I love music. I was taught classical piano (and still play) & I also play the guitar. From my parents and grandparents I developed an eclectic taste in musicw which includes, among other things…. a love of motion picture music….
Yes, I know the last one is a bit geeky, being able to listen to the score of a film and (usually) identify the composer before their name appears on the credits (obviously, with some blockbusters, it is a no-brainer) – so call me a geekess; although that’s not the half of it.
When at the cinema, I like to play a little game: it’s called “guessing the ghost”. Film trailers generally come out well before the score for them has actually been recorded. Because of this, studios often “ghost” music from their previous notable hits to the trailer. I like like to watch trailers and see if I can guess the music’s composer and originating film.
Recently, a slew of trailers have come out that have been somewhat different. Rather than being ghosted, they appear to have scores that have *almost* been written for them; scores that are original, but which also contain thematic devices and motifs that have been spotted from other soundtracks and cleverly re-interpreted. “Sweeney Todd”, “Stardust”, “Star Trek”, “Pirates of the Carribean”, “Angels and Demons” and other all have soundtracks that somehow sound familiar but are in fact quite unique and distinctive in their own right.
The music for these trailer has been composed and orchestrated by an incredibly talented team calling themselves Two Steps from Hell. And their music, even when listened to sans film trailers is simply brilliant; so brilliant, it forms a soundtrack in its own right.
If you are a fan of big, dynamic, orchestral pieces, or if you love movie soundtrack, I’m certain you’re going to really enjoy listening to work by these guys. And if you an into Machinima within Second Life – and allowing for copyright issues – it’s entirely possible you’re going to find *precisely* the piece of music you’re looking for among their works, to enhance your current work or a scene within your movie.
Here’s a sample of their work I found by searching for them on YouTube and elsewhere:
Music from the Star Trek Trailer
Dark Ages (spot the Lord of the Rings motifs!)
Cavaliere
and the incredibly emotive Undying Love – who couldn’t use / love this piece?
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 