Film Music

Hi everyone I graduated this year from my college in speciality ''Music with Technology'' and my final exam was to score an entire film.

I was searching for a film that hasn't original score so I find this.

I have started this project before the middle of the year and I finish it exactly one day before the deadline.

It took me 5-6 months to:

1.compose the music,

2.find musicians to record them live,

3.record the music,

4.do the mastering/production and

5.to put the final result into the movie.

When I saw the movie for the first time I realize that I didn't want to write another classic horror score.

I approach the film from a completely different point of view and my aim was to write for ''The 3rd Person'' , ''The 3rd Eye''.

I was inspired by a directing technique called ''Bird's Eye View'' in case you don't know what it is:Bird's Eye View

So I don't write for actors (1st person) neither for spectators (2nd person).

But this was the main concept of course I used and classic techniques as Leitmotifs ect.

One another technique that I used in piece ''7.Minas Tragedy''.

The piece is starting with a slow piano arpeggios of 3 chords playing continuously for a minute I think it's boring but that's the point cause when the Mina's theme came it makes more impression.

For those who haven't wached the film before

Here is Dracula's plot summary:

After a harrowing ride through the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe, Renfield enters castle Dracula to finalize the transferral of Carfax Abbey in London to Count Dracula, who is in actuality a vampire. Renfield is drugged by the eerily hypnotic count, and turned into one of his thralls, protecting him during his sea voyage to London. After sucking the blood and turning the young Lucy Weston into a vampire, Dracula turns his attention to her friend Mina Seward, daughter of Dr. Seward who then calls in a specialist, Dr. Van Helsing, to diagnose the sudden deterioration of Mina's health. Van Helsing, realizing that Dracula is indeed a vampire, tries to prepare Mina's fiance, John Harker, and Dr. Seward for what is to come and the measures that will have to be taken to prevent Mina from becoming one of the undead.

Source:Dracula (1931) - Plot Summary

---Tracklist---

1.Beginning Titles

2.Dracula Awaken

3.The Blood

4.''Goodnight Mr.Renfield''

5.Lusy's Bite

6.Not Her Master

7.Mina's Tragedy

8.Dracula and Van Helsing

9.The End of Dracula

Part 1 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 1 of 8]

Part 2 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 2 of 8]

Part 3 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 3 of 8]

Part 4 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 4 of 8]

Part 5 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 5 of 8]

Part 6 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 6 of 8]

Part 7 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 7 of 8]

Part 8 of 8:

YouTube - Dracula (1931) - Kostika Collaku [Part 8 of 8]

The most sheets are seperated in parts of each instrument, I want to manage them so I can post it but I will.

This is my most complete work so any comment would very appreciated.

''Goodnight Mr. Renfield''.sib

This was a very melancholy piece and although I'm not entirely sure what was happening in the scene, other than somebody dieing and later being preyed on by a vampire, it appeared to fit the scene quite well. I thought it was cool that you have managed to get the vocals recorded and implemented into the final product for your exam at college.

Good work and I wouldn't mind hearing the rest of the pieces or, since I have never watched the movie Dracula, watching the movie with your version of the soundtrack in it.

This was a very melancholy piece and although I'm not entirely sure what was happening in the scene, other than somebody dieing and later being prayed on by a vampire, it appeared to fit the scene quite well. I thought it was cool that you have managed to get the vocals recorded and implemented into the final product for your exam at college.

Good work and I wouldn't mind here the rest of the pieces or, since I have never watched the movie Dracula, watching the movie with your version of the soundtrack in it.

Thank you for your comment you are right, but when I started to compose the score I didn't wan't another classic horror soundtrack and I didn't want to capture the Dracula's emotion or something usual.

To give you an example when in a movie scene are TWO persons a human hunting by a dinoseur and the picture change colors like someone 3rd watching...something similar I wanted to write, my aim is to write for an ''invisible'' person that is watching what happends in scene.

This ''3rd'' person may be someone who just is watching the movie.

It takes me 5-6 months to compose, record, mix and final put the music in the movie.

Thank you again and soon I will add some more scenes.

Glass

I know you have been around here for a bit, but I have never actually welcomed you, so welcome to YC.

I think I understand what you are going for here and I think you accomplished that goal. I would have mixed the voices a little differently myself, but that doesn't mean what you did was wrong by any means. I think I would have cut back the highest notes and brought up the harmonies throughout the scene. But like I said, that's just the way I would have done it.

It has been years since I have watched the film, so I don't remember the exact music (if any) that accompanied this scene, but I do like what you have done here.

I also look forward to whatever scenes you will post with this movie. I used to stay up late Saturday nights and watch all of the classic horror movies like this one. It's a pity that today's so called horror movies all center around the blood and gore instead of the story itself like they did in those times.

Nice work.

Ron

Glass

I know you have been around here for a bit, but I have never actually welcomed you, so welcome to YC.

I think I understand what you are going for here and I think you accomplished that goal. I would have mixed the voices a little differently myself, but that doesn't mean what you did was wrong by any means. I think I would have cut back the highest notes and brought up the harmonies throughout the scene. But like I said, that's just the way I would have done it.

It has been years since I have watched the film, so I don't remember the exact music (if any) that accompanied this scene, but I do like what you have done here.

I also look forward to whatever scenes you will post with this movie. I used to stay up late Saturday nights and watch all of the classic horror movies like this one. It's a pity that today's so called horror movies all center around the blood and gore instead of the story itself like they did in those times.

Nice work.

Ron

Thank you Ron for your comment and for your tips.

You mean to remove the soprano and keep only the vocals and the strings???

It can be even without soprano cause what I only want is to create an ''atmospheric'' mood for the scene so it would be nice too.

