# Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Scoring Session Sneak Peek



## lucor (Dec 11, 2015)

Just a few more days!


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## tack (Dec 11, 2015)

Looks like Canadians aren't worthy enough to view this video. :(


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## acicero (Dec 11, 2015)

I started watching then had to close it. Its just not fair to listen without context, even though my body is basically exploding with anticipation and excitement.


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## ag75 (Dec 11, 2015)

tack said:


> Looks like Canadians aren't worthy enough to view this video. :(


Download a free VPN. That how I get my British TV fix.


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## Zhao Shen (Dec 11, 2015)

December 17th, 7PM. Then I get to fly home and find that pre-ordered TFA soundtrack in the mail... SO READY.


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## ryanstrong (Dec 11, 2015)

This sounds amazing!! BUT yeah I felt like I was tearing off a bit of gift wrapping on a present before Christmas!


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## mverta (Dec 11, 2015)

Notice that it isn't to picture lock.


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## prodigalson (Dec 11, 2015)

mverta said:


> Notice that it isn't to picture lock.



ha, yeah. "we..uh...may need to uh...repeat some bars or something. Cos it's going to take a little longer to get to the transport"...

John Williams be like...


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## tack (Dec 11, 2015)

mverta said:


> Notice that it isn't to picture lock


Even the great John Williams has succumbed to modern pressures.


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## ryanstrong (Dec 11, 2015)

mverta said:


> Notice that it isn't to picture lock.


Uh oh....... or is it uh oh?


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## Simon Ravn (Dec 12, 2015)

Awesome to see Williams still conducting and looking very much alive and well.


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## tokatila (Dec 12, 2015)

prodigalson said:


> ha, yeah. "we..uh...may need to uh...repeat some bars or something. Cos it's going to take a little longer to get to the transport"...
> 
> John Williams be like...



Naah that was just a scripted insert just to remind us that JJ Abrams is also the director and not just a geeky fanboy.


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## ryanstrong (Dec 12, 2015)

tokatila said:


> Naah that was just a scripted insert just to remind us that JJ Abrams is also the director and not just a geeky fanboy.


Ha actually kind of felt like that!


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## prodigalson (Dec 12, 2015)

Ha, you're probably right


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## FriFlo (Dec 12, 2015)

mverta said:


> Notice that it isn't to picture lock.


Exactly! And the matter, that JJ needs some bar "a little longer in case it will be longer". I am feeling some tension there ... oh no ...


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## whinecellar (Dec 12, 2015)

Crap - they're not in Abbey Road 1 - it doesn't sound right :-(


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## ryanstrong (Dec 12, 2015)

Is that Sony?


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## FriFlo (Dec 13, 2015)

mverta said:


> Notice that it isn't to picture lock.


On the other hand it could mean, JJ wants the music to be conducted freely ... But the request to repeat this bar a few times more just scares the hell out of me ...


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## ryanstrong (Dec 13, 2015)

FriFlo said:


> the request to repeat this bar a few times more just scares the hell out of me ...


Why?


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## Simon Ravn (Dec 13, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Crap - they're not in Abbey Road 1 - it doesn't sound right :-(


Kidding, right?


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## whinecellar (Dec 13, 2015)

Simon Ravn said:


> Kidding, right?



Nope, not kidding - Abbey Road 1 with the LSO is a major contributing factor to the sound of those scores, IMO. Whatever room they're in here is missing that unmistakeable magic. Not to say the end result will suffer, of course - just my $.02


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## FriFlo (Dec 13, 2015)

ryanstrong said:


> Why?


If you don't get that, you'll probably don't understand it anyway ...


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## Simon Ravn (Dec 13, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Nope, not kidding - Abbey Road 1 with the LSO is a major contributing factor to the sound of those scores, IMO. Whatever room they're in here is missing that unmistakeable magic. Not to say the end result will suffer, of course - just my $.02



You do realize that an orchestra sounds nothing like what you hear in the final mix/on cd when you go around listening to it on a soundstage like this? That includes Abbey Road.


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## whinecellar (Dec 13, 2015)

Simon Ravn said:


> You do realize that an orchestra sounds nothing like what you hear in the final mix/on cd when you go around listening to it on a soundstage like this? That includes Abbey Road.



Yes, I do - thanks. But if you've been in that room and heard it, you will hear its contribution to the final product. I realize that may sound like a stretch, but there you have it. Same with Air - that sound is unmistakeable. There's a reason those rooms are considered holy ground


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## acicero (Dec 13, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Nope, not kidding - Abbey Road 1 with the LSO is a major contributing factor to the sound of those scores, IMO. Whatever room they're in here is missing that unmistakeable magic. Not to say the end result will suffer, of course - just my $.02



From the Sony Scoring Stage website:

_An MGM shooting stage until the late twenties, one of its first scoring projects was The Wizard of Oz (1939, Herbert Stothart). Since that auspicious beginning, the stage has been primarily dedicated to the art of film scoring and has produced some of the most famous scores of all time, including Gone with the Wind (1939, Max Steiner); Anchors Aweigh (1945, George Stoll); An American in Paris (1951, Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin); Ben Hur (1959, Miklos Rozsa); Lawrence of Arabia (1962, Maurice Jarre); and Doctor Zhivago (1965, Maurice Jarre).

