How I wrote 2 minutes of Aliens Fireteam Elite music
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2024
- In January 2021 I documented the process for several weeks of writing a single 2-minute cue for ALIENS FIRETEAM ELITE, start to finish. From my earliest sketches to the final mix, and all the iteration and experimentation in between!
My previous "how to write" top to tail video from THE PATHLESS can be found here:
• Why 'No Music' was the...
ALIENS FIRETEAM ELITE
www.aliensfire...
Edited by Dallas Crane
Me!
/ awintory
/ awintory
/ a.wintory
www.austinwint...
This obviously sounds incredible, but what I appreciate most is how you document this (your likes, dislikes, struggles in the beginning, etc.).
Gotta keep it real!
I Platinum the game this morning. Thank you. Your music is good for the brain
The other day i was playing ac syndicate and now watching this i can appreciate the different styles you work with in different games, good stuff Austin! but i think it needs 5% more love
That would've made all the difference!
I understood that reference! haha
Lol
Love has nothing to do with what Xenomorphs do. You should have had it be 90% less love. Lol
“..rising ominous dread”
Game Over man, GAME OVER!
Loving the ‘bongos’ ;)
This is a very intense track wow
Could watch this stuff for days
One of the coolest videos I've watched in a long time.
I wish the soundtrack was available for sale. I play tons of different games, and thats one of the best soundtrack Ive ever heard. Its incredibly subtle, and absolutely captures the essence of the original movies
Go Nashville Scoring!!!
I really appreciate seeing a process with "the tedious reality of endless tinkering". It makes it all feel more human and approachable.
"It shouldn't feel like metal"
2:06
*makes a sick Doom 2016-like riff*
Otherwise it's an amazing soundtrack, a great mix of classic film scoring influences and new compositional approaches!
To be fair Mick Gordon started working on the soundtrack of Doom 2016 with the same mindset at first ^^
This was amazing, Austin! We appreciate you taking the time to film and talk through your process. Like what others are saying here, we rarely get to see the foundational structure, idea building, and tinkering of musical compositions for video games. If you have the chance to do this for future projects, I'd be ecstatic to watch. Cheers from the Philippines!
I'm definitely doing it for future projects!!
Great Work ...
The Music in this Game is realy awesome .
I was astounded when I heard they couldn't get the OG music licensed. I thought that was what I was HEARING.
Apart from it meaning we'll never hear Bishop's Countdown, easily the best piece in the movie, your work is exemplary. You captured the tone and setting perfectly with the exact same style as the source material.
I wish you'd gotten a little Bishopy here and there a few heroic rifts at the end of a campaign, etc, but ah well.
Everything else is pure magic.
FWIW, the goal was to intentionally different from that. The C4 music leans in the direction of the "Bishop" stuff you're referring to :)
@@awintory *stars in eyes* Then I suddenly have an actual desire to get there, apart from the dread I'd been feeling.
This track gets my blood going! 🔥
You're doing beginner composers like me a HUGE FAVOR when you make videos like these Austin, thank you so much for the generosity of your content! I can't wait to watch more of your videos!
Sought out your channel after playing Fireteam and LOVING the soundtrack. _Excellent_ work.
Love it.
Of course, the sound editing in this video is also awesome.
Love when the brass kicks in
What!!! I had no idea you did Fireteam Elite. That main menu music is hauntingly good--feels like it's straight out of the original Alien movie itself. Now that I know you composed it, I'm totally not surprised it's good.
Drive-by viewers, this Austin Wintory is *the* soundtrack composer to keep an eye on. He's still super early in his career but he's set to do some phenomenal stuff over the coming decades.
I thought Austin Wintory would be the last person I would hire for Alien game soundtrack. I turned out I was grossly mistaken 😉 Great video and great music!
Until you realize he’s a jerry goldsmith Stan
Thanks for sharing! Please make more
"For the life of me I can't tell if I'm happy with this". That is me 95% of the time when I'm writing. xD Also, those live orchestra takes sound gorgeous!
Your process of how you meticulously go over every note, every plugin that makes this soundtrack is really a sight to behold. Awesome job in advance and can't wait to hear the rest of the entire soundcue album. :)
Love the soundtrack 🔥🔥🔥😎 amazing job😌
You are very talented.. hope to hear your music in films.
your music is one of the best things about this fun game. Thanks for it and the video!
