tell him to shut the fuck up with that line of thinking—which made Caleb dropping later absolutely HEARTWRENCHING, and the Shapechange even more cinematic in the end. It was absolutely stunning from a narrative and production perspective, and I'm a little bummed none of it was kept for the broadcast (please, guys, release the director's cut).
I do not know who crewed that show but I would like to shake their hands, because between the camera work and the direction, it was fucking phenomenal.
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winterscaptain · 3 years
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okay just for fun
ajf kids as star wars original trilogy score pieces
aka watch tali geek out about music for however many words this is
jack | throne room and end titles (a new hope)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0KOYV2jgRZWLcLI94kiscs?si=0ef95a600bb84012
let’s be real. this piece makes your chest feel too small for your feelings, it makes you feel like a superhero, it makes you smile. 
the brass in the very beginning has big jack energy for me. we know how much punch ajf!jack has - he’s straightforward and observant, cheeky and kind. this march ticks all those boxes. this opener is unapologetic, percussion and strings underscoring the high brass carrying our melody, just like jack. he’s got that kind of gentleness to him that his father does, but it’s under this brave, quippy exterior that’s just perfect for this march. 
while being generally noble as hell, the strings we go into the softer melodic section that guides us into the main theme - which is just a banger, objectively. jack has huge main character energy. this piece gives us that and so much more with that melody we all know and love. 
the low brass is so consistent!! it’s so loyal!! ahh!! 
the march kind of gives way as the piece moves along, delivering something softer and less rigid, something lighter. as type-a as jack is (he’s his father’s son, after all), he’s really able have some fun. 
leia’s theme sneaks in around the 3:20 mark, which exemplifies (to me) the connection he has to the rest of his family. but it dives right back into the main theme again - all strong brass that would be harsh if it wasn’t so well-adjusted. it’s exciting!!
isaac | luke and leia (return of the jedi)
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MKEo7fV2xIBbeIrbYj7vV?si=502fe798be43461b
there are so many layers to this piece. it travels so far and brings us back to somewhere we recognize. 
the almost mournful, clear french horn that stands on its own after the woodwinds lull us into this place of understanding and peace. this melody always makes me weep, for some reason. not so much because it’s sad, but it’s so full of connection. isaac’s spirit is so wound into that beautiful clarity of a well-played french horn for me - there’s something so deeply special about it. 
and it’s different from the other brass instruments! it’s harder to play and it looks different. i don’t think we have to stretch too far to see how that applies to isaac. metaphorically, he’s still a brass instrument, but he operates in a way that is fundamentally different than people around him. 
and then we get the strings and the woodwinds taking over that same melody, building on it and making it rounder and fuller. it’s hopeful, it’s complex, it’s so gentle. 
because this is luke and leia’s suite, there’s a conversation in the music - one that turns into a conflict. we can hear that in the strings around the two minute mark. isaac struggles. he sometimes has a hard time, but just like that high brass, he pushes through in a way that just makes your heart swell. 
the final bit carries us out the way we came in - a little bit of magic with that motif, leaving us with something that almost feels like the answer to a question. yeah, i’m crying. why do you ask?
caroline | princess leia’s theme (a new hope)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0mFyq7zeU21fW5VE9028lN?si=61caca109a3847a1
alright alright i know. but stay with me. 
not only is caroline aaron’s little princess, there’s a connection to the piece i chose for isaac - their motifs complement each other, just like they do as siblings. we have some french horn in here too, delivering a melody that is delicate, feminine, but not weak. it’s so clear!! such a bright tone. 
there’s a little bit of uncertainty that sneaks in there in the beginning, but the flute comes in at about the 1:30 mark to remind us of that light, that something that is difficult to articulate or understand. it’s taking us somewhere - the melody line feels meandering and lilting, like a breeze. i always think of caroline as a breath of fresh air in many ways. 
and then you get those STRINGS oh yeah okay i’m crying. we have this melody again - this motif that is so recognizable - building in, layering with the entire orchestra until it just tips over the edge in a way that’s absolutely breathtaking. caroline is both predictable and unexpected in this way - we know it’s coming, we know that the music is going to hit that precipice and blossom, but when it does whooooooo boy is it powerful. 
sophia | rebels at bay (the empire strikes back)
https://open.spotify.com/track/2NWNkDoePT1QOKx8wUnf7d?si=4a4cc22379814337
this is an.....unorthodox choice. i’ll admit it. 
but i didn’t want to pick a theme or a suite for sophia - i needed a piece that makes you want to move. this one underscores a battle in the film, and i think it’s just perfect for our soph. it’s got these lilting strings and woodwind sections and then it dives into something intense, maybe even a little masculine. 
but it’s hurried!! you gotta go!! where??? i don’t know! and then there are these little breathers built in. just like sophia, it moves and watches and moves and watches. these little breaks always take us somewhere surprising. it could get darker, maybe even a little scary, but it’s always moving. this reminds me of sophia’s bravery. she pushes through - often with grit and raw energy. 
around the 3:40 mark we get the main theme motif back - this reminded me of her connection with jack. this rushed, intense piece becomes something that sounds hopeful and heroic with bars we’ve heard before. 
this piece also travels, like luke and leia, but there’s a sense of urgency. there are always stakes for sophia because she bets big or not at all. she throws herself into everything she does with zeal and enthusiasm. 
even when the imperial march makes an appearance, it’s faster than the original, still upbeat and exciting to experience. i love this piece because no matter how many times i hear it, it has me on the edge of my seat. 
elliot | parade of the ewoks (return of the jedi)
https://open.spotify.com/track/5T0aZmjk3KNrLayQu7VBgP?si=902a5770241c4728
i can’t get over the whimsy in this one. it’s unexpected and a little magical in all the right ways. 
we start with the woodwinds and a kind of plucking underscore - elements that remind me of elliot’s go with the flow kind of attitude. he just plots along, adding something curious and youthful to those around him. 
the range on this piece is super wide - we go very low and very high. we’ve got low brass creeping in with these trills just to keep it a little spicy, just like our favorite youngest sibling.
and then of course the french horn shows up. both john williams and i love a french horn and a repeating melodic motif. 
this song is so confident!! and so triumphant. like i get big self-satisfied vibes from this song and that just...is elliot to a T.
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