EPTThis is the video LastManProductions, our video editor, and I have just made together for the latest CS:GO Dreamhack in Cluj-Napoca, Romania which takes places from 28 October until 1 November.
The Context
This is the first time so many American teams (3) were able to qualify for DH, hence the theme for this video: American Revolution.
The plan was to have 3 acts
Act 1: Americans getting murdered – Americans usually don't do well
Act 2: American highlights – hope: 3 American teams have managed to qualify for this Dreamhack
Act 3: European highlights - The hard climb to the top, the challenge ahead
And this is the track I composed and produced for the video above (i.e. without gunshots and commentators):
After several months of talking to Souma and sending sample tracks and iterated improvements of it, I’ve finally been accepted in the CS:GO coverage team as a music producer.
It was late September and I was immediately told by xkcd that we want to publish a video in late October. It’s my first time taking on something like this and everything must be done in 1 month, which sounds like a lot of time until you know that my first track I’ve ever produced, which was 5 minutes long took me 4-5 months, while my fastest one (after I’ve had a better grasp of the basics) took me about 3 weeks.
Problem is, I cannot take 3 weeks on a track because the video editor, I know LastManProductions needs my music before he is able to start working on the video.
After a discussion with LastManProductions I’ve gathered that he already has a clear vision for the video:
As mentioned earlier, this is the first time so many American teams (3) were able to qualify for DH, hence the theme for this video: American Revolution.
His vision was to have 3 acts:
Act 1: Americans getting murdered – Americans usually don't do well
Act 2: American highlights – hope: 3 American teams have managed to qualify for this Dreamhack
Act 3: European highlights - The hard climb to the top, the challenge ahead
(I’ve forgotten how he worded it but that was my interpretation of it.)
Act 2: American highlights – hope: 3 American teams have managed to qualify for this Dreamhack
Act 3: European highlights - The hard climb to the top, the challenge ahead
(I’ve forgotten how he worded it but that was my interpretation of it.)
Sounds like a great storyline to me, but how do I start? I am a Malaysian and have no idea what music would say “American Revolution”. All I could think of was the Star Spangled Banner.
So I just googled keywords for ideas. I listened to patriotic songs, national anthems and marching songs from all around the world. I listened to hours and hours of everything I could find in order to absorb it all.
Finally after listening to this, I realised that I loved the first track and using it as a foundation would work.
+ Show Spoiler +
I googled for every version and cover of that track and listened to them repeatedly. I took my guitar and played around with the tune and chords and was very satisfied. Great, now I have a theme for the music of Act 2.
Now for the music of Act 1 I decided to use a similar chord progression of the track in Act 2, with some minor changes. I’ve improvised with my guitar around chord progression thinking about sad stuff and voilà, I have myself a theme for Act 1. (Yes, the music Act 1 did flow out that easily ^^)
I made a recording on my guitar, but I knew it wouldn’t work as a draft after listening to it. So since I didn’t want to shame myself during my first project I decided to whip up a crude draft of my ideas in Ableton using proper, albeit placeholder orchestral instruments to send to LastManProd. The "whipping" ended up taking me a few hours.
Interestingly, while I was writing it in Ableton I realised that my improvised Act 1 phrase was in 9/4 or 5/4 + 4/4, which I was excited about because it was just like Frank Zappa's Watermelon In Easter Hay (his was more of a 4/4 + 5/4 though), absolutely perfect! I loved how the extra beat in his track adds to the melancholy.
+ Show Spoiler +
Since my Act 1 was in a slow tempo that just wouldn't work in Act 2, I’ve decided to make a transition by slowly ramping up the speed to the climax of Act 2 - meaning the speed increase was purely natural and unplanned :D
LastManProductions got back to me, he liked the ideas and had some criticisms. Act 2 was nice while Act 1 music was too long.
When someone says something is too long it can mean 2 things:
1 It is too long, but usually:
2 It is long winded i.e. your progression sucks, i.e. it’s boring and repetitive as it goes on.
A great first step, LastManProductions liked the general theme of the draft. Here was what he heard ^^
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzbEBl6XK0JUb0lzRWpaS3cyM00/view?usp=sharing
I took his criticism and began working on the second iteration.
===================================================================================
This blog getting too long and I'll continue this later.
Thank you for reading! I hope you've found it interesting ^^
Connect with LastManProductions:
+ Show Spoiler +
Connect with me:
+ Show Spoiler +
(PS: Justine Chowder will be back after LOTV)