From what I've heard of the score, I've been really impressed not just by how well it evokes Horner's score for Aliens, but how it also brings in some of the more experimental/industrial/electronic vibes from the Alien 3 score, and yet still manages to feel cohesive
You really have taken Jerry Goldsmith's philosophy to heart, your theme is actually quite simple but they way you play around with it is so creative
When Alanah played this with the Kinda Funny guys they said you overdelivered on a 7/10 game. If they make a Gremlins video game your work here should be the benchmark for Goldsmith influenced video game OSTs.
Incredibly done!! Love the unsettling nature of the music, so perfect for the ALIENS universe. Bravo, maestro!
I am stoked to find this video. I ADORE watching other musicians work through the process of creation. It’s so helpful. I just went through the process of not only recording/producing one, but TWO of my band’s albums. We changed up the process both times in regards to every facet aside from the specific workstation I was working on. Sounds. Main writing contributors. Themes. Everything. The new information allows me to reflect on what I do and how I can adapt ideas into my own music. So cool!
Also, god the sticky notes reminds me of the “bell” we have on our new album. It’s a mixing bowl being hit with a rubber handle of a can opener.
Watching this is like watching a magician do a trick, then re-do the trick more slowly, and more slowly, and still being amazed because it's still complete magic. Thank you for making this.
This was freaking awesome dude. I don't think I've ever seen a fully documented process of making video game music. It's something that I am currently doing(struggling with) for the first time. This seriously helped a ton with the description of the workflow especially.
I'm so glad it helps and good luck on yours! You might also enjoy this previous one :)
ua-cam.com/video/JzVliLM1czM/v-deo.html
@@awintory Awesome! Thanks so much :) I'll give it a watch!
Such a good soundtrack! Thanks for the look.
Very inspiring to watch your process. It makes me want to try to create too. Please keep sharing as it does wonders for other aspiring artists!
loved the one you did on the pathless and loved this video too! love this kind of peak behind the curtain
edit: and hello from nashville! what a great city for music
I had no idea you scored this game! I was watching someone stream it the other night and thinking "wow this music is good"
Man the aliens fireteam elite soundtrack gives me chills. It’s extraordinary. Thank you so much
Absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing Austin
Love watching you run through your process. Thanks for taking the time for this. Very cool
Great video Austin. I am sure a lot of people will find your composition process fascinating (as do I!)
This has been so, so, SO incredibly helpful Austin and I mean it. Such a beautifully made video, and boy I wish more games did this. I would like people to become aware of the work that goes behind the scoring sessions, composing, ecc. You would open a whole new world to many people. Look at the amount of work that goes into only 2 MINUTES!!
During the quarantine I started working on my first videogame, with the help of a number of good pals of mine (thank god). I decided to focus on the things I knew best, writing the script, V.O., and the music, but I spent my entire life training as a musician, and only 2 as a composer. Watching this video was like having Gandalf on my side, telling me where to go to reach Mordor. It made me feel safe (odd??).
I guess every composer has his own style, rhythm, and I'm definitely a "slow writer", but watching you go through the many iterations of the theme, meticulously searching for the sound that you wanted, was very inspiring to watch.
You never cease to amaze me. Bravo, Austin!!
It means the world to me to think of this video emboldening you in your pursuits. That's the #1 reason why I make this sort of thing
I love how acessible and funny you are considered how great a composer you are with dozens of OSTs for art games and films, will certainly be watching this channel's whole catalogue!
Congrats Austin, since i saw this game announced i wanted to play it, i am a big fan of alien and just a few weeks ago and i saw that the music was by "Austin Wintory", this just made this game even better for me. Officially you will be part of my love for alien. I can't wait to play this game and see what it has to offer.
This is top-notch Pop The Hood, thanks for making this! Really hoping for an album release - the world deserves it!!!
Brilliant Austin.. Very insightful. 👊😎☕
Awesome insight Austin! Thank you for this!
This is really cool to see all the work that goes into the music we hear in game. I became slightly addicted to the flute (I think it's a flute) levels. Such a unique track. Great stuff =)
Seeing you bring this together in the apparent time frame you do is something I would love to pick your brain about someday. Fantastic work, as usual!
