Here is a link to Composer Hiroyuki Sawano’s work on a recent project.
It’s nice to see his process and the ending result. I really enjoy listening to his work, especially his Attack On Titan soundtrack.
Link: https://youtu.be/7Mat5FGboSc
Looking at his process, I’m curious to know how you all start and complete a composition. Do you start in your DAW or write it on paper first? Do you mock up with midi and then use real instruments or do you jam on your piano and then use midi to spice up your tracks?
What is your process like?
This is super cool, it's so good to hear how it evolves!
Really interesting question on process. I think it depends on the project. The film I'm on at the moment I started sketching on paper then moved to DAW, but other times it's all DAW no paper. And the film before this one, I played real instruments straight in with no MIDI mock up, but usually it's MIDI first then real. Other times I generate a whole bunch of material (by recording or processing- nothing more terrifying than recording a bunch of sounds that you'll process as you're hoping all that work will be useful without really knowing), and then sketch out sounds on the paper as a kind of visual soundscape, or get them straight into the DAW. It really is so subjective and dependant on the film!
The one thing that definitely happens with every film/game/project though is thinking time. Ideally I like to have a day or two between getting the gig and starting to write so that ideas can float around and ruminate. And I take idea walks every day as well, where I just walk and think about the film/score (most of my good ideas come out of those walks). Sometimes I make mindmaps of themes from the film, how I want to represent them musically, any thoughts I have, and see how they'll all link together and feed into one another... it sounds a little chaotic but it's a process I've refined pretty carefully and it seems to work well. What's your process, Shanika?