2 Questions - Edit points on a drone cue? To resolve or not to resolve?

[marczazzaro]

1. You can see the listing below. It calls for easy edit points, but wants to start with a simple atmospheric drone/pad. I'm struggling to reconcile those 2 ideas. My submission, I think, starts plenty drone-y. Thoughts on how to add more edit points? (currently it has merely 1) If I'm building tension up to a big climax, I don't want to be pausing every few bars!

2. Do you resolve (harmonically) your tension cues or leave unresolved? What would you do in this case? I feel like rule 1 of cues is to end on the tonic, but so often I hear these tension scores that end on a cliffhanger. (Imagine our intrepid hero chasing down the bad guy. Suddenly, intrepid hero stops, close-up of hero's horror stricken face as her eyes widen. What does she see??? --cut to commercial--) That sounds like I'd want something unresolved there.

My potential submission, for reference (any other feedback also welcome): https://soundcloud.com/marc-zazzaro/ten ... -1/s-aRWdU


Thanks,
Marc

TENSION-BUILDING INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a large TV Production Company's Non-Exclusive, In-House Music Library that supplies music directly to its roster of Hit Reality Shows. They're looking for compelling, Down-to-Mid-Tempo Tension Cues that could work well for Reality TV Shows in the stylistic wheelhouse of these examples:

"The Mentalist-Jane Kills Red John" (0:00-1:13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEBFK9koVW4

"Scandal" (0:00-1:42) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjI6juG7cPE

"Catfish" (1:40-2:18) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvTLqSfTSk

Please submit dramatic, anticipatory, tension-inducing Instrumental Cues that could add a sense of expectancy to a scene. Cues that start with simple, atmospheric drones and/or pads, then build to a climactic stinger ending will work well. Add and subtract layers of instruments and/or rhythm instruments as your Cue moves forward so it sounds like it's leading to something.

All Instrumentals should be at least 2 minutes in length. Easy edit points and non-faded/ buttoned/ stinger endings are strongly recommended. Please do NOT copy or rip off the referenced artists or their music in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, texture, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine).

This company offers a NON-EXCLUSIVE, 50/50 deal. You'll split any applicable sync fees 50/50. You'll get 100% of the Master rights and Writer's share, and the Library will get 100% of the Publishing for any placements they generate. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit for this opportunity. Please submit 1-3 Instrumental Cues online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis by a TAXI screener handpicked by the Publisher - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59PM (PST), on Monday, February 6th, 2017. TAXI #Y170206TB

- See more at: http://www.taxi.com/industry.php#sthash.4YmgFuTI.dpuf

[Markzilla]

Nice work, Marc! The punch point you have is perfect and I think you should use a variation when you first introduce the pizzicato strings. To my ear, that would be the perfect place for a punch point... I believe it's at around 0:24, about a quarter way through the piece. The build is nice, the textures and layering work for me.

In terms of your second question, have you tried both and if so, which feels right?

I'd go with your gut on this one. After all, it's a "tension" cue. It's hard to think of a better way to enhance tension than by leaving something unresolved.

[Onaginoffegin]

First off, I would try and get this cue to two minutes. Some TAXI tension listings say 90 seconds in length, but most ask for two minutes.
Second — for me — the intro seems too long. I would bring in a new element at about 8 seconds.
The pizzis seem pretty dry. I'd add some reverb.

To answer your question — edit points are usually a good idea. A number of music libraries require alternate versions of your cue that are 30- and 60-seconds long. The shorter versions have to have a beginning and ending.
If your cue already has edit points at 30 and 60 seconds, it will save you a lot of time and headache when you get that cue signed because your alt versions will already be there.
Try and see if you can come up with a 30- and 60-second version of your cue as it is.

As regards chopping up a drone cue, I see your point. But it's doable, and will benefit you in the long run.


...Henry

[Len911]

If you had edit points every 2 bars, you could theoretically loop the first two bars several times before playing the second 2 bars of a 4 bar phrase to stretch it out. I think you have to be careful about music spilling in from other bars.(unlike midi).

The question about resolving or not, seems to be about the final cadence. That seems to me to be composer's choice, unless you provided alternate choices. If you ended on a V-I, and had an edit between them, they could end on the V, or maybe edit to a I-V??

I think it comes down to what makes sense. If you had an edit point at every motive, theoretically they could make their own composition, but that isn't the purpose, they want your composition, just the ability to edit for time, really.

1) If I'm building tension up to a big climax, I don't want to be pausing every few bars!

I would agree if it's randomly pausing at no bar in particular, but if it's at the strategic points in a phrase, the brain will hang on through the pauses or edit points.

[marczazzaro]

Hey Y'all - Thanks so much for the feedback.

1. First things first, I didn't see the minimum 2 minutes! This track is one I submitted for a previous listing and was adapting, so that's a good catch. I lengthened the song out to (barely) hit the 2 minute mark.
2. I added an edit point at 30 seconds. It still doesn't feel super natural to me (maybe there's a better way to execute it) but I think it works. Now I have an edit point at :30 and 1:30 in a 2 minute song, giving the editor 2 30 second chunks and 1 minute long chunk to work with.
3. I decided not to resolve it. Since there's so much droning on the tonic, it'll never sound totally unresolved, but it definitely adds a little more mystery to it.
4. As part of the lengthening process, I had to add in a couple new bits of instrumentation. We have a pitch-bendy pizz line that comes in after 15 seconds or so and a Super high (basically just 3.5k and up) marimba note that's mostly being used purely for it's percussiveness.

Let me know if you think this is an improvement or a step backward!

The tune: https://soundcloud.com/marc-zazzaro/ten ... -2/s-qUmLe

-Marc