The film hasn't music, only at the beginning when titles appeard it has the Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky but no original, this is why I choose this film to compose for.

I was between this and Frankenstein (1931) but I choose this.

Now I am searching for a silent movies to compose cause I think that would be a real challenge for a composer to write over 1 hour continued music.

I am a very big fun of cinema and the only I can tell for today's horror movies is that I agree with you very much.

They have lost all the innocence of old days.

Thank you again and soon more scenes would be here...

nice stuff, some timing there is off, did someone conduct this through the recording, or did you record the playback after the singing? pretty negligible it sounds pretty serious...like today's interpretation of old movies...instead of being the overly dramatic from previous movies. actually the only aspect I feel missing in your music that it doesnt give me any horror. and that particular movie was.

nice stuff, some timing there is off, did someone conduct this through the recording, or did you record the playback after the singing? pretty negligible it sounds pretty serious...like today's interpretation of old movies...instead of being the overly dramatic from previous movies. actually the only aspect I feel missing in your music that it doesnt give me any horror. and that particular movie was.

No this is done all by me and I record the voices seperately but what do you mean is timing off?

And my goal just I said before (on other comment) isn't to write another horror music, I approach the film from a completely other point of view not even to describe any horror emotion.

No this is done all by me and I record the voices seperately but what do you mean is timing off?

And my goal just I said before (on other comment) isn't to write another horror music, I approach the film from a completely other point of view not even to describe any horror emotion.

there are parts where the singing isnt sitting on the start or end of bar properly, and the comping goes with it as if it is rubato on these parts, its not clear who is leading who-the vocals or the comp.

regarding the remake you've made, it is very nice, and tragic like, and good singing btw! i was sure its an girl singing with opera techniques.

there are parts where the singing isnt sitting on the start or end of bar properly, and the comping goes with it as if it is rubato on these parts, its not clear who is leading who-the vocals or the comp.

regarding the remake you've made, it is very nice, and tragic like, and good singing btw! i was sure its an girl singing with opera techniques.

If you see the score you will notice that isn't very out of tempo.

I use the metronome but this physical lose of rythm is the beauty of live recordings.People are trying to emulate this in step-time composition I think the rubato it's very natural.

And yes the soprano is studying for classic opera. :D

I think you may have missed a trick. The scene where Dracula walks into the concert to introduce himself to Mina, Lucy, etc could easily have the soundtrack wiped so you could compose your own diagetic "ending to an overture" in place of what's on the original soundtrack. A bit of "dirty" processing would help it sit better as part of the original's sound world.

This could involve use of previous themes, subtle introductions of themes to identify the new characters, taking the opportunity to mirror (or not) Lugosi's movements, or perhaps some things based on the speech rhythms of the exchanges that then take place in the theatre box - when Lucy quotes poetry, for instance. What you've then got is a sort of entre'act opportunity to organise and redirect your musical material.

I haven't watched the whole thing through but a natural thing to do, if you like this idea, would be to reiterate it as the final strain at the climax of the film, but in a different elaboration, incorporating elements that follow.

A propos Goodnight Mr Renfield, I thought it was very effective, but I think you need to tighten the timing to accompany the cuts.

Good work.

I think you may have missed a trick. The scene where Dracula walks into the concert to introduce himself to Mina, Lucy, etc could easily have the soundtrack wiped so you could compose your own diagetic "ending to an overture" in place of what's on the original soundtrack. A bit of "dirty" processing would help it sit better as part of the original's sound world.

This could involve use of previous themes, subtle introductions of themes to identify the new characters, taking the opportunity to mirror (or not) Lugosi's movements, or perhaps some things based on the speech rhythms of the exchanges that then take place in the theatre box - when Lucy quotes poetry, for instance. What you've then got is a sort of entre'act opportunity to organise and redirect your musical material.

I haven't watched the whole thing through but a natural thing to do, if you like this idea, would be to reiterate it as the final strain at the climax of the film, but in a different elaboration, incorporating elements that follow.

A propos Goodnight Mr Renfield, I thought it was very effective, but I think you need to tighten the timing to accompany the cuts.

Good work.

First of all thank you very much for your comment I really appreciate that cause the score means a lot to me cause is my most complete work.

Now this scene troubles me a lot I thought it to write something new but I finaly decided to keep the original.

To wipe the soundtrack were the most easy thing to do cause during the playing there are no dialogs or some important effects so this would be easy.

But there are two kinds of film music:

1.The music that actors can't hear it (discribing what is on screen any emotions, situations etc)

2.The music that actors can hear it. (Some radio, a concert etc)

I wrote the first, and the concert music could be anything, from a baroque opera to a contemporary (for the time that film took place) symphony or a piano recital so I didn't find any serious reason to write a new ''old'' piece.

As for the ''Goodnight Mr.Renfield'' and The J told me about the timing is there a specific point that you hear it that is ''off'' or generaly the whole piece?

You're quite right to distinguish between music the characters can hear (diagetic) and music they can't hear.

I just think that there's a golden opportunity available in the film where the characters are experiencing a musical performance, that can be really used to your advantage.

Consider the use of "As Time Goes By" and the Marseillaise in Casablanca. These melodies are experienced, performed and felt by the characters throughout the action, but also used (not very subtly) in different variations to project the inner life of the characters at various key points. Of course, it doesn't have to be that obvious.

We all know the feeling we get when we hear a popular tune from years ago and it takes us back to that time and that way of feeling. Playing with melodies that the characters can hear (or can't, or we're not sure) is a very powerful, albeit artificial, way of tapping into that feeling and can really help towards a sense of musical unity in a film score.

Don't get me wrong, I like what you're doing. These are just some thoughts that I feel might add something.

Best, J