Bronze VIP Archive for January 21, 1999
Warning! Possible Spoilers!!
- Erika Amato (Velvet Chain) says:
(Thu Jan 21 10:38:55 1999 207.217.245.137)
- Complete and total drive by....
Just wanted to say I miss Fax1! =) Hope you survive OK in Chile!
Bye...
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 09:30:55 1999 207.217.244.79)
Quickie answers on my way out:
NancyE - nope, they produce the promos completely independently of the show.
AjO - Thanks but I have been a Mark Snow fan for too long to agree.
Jipsy Girl - I kinda don't like sax. I used it for exaclty 3 seconds in BBB. That's enough dontcha think?
Fly-by-Nite - What did you do with my agent?
Really gone
- Chris
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 09:26:52 1999 207.217.244.79)
last post
OK Peanut. I'm satisfied. :)
StG - His full name as it appears in credits is, believe it or not, "W. G. Snuffy Walden". He is probably the single busiest TV composer these days. Something like 9 shows to his credit - including, off the top of my head, Felicity, Cupid, Sports Night...
Glorendi, BtMS - thanks
Monique - you may choose not to answer this - are you old enough to remember a singer whose name loosely translated into English is Pan Cloud? that is the artist and she was apparently quite famous 10 or 15 or so years ago.
WinterRain - perhaps you are actually Strangely Musical.
Bye everyone
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 09:20:51 1999 207.217.244.79)
- whoopsie on the email addie in my post - sorry
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 09:20:11 1999 207.217.244.79)
- christophebeck@yahoo.com
second-to-last post
Jean Quidam - "Creativity on demand" is a nice way of putting it. I'm lucky in that I never suffer from writer's block. I just lower my standards until they match the quality of my ideas.
Hey faxie! Hope all is well down dere.
Bingo - merci bien. I like French music too... MC Solaar, Etienne D'ao (I'm sure I'm spelling all wrong)
CHRIS - I believe VT has a care package for me and I wouldn't want to abuse. As far as Emmy's go,I already have space cleared on my mantlethe work is its own reward.
AjO - The Star Wars score is a masterpiece that will hold its own next to the great symphonies of the 18th and19th centuries when looked back upon in 100 years or so. You'll see. I'll be 129 and you'll be - I don't know, however old you are + 100.
Renee - hi.
M.W. - As far as trumpet goes, I sure would like to use it... It's one of the few prominent symphonic instruments I've yet to feature on a "Buffy". We shall see...
CharlieS - Thanks.
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 09:10:21 1999 207.217.244.79)
StG - The cook messed up the order. Sorry, you're gonna have to wait. You can always go to McDonalds.
Pam, Fatima, VaBFan, cabin7man - thanks
Jimbo - Huh? I guess I don't remember. I do get a fair amount of email. I'm sorry if you got the impression I don't like you. I'm sure that's not the case.
To answer your question re: filming, one of the reasons I only had 4 days on The Zeppo was because of last-minute additional shoots for several scenes. These happened Thursday, a week ago today. So there's your answer: 11 days before air. That's about as late as they can push it. Typically they finish shooting several weeks before air and we don't all have to scramble nearly as much.
Jenn Lynn - No kazoo! But I have a question only you can answer... is there a gazoo?
TourGal / Peanut - Maybe something about how nice my car is? And I'm not sure you want to make that Twilight Zone exception... keep working on it... you're getting close...
HF - ribbit back atcha
Monique - Shows whose music I admire: X Files, X Files, X Files, Felicity (though I can't stand the show, Snuffy Walden does a great job), Simpsons. Oh and the X Files.
Cosmic Bob - I heard that and fuggedabouatit.
Squireboy - two possibilities. 1 - go to NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) which I hope is this weekend (could be next). Basically a huge convention full of big-music-gear-geeks like me looking at the latest and greatest toys. 2 - go to Sundance for the premiere of my movie "Guinevere". My agent really wants me to go for networking purposes but I suck at that so I'm still not sure.
CYN - Oh, OK. If that's enough for ya...
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:56:03 1999 207.217.244.79)
- Man, lookit all the red on the board.
greengirl - I intend to wear my usual frumpy-composer outfit. No sassiness here.
fibs (or is it fiba? my a's like like s's), Liddie, Night Owl - thanks
Cate - sure I'll answer your question. e me.
Cl. Bu. - hey back
Co. Bo. - thanks and don't worry - not much scary music in Zeppo.
Jimbo - SO back.
WallEyed - likewise.
MTVA - Sorry. No Hawaiian or bowling shirts on THIS fashion-deficient composer.
Karent - Not listening now, but in my car:
- Stereolab's latest album, don't know what it's called
- Bjork "Homogenic"
- Ennio Morricone "Lolita"
- The recent Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach thing
- Propellorheads "Decksnaddrumsandrockandroll"
- a demo CD from a composer I know
AjO - in order: Thanks. I did know the bad guy was gonna be a NB type. In fact I don't start writing until I have the finished episode in my hands. (The music is too tightly timed to the visuals to start any earlier). The "Psycho" homage was unintentional; it just came out. I myself was a little surprised when I watched the show on Tuesday - the insistent high scratchy strings as Buffy runs down the hall immediately after the Polaroid room reminded me very much of the fanous shower sequence. I wish I hadn't done that but I guess it's an appropriate enough almost-quote. To make Xand seem cool - an extension of the loopy solo violin stuff from last season's BBB, with the added bonus of percussion aplenty.
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:42:26 1999 207.217.244.79)
whoops guess I was only partially good with the spoiler warnings...
