# Rush Job



## Scott Cairns (Aug 16, 2005)

I had to do a title track for a new game called "Conquest of the Aegean"

It took around 10 hours from start to finish.

My only direction was to "hit" 10 seconds and go for exactly 1:55.

Comments welcome although, I think its pretty rough. :roll:  

http://www.scottcairns.com/audio/COTA-Main-Theme.mp3 (www.scottcairns.com/audio/COTA-Main-Theme.mp3)


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## groove (Aug 16, 2005)

Hi scott,

as long as it took you 10 hours...it's a great job ! love the tribal athmosphere and the oriental mandoline trem (or whatever it is).

then my feeling is that the crescendo instrumentaly could go further on creazyness with maybe some more loops (stormdrum kindoff) and some melodic stuff on the higher range would have pleased me and keept my intersest growing.

i love it and would like to ear it with even more ideas in it.

but i admit this only a question of taste, sound wise composition orchestration etc... i think you did a great job


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## Scott Cairns (Aug 16, 2005)

Thanks for the comments guys. I used a Mandolin as I was trying to capture a bit of the Greek and/or Aegean feel. (whether it worked or not.)

The mode was very slightly Arabic at times because Greek music actually does have that influence bordering Turkey and the Middle-East. I avoided instruments like Duduk as I didnt want it to sound like Black Hawk Down or something..

It was a very Rush Job as the title suggests, hopefully good enough for the game.

Jose, thanks for your suggestions in terms of harmonic spread etc, I do listen and take these things onboard, in this case, for next time.


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## choc0thrax (Aug 16, 2005)

Sounds good enough for a videogame. Why did it take 10 hours though? I've never spent 10 hours or anywhere near that on a piece of music! Ok my music is all simple and repetitive but I think i'd go insane after 10 hours on one piece of music. 8) Wondering how everyone here composes, do you guys like do a lot of trial and error until you get what you want? I don't know anyone that composes in real life so I have no idea how people normally do it.


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## Scott Cairns (Aug 16, 2005)

Hi Choco, 10 hours to write 2 minutes of orchestral music (conceived from scratch) is quick for me.

Typically, Id like 2 or 3 days or even a week (if time permits) to write a main theme for a game. Other themes can sometimes be less if they are underscore or simple orchestrations.


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## choc0thrax (Aug 16, 2005)

I see..do you write it all down or are more of a keyboard player and play the stuff in?


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## Niah (Aug 16, 2005)

Scott Cairns said:


> Hi Choco, 10 hours to write 2 minutes of orchestral music (conceived from scratch) is quick for me.
> 
> Typically, Id like 2 or 3 days or even a week (if time permits) to write a main theme for a game. Other themes can sometimes be less if they are underscore or simple orchestrations.



Same here, especially orchestral pieces, the amount of work and attention to detail is sometimes diabolical, and you have to tackle so many areas. I think you did an excellent job in only 10 hours I don't know what I'd have done in only that amount of time, but then again it's a lot different when you're under pressure. :D 

Congrats again.


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## Scott Cairns (Aug 16, 2005)

Thanks Niah.

Choco - I play everything in. I used to start with a piano sketch, but Im finding over time that I actually hear the instrument (or instruments) I want in my head first. I then find it in my template and play the part in.


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## choc0thrax (Aug 16, 2005)

Yeah same here. I've never been able to do that piano sketch thing.


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## Thonex (Aug 16, 2005)

Stravinsky made a great impression here in the US and many thought his music would be ideal for film. MGM approached Igor and told him that his music would be perfect for the big screen and asked him if he would be interested in composing music for movies. Stravinsky said "sure!!". 

When MGM asked him how long it took him to compose a work, Stravinsky replied "oh.... a couple of years". Well, needless to say, that didn't fit in MGM's (or any other producton company's) schedule. :D 

I think this is a true story, if I recall.

T


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## Evan Gamble (Aug 16, 2005)

I would have waited if i was a film producer..sounds great scott BTW


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Aug 17, 2005)

Wow Scott,

Nice work!  Very cool cue... the Mandolin at the beginning reminded me alot of Matt Uelmen's Diablo the Town theme. Very good production and composition, mate!

Cheers,


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## fictionmusic (Aug 17, 2005)

Thonex said:


> Stravinsky made a great impression here in the US and many thought his music would be ideal for film. MGM approached Igor and told him that his music would be perfect for the big screen and asked him if he would be interested in composing music for movies. Stravinsky said "sure!!".
> 
> When MGM asked him how long it took him to compose a work, Stravinsky replied "oh.... a couple of years". Well, needless to say, that didn't fit in MGM's (or any other producton company's) schedule. :D
> 
> ...



Cool story. Igor was certainly slower than film composers thats for sure. I have read almost all of his writings and I remember he has a totally dim view of movie music. Considering the scathing things he said about Disney and their butchering of Rite of Spring in Fantasia, I don't imagine he would willingly have worked in film. 

