# New cue from a short film



## Simon Ravn (Nov 27, 2004)

I just finished scoring a short film (25 minutes of score for a 28 minute movie) and this is one of the first cues I have finished the mix on. It has the romantic title "1m4" - the movie is based on a story (not a fairytale) by Hans Christian Andersen.

http://www.simonravn.com/media/HOM-1m4.mp3


----------



## Herman Witkam (Nov 27, 2004)

It's a 404


----------



## Sid_Barnhoorn (Nov 27, 2004)

Simon, it's beautiful! I love it... which libraries did you use? The strings sound great as does the vocal.

Take care,
-Sid.


----------



## Frederick Russ (Nov 27, 2004)

Wow Simon - beautiful composition! I always marvel at your excellent string programming and arrangements - production is very good.


----------



## Simon Ravn (Nov 27, 2004)

Herman yes I just had to change one thing in the mix

Thanks guys. Let's do the sample libraries rundown in Craig style:

Violins+Cellos: Custom
Violas+basses: SISS
Horns: SI Orch. Brass
Trombones: SAM
Woodwinds: Westgate
Harp: QLSO
Choir: SOV boys... + VOTA angels I believe.

Vocal is of course not from any library


----------



## Craig Sharmat (Nov 27, 2004)

Very nice Simon! I think it sounds excellent. Just curious, did you eq the Vi's?


----------



## Dr.Quest (Nov 27, 2004)

Lovely piece. Nicely realized. I thought there was some SISS in there.

J


----------



## lux (Nov 27, 2004)

Sounds really nice Simon, expecially in a couple of passages is impressive, at about 0.44 and 1.15 to end.

Very good work.

Luca


----------



## Simon Ravn (Nov 27, 2004)

Craig Sharmat said:


> Very nice Simon! I think it sounds excellent. Just curious, did you eq the Vi's?



Yes a bit. And a little EQ on the final mix.


----------



## Marsdy (Nov 27, 2004)

Very excellent Simon.


----------



## rJames (Nov 27, 2004)

Beautiful and warm.


----------



## Alex W (Nov 27, 2004)

Very nice.

You get an excellent sound - so rich and full, I can tell you must spend a long time editing performances.


----------



## Niah (Nov 27, 2004)

Some really nice ideas here and the sound is just perfect. 
I never thought that QLSO harp sounded this good.


----------



## TheoKrueger (Nov 27, 2004)

This is beautiful work Simon . Everything is balanced , great programming. Nice strings arrangement and the vocals at the start are cool too . 
I'd like it to be a bit longer though 




Simon Ravn said:


> Vocal is of course not from any library



Lately i don't know what's real anymore ! I was thinking "That must be Diva" or something


----------



## Simon Ravn (Nov 28, 2004)

Theo (and the rest of you): Thanks DIVA? *cough* - btw this woman was not supposed to sing it perfectly well. It's supposed to be a woman humming in the film. I added reverb and such for the final mix, but in the film I think it will be different. Longer? Well that's the length of the cue, it can't be any longer But there are some 3-minute cues in the film as well.

BTW (someone commented on it in another thread) I choose to use Westgate woodwinds in a lot of stuff, since the samples are more "raw" than VSL for example. It adds more to a tutti passage, IMHO. For solo playing I still use VSL though. Can't beat the clarinets.


----------



## EricRichmond (Nov 28, 2004)

brilliant!


----------



## Lex (Nov 28, 2004)

Very nice cue...

I love your "new" style/direction...

Westwood winds eh? they sound great here..

made me think of geting them..


aLex


----------



## Frederick Russ (Nov 28, 2004)

Simon Ravn said:


> Herman yes I just had to change one thing in the mix
> 
> Thanks guys. Let's do the sample libraries rundown in Craig style:
> 
> ...



Simon I just listened to this again. What I think I'm taken with the most is the warmth in the production you were able to capture. Great choices for Libraries - of course there is no way I personally could compare this performance with another since the Vi's and Cellos are from your custom lib. But some really great yet subtle EQ'ing - the mix is superb. The arrangement really works.


