theme from "gone"

A piano-based melody written for my animated short film "Gone" (hear it in context).

I tried to play around with the time signature a bit in this song. I wrote it in 4/4 but then shifted some sections so that I think the end result is a song that kind of fluctuates between 4/4 and 3/4. Although I really don't know what I'm talking about. I just know the beat is semi-weird. The other interesting thing here is the middle section, which features guitar strings being manipulated in an entirely wrong way with an ebow, resulting in random seagull-like sounds amidst ominous organ chords.

More on my short film at MetaFilter Projects.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by edlundart (14 comments total)

Very nice, edlundart. And it does help to hear it with your short film. Sweet and sad. You wrote on your blog: The rendering of my animated short is a long process. Whenever I'm asleep or at work, my computer is chugging along. Some scenes are rendering at 1 frame per hour or worse. Wow! I had no idea it was that intensive. What are you using for a machine and software? And any other technical stuff would be interesting.
posted by sluglicker at 4:20 PM on September 3, 2008

Thanks, sluglicker. The film's geometry is very simple, but it was rendered using ambient occlusion with some additional pointed lights that in many cases were animated along with the camera to slightly illuminate the center of the frame. Had I used a different rendering mode, it could probably have been rendered in 3-5 minutes per frame.

I'm using a somewhat outdated computer (Pentium 4, 3.00Ghz) with just 1GB RAM, running Animation Master. The music was done in FL Studio, which is the software I use for all my songs.
posted by edlundart at 7:37 PM on September 3, 2008

I haven't had a chance to say this yet, but this is really beautiful and I loved the animation. Thanks for posting this here, edlundart.
posted by sleepy pete at 7:46 PM on September 3, 2008

The music was done in FL Studio

I've been working with FL Studio for about two years and I'm not having an easy time of it. Pretty impressive. And I loved the curtain waving in the breeze.
posted by sluglicker at 8:42 PM on September 3, 2008

Any particular issues you're having? I have no horse in any race about software, as it's clear to me that you can make the world's greatest album in any music application, but I personally really enjoy working with FL Studio. I guess it's just what fits your brain. For whatever reason FL Studio just makes sense to me.
posted by edlundart at 9:24 PM on September 3, 2008

Oh, and thank you very much, sleepy pete!
posted by edlundart at 9:27 PM on September 3, 2008

Listening out of context, I like the mix of sounds very much, especially the percussion (cymbal). You might have said up front this is a minimalist composition of something like three sets of three repeated notes - not really a tuneful "melody". Pleasant and evocative - fitting for it's purpose as a soundtrack.
posted by AppleSeed at 5:34 PM on September 5, 2008

I guess it's just what fits your brain.

Agreed. I don't mean to imply that FL isn't good; it's great. I think it just doesn't work the way I think. This is the only music I've posted here that was done in FL, and I think it's my favorite/best I've done. Actually, about 90 % FL and the rest in other programs. It would probably help if I had midi input instead of having to write everything note-by-note (I prefer recording it live). And it would help if I read the manual.
posted by sluglicker at 11:49 PM on September 5, 2008

There's a nice touch of melancholy to this composition. It really add to the mood of the short film.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:49 AM on September 6, 2008

Just echoing what sleepypete and Astro Zombie said. Love the accidental seagull sounds.
posted by Corduroy at 1:37 PM on September 6, 2008

melancholy can be great. Thanks.
posted by nicolin at 12:35 PM on September 7, 2008

This is beautiful. I haven't watched the film yet, but it's a lovely, arresting piece even on its own.
posted by cortex at 3:21 PM on September 9, 2008

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone. Appleseed, you're probably right that the word "minimalist" is suitable. sluglicker, I went to check out your track, and I really liked it! I posted a comment in the thread. Everyone should go listen to that track if you enjoyed this one. Or even if you didn't. cortex, thanks -- I hope you will find the time to watch the film, too!
posted by edlundart at 8:43 PM on September 9, 2008

I'm catching up with a lot of stuff I haven't heard here, and I don't see any comment from me, which I guess I went to the page at projects and left it there. I still wanted to say that this is very nice, and the short film was lovely.
posted by micayetoca at 2:29 PM on October 8, 2008