The Soundtrack

[Silverwolfpet]

I think Jared might do a pretty good job with the soundtrack of the game, mainly because he knows how to keep the theme intact while playing around with variations!

What do you think? It would be a shame if TTG would just use the original soundtrack with no remixes or new tracks. (remix doesn't mean adding a beat to it and calling it "new and fresh" )

[Trenchfoot]

Yeah, I think Jared could do a great job! (Maybe he is already doing it)
But I hope he uses at least the main theme and maybe Silvestri could say "yay" or "nay" to the stuff that's composed for the game by Jared, eh?

Same goes with JP... They just need to get the original Williams sketches! Just like Don Davis did with JPIII.

[Vainamoinen]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

I think Jared might do a pretty good job with the soundtrack of the game, mainly because he knows how to keep the theme intact while playing around with variations!

What do you think? It would be a shame if TTG would just use the original soundtrack with no remixes or new tracks. (remix doesn't mean adding a beat to it and calling it "new and fresh" )

If we continue our long line of impossible requests to TTG, which has reached a neat climax with the demand of all-original voice actors, let's just ask for Alan Silvestri to compose more BTTF music for us, and have an impossibly large orchestra to record it (the orchestra used for the BTTF music was the largest movie orchestra to date, if I remember correctly).

As for "remixes", I think that Silvestri's style could be imitated if necessary. Jared Emerson-Johnson would probably be up to the challenge, and he'd probably love it, too. The music would of course have to be all-new; we don't switch from movies to games to see and listen to exactly the same thing. We want something resembling and reminiscing, but at the same time wonderfully new and surprising. Nothing else could work - you as a part-time composer are well aware of that.

[SurplusGamer]

Originally Posted by Vainamoinen

If we continue our long line of impossible requests to TTG, which has reached a neat climax with the demand of all-original voice actors, let's just ask for Alan Silvestri to compose more BTTF music for us, and have an impossibly large orchestra to record it (the orchestra used for the BTTF music was the largest movie orchestra to date, if I remember correctly).

As for "remixes", I think that Silvestri's style could be imitated if necessary. Jared Emerson-Johnson would probably be up to the challenge, and he'd probably love it, too. The music would of course have to be all-new; we don't switch from movies to games to see and listen to exactly the same thing. We want something resembling and reminiscing, but at the same time wonderfully new and surprising. Nothing else could work - you as a part-time composer are well aware of that.

I don't see why they couldn't just use the BTTF music for the most part and write specific cues where really needed. That's what LEC did with the star wars games, even the really good ones. But yeah, it'd be great to see some good new music in the BTTF style.

[MusicallyInspired]

You're not thinking 4th dimensionally! Well, that's not what I meant but I couldn't resist. If they do it in the way that the old LucasArts games did it, they don't just make a main theme for the game, they write an overture with a lot of the story themes medley-ed together with the main theme IN it. And all overtures are different. Even in all three BTTF movies. In ANY movie. And with a franchise like BTTF which has a very epic soundtrack, I think it'd need a good original overture while the opening credits are running. TTG said they wanted to be more and more cinematic.

[Laserschwert]

Originally Posted by SurplusGamer

I don't see why they couldn't just use the BTTF music for the most part and write specific cues where really needed.

Because you would clearly hear a difference between the cues recorded back in 1985 with a huge orchestra and the newly composed ones that have to rely on synths (I doubt TTG will have the budget to have an orchestra play it). In fact, I might just as well quote my own post from the JP-forum:

Originally Posted by Me

The only thing that worries me about recording new music for the games is the budget. "Sam & Max" worked as a combo of live instruments and synths because of its jazzy nature. But a fully fledged orchestral score with synths? It'll suffer, just as ToMI's (undoubtly great) score did.

Still, I don't want the movie scores to be used here either, as a) it'd be great to have more new JP and BTTF music (although it should contain themes from the movie scores) and b) Telltale uses very cinematic cutscenes, which were all scored matching the action. A tracked (i.e. cut up) mix of the existing soundtracks wouldn't work as well.

