# Recorded at AIR Studios - Dragon Capture



## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

Here is “Dragon Capture”, an original Re-Score of the Ice Palace scene from How To Train Your Dragon 2. I had the privilege to record some Live Players in Air Studios, London - top notch musicians through and through! First time recording at AIR and with Live Players too, what an experience!

Thank you to AIR and NFTS for making this a possibility! Looking forward to the next adventure!

*A Vimeo link to a version with the Scene and Music is provided in the YouTube Description*

Live Players:

Flute 1/Picc - Hannah Grays | Flute 2/Alto - Helena Gourd | Oboe/Cor Anglais - Peter Facer | Clarinet 1 - Anna Hashimoto | Clarinet 2/ Bs Cl - Max Welford | Bassoon - Dom Tyler | Horn - Stephen Stirling | Trombone - Matthew Knight | Violin - Dominika Resinska

All other instruments are created using various Sample Libraries!


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## Markrs (Jul 29, 2021)

Love it Jack, it sounds fantastic!


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## Jdiggity1 (Jul 29, 2021)

Incredible work Jack.
Masterfully scored, orchestrated, and the recording sounds very good.
Is this all live instruments? How many sessions did it take to record all sections?


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

Jdiggity1 said:


> Incredible work Jack.
> Masterfully scored, orchestrated, and the recording sounds very good.
> Is this all live instruments? How many sessions did it take to record all sections?


The only live instruments are the musicians in AIR: 2 Fl, 1 Oboe, 2 Cl, 1 Bssn, 1 F Horn + an external Trombone and Solo Violin player. All other instruments are from various Sample Libraries! We had a 25 minute slot to record 2 pieces. This piece took 15 minutes recording time! The players nailed it!


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## dariusofwest (Jul 29, 2021)

Very, very nice work!

I like how well the music goes with the picture ^_^. Also, great cor anglais writing at the start 

Edit: Really great mock-up work too! Sounded all live to me!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

dariusofwest said:


> Very, very nice work!
> 
> I like how well the music goes with the picture ^_^. Also, great cor anglais writing at the start
> 
> Edit: Really great mock-up work too! Sounded all live to me!


Thank you! The Cor player was just on-point that day!


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## Jdiggity1 (Jul 29, 2021)

Jack McKenzie said:


> The only live instruments are the musicians in AIR: 2 Fl, 1 Oboe, 2 Cl, 1 Bssn, 1 F Horn + an external Trombone and Solo Violin player. All other instruments are from various Sample Libraries! We had a 25 minute slot to record 2 pieces. This piece took 15 minutes recording time! The players nailed it!


Even more impressive. Thanks for sharing, and what a great experience that must have been!

BTW, I just noticed the hard-hats! (???)


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## rudi (Jul 29, 2021)

Fantastic! I loved the music, the arranging, the conducting, the performance, the recording and how it fitted with the scene. Excellent!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

rudi said:


> Fantastic! I loved the music, the arranging, the conducting, the performance, the recording and how it fitted with the scene. Excellent!


Thanks so much!


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## NoamL (Jul 29, 2021)

Extremely well done, scoring around action and dialogue, plus some nice tunes!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

NoamL said:


> Extremely well done, scoring around action and dialogue, plus some nice tunes!


Thank you! Your mock-ups are extremely impressive so this means a lot! And definitely love a good tune, me :D


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## CT (Jul 29, 2021)

Very nice! Definitely deserves the live AIR touch it got.


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## FinGael (Jul 29, 2021)

Great job! Really enjoyed listening. Thank you for sharing.


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## bryla (Jul 29, 2021)

Congrats on the fine work and end result!


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## Soundbed (Jul 29, 2021)

Jack McKenzie said:


> Here is “Dragon Capture”, an original Re-Score of the Ice Palace scene from How To Train Your Dragon 2. I had the privilege to record some Live Players in Air Studios, London - top notch musicians through and through! First time recording at AIR and with Live Players too, what an experience!
> 
> Thank you to AIR and NFTS for making this a possibility! Looking forward to the next adventure!
> 
> ...



Amazing! Great music, great sound!


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## N.Caffrey (Jul 29, 2021)

Lucky you! At my time at the NFTS we used to record at the now close Angel Studios, still very nice, but AIR would have been a dream!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

FinGael said:


> Great job! Really enjoyed listening. Thank you for sharing.


Thanks for listening!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Amazing! Great music, great sound!


Thanks man!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

N.Caffrey said:


> Lucky you! At my time at the NFTS we used to record at the now close Angel Studios, still very nice, but AIR would have been a dream!


Yes! Angel Studios was great such a shame it closed but hopefully the new partnership with Abbey Road will see it come to life again!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 29, 2021)

Mike T said:


> Very nice! Definitely deserves the live AIR touch it got.


Thanks! It’s really nothing without those live musicians - they truly make it and absolutely nailed it!


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## spyder (Jul 31, 2021)

Brilliant work. Love the change at 1.40. And 15 minutes recording time - well done the musicians!


