# Researching contemporary orchestration techniques for a new horror film assignment...



## Imzadi (May 14, 2014)

Hey guys,

I have a couple of horror films for this year and I would like to learn about more modern orchestration techniques before I get started. I have a bit of time for both projects, so I want to experiment as much as I can and maybe prerecord a section (strings, perc, etc) with effects to be used later (among other things).

I have a few questions: 

-What composers or pieces do you recommend listening and studying? 
-Is there good literature on the subject?
-Where could I find some of these printed scores?

Any other tips?

Thanks!


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## Farkle (May 14, 2014)

For seminal horror composers and films, here are a couple to start with.

The Omen - composed by Jerry Goldsmith.
Alien - also composed by Jerry Goldsmith.
The Evil Dead - the remake from 2011, cannot remember the composer.
Psycho - composed by Bernard Hermann.
Hellraiser - composed by Chris Young.

As to where the scores are? Oy!! I do not know, I transcribe a lot of them.

Regardless, these are great films and film scores to start with.

Mike


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## jaeroe (May 14, 2014)

for printed scores you're going to do better with concert music. a lot of film music using avant garde techniques comes out of people like ligeti, penderecki, cage, etc. definitely worth checking out bartok and stravinsky for some middle ground, as well. that's a good place to start, anyway. if you get a decent book on modern music you can find others to check out from there (crumb, xenakis, carter....)

The Shining, for instance, is mostly pieces of ligeti, penderecki and bartok.
jaws is an extremely indebted 'homage' to stravinsky

you'll see that different composers deal with notation in different ways, as well. ligeti tends to be extremely precise and detailed notation. penderecki is often more graphical and event based.


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## JohnG (May 14, 2014)

Krzysztof Penderecki


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## jleckie (May 14, 2014)

Don't research anything. It's all been done to death. Create something new. Be a leader- not a follower.


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## jaeroe (May 14, 2014)

most people who have created something 'new' knew the past extremely well.


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## clarkus (May 14, 2014)

Was trying to think what I contribute to this. My first inclination was to name exactly the composers that have been named: Ligeti, et al. Actually, I think everybody should know these composers just 'cause their music is fantastic.

But I also notice a trend in scoring films - or some films - toward...

1) more subtle and atmospheric effects

2) sonic innovation and sound design (as opposed to extended orchestral techniques and mid 20th century harmony, which characterizes most horror films until more recent times)

3) music that is in counterpoint to the action, or which introduces its own unexpected mood and direction.

Some of the #3 has been in place for awhile, in the form of, say, a toy piano or a wheezy accordion playing a bit out of tune when things in the story start to become unhinged. But I am thinking right now of the recent "Beneath the Skin" with Scarlett Johannson. Score by Mica Levi. Check it out, if you haven't. The aesthetic is in keeping with Quentin Tarantino's aesthetic, meaning that you will get anything but what you expect: Kung Fu does NOT get scored with traditional Chinese instruments in this way of doing things, and slaves rebelling against their plantation owners are doing so with some very noisy electric guitars. I'm delighted to see theses walls broken down.

I'm not saying this is necessarily where everything is going. But it's where some of us are going.

And for #1 and #2, even though it's not strictly speaking a horror-film, Gravity, with a score by Steven Price, walked away with an Oscar that I thought was well-deserved.


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## ed buller (May 15, 2014)

well...the problem with horror is that it can be full of cliches. And there is a tendency to assume dissonance is all u need. Think of Tubular bells for the exorcist...

I think the important thing is to establish the intervals you will need . Again Goldsmith is very good at this. Quite often you'll find that in his scores he limits his pitches enormously . Outland ( space action horror ? ) relies on an inverted 7th almost completely. I would sit at the piano and just find collections of notes that give u a certain felling you can develop.

Clusters ( ligeti, penderiki ) are always popular , as a screeching slides. and thanks psycho ....but think of psycho. so much of the music ( at least the first half, is really just atmosphere. almost pretty . ) the cue "the city" for instance is just a dim7 filled by a min6 going down in inversions . The music IS simple stuff......it's all about mood. Try to find your own mood and exploit it. Hermmann again in sisters just used a children's taunt ( nah, nah, ) to drive a scary score....mixed with a minimoog. 

one of my fav's recently was DK ..the Joker gatecrashing the party......two notes !!!.....so freaking tense......

good luck

ed


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## Imzadi (May 15, 2014)

Good stuff guys, thanks. Lately I've been listening a lot to Penderecki and it's incredible. Like some already said, part of it is trying to learn what's has already been done and get inspired by that to incorporate it and maybe create something new.

Any recommendation on notation books with some modern techniques? I'm curious on how these are notated and how these fxs are organized. 

Btw someone mentioned the Evil Dead remake score. That's some amazing music right there. Would love to see the scores (no idea on how to transcribe some of that stuff...!)


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## bryla (May 15, 2014)

Kurt Stone wrote 'Music Notation in the Twentieth Century' which is all about Penderecki, Berio and the like.


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## jaeroe (May 15, 2014)

the Stone book is good - also can look at Gardner Read's Compendium of Modern Instrumental Techniques. but, the best is just picking up scores by a few of the different composers mentioned adn listening with recordings. they all notate a little differently and the beginning of the score will have a legend explaining the notation. can look at ligeti (lantano) and penderecki (threnody or dream of jacob) to get started with that. also, string quartets by both of those guys are good to check out for notation and variety of sound (2nd quartet of each).


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## Imzadi (May 16, 2014)

This is great, thanks for the info!


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## Imzadi (May 16, 2014)

clarkus @ Wed May 14 said:


> But I am thinking right now of the recent "Beneath the Skin" with Scarlett Johannson. Score by Mica Levi. Check it out, if you haven't.



I watched this film last weekend and the music is really good. Definitely not my kind of film and I'm not sure why the reviews are so good, but the music is super interesting.


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## Imzadi (May 16, 2014)

For those interested I found some really cool clips in youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DD7gzDYBgY&index=2&list=PLA48C9BC68E2DAFDF (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DD7gzD ... C68E2DAFDF)
Some of Penderecki's instructions for the strings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HilGthRhwP8&list=PLA48C9BC68E2DAFDF (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HilGthR ... C68E2DAFDF)
Threnody with an animated score


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## cmillar (May 17, 2014)

You MUST listen to John Corigliano's score for "Altered States" !!!!!

He turned heads around with this one!


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