# One Minute Hero - Real Orchestra [Video + Score Sheet]



## Robin (Oct 24, 2015)

Hey everybody,

a few days ago I had a little time left in an orchestral session in Prague to record an action cue that I wrote for fun two years ago. Fortunately, a camera team was present as well, so this all has been documented as a video 



Additionally, here's the mockup I made a while ago:



And for everybody interested in reading along, here's the score sheet:

http://issuu.com/robinhoffmann/docs/one_minute_hero

Looking forward to your comments,

Robin


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## Kralc (Oct 24, 2015)

Ahh man!  Fantastic stuff Robin. Love the percussion solos at ~0:34

And thanks for sharing the score!


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## NoamL (Oct 24, 2015)

Fantastic orchestration - as usual 

0:18 reminds me of your violin concerto!


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## erica-grace (Oct 24, 2015)

Sounds really good, Robin!. One day, hopefully I will be able to write like that.

I just went to your website. According to the site, this piece was Posted on Apr 24, 2014 

Love your other work too!


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## Robin (Oct 25, 2015)

Thanks for the kind words so far! I really appreciate it!

@erica-grace Yes, as I said, I wrote it a while ago but just had the chance a few days ago to record it.


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## patrick76 (Oct 25, 2015)

Great work. It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed listening.


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## lucor (Oct 25, 2015)

Great job, Robin. Especially love the Horns at 0:12. And thanks for providing the score again, I'll definitely add it to my study list.
Oh and for someone who hates doing mockups you're quite good at that as well. 
Best from Halle


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## Robin (Oct 27, 2015)

Thanks guys! 

@lucor - I still hate it but thanks


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## FriFlo (Oct 27, 2015)

Great joy ride, Robin. You really nail good orchestration.


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## BenG (Oct 27, 2015)

Thanks for posting, Robin!

Fantastic writing and I really find your music to be quite inspiring!


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## FarleyCZ (Nov 7, 2015)

Blown. Away.


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## samphony (Nov 7, 2015)

Robin said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> @lucor - I still hate it but thanks



Fantastic!!! @Robin


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## Steve Martin (Nov 8, 2015)

Sounds just great - awesome. Great orchestral writing there Robin! Loved every second of listening to this. Thanks for sharing!

Steve


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## Robin (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks so much guys, really appreciated!


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## tokatila (Nov 11, 2015)

Hey Robin, excellent stuff also thanks for sharing the score.

While real orchestra might sound more natural; I have to say for some parts I prefer the mock-up version; for more "fullness" if that makes any sense.


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## Robin (Nov 12, 2015)

tokatila said:


> if that makes any sense.


No 

No, actually I can somewhat understand what you mean, but that would not make me prefer the mockup over the real thing.


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Nov 18, 2015)

Very solid orchestration indeed, but at least for my taste: the whole beginning doesn´t make any sence to me. Written all over the place with millions of standards here and there, well executed, though in the context together without any sence for me. Robin, I value some of your pieces a lot, but this one doesn´t work for me. Thank you for the videoflic though.


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## Robin (Nov 18, 2015)

Thanks Alexander,

yes, you're actually right. It's all over the place because that was more or less the idea behind it. Originally I wrote it to set a few things in my sample template, so I was touching briefly on a few sounds/textures that I wanted to use for benchmark. It made it to the orchestra because first of all I had some time left last time and it had some colours in it that I hadn't covered with other pieces in my portfolio so far, so it is destined to become Demo Reel snippets. There was never the intention to write a cohesive "concert piece" with that thing.

Other than that, I don't really have a problem with such "all over the place" pieces. I had fun, the musicians had fun and obviously some of the listeners do as well, so for me that means mission accomplished for this one. At least within the boundaries of expections that I had in mind for it. If it doesn't work for you that's totally fine. Everybody puts different expectations in music


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Nov 18, 2015)

Action and chaotic writing is not at all a problem in general for me to like. Indeed I like "all over the place" arrangements very much  But still I have to connect to the thematic ideas thrown in. In your piece I felt not connected to a main idea which you don´t seem to carry throughout your piece, instead of that it seemed you glue one motive or event after another. When I listen to a piece the 1st time, the 1st time listening is still a crucial thing, because I don´t know what is happening. So in my opinion it is crucial to establish an idea on a very pure and simple way, and that can be done also with action writing and then later you can go all over the place with all that flourishments and other decorational elements. But still, Robin, it is a very cool track still and it is great that you share works on a high quality of level, because that is what it is here with me: just a bit of critic on a high level.

My favourite one of you is the that piece where you establish the basic mood with that augmented chord on the horns (pics /fluting running in higher registers up and down in triplets)..forgot the name though.


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## zacnelson (Nov 18, 2015)

Hi Robin, thanks so much for sharing this, I've long been a big fan of yours and this was no exception! I actually love compositions that are `all over the place' (I quote from comments above) so I have no criticism in that regard, in fact my most recent composition (it's here on this forum page) is very `all over the place' too!!

Hey, were you present at the recording session? And if so, are there any spots in the video where you are shown? It would be cool to be able to spot you head-banging away to your own composition! If you were there, was it amazing to be in the room and hear your music fill the place?!


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## XiphiasAudio (Nov 18, 2015)

Hey Robin that was a fantastic composition!

Love hearing the difference in the mockup and real orchestra.
No comparison mind you. Your use of orchestral techniques, with the brass at 13 seconds xD

A beautiful composition!


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## Robin (Nov 19, 2015)

@AlexanderSchiborr So, I get it you have been studying at the Mike Verta School of Music? 

I'm totally with you on this. I'm a big fan of motivic/thematic connections and if this actually was a "real piece", I would have definitely gone for this strategy. But as I mentioned above, it was never designed to do that. I needed a few different textures/colours to set things in my sample template and I recorded that with the orchestra because some of these colours were not present in my portfolio so far. It's funny that you mention the other piece as your favourite (I guess you're talking about The Last Survivor), which is just such an all over the place piece as well, but for exactly the very same reasons. I do write such pieces once in a while for a very simple reason: I want to exploit bits and pieces from them to use as material for demo reels. And in my experience , potential clients don't want to hear 3min pieces with specific thematic/motivic development but want to hear if you can set a certain feeling/mood/texture instantly. These pieces might not serve too well as a "concert experience" if you (as I mentioned above) listen to them with the usual expection you would have, but they do serve exactly what I need them for: give me small chunks of different textures and moods that I can throw at a potential client when needed. 

@zacnelson Thanks alot! Much appreciated!  I actually was at the session but in the recording booth all the time, so I'm not in the vid. Besides, you would never see me headbang, we're doing serious art here and stuff... no headbanging...  About your other question: there is no better feeling than to actually stand in front of 90 musicians and hear your music come alive. Unfortunately this is highly addictive and you're kind of pissed off about every sample production that you need to work on after that. Which is the reason why I tried to sharpen my profile towards real orchestral productions. It's just way more fun like this...


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