In Fantasia they used Rite without his permission, but as Russia isn't a member of the international copyright convention, there was nothing he could do. Apparently he was offered big bucks for it (and it is pretty well documented he was a shrewd business man and liked money) but he refused, as he believed that his music shouldn't be used in movies. Of course, if that MGM story is true, that could be why. 


Very cool cue btw Scott, regardless of how long it took.


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## groove (Aug 17, 2005)

Scott Cairns said:


> Thanks Niah.
> 
> Choco - I play everything in. I used to start with a piano sketch, but Im finding over time that I actually hear the instrument (or instruments) I want in my head first. I then find it in my template and play the part in.



i usually write down the melody/harmony and some orchestration ideas on couple of bar just to keep a visual idea, i found it is easier then to make it evolve...

i earded that Stravinsky story before and like the idea that it is true  
but then how J Williams has time to right is amazing music ? i guess he studied Stravinsky a lot :shock:


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## Thonex (Aug 17, 2005)

fictionmusic said:


> Cool story. Igor was certainly slower than film composers thats for sure. I have read almost all of his writings and I remember he has a totally dim view of movie music. Considering the scathing things he said about Disney and their butchering of Rite of Spring in Fantasia, I don't imagine he would willingly have worked in film.
> 
> In Fantasia they used Rite without his permission, but as Russia isn't a member of the international copyright convention, there was nothing he could do. Apparently he was offered big bucks for it (and it is pretty well documented he was a shrewd business man and liked money) but he refused, as he believed that his music shouldn't be used in movies. Of course, if that MGM story is true, that could be why.
> 
> ...



Nice info. Yeah.. I heard this was early in his career... before color... before Fantasia... I want to say the 1920s... before he moved to the US.

I'd love to find ant written back-up of the MGM story... I did a quick google search and found nothing... but then again I'm not the best googler.

T


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## Thonex (Aug 17, 2005)

Nice track Scott. Did you have visuals to work off of? In other words, did you score to picture or did you just take some direction and provide them a 2 minute cue?

Nice work.

T


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## José Herring (Aug 17, 2005)

Thonex said:


> I'd love to find ant written back-up of the MGM story... I did a quick google search and found nothing... but then again I'm not the best googler.
> 
> T



Heard the same story but I thought it was with Ravel. Though I'm not that sure it would make sense being that they use to rip off his music and Debussy note for note in older scores.

Jose


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 17, 2005)

Nice cue Scott. Are those orchestral toms? 

Keep em' coming :D 


Rob


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## Scott Cairns (Aug 17, 2005)

Hey Rob, thanks mate. The drums are the Taikos from Storm Drum.

Thonex, I didnt have any visuals at all, the developers told me it was a WWII game called Conquest of the Aegean. To hit 10 seconds with "something" (game title comes up) and go for exactly 1:55.

I have asked them in future to supply me with visuals as I can obviously then hit certain moments and moods on screen as they happen.

Scott.


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## fictionmusic (Aug 20, 2005)

OK. I just looked up the Disney Rite of Spring story and I was a bit off. He did take the money as it turns out, a sum he says he was "obliged to accept" as they were going to use the music anyways.(from Eric White's book "Stravinsky")

I can't find the autobiography that covers the whole story and has him talking about music being used as BGs, and how he thought it was a betrayal to the composer (Expositions or Memories I can't remember which) but it is around here someplace. 

There were lots of films he was going to do however:

Three Little Songs was intended for a French film (unreleased)

He was offered $100,000.00 to write for a film but when he refused they offered him the money just to lend his name to it. (he didn't)

Apparently he was going to do a music about the Nazi invasion of Norway but the music was used in Norweigan Moods instead (I often wonder if the title of Norweigan Woods was really from that piece of music instead of the box of matches Lennon attributed it to)

much of the music of "Scherzo a la Russe" was originally slated for a Russian film

Orson Welles wanted him to write music for Jane Eyre, but no contract was ever signed.

Werfel wanted him to write music for The Song of Bernadette but no contract was signed and the music ended up in "Symphony in 3 Movements"

I do have an essay from Copland about film music and there is an interesting quote where he says "the man who wants complete musical expression should stay home and write symphonies" and not film music because of the short shrift it gets. (can't find that book either but I'm looking)


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## José Herring (Aug 20, 2005)

Thanks :D


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## FilmComposerZ (Sep 5, 2005)

Powerful Scott....fits perfect for a game...no distractions, just "emotion" while one is playing. I guess game music is just the same as film scoring, build up the on screen emotion without giving a hint to the people that music is there...

Pablo


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## dimitris (Sep 16, 2005)

I detect a Zorba (as in the music of 'Zorba the greek') philosophy in the tempo change. Am I wrong? 

Sounds good to me. Although I'm a too close to the subject - thus not a typical listener - I think you convey both the military action and the ethnic element. If the piece was for an action trailer, I think it's got it all. If it was for a menu or an intro, maybe a melodic part is missing.

Say, if you need any input from this indebted greek, don't hesitate to ask. Bouzouki tracks maybe?

Btw, what is 'conquest of the aegean' dealing with? Is it a naval strategy game?


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