I'm certain that Jared is able to compose a fantastic score around existing themes (which he did nicely with "Wallace & Gromit"), but why assume that he will be doing the music for all those games in the first place? I mean, according to several interviews his schedule is always flooded with composing and recording the music and supervising the voice and audio work for the games as well. And now with Telltale growing bigger and tackling several series (including some new ones) simultaneously, I'm not sure if he will be able to work on all of them. I guess it's safe to say that "Tales" will get a second season, but that's all Michael Land. So, why not have Jared work on JP and some other composer on BTTF?

Alan Silvestri and especially John Williams will be impossible, of course. Silvestri has some more movie scores down the line, while Williams would NEVER score a video game (and even in the movie field he's half-retired, working exclusively on Spielberg-related projects besides his usual classical concert stuff).

[Gryffalio]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

I think Jared might do a pretty good job with the soundtrack of the game, mainly because he knows how to keep the theme intact while playing around with variations!

What do you think? It would be a shame if TTG would just use the original soundtrack with no remixes or new tracks. (remix doesn't mean adding a beat to it and calling it "new and fresh" )

Given Universal are involved i'm going big budget: Rick Rubin and Danny Lanois.

[LuigiHann]

I also mentioned this in the Power of Love thread, but hopefully they license an iconic piece of pop music from each era they visit. That's a big part of the movie's charm.

[Vainamoinen]

There have been a lot of games for existing franchises where a limited budget did not interfere with the use of an orchestra (or at least some real instruments). It's dangerous budgeting, nonetheless. Although not connected with the Lord of the Rings movies, Sierra managed to release games with brilliant music (paired with abysmal gameplay, unfortunately).

Originally Posted by SurplusGamer

I don't see why they couldn't just use the BTTF music for the most part and write specific cues where really needed. That's what LEC did with the star wars games, even the really good ones. But yeah, it'd be great to see some good new music in the BTTF style.

Because the real fans have heard that music 10.000 times over. If the original music is used, it has to be done very, very sparingly, at exactly the right moment. If it doesn't produce goosebumps, it's actually wasted.

LEC massively overused the original Star Wars cues when it could have been done so much better: In the "Knights of the old Republic" games, new music was composed in John Williams' style, and some of these cues were really, really excellent.

To put it in a nutshell, we actually need new music to make the games feel like a NEW installment of BTTF, not a copy of the movies. But I really don't expect TTG to go any other way.

[SurplusGamer]

Originally Posted by Vainamoinen

Because the real fans have heard that music 10.000 times over.

Would people please stop assuming that anyone who has another idea about how things might be done must not be a 'real fan'? I assure you, my BTTF fan credentials are just fine. I just happen to think there is a way to do this that uses quite a lot of the originally recorded soundtrack.

If you listen to it, a lot of cues are actually reused within the films themselves and as a soundtrack it's not as tightly synced to the action a lot of film music, even Star Wars, so a lot of it'd work quite well transposed to different situations. There are only a few situations where the music was so closely linked to the on-screen action that it'd be difficult to re-use (Marty punching Mad Dog at the end of 3 springs to mind).

And to fill in the blanks, well, I agree that unless Universal are paying it would be difficult to get an orchestra, but there's a lot you can do quite convincingly with good samples/software and a mixture of real and sampled instruments nowadays. I think they could do a good enough job of using both old soundtrack and new music that it isn't jarring.

[Vainamoinen]

Originally Posted by SurplusGamer

Would people please stop assuming that anyone who has another idea about how things might be done must not be a 'real fan'?

I really hope not to have offended anyone. As always, different is not the same as wrong, and one fan differs from another in an infinite spectrum of ways. Still, I assume that fandom is connected with listening to the music over and over. My very basic assumption still stands that a something-old-something-new-approach for the game(s) would be the way to go - as with all movies and games series.

