Metropolis (1927) Soundtrack

Earlier on in the Bracketology 2008 back when A Space Odyssey 2001 was still on the list some of us mentioned that it would be interesting redoing the soundtrack if it ended up winning - like a new DSC Compilation of some sort. We also mentioned Fritz Lang's Metropolis from 1927 as a candidate, since the A Space Odyssey 2001 fanbase would put a jihad on us if we started changing anything from the original, so Rook and I started talking about arranging this.
But before any of this is put into action and we spend too much time on it, we'd like to hear how many of you might be interested in redoing/remaking the soundtrack for Metropolis? We've been talking about how this should be arranged. If you participate should the organisers then pick out scenes and hand them out? Should you be able to pick your own scene etc. etc.? We could also cut the entire movie into e.g. 20 scenes and then assign the scenes to the participators and then when we've all made our contribution to the new soundtrack we could then vote for our favorites and in the end put it all together?
There are many ways of doing this, but first of all Rook and I are interested in knowing who might be interested in doing this. Also if you have any good ideas about how this should be done or how we should rip the scenes then please let us know.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Squee

This is a pretty rad idea, and I'd be down to do any scene that I'd be good for. I know it would be difficult, but I think if we used the same pool of synths and samples it could be cohesive enough to work really really well. Have you seen the version of fantastic planet on google video with an all-star electronic music soundtrack? it really doesn't work for me. But I think a variety of people working from the same instruments could actually pull off something really really great. That might be super hard to organize though, huh. I suppose we could have an ftp or something that people could upload samples of what they're doing in their scenes and people could take those samples and incorporate them in their own stuff. I've got some webspace I could put towards the cause, regardless if that route is pursued at all.

Edited March 31, 2008 by taphead

^Sounds amazing!

I don't know about forcing people to use specific synths or samples. I know it'll end up being a weird mash-up, but of course this also depends on the final editing of the movie. Let's see how this evolves.

i'm down,, but i agree with tapehead that there should be some kind of continuity throught the work

force everyone to use 303s and the amen break

already did something like this for a cheesey script of my own:

 

http://forum.watmm.com/index.php?showtopic=30953

http://idiron.kaen.org/AudioNarrative.mp3

 

so yeah, i might have time for this. definately split it into scenes though.

  Twentyfourange said:

force everyone to use 303s and the amen break

 

 

BANNED!

Oooh that sounds well ace. I'm certainly up for doing a scene, it'll be intersting to see how to get everthing to fit together in the end.

I'm not sure how we should do the whole continuity thingie? I mean, I bet someone would be interested in doing acid, some drill'n'bass etc. It's going to be a tough one to crack...

 

I think we should definitely split the entire movie into 20 bits or so, so and then assign scenes to each members, because if we don't we'll have the majority of WATMM fighting over the infamous machine man scene, whereas no one would be interested in doing the garden scenes.

perhaps we can figure out the styles that people want to explore, and try to assign them in an order that will bring about some sense of cohesion. not just going off their word, of course, but also including an evaluation of their work. Maybe we allow people to submit themselves for scenes, give us a track or two, and people vote on the candidates and the winner gets the scene (in addition to being excluded from further votes, assuming interest is that high. if we couldn't get 20 candidates interested in the project altogether, then people could be allowed to do 2 sections I suppose). For this to actually work, the scenes would be done in order from most awesome to least, so that people don't hold out till the awesome scenes come up, we'd have to get them out of the way immediately.

 

And for the record, I am interested in doing whatever scene I may end up with, regardless of how unspectacular it is. In fact, I'd probably be more comfortable with the more unspectacular ones.

Edited March 31, 2008 by taphead

Yea, the trouble with making people use certain synths or whatever is; what about people like me that want to use hardware?