Recent film soundtracks scored on the stage include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Hans Zimmer); Cars (Randy Newman); Monster House (Douglas Pipes); and Snakes on a Plane (Trevor Rabin). Other scores within the last two decades include ET (John Williams); Schindler’s List (John Williams); Toy Story (Randy Newman); Forrest Gump (Alan Silvestri); Spider-Man (Danny Elfman); and Black Hawk Down (Hans Zimmer)."_

I think the score will turn out alright...


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## whinecellar (Dec 13, 2015)

acicero said:


> I think the score will turn out alright...



I said the same thing, guys. I was just saying there's something special about the LSO at Abbey Road and I'm bummed that tradition isn't continuing. Pretty sure I'm not alone in that opinion. I didn't say or imply this score would suffer - just a matter of preference. That's also not a slight on any scores recorded at Sony, but if I had a choice between there or Abbey Road, I wouldn't think twice...


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## Zhao Shen (Dec 13, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Yes, I do - thanks. But if you've been in that room and heard it, you will hear its contribution to the final product. I realize that may sound like a stretch, but there you have it. Same with Air - that sound is unmistakeable. There's a reason those rooms are considered holy ground


You're fully entitled to your own opinion, of course, but to me some comments along these lines constitute nitpicking. There's no obligation to continue following the exact patterns that previous franchise scores have, and personally I look forward to hearing what some new factors can introduce to a Star Wars score.


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## whinecellar (Dec 13, 2015)

So I'm allowed an opinion on an obvious sonic difference, but it's considered nitpicking? Very generous 

I simply said I was bummed they didn't record at Abbey Road because I like the sound of that room and what it contributes to the end result. Perhaps that comes from my actual experiences with that room - along with what my ears tell me. Maybe I'm just sentimental or whatever, but I didn't imply anything would suffer or that there's any "obligation" to tradition. Geez, you're a touchy lot 

Enjoy...


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## whinecellar (Dec 13, 2015)

And BTW, when I say "obvious sonic difference" I don't mean the difference between the raw in-room clip above vs. a finished score. I mean the difference between finished scores recorded in different rooms. Thought I would clarify before someone jumps on me for that!


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## Zhao Shen (Dec 13, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> So I'm allowed an opinion on an obvious sonic difference, but it's considered nitpicking? Very generous


You have your opinions, I have mine. In my *opinion *it's nitpicking, though I do agree with some of what you've said - sentimentality for the older scores is something I also struggled with but I've accepted that everything evolves over time, and often it's not as bad a thing as we make it out to be


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## Hannes_F (Dec 13, 2015)

Simon Ravn said:


> Awesome to see Williams still conducting and looking very much alive and well.



Yeah, great to see him in good shape!


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## Aenae (Dec 13, 2015)

More:


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## Hannes (Dec 13, 2015)

Here's another video of the scoring session - it's really funny too see how J.J. baby and Johnny work together 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-ot-how-the-new-star-wars-begins/

EDIT: Oups, Aenae was faster^^


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## Farkle (Dec 13, 2015)

Did you notice, that at 1:15, there was a shot of the player's part, and it said, "1M1" (or something like that): *Free Version*??

That is huge. It means that John was scoring cues with free timing (no click, no punches), just expressing the music.

Now, hopefully, that doesn't mean that music editors will be chopping it up. I'm hoping it means JJ (if he likes the free timing version) will edit the scenes to hit the music.

Regardless, that is very encouraging to see. 

Mike


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## ryanstrong (Dec 13, 2015)

FriFlo said:


> If you don't get that, you'll probably don't understand it anyway ...


Oooohhh, please forgive my ignorance!

I just don't understand what the fuss is... things come up... yes even at the scoring stage. Stuff happens. Maybe in an ideal world everything is super perfect going in to the session but I think JJ's ask is within the realm of collaboration and making quick decisions on the spot that may have been missed or to have a take with an extra bar for safety.

On top of that we have very little context for which that audio/video bite was derived from.


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## FriFlo (Dec 14, 2015)

ryanstrong said:


> Oooohhh, please forgive my ignorance!
> 
> I just don't understand what the fuss is... things come up... yes even at the scoring stage. Stuff happens. Maybe in an ideal world everything is super perfect going in to the session but I think JJ's ask is within the realm of collaboration and making quick decisions on the spot that may have been missed or to have a take with an extra bar for safety.
> 
> On top of that we have very little context for which that audio/video bite was derived from.