Originally Posted by SurplusGamer

If you listen to it, a lot of cues are actually reused within the films themselves and as a soundtrack it's not as tightly synced to the action a lot of film music,

I disagree, but it is very hard to back up my claim. Only parts of the entire BTTF soundtrack have been released. I own all albums, and I haven't noticed any re-used tracks neither in the movies nor on CD. I find the synchronisation of music to action to be extremely well made and to the point, but if you watch the movies a thousand times as I have, it's probably very hard not to get that impression.

Originally Posted by SurplusGamer

And to fill in the blanks, well, I agree that unless Universal are paying it would be difficult to get an orchestra, but there's a lot you can do quite convincingly with good samples/software and a mixture of real and sampled instruments nowadays. I think they could do a good enough job of using both old soundtrack and new music that it isn't jarring.

I agree with that!

[RMJ1984]

Original soundtrack for this game, thank you very much

[MusicallyInspired]

Originally Posted by Vainamoinen

There have been a lot of games for existing franchises where a limited budget did not interfere with the use of an orchestra (or at least some real instruments). It's dangerous budgeting, nonetheless. Although not connected with the Lord of the Rings movies, Sierra managed to release games with brilliant music (paired with abysmal gameplay, unfortunately).

Which Sierra are we talking about here? Choose your words carefully, I feel a rant coming on if you give the wrong answer...

LEC massively overused the original Star Wars cues when it could have been done so much better: In the "Knights of the old Republic" games, new music was composed in John Williams' style, and some of these cues were really, really excellent.

Exactly what I was referring to. Dark Forces and Tie Fighter also had great custom scores.

To put it in a nutshell, we actually need new music to make the games feel like a NEW installment of BTTF, not a copy of the movies. But I really don't expect TTG to go any other way.

Seconded.

[Vainamoinen]

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

Which Sierra are we talking about here? Choose your words carefully, I feel a rant coming on if you give the wrong answer...

Let me phrase it this way (so many opportunities to put one's foot in one's mouth in this forum! It's paradise!): I listened to many of the Sierra LotR soundtracks, but played exactly one game. That was "The Hobbit". Somewhat fun in the first level, actually, but pure frustration in the second. Also, the game was incredibly buggy. I based my comment on that experience; if there's more to experience, I readily stand corrected!

[Silverwolfpet]

*coughs*

*Whistles innocently*

[Trenchfoot]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

*coughs*

*Whistles innocently*

That's so cool! It's the main theme in "Chariots of Fire" mode!

(Imagines the Doc and Marty running in slow motion with this music)

[MusicallyInspired]

Originally Posted by Vainamoinen

Let me phrase it this way (so many opportunities to put one's foot in one's mouth in this forum! It's paradise!): I listened to many of the Sierra LotR soundtracks, but played exactly one game. That was "The Hobbit". Somewhat fun in the first level, actually, but pure frustration in the second. Also, the game was incredibly buggy. I based my comment on that experience; if there's more to experience, I readily stand corrected!

Ok. At first I thought you were talking about Sierra's older adventure games which definitely weren't disappointing (to most). Sierra's later games all sucked. You're off the hook .

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

*coughs*

*Whistles innocently*

Excellent work, my fellow musical friend.

[Dangeresque]

to replace the theme songs from back to the future and jurassic park would be tragic. i mean its like having indiana jones without the indiana jones theme or star wars without its theme! the music in movies really capture's emotions and when your talking about john williams who's theme's are almost always theme's that'll stick forever and silvestri especially back to the future, i mean how can you change them? seems to me that someone would have to compose somethind twice as good and still i dont think it would work.

as for the rest of the score, keeping in mind them partnership now between the two, i'm sure that telltale will be offered the complete original score to both movies. no copyright infringment you see. of course if they don't want to use it they can always record a small ensemble and magnify it using native instruments in nuendo (its a program for recording editing blah blah). they don't sound 100% but many people do this when the budget is small. over a small ensemble it fits right in

[Secret Fawful]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

*coughs*

*Whistles innocently*

Wow.

[Laserschwert]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

*coughs*

*Whistles innocently*

Nicely done.. but still, nothing beats THIS