I recently started playing this and I was sad to see you can't buy this soundtrack anywhere. Excellent use of pan flute on some of the songs.
Man watching this and your work ethics and thought process behind it wow 👌🏻 great job by the way 😎
Watching this video, I'm really really disappointed I can't join the masterclass on the 18th... Keep up the good work man, your work is amazing as always!
Thanks for showing us your process, I find it enlightening and so enjoyable that I would watch this all day!
This is extremely inspiring. Thank you for filming and sharing your process.
This soundtrack is so interesting for our modern era! I can hear the tribute to the great composers of the past, and it feels like a new interpretation of the old style. I'll be honest, if it was anyone other than you, I think there would have been a lot more modern hybrid orchestral stuff. But yours feels like the Alien universe to me. Thanks so much for this wonderful score, Austin!
I will purchase this game simply because you wrote the music.
Thank you thank you thank you for doing this and for crediting everyone involved! Super super helpful for people on the outside trying to figure out how this all comes together.
Just speaking from the heart and wanted to ask a question (didn't see an email on your website and it seems that you're really responsive to YT comments) - I'm currently trying to figure out my career path after going to film school (I have a focus in post production audio, but I also love music. Graduated a few months ago), and this solidified for me that I want to look into recording music in Nashville specifically (not wanting to move out to LA currently). I love working with musicians (having done choir in high school and college) and also love recording, so I'm looking into that career path currently. Do you have any tips for breaking into that scene? I heard an interview with Shawn Murphy saying that there are Masters programs that are good for that, but I'm not sure if I want to drop a ton of cash just to break into a network. This is all partially why I'm so glad you credited everyone, as I'd like to reach out to Nick Spezia now.
A general aside: I listened to a Cinematic Sound Radio podcast with you a week or so ago (I'm Texas based and went up to Austin to work a couple of sound gigs, and while I drove around I listened to an interview you did) and now am a huge fan of your work/ideas about curiosity and creativity. I will be watching so many of your interviews with composers and such that you have on your channel - I can't stress how generous and cool it is that you're letting us peek behind the curtain. Cheers Mr. Wintory!
Always so fun to be part of Austin's scores.
You're a force of nature!
You get a seat on the Nostromo... for now.
@@awintory More like farce of nature.
Really enjoyed this. The early ‘beats’ made me think it was going to be almost a ‘Mission Impossible’ vibe, but ended up entirely different. Shows how much I (don’t) know LOL.
Loved watching all the different elements coming together like this. Thanks for walking us plebs through it Austin 🙂
I just bought aliens fireteam elite and I’m ready to hear your interpretation of aliens music. So far it sounds great!
As much as I enjoy Play, Watch, Listen, I didn't think to check if you had a UA-cam channel. I love this kind of stuff. I've had to leave music a bit to the side thanks to adulting, but it's always one of my big passions. Hoping things fall into place sooner rather than later so I can properly work on the bits and pieces of music I keep writing on the side.
You will do good in Jurassic Park. The horror factor is quite similar
When can we expect an official soundtrack release? Greatly looking forward to it, as with all your work. You are one of the very few living composers whose work I don't just look forward to in a general sense but genuinely get excited about and make listening to right away an absolute priority. Thank you for being so exceptional in your craftsmanship and distinct in your compositional voice where so many modern composers have either gone the route of writing droning, theme-less, unmemorable soundscapes or becoming so malleable and generic to the point of losing what voice they might otherwise have to convey. We need a whole lot more composers out there like you.
Not sure yet re: soundtrack album release. Sorting it out. Hopefully soon but it's largely out of my control
Fair enough. Can't wait to listen once it arrives.
omg don't get me started on the generic pad soundscapes, not just games but Hollywood is also plagued by it
Fantastic! Great video concept and execution. Thank you for sharing!
It was rad to watch you pull that together and see the collaboration . The campaign was very fun and the music was so evocative of the original it just became and an acid splashed susurration as I ripped through every synth and xeno that dared pop it's pixel out.
I hope the studio gets to do more and in turn, we get to hear more of your music.
So Cool, thanks for documenting the process. I always love a peak behind the scenes!