DON'T READ my comments below re: strings in "Helpless" if you don't want to be spoiled. OK?
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:40:42 1999 207.217.244.79)
krypticon - thanks. I'm particularly fond of the score and the episode as a whole. I know there are some logic problems brought up by the episode but as an all-out creep fest I thought it was second-to-none. And it gave me lots of opportunities to carry the drama, where the music can play an integral part in telling the story instead of being buried under punches and kicks.
Jean Quidam - damnation is eternal, and so shall it be with obsequiosity. Quickly:
1- I sit down w/ Joss, the music editor, the picture editor, and one or more other producers to watch the show in its entirety. We decide exactly where music goes and what it's supposed to do. This is called "spotting".
2- I go to my studio and write the score. This essentially involves me, a computer, a bunch of samplers programmed to simulate an orcehstra, and one or two live players to sweeten the samplers and give them a little life. This week ("The Zeppo") it was a percussionist. This process usually takes about 4 or 5 days. No conducting required.
3- Joss watches a video of the score and gives me notes on my cues, which I can usually address the same day. He sometimes needs to see the revision, but in most cases he hears my revisions at the final mix.
angelgazer - how long a while do I have to stay to play Jeapordy? I'm not THAT bored.
VT, mudpuppy - thanks
Monique - SO back
TouroGal - Nope. Keep em coming.
StG, Leather Jacket - Thanks. "Gingerbread"?! (Not my fave ep or score)
M.W. - There qere 2 ways I used a string section in "Helpless".
One, I wrote a bunch of short bits of material, gestures if you will (and I hope you will), and recorded them into my samplers to "fly" into the score where I needed them. They're all over the place - the twisty high strings as (SPOILER) Giles injects Buffy (END SPOILER) am I good or what with the spoiler warnings or the hyperactive repeating runs as (SPOILER) Kralik chases Buffy over that fence (END SPOILER).
Two, I actually wrote the last cue (Giles & Buffy in the library) *first*, so that it was ready in time for the recording session, specifically for the strings. I could have done the whole score this way (instead of smapling them and flying them in later), and this would be the way composers normally score for orcestra, but there wasn't time on this ep. HOWEVER. Joss wasn't thrilled with my first draft, which emphasized Giles' being fired more than his "father's love for his charge". (Joss = poignant guy.) So I had to rewrite it, and of course by that time the recording session already happened, so I had to use my usual fake strings. BUT about halfway through the cue (as Giles actually moves towards Buffy) I transitioned to the real strings, which from this point on were actually OK with Joss.
So if you listen very closely you'll hear the real strings come in the middle of the cue. It's a very subtle change but (if you can listen on headphones it will be more noticeable) the strings suddenly get ever-so-slightly warmer, breathier.
Whew.
To anwer your other question - "The Zeppo" is such an unusual episode (oops I gave it away) that there was no way I could re-use older music. I try not to in any case. For the freshness.
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:19:39 1999 207.217.245.58)
devil (if you're still here) - please say hi back to fax1. What's he doing in Chile?
VT - Don't forget my care package? Shouldn't that be YOU not forgetting my care package?
Oooh, the messenger just came to pick up the tape for "The Zeppo". That means I'm REALLY done!
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:13:44 1999 207.217.245.58)
Touro - I'd like to think that my presence is appreciated beyond my facilitation of your overposting tendencies.
Cosmic Bob - Yes, I'm in the office. Want to come by for some breakfast? I'm making steak & eggs.
Muffy - 99% sure I will be at the PBP. My schedule can be unpredictable but I have every intention of being there. Uhh, not too close, you're oogy? OK.
BellaDonna - thanks.
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- Chris Beck (composer) says:
(Thu Jan 21 08:06:08 1999 207.217.245.58)
Good morning Bronzers.
I don't think I've ever posted this early before... I had to get up at 5 AM (oof) to finish some last-minute revisions on "The Zeppo".
But the good news is... I'm DONE! I had a shorter-than-usual amount of time on this ep (4 days instead of my usual 7) and more minutes than usual (24 minutes instead of, oh, 18 or 20 or so). Today (if you don't count the two hours of work I already put in) will be my first day off in weeks.
So here I am with time to kill and money to burn...
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- Ty King says:
(Thu Jan 21 02:11:53 1999 152.166.127.85)
- Bruce's Mom - - I like your scenario for the end of
"Buffy." I have no idea what Joss has planned, but I would do something a lot like what you described, only I think I might have Angel be the person(?) to come across the body. I picture Angel finding her lifeless body, then sitting down, cradling her to him, and holding her to him as he quietly awaits the sunrise. Then, as the first rays of the morning sun arrive, he would look up to see Buffy (her spirit) approaching, holding out her hand, beckoning him. Then, as he basically commits Vamp suicide, his soul is finally free to join hers for all eternity, and the two walk into the sunset together.
If you'd like, as the two spirits walk away, they could pass Giles, who is talking to a fifteen year old girl waiting for the school bus. We don't hear what Giles is saying, but he removes a stake from his coat to show her (now we know what he is talking to her about). Buffy pauses, smiles at Giles, then as they continue away, Giles glances up after the couple, smiles wistfully. Does he see them, or just sense that they are together forever at last?
I know, it's a little bit Romeo and Juliet (except that Juliet doesn't come back to life after Romeo offs himself), and I am sure it has been suggested on the board a dozen times before, but it is the best I could come up with this late at night, with this ripping cough that is rattling windows clear over in Kirkland. (Man, codeine makes your mind do the wacky)
That's it. The doctor said "Rest."
Ty
Again, I'm out of the loop, so I know nothing.
Good thing Joss is at the controls.
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