----------



## Simon Ravn (Nov 28, 2004)

Thanks for the comments guys. I put online a couple more from the film which I mixed today. Note that not everything has been tweaked to perfection Especially some of the stuff running under heavy sfx/dialogue. Also, every time a piano plays a melody, it's not my theme, but something the director composed himself and wanted me to use (god forbid).

http://www.simonravn.com/media/HOM-1m3.mp3
http://www.simonravn.com/media/HOM-1m7.mp3
http://www.simonravn.com/media/HOM-1m8.mp3

Libraries are pretty much the same as the first one:

Violins: Custom, SI, VSL
Cellos: Custom
Basses+Violas: SI
Trumpets: Custom
Horns: SI, custom
Trombones: SI, SAM
Woodwinds: Westgate, VSL
Percussion: QLSO, G-Town, custom
Choir: VOTA, SOV
Harp: QLSO
Piano: PMI Bosendorfer 290


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (Nov 28, 2004)

I like the chord progressions in the second half of m3. I mean the whole thing sounds beautifully rich, there's a good sense of timbral balance there (where you placed the tubular bell, for eg, perfectly). My only beef is with the choir, but hey, it's just my taste. I've developed a bit of an allergy to them (maybe overdosing?).

m7: low vocals and basses together? wowzah! Now that's an interesting use of voice.  The opening chords/textures have a wonderful dissonance quality/polytonality to them, especially at the end of the first half. Not crazy about the last melodic part.

My favourite section in m8 is when the middle/high string parts break out, about 1/3 in. I'd love to hear an entire piece with just that bit expanded on! The last melody starts to sound interesting when you add unresolved chords underneath it.

Good luck with this director. I don't about the rest of you, but I'm often freaked out by directors/producers who are closet composers! Pros: they can speak the language; Cons: too many to name!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Simon Ravn (Nov 28, 2004)

Ned thanks for your detailed comments! Well the music is DONE now. But there were a lot of changes to do. Next time around I will not let him do his own temp music!


----------



## frankvg (Nov 29, 2004)

Hi Simon: really SUPER!!

btw thanks for your honest comments on the harp demo....


----------



## handz (Dec 8, 2004)

Simon these are very bautifull compositions! Congrats! :!:


----------



## Gary M. Thomas (Jan 6, 2005)

Hello Simon..... I have always admired your compositions very much, and this one is absolutely awesome. Exactly the type of work I'd expect from you. Simply incredible music ..... Gary M. Thomas


----------



## Sicmu (Jan 6, 2005)

I had a listen and it sounds definitely very realistic : the violins and cellos especially are very warm. 
You say it's "custom library" but how did you get them and why is it impossible to get the same result with commercial libraries?


----------



## msayre (Jan 6, 2005)

Great stuff, Simon. I'm always impressed by how realistic you get your tunes to sound. That's funny about the director... oh well, what can you do? I think you managed to make it alright though.

BTW, nice profile on Gamasutra.


----------



## ComposerDude (Jan 6, 2005)

Very good work and an excellent mix.


----------



## Gary M. Thomas (Jan 7, 2005)

I have noticed that Simon Ravn has a unique ability to "blend" his instruments incredibly well in the mix. That's one of the reasons that all his music demos sound so remarkably realistic. None of the samples stand out above the rest... they all blend together so nicely. 

Tell us Simon, what is your secret? :wink:


----------



## Simon Ravn (Jan 7, 2005)

Sicmu said:


> I had a listen and it sounds definitely very realistic : the violins and cellos especially are very warm.
> You say it's "custom library" but how did you get them and why is it impossible to get the same result with commercial libraries?



As some people already know, I and a few other composers recorded some custom samples, among them violins and cellos. Whether they sound better than the commercial libraries or not is up to the individual to judge, but in my mind there is no doubt. Can't really tell you why.


----------



## Simon Ravn (Jan 7, 2005)

Thanks to everybody for the nice comments Gary, I don't think there's any secret. Practice probably


----------



## ComposerDude (Jan 7, 2005)

Simon, what EQs were applied to the Vi's? (frequency, boost or cut dB, bandwidth)

-Peter


----------



## Simon Ravn (Jan 8, 2005)

ComposerDude said:


> Simon, what EQs were applied to the Vi's? (frequency, boost or cut dB, bandwidth)
> 
> -Peter



Not much really. Maybe a little dip around 3khz but nothing major.


----------



## Trev Parks (Jan 8, 2005)

Awesome, beautiful, lush sound. Those strings have such presence. Nice work!.


----------