Ryan, sorry if that came out the wrong way, I was not trying to say, you don't intellectually understand it. I just assumed (rightfully), that you were probably not sharing my concerns with a director thinking like that. I admit, that this is not supported by a lot of information, only those snippets we get in videos ... IMO it can be a good experience to write music and not conduct it to picture, as this obviously happened. It probably means, JJ was intending make the final cut to the music, which could be a good thing!
But it can also mean using JWs music as some kind of material, loop stuff and put it together as it may fit. That would only speak of a huge lack of understanding what JWs music is and why it is great.
My concern is only due to that, but I admit it is way to early to draw conclusions at this point. I hope - as most people here, I guess - that both the film and the score are going to turn out well!


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## Christof (Dec 14, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Nope, not kidding - Abbey Road 1 with the LSO is a major contributing factor to the sound of those scores, IMO. Whatever room they're in here is missing that unmistakeable magic. Not to say the end result will suffer, of course - just my $.02


I read somewhere that JW doesn't do overseas flights anymore.


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## acicero (Dec 14, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> And BTW, when I say "obvious sonic difference" I don't mean the difference between the raw in-room clip above vs. a finished score. I mean the difference between finished scores recorded in different rooms. Thought I would clarify before someone jumps on me for that!


Did you hear the music from the first two trailers? I think it sounds really good so far. At least to my ears, it seems crisper than the prequels which were a little more thick and dense. Shawn Murphy did an AMA on Reddit and said that sonically, the score will sound closer to the original trilogy than the prequels.


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## Sebastianmu (Dec 14, 2015)

Given the "sonic differences" between the original trilogy (which is really quite dry) and the prequel trilogy (with a lot more room), I think I agree that being upset about the difference between abbey road and Sony is "nitpicking"


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## Rob Elliott (Dec 14, 2015)

'we need to repeat those bars...........' (cut camera)....Williams strangles Abrams....news at 11.


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## whinecellar (Dec 14, 2015)

Sebastianmu said:


> Given the "sonic differences" between the original trilogy (which is really quite dry) and the prequel trilogy (with a lot more room), I think I agree that being upset about the difference between abbey road and Sony is "nitpicking"



Fellas. I wasn't "upset" in the least. I simply prefer the obvious sound & character of one room over another. If that's nitpicking, so be it. 

It amazes me the obsession here about constantly chasing the illusion of "realism" using samples, ER tails and reverbs - yet I'm told I'm "nitpicking" for stating a preference for a real room that actually makes a difference in a real recording.

Curious. Whatever makes you happy...


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## ryanstrong (Dec 14, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Fellas. I wasn't "upset" in the least. I simply prefer the obvious sound & character of one room over another. If that's nitpicking, so be it.
> 
> It amazes me the obsession here about constantly chasing the illusion of "realism" using samples, ER tails and reverbs - yet I'm told I'm "nitpicking" for stating a preference for a real room that actually makes a difference in a real recording.
> 
> Curious. Whatever makes you happy...


You are not nitpicking! Star Wars in Abbey Road sounds amazing and certainly would have been my preference! Oh well I guess SONY have to do!


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## tack (Dec 14, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> It amazes me the obsession here about constantly chasing the illusion of "realism" using samples, ER tails and reverbs - yet I'm told I'm "nitpicking" for stating a preference for a real room that actually makes a difference in a real recording.


Remember that no forum is one voice, but many, and with conflicting opinions.


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## Vin (Dec 14, 2015)

whinecellar said:


> Fellas. I wasn't "upset" in the least. I simply prefer the obvious sound & character of one room over another. If that's nitpicking, so be it.
> 
> It amazes me the obsession here about constantly chasing the illusion of "realism" using samples, ER tails and reverbs - yet I'm told I'm "nitpicking" for stating a preference for a real room that actually makes a difference in a real recording.
> 
> Curious. Whatever makes you happy...



Spot on.

Not nitpicking at all. And I agree 100% with you, I too prefer the sound of soundtracks recorded in Abbey Road.


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## whinecellar (Dec 14, 2015)

Just about anything sounds amazing there, not to mention any Williams score. You know it's ironic - I worked at Skywalker Ranch (Scoring Stage) once for a week straight and while it was a great sounding room, I got to thinking afterward that only 2 rooms on the planet have such an identifiable sound when it comes to film scores: Abbey Road 1 and Air. But then I'm just (nit)picky


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## mc_deli (Dec 14, 2015)

acicero said:


> Did you hear the music from the first two trailers? I think it sounds really good so far. At least to my ears...


Me t... oh


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## acicero (Dec 14, 2015)

mc_deli said:


> Me t... oh


You don't like the music?


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## mc_deli (Dec 15, 2015)

acicero said:


> You don't like the music?


...there is a very funny, long thread on here about the trailer music...


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## acicero (Dec 15, 2015)

mc_deli said:


> ...there is a very funny, long thread on here about the trailer music...


If you're talking about the most recent trailer, I agree. The music doesn't fit and is basically a Hans Zimmerfied Star Wars. I misspoke and said first two *trailers* when I should have said *teasers*. I'm fairly certain that it was John Williams, and you can tell. Its the good stuff.


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## tokatila (Dec 16, 2015)

Apparently Amazon released early to some prime members. Good luck if you are one of them.


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