Listing U180114HD - Heartfelt - Opinions Please

[becw75]

Hi Everyone,

I think I have a piece for ...

HEARTFELT, ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTALS are U-R-G-E-N-T-L-Y needed for an (up to) $7,500, Non-Exclusive, Direct-to-Music-Supervisor placement in a Feature Film. They’re looking for Down-to-Mid Tempo Instrumentals that would be in the general ballpark of the following references the client gave us:

“All I Ask of You” by Josh Groban Duet with Kelly Clarkson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpA511j_-5I

“Somos Novios” by Andrea Bocelli & Christina Aguilera: ` https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsoPjGZTVg

“A Love That Would Last” Renne Olstead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-4iawLy9I

Although the references have vocals, please submit instrumentals only for this request. Please submit original, Romantic-sounding Instrumentals that would work in sappy, dramatic scenes in this film. What do you have that would melt hearts and make your spouse or significant other reach over and hold your hand during a romantic scene? Those are the kinds of Instrumentals they want to hear! Go for the big emotional “Awwww!” Your arrangements can be minimalistic pieces or fuller ensembles. Organic sounding instrumentation would likely work best, so please make sure any instrumentation you use sounds incredibly convincing! Anything that sounds obviously stiff, synthetic, or MIDI-driven won’t work well for this pitch.

TAXI Tip: You’d be wise to stick to one idea and emotion throughout, and avoid submitting anything that’s complicated. This is all about the emotion, not your virtuosity as a player! Give them something that would cause a “Date Night” swoon

Submissions should be at least two-minutes long (give or take), with non-faded, buttoned endings with a natural decay/ring out. Do NOT copy the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for texture, tone, and vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed (Great sounding home recordings are fine).

My song is called, 'Until You Love Me' - this is a link to the piano solo version.

https://app.box.com/s/e2g7dw04b51l1xvgsccbwoqqu30wh8ba

I think it needs some edits, but should I try to make with supporting orchestral/ drum kit/ double bass elements??

Thanks in advance for your help...
Rebecca

[cosmicdolphin]

I think it's a really nice piece but I do think it will need quite a bit of work on supporting instruments to get it in the ball park of the reference tracks.

The emotion is there though..which is the main thing.

Mark

[becw75]

Thanks Mark! I’ll add some more instruments and see what I can do.

[timothycook]

with supporting orchestral/ drum kit/ double bass elements??

I agree with Mark. It is a nice piece and probably matches the listing if you spend some time adding drums/percussion and a little reverb.

--Tim

[GuitarKit]

Yeah, it's really lovely.
Just watch
the dissonance in a couple of your chords. Dissonance is not romantic. Keep it sounding natural.

Lovely feel by the way.

[becw75]

Hi,

I wondered if people wouldn't mind listening to this work in progress.

I've started adding more instrumentation - using East West Hollywood products and Logic.

I'm not sure I like the spiccato double bass I've done at the beginning, or choice of notes for the soaring violin part.

I'm wondering about the balance/ type of arrangement and missing instrumentation at this point???

Here's a link..
https://app.box.com/s/qp7zxw1tc84tti3bvyl6ulht18giz07d

Thanks in advance for your replies once more.....

[edmondredd]

Hey Rebecca,
fine piece you have, it carries a very nice feel. To be honest, I didn't listen to the references and jumped directly to your piece.
Here are few things I would have done a bit differently:
The oboe sound extremely 'midi'. In order to make it sound more realistic, I think you could first thing first use the modulation automation: imagine a real person playing the instrument, there's no way he/she could hold the same 'level' with no variation. He/she needs to take occasional breath (that reflects in brief pauses in your arrangement), play the note (probably a bit softer than the body of the note), go into a crescendo and then fade out as he/she is out of breath. Replicate this.
It also needs some 'room' or 'space' but we'll get to that in a moment.
The strings:
The same applies here, with automating modulation, as the bows move, the modulation would as well. Create 'waves' while modulating, it will make your strings move in a beautiful way. Also, don't play the string section as you would play the keyboard. It's a different distribution of notes, so take advantage of that. If you're not splitting your string section (which in my mind is a must), try arranging your chord differently: Put the root note at the lowest octave (mind you, the double bass lowest note is an E1, don't go under it, even if your library has it), then one octave higher (that would be the celli). For the remaining triad put, for example the fifth in the middle, as if the violas are playing it, violins 2 would play the root note, and the first violins the third just above it.
Make space towards the low end of the register, and get the gap closer towards the upper register.
Also, try passing notes on some of the sections (viola for example) and try sustaining a note on the upper register that fits the chord progression, ie: hold the G note if your playing C,G,A.

One added advantage when splitting the strings is panning distribution: you'll be able to put your instruments the way you want. Check the orchestral instrument placement diagram for more 'realism' although you could decide of the placement that suits your orchestration.
The strings need some space as well, and we'll get to that as well.

at 0:22-23 there's an instrument I couldn't really define; I'm guessing it's a harp. Here, my suggestion is to, either 'play' a glissando on the harp, or find one that's already pre-recorded.
Usually, the pre-recorded ones are not in 'tempo' but you can always get away with it. Else, simply play it, either by sliding your finger on the midi controller (and fix it on the piano roll, by adjusting the notes on the scale) or by simply drawing the notes on the piano roll. Mind you, you should alternate realistically the note velocities, not to have the 'machine gun' effect.
Also, put the harp on the far left side, and add some reverb to it, so it would sound a 'natural' transition, rather than a solo instrument.

at the 0:25 mark onwards, I would suggest using a pizzicato articulation rather than a staccato, doubled with violas pizz as well. Mind the timing, move the note on your piano roll if you feel it's not well timed.

The piano sounds beautiful

The soaring string section is beautiful as well, but needs a bit of movement, achievable with automation.

The end is too abrupt, without any indication. I would suggest creating a crescendo part, and then add a harp glissando again to announce the end.
And definitely with some reverb, which I'll talk next, it would make it less abrupt.

Create 2 reverbs aux in your session: one short, and one long. In logic, in the space designer, set the dry signal to 0 (on the top right) and the wet all the way to 100. Select from the drop down menu 2 verbs.
Now start sending your instruments (by using the sends) to those 2 verbs depending on their 'distance'. The closer they are to you/listener, the shorter the reverb. And the further, the longer.
So for example you could 'burry' the harp by sending it to the long reverb.
Be aware of not overdoing it, you might end up with a muddy mix, but when the music stops, you should get a nice tail, with a feeling that it has been recorded in a nice concert hall.
Some people like to EQ their reverbs, so they'd scoop out the muddiness. If you can just add the right amount of it, without flooding the place all over, I guess you'd be fine.

I hope that helps,

[becw75]

Thank you so much for your advice Edmond.
Very appreciated.

[becw75]

Hi Everyone,

I'm working on the first section.....
How does this sound?

https://app.box.com/s/wm49buj26kz27rlb9297kzryc2sl33yk

Regards
Rebecca

[becw75]

Hi Everyone,

This is what I got done before the bell went.

https://app.box.com/s/wwuxbp588j3pohorjqjzopliv6wvv27e