 

 

But yea, I think how we end up doing it is going to be based on how many people are interested. I mean, Metropolis is like 124 minutes, so if like 20 people were interested, that leaves 6 minutes per person give or take a few since we will have to edit it based on you know, the actual movie. This way, there will be no competition or anything, just whoever is interested can do it. And then we can either assign the scenes randomly, or allow you guys to choose. I like the idea of assigning them randomly which would force each participant to create the music to the scene he is assigned as opposed to taking a track and looking to see which scene might fit it.

 

If more than 20 people are interested, than we can turn it into a pseudo competition, but before we think of that lets just get a feel for who is interested. Plus if it is a competition, that will leave room to decide which tracks go best with the movie.

 

 

I kind of like the idea of really leaving it up to the individual participant to make up his own mind what style/synth choice goes well with each scene. I mean, if someone is assigned the garden scene, and they put hard dnb breakcore over it, it might be obvious that he just made a track and really didn't try to make a track to the film though. I mean, Squee and I also thought about choosing one scene just to see how people would interpret it differently, but we scrapped it on account of it would get boring to watch different versions of the same scene over and over again.

Edited March 31, 2008 by Rook

  Squee said:

I think we should definitely split the entire movie into 20 bits or so, so and then assign scenes to each members, because if we don't we'll have the majority of WATMM fighting over the infamous machine man scene, whereas no one would be interested in doing the garden scenes.

 

Yea, I think a random assignment is the best idea.

yeah the whole constrictions on what people use really can't work, but I still think that if everyone had access to multitracks of what people were doing in other scenes, that could bring about some sense of continuity. The random assignment idea is a pretty good one tho, hadn't considered that at all. Seems much more workable.

Maybe if people choose to, they could have the option of sharing their track unfinished so people can hear it? Or maybe even better, we could tell them who has the scene ahead of them and before them, and they could collaborate/swap ideas with them to try and give their scenes a flow? So for example, if one person makes a particularly hard sounding track to his scene (like the clock scene or something), it might be awkward if it comes right before someone who makes a minimal techno track. So they could inform each other about what they are planning to do to try and ease the transition.

^What Rook said

I don't make music, so I'm not involved. But I love this idea, and I sincerely hope people don't all decide to make dead serious music. I think a good aim would be to change the feeling of a scene altogether, for humorous effect or whatever.

 

I don't know. How is eveyone this afternoon?

count me in chumps

i'd be up for doing a scene

this is a great idea

 

i'll pin the topic

nice. I was wondering where this topic went. Looks like we have eight? people interested so far. This could be really cool if we took our time with it and did it right.

Wow, I thought this topic had been deleted since I couldn't find it. Nice one, Jedy!

 

I can't wait to get started, so I'm going to keep a track of people are are interested. I'll keep the intro post updated with names like the Secret Santa thread.

i'd definitely be down, but i agree that it might be hard to create something cohesive sounding. maybe somebody could write a melodic base theme that other people could quote from to kind of give it some fluidity.

i'd be very interested in doing a scene :)

sounds like a great idea!

Nice, add two more.

 

Re: melodic theme.

 

I think it would be tough for us to arbitrarily just choose one theme to universally be quoted throughout the soundtrack. Thats why I like the idea of giving out the names of the person ahead and behind you so they could swap idea's if they so choose. Sort of like that game telephone that everybody played when they were kids. The first person has a melody in their track, and if they share their track with the next person down the line, who knows what it could turn into.

 

Besides, recurring melodic themes (a la Wagner or Williams) usually follow characters. You know, like a certain theme for the machine man or something. That would be a whole different ball game, if we assigned characters. But I don't think that is really realistic considering we already have ten people.

edit: didnt see rooks post until after posting this.

 

in terms of continuity, once we have finished our passage, each person is sent the preseding persons portion and has to make a smooth transition?

 

i think this will add a nice touch to the film. obviously peoples attempts are going to be disimilar but that will probably make each scene have a greater gravity to it as each scene will become a personal interpretation of the aesthetic.

Edited March 31, 2008 by Idrn