I don't what it is, but the surround sound in this clip keeps fucking with me lol. It's so convincing that the sound is coming from beyond my headphones that I've gotten up to check the door twice now.
!!
May I assume something when it comes to percussion music that you use A pro X, the percussion sounds are quite close I would say I couldn't tell the difference. And of course it's an opportunity to line everything up precisely without quantizing. I also noticed lot of vacation you use real strings and definitely real cello (Tina)... When writing for orchestra do you use a few strings and then augment The sound by using a program for a fullness?
What is most fascinating to me is that one can clearly see the different process to composing or rather creating, a piece for a game, that exists only as digtal medium as opposed to composing a piece that is supposed to be performed live in front of an audience.
Oh for sure, world of a difference
oh! one more reason to play the game 💖 that is awesome, love seeing your process austin
I love the artistry used to put this piece together. I will spend the entire game listening for the sticky notes
You did an incredible job
Awesome process video, loved the outcome and watching it come together. I learned of you from the podcast, but I’m glad to learn a bit more from you in your element.
Wonderful as always!!
What a privilege to be able to see your process, thank you! I wanted to pursue jazz composition out of school, and can sympathize with meticulously scrutinizing every component to a cue before putting it in front of musicians to play. And as a bassist, I appreciate the love/iteration on that front :)
They picked the right guy for this one, that’s for sure
I've been grinding this game since launch day, and was super impressed by the score. I had no idea until today that you wrote it. Excellent job as always, for another spectacular game. Seriously, its a definite winner all round.
From the piano sketch to the final production... this video is GOLD, thanks Austin for this kind of content i love it man!! Love how you blended jerry and horner scores to make your version, you are genius!
From the piano sketch to beating the piano with a stick >:P
Bought the game pretty much because of you, played it yesterday with a friend and really frickin' enjoyed it. Your music elevated it to heights it would not reach otherwise. Aaaand now I need to rewatch the first two movies :)
This was super interesting. Thanks, Austin!
Sounds awesome I think you nailed it dude
This is phenomenal, Austin! Thank you for sharing your process!
Man I love watching behind the scenes stuff of what it actually takes to do something like this! I hope you continue to make videos like these for your other future projects!
This is so awesome! Its very relentless and never gives you a chance to take a breath. Great work
I think from now on I will be buying and playing every game you masterly compose for. Its just a hoot to listen to and expertly crafted to fit genre, feel, and FUNction! Cheers mate.
Ohhhh... finally I get to see you working. all I ever saw of you was on PWL. :-)
FWIW, this is sort of "part 2" of a series documenting the entire process. Here's the previous, from PATHLESS
ua-cam.com/video/JzVliLM1czM/v-deo.html
Thanks, king.
This was so interesting to see the process of your work, I really like how it turned out. I'm looking forward to this type of content!
as always, great video austin
0:30 "i think imma feature electric Bass quite alot"
Thats all you had to say man
It's so awesome to see the process, and how you work on keyboard to develop sounds for other instruments is really fascinating
This was a great watch. Thanks for sharing Austin, as always.
I find it endlessly surprising how so much of achieving excellence comes down to having a very high tolerance for frustration and a constant kindling of the flame of the original idea; even when it might not yet be quite where your mind's eye (or ear) feels it could be. Having you share those frustrating moments and seeing you come through in the end is both a testament to your passion and incredibly inspiring material for those of us who aspire to the same level of quality in our own endeavours. Thanks for doing what you do and taking us along for the ride!
It's so meaningful that that comes through. Part of the motivation for this (and similar videos on this channel) is to try and showcase the *reality* of the process. Too many Behind The Scenes portray it as this easy, always-perfect dance to the finish line
I love learning and seeing the process behind creating this music. This is amazing!
You’re awesome 😎 Oh, and again kudos to your editor 👏🏼
I love the process music vid! I enjoyed it!
When I saw the post-its I knew madness had struck.
As a beginning assistant composer to composer Richard Band (in which I compose additional music in movies he is the principal composer) I go through this very similar process which can produce frustration and constant self revisions as I explore my ideas. Shifting things back and forth, changing instruments, cutting things out that I like alot but simply are not working and hopefully can find a place for those ideas elsewhere.
Thanks Austin your videos.
Delighted to hear it and also say hi to Richard!