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## Jack McKenzie (Jul 31, 2021)

spyder said:


> Brilliant work. Love the change at 1.40. And 15 minutes recording time - well done the musicians!


They were incredible! Only 4 or 5 takes for the entire track!


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## GregStuckey (Aug 9, 2021)

This is amazing work Jack, huge congrats!!


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## synergy543 (Aug 9, 2021)

Wow, really terrific scoring and integration with virtual instruments. Extremely well-executed!


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## ScarletJerry (Aug 9, 2021)

Ver impressive, Jack. The whole arrangement sounds like a live orchestra. It’s very human and emotional.

Scarlet Jerry


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 10, 2021)

GregStuckey said:


> This is amazing work Jack, huge congrats!!


Cheers Greg!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 10, 2021)

synergy543 said:


> Wow, really terrific scoring and integration with virtual instruments. Extremely well-executed!


Thank you so much! The Live Players really do add something special to an entirely virtual performance! There's only so much "performing" you can do with Virtual Instruments but the integration of both Live and Virtual can be a lot of fun!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 10, 2021)

ScarletJerry said:


> Ver impressive, Jack. The whole arrangement sounds like a live orchestra. It’s very human and emotional.
> 
> Scarlet Jerry


Thanks Scarlet! I really wanted to play with the performance in this piece: the beginning is supposed to feel very natural, an almost ebb and flow feeling so that when the tempo kicks up a notch and becomes a bit more agitated, the impact and decisiveness is extremely obvious! Thanks for taking a listen and for the feedback! J


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## fixxer49 (Aug 11, 2021)

Jack McKenzie said:


> Here is “Dragon Capture”, an original Re-Score of the Ice Palace scene from How To Train Your Dragon 2. I had the privilege to record some Live Players in Air Studios, London - top notch musicians through and through! First time recording at AIR and with Live Players too, what an experience!
> 
> Thank you to AIR and NFTS for making this a possibility! Looking forward to the next adventure!
> 
> ...



Awesome, Jack! Wonderful work.


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## LamaRose (Aug 11, 2021)

Very impressive... and I'm listening in mono at the moment!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 11, 2021)

LamaRose said:


> Very impressive... and I'm listening in mono at the moment!


Thank you! Hopefully a better experience in stereo!


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## Lionel Schmitt (Aug 11, 2021)

Excellent writing! Feels very vivid and poignant. Definitely a great and rare "interesting orchestration reference" :D


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## Smikes77 (Aug 11, 2021)

Really well done!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 11, 2021)

DarkestShadow said:


> Excellent writing! Feels very vivid and poignant. Definitely a great and rare "interesting orchestration reference" :D


Thank you!


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## DDK (Aug 11, 2021)

Can you let us know which libraries you used? Sounds great!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 12, 2021)

DDK said:


> Can you let us know which libraries you used? Sounds great!


I used quite a few to blend with the live players. 
Brass: Aaron Venture Infinite Brass/OT JXL Brass
Percussion: Spitfire BBCSO, Albion One/Audio Ollie LAMP
Harp and Celeste: BBCSO 
Choir: Strezov Wotan and Freyja
Strings: CSS, Spitfire Chamber Strings
Synth: U-he Zebra


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## David Han (Aug 13, 2021)

Awesome composition, Jack! The arrangement sounds so clean and professional. Congratulations!

One small question, how do you notate something like that piccolo rip at 1:40? Are the notes written on the score or is there just a text saying "play a short rip"?


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## José Herring (Aug 13, 2021)

Damn those winds are good.


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## Ivan M. (Aug 14, 2021)

Fantastic! Fits the picture perfectly! Well done!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 14, 2021)

David Han said:


> Awesome composition, Jack! The arrangement sounds so clean and professional. Congratulations!
> 
> One small question, how do you notate something like that piccolo rip at 1:40? Are the notes written on the score or is there just a text saying "play a short rip"?


Thanks! So yes the rips are written - I notated the “hit” notes (those that land on the beat) as normal sized note heads, with the rips as a selection of smaller arpeggiated grace notes. You could just write “rip” or notate a small gliss line but i wanted specific notes played (outlining an augmented chord). Hope this helps, more than happy to talk about this further!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 14, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Damn those winds are good.


The Players were truly top notch! Absolutely brilliant playing!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 14, 2021)

Ivan M. said:


> Fantastic! Fits the picture perfectly! Well done!


Thanks for the feedback Ivan!


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## Ivan M. (Aug 14, 2021)

I like how on 1:08 there's a simple augmented chord, that works so well, and then another one, communicates something unexpected. But then, some stable, low strings ostinato, because they decided to investigate, they gathered some courage. Then as they investigate the usual "mystical" harmony. Then an aural chaos as the net is deployed, this is panic. And then on 1:51 where a group fights, a strong and stable rhythm and ostinatos, because there's courage and safety in the group.
Hope it makes sense, those are some of the places where I immediately thought: this fits so well, this is so well made!


