This is a NGADM Round 3 Review.
First, a breakdown of the score:
Production: 28/30 (Great)
Composition: 23/30 (Above Average)
Orchestration: 13.5/15 (Great)
Originality: 8/10 (Above Average)
Interest: 13/15 (Great)
Total Score: 85.5/100 or 8.55/10 or 4.5 Stars (Above Average).
Rubric (w/ basic judge comments and explanation of categories):
http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/draw/020112da245797b7369703b108762403
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The Good:
- Virtual instruments were pleasant sounding and used in a way that reflected their strengths carefully.
- There was a clean, clear, emotional arc to the piece.
- Production was for the most part realistic and very solid.
- The introduction and submergence of instruments within the texture was very carefully done and quite seamless. Nothing was jumpy or sticking out both orchestrationally and production-wise.
The Not-So-Good:
- Not a lot of harmony or counterpoint in the piece as a whole, mostly just unison or octave lines until around 2:30, then we get a very small bit. The optimal method to counterpoint is motion while one line is stable, so one line moves up to a whole note, then once it gets there, another line comes in and plays around, and vice versa, which you did around 3:15ish.
- The climax was not much of a climax... more like... the track got louder and more busy. The lead in was awfully long, maybe consider having two climaxes or having the lead up shorter and more concise? Also consider how to add more contrast between the leadup and the climax so we really feel it. Probably the best piece of advice: have a key change when the climax gets going in earnest (2:55). Try a few different modulations until one works (up a third, up a step, etc.). This practice of modulating essentially flips over the audience's "getting bored" hour glass, much the same as a very contrasting section would.
- With composition, consider having more variation with your chord progressions. There's a lot of fun things you can do with harmony- using 9ths, 7ths, secondary dominants, etc. I'd be glad to write in more detail about all the fun things you can do harmonically if you'd like, just shoot me a PM or something. Another good thing would be allowing more tonal ambiguity- having major chords in your minor key sort of thing. Getting your father's sword is a ceremonial, proud moment, but here it sounds like your dying, bleeding father is embracing you on a battlefield while handing you his sword and telling you to go fight for your family and kingdom.
- Think of more suitable ways to use percussion. You don't need to create a click track for your string players, they are perfectly capable of counting for themselves. We can borrow from Romantic and Classical traditions regarding percussion for this; consider using percussion not as a rhythmic/textural element, but as a functional, transitional element, like slight little accents here and there to follow the motion of the piece, and then utilize it in a modern rhythmic sense during the climax (starting at 2:55) to accent the change. This will give your piece more emotion and more dynamics. Also consider more varying percussion than taikos. Consider shakers, tenor drums, marching snares, bodhrain, etc.
- Regarding rhythms, consider experimenting with syncopated motifs on the drums. Often times it's what beats they don't play that are the most important of all.
- Brass were too quiet in the mix at 2:55. At that volume, they would have drowned out the entire rest of the orchestra without much effort, from experience. Chants are a bit too loud, even ignoring realism. I'm not endeared to chanting in music, but it can have its uses I guess. I would have prefered maybe some textural tenor and bass sustains going on in the background, like a pedal or something.
If one were looking for typical, modern trailer music, this would be it (albeit ~2 minutes too long). It more or less is exactly what one would expect to hear in a trailer for a game or movie today. If that is a good thing or a bad thing, that is for you to decide. My only advice is to not isolate yourself in one sound, especially if that sound is the most popular one, because all styles are fads and if you just follow the herd, nothing will distinguish you from John Doe who also makes traileresque epic cinematic music. However, it means you will probably have an easier time finding work until this certain style of cinematic falls away. There's nothing wrong to either approach, it's just a fundamental choice you have to make as a musician and as a businessman.
My two cents: think about ways to push beyond cliches and expectations and you will in turn have your own expectations broken as to what you can say musically. If you love this type of music, then don't just embrace it, elaborate and build up on it. Bring in more varied vocabulary. Hans Zimmer didn't get where he is by just doing the "in" thing, he took the "in" thing of the day and put his spin on it. That became wildly successful and now everyone else is doing it too.
Food for thought.
Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis