Stickman Animation

Is there a video attached? Or can we get a link?

These videos are great! I like the flip book idea because there is an inherent rhythm that gets picked up by the pages that are turning. Bring some sound ideas to class tomorrow and we can start putting together the arch of the sound story. Also, bring your previous sound creations, and we can try and fit those in as well.

Side Note: As this is a class project, and a simulated professional gallery presentation, I would steer clear of using words such as "um." Instead, you can find a way to declare that your ideas are pending in a more coherent way.

I love that you're using this video. I could picture the music you were describing in my head, and I was smirking to myself while watching the video-- overall, it fits really well.

Your timing seems pretty much spot on. The exposition, climax, etc. seemed to be exactly where you said they were. I'm not entirely sure about you using elevator music for the beginning. I'm assuming you're trying to create a sense of monotony-- the calm before the storm-- but, to me, elevator music doesn't seem to be the right fit. When I hear elevator music, I think of people twiddling their thumbs, standing around without anything to do. However, if the music is executed well, I'm sure it will be fine.

Good luck!

Great analysis, Eric. This timeline will be helpful in organizing your compositional ideas. Please continue posting process updates, especially as the music progresses.

Good analysis of the video with the exact timings, well done! As I told you at class you should mark all the exact timings, parts, things to synchronize with music, in Logic as it is explained here below. I recommend to compose something simple at the beginning (just the main instrument melody, the leitmotifs, and drums and so on), and then think what you would expect to listen apart from that, as background: a bass line? Some string chords? Other melody (countermelody) to accompany nicely the main one in a different instrument? You decide. If you would like to get ideas listen to music similar to the style you want to use and listen to its instrumentation and rest of characteristics to create your own piece with your own decisions, with your own taste (not a copy!).

Here some general ideas to help you build the music: Think of the functions of the music for audiovisuals that we studied at class and also the composition concepts. Start with analyzing the video more precisely and setting its parts and the mood and characteristics of the music for each part. Plan your instruments. Remember that to make a crescendo you can add instruments apart to make them play louder and vice-versa with decrescendo. Select a good tempo that goes well with the images (beat per minute), though you might change it in some section if you think it is going to fit better. To open the video in Logic: File-Movie-Open Movie. Then mark the sections of it in the next way: Logic Pro-Preferences-Advanced Tools and activate all except for Control Surfaces and Surround (and score if you are not going to use it). Then Track-Show Global Tracks and in the Arrangement Track you can establish the sections, for example:
- Introduction: objectives (mood to set, things to remark with music...), Function/s of the music in this section (set the mood, present the main character (you can create a leitmotif for it), place the viewer in the physical place where the action is (country, region, etc.), underline the time the action takes place...), Composition concepts to get the objectives and music functions: crescendo to begin, tempo that fits, kind of music to set the mood, instrumentation that fits with the place and time,...
- And something similar to the other sections.
Also in the markers track you can put markers to synchronize important moments in the scene to synchronize with the music, example: evil monster appears suddenly (remark with its leitmotif or with some low tones, or drums, etc)
The process should be that: set the objectives, set the music function/s, set the composition concepts to get them, compose the music starting from something simple, just the melodies, leitmotifs, etc. and then "decorate" it with the rest of elements and instrumentation you think that fits (it might be string/brass chords, bass line, drums, other melodies with other instruments...)

I think the way you divided the video into different sequences fits very well! I especially think that the sequences with the epic chorus and then the slowed down versions of the chorus will be very effective. I was just curious though as to whether you'd be overlaying the original sound effects in the video over your composition since there is no background music in this video. Or would the sound effects in the video take away from the composition if you were to combine them together?

I think that your chosen sounds will work well for this composition, except for the elevator music. Looking at the other sounds you've chosen, I think you will want something more similar to the later stuff, kind of like how in Lord of the Rings, the 'hobbit' theme in the first film is very light, and then in the last film, it's reused underneath all the Mordor sounds when Sam and Frodo are traveling through Mordor.

I really like the way that this project turned out! I know you initially said you wanted to use elevator music in the beginning but going with that more retro/innocent game music gave a better feel to it. It was playful rather than casual like elevator music might have made it. I do wish that it was a bit faster though so it's a bit more dance-like. The effects from the Jaws theme were well timed as well. The epic music that is introduced is very fitting. I was very much looking forward to you slowing down the music in the slowed-down defying gravity matrix-like scene but other than that, I thought this project was well executed

Both the video and music are very interesting. They fit each other perfectly. Your music is very dynamic and the listener can clearly feel the progression that match with the movement of the stickman.