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 14, 2021)

Ivan M. said:


> I like how on 1:08 there's a simple augmented chord, that works so well, and then another one, communicates something unexpected. But then, some stable, low strings ostinato, because they decided to investigate, they gathered some courage. Then as they investigate the usual "mystical" harmony. Then an aural chaos as the net is deployed, this is panic. And then on 1:51 where a group fights, a strong and stable rhythm and ostinatos, because there's courage and safety in the group.
> Hope it makes sense, those are some of the places where I immediately thought: this fits so well, this is so well made!


Amazing observations, pretty much spot on! This piece really focuses on modes, augmented chords, moving in tritones and a lot of diminished scales! The reveal of the ice palace I wanted to get that mystery and wonder, the huge scale of it, but also the sense of unease or slight trepidation. It’s a Pedal E with an F augmented chord resolving to an E Augmented chord. Although it’s not really a resolution, having the “7th” of the chord in the bass (F A C# E where E is in the Bass) can add a huge feeling of “organised dissonance“ - where it definitely feels unwanted or uneasy but it’s very stable. 

The ”mystical harmony” part is actually a variation of the theme (melody) when they fly over the burned forest. I used the “Harmonic Planing” technique often used by Holst where all of the notes of a triad or extended chord move by the same interval over a pedal Mars for example or the “Magic” faster wind and trumpet part of Hedwigs theme by JW.

In such a short clip it’s extremely difficult to establish themes or motifs for Characters or Story Points, but as she is captured by the next, a Minor version of the “love theme” from the start plays. the end of the phrase falls on a lot of tritone movement so it’s extremely unstable, but as Hiccup catches her the Major version of their theme plays to take us into the Viking fight at the end. 

I was considering creating a video walkthrough of the track and the process if you and/or any other members think you would find that useful? Let me know! J


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## Ivan M. (Aug 14, 2021)

Jack McKenzie said:


> Amazing observations, pretty much spot on! This piece really focuses on modes, augmented chords, moving in tritones and a lot of diminished scales! The reveal of the ice palace I wanted to get that mystery and wonder, the huge scale of it, but also the sense of unease or slight trepidation. It’s a Pedal E with an F augmented chord resolving to an E Augmented chord. Although it’s not really a resolution, having the “7th” of the chord in the bass (F A C# E where E is in the Bass) can add a huge feeling of “organised dissonance“ - where it definitely feels unwanted or uneasy but it’s very stable.
> 
> The ”mystical harmony” part is actually a variation of the theme (melody) when they fly over the burned forest. I used the “Harmonic Planing” technique often used by Holst where all of the notes of a triad or extended chord move by the same interval over a pedal Mars for example or the “Magic” faster wind and trumpet part of Hedwigs theme by JW.
> 
> ...


Ha! "Harmonic planing"! So that's how it's called! I like that effect a lot.
About the walkthrough, I can't really ask for anything, but I can guarantee I would watch and appreciate it


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## Jack McKenzie (Aug 14, 2021)

Ivan M. said:


> Ha! "Harmonic planing"! So that's how it's called! I like that effect a lot.
> About the walkthrough, I can't really ask for anything, but I can guarantee I would watch and appreciate it


No worries! I’ll add it to the list!


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## David Han (Aug 15, 2021)

Jack McKenzie said:


> Thanks! So yes the rips are written - I notated the “hit” notes (those that land on the beat) as normal sized note heads, with the rips as a selection of smaller arpeggiated grace notes. You could just write “rip” or notate a small gliss line but i wanted specific notes played (outlining an augmented chord). Hope this helps, more than happy to talk about this further!


Thank you for the explanation! Sounds so cool. love it! Keep making content like this please


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## FredericBernard (Nov 19, 2021)

What a wonderful piece, congrats!

Can you share on how you got the possibility of recording at AIR? Do they make shared sessions? 

Would love to record there as well, but am aware of the quite luxury session time.

Cheers!
-Frederic


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## Jack McKenzie (Nov 20, 2021)

FredericBernard said:


> What a wonderful piece, congrats!
> 
> Can you share on how you got the possibility of recording at AIR? Do they make shared sessions?
> 
> ...


Hi Fredric, thank you! I am currently studying a Post Graduate MA in Composition for F/TV/VG at the National Film and Television School. As part of that course, we have four opportunities to record original music at AIR studios, every session with a different number and selection of players and instruments!

J


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## stevenson-again (Dec 5, 2021)

Dear Lord - that is a fantastic mix. Really nice work, It's amazing how some live musicians can lift things but it's pretty decent writing right there anyway.


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## Sonja (Dec 5, 2021)

Great! I'm doing small hobby projects for fun and enjoy playing my saxophones and flutes with the samples of my originals/arrangements, so this was very inspiring and shows how real instruments can compliment the synths, etc.


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## Jack McKenzie (Dec 17, 2021)

Sonja said:


> Great! I'm doing small hobby projects for fun and enjoy playing my saxophones and flutes with the samples of my originals/arrangements, so this was very inspiring and shows how real instruments can compliment the synths, etc.


Thank you  It truly is amazing what a few live players on a sample-based track can do!


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