{"id":1,"date":"2017-12-10T20:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T19:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/?p=1"},"modified":"2024-04-01T10:35:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T08:35:18","slug":"genius-composition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/genius-composition\/","title":{"rendered":"Genius &#8211; composition contest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-128 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Img-genius-bg-v1-1.png\" alt=\"Poster from the Genius series, by National Geographic\" width=\"1440\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Img-genius-bg-v1-1.png 1440w, https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Img-genius-bg-v1-1-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Img-genius-bg-v1-1-768x320.png 768w, https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Img-genius-bg-v1-1-1024x427.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In September 2017, I participated in a composition contest organized by National Geographic. Participants had 1 month to compose, record, mix and edit a video on the theme of the TV series Genius, whose season 1 is a biopic about the life of Albert Einstein. It was necessary to propose an interpretation of the original theme, or to compose a different theme, reflecting the spirit of the series.<\/p>\n<p>The original music of the series is composed by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar &#8230;) and Lorne Balfe (Megamind, Ghost in the Shell, Lego Batman Movie &#8230;)<\/p>\n<p>The two contest winners would attent a recording session of the original music with Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe, with, in addition, the sharing of their music on the social networks of the two composers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_132\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-132\" style=\"width: 569px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-132 size-full\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/lorne-balfe_hans-zimmer-1.png\" alt=\"Composers Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer\" width=\"569\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/lorne-balfe_hans-zimmer-1.png 569w, https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/lorne-balfe_hans-zimmer-1-300x135.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-132\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Composers Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I took the contest en route, which left me less than a week, a very compelling time to compose, mix, edit a video and post my submission to the contest.<\/p>\n<p>I chose to produce music mixing both cover and original composition. My goal in this approach was twofold:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 30px;\">\n<li>Alert the jury by my ability to reproduce the original theme by ear, be it at the orchestral level (what instruments play what, how, when) or at the mixing level (the volume, the stereo position, the reverberation of each instrument ).<\/li>\n<li>Show my ability to explore and expand the original theme on variations, by composing a new theme including here and there some elements of the original theme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>My personal interpretation of Genius<\/h2>\n<p>You can listen and watch my submission to the contest below:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"margin: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rxReKMHGKKE?rel=0\" width=\"728\" height=\"410\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>From 0&#8217;00 to 0&#8217;03: Composition<\/h3>\n<p>Introduction of a virtuoso solo violin, symbol of the spirit of &#8220;Genius&#8221; (at least that&#8217;s how I understood and interpreted it), in a rapid descent of notes, accompanied by stringed instruments only (violas, cellos, contrabasses).<\/p>\n<h3>From 0&#8217;03 to 0&#8217;11: Cover of the original theme<\/h3>\n<p>Exact repica cover of the intro and the <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"Anoutro is the conclusion of a piece of music. It is the opposite of the intro.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">outro<\/span> of the original theme consisting of rapid attacks from the whole section of the strings (violins, violas, cellos, basses).<\/p>\n<h3>From 0&#8217;11 to 1&#8217;12: Composition<\/h3>\n<p>Composition of a new theme in a more sad atmosphere, to contrast with the original theme and propose an approach of Einstein from a different angle.<br \/>\nThe rhythm is slowing down, a piano is introduced and the cellos and double basses are now playing long <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"In music, harmony is the simultaneous emission of several different sounds.\nIn the theory of Western music, harmony studies the construction of chords, the principles that govern them and their concatenations; we are talking about the &#039;vertical&#039; aspect of music as opposed to the &#039;horizontal&#039; dimension: the melody.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">harmonies<\/span>.<br \/>\nA concert bass drum concert also comes with heavy weight the first time of each measure.<\/p>\n<p>French Horns intervene to emphasize the ends of phrases (like a wink, they play the exact same part as on the original theme, but in a much more discreet and scattered way).<br \/>\nThe main melody played by the violin is replaced by a Bassoon, as if to emphasize another voice of genius, via a different instrument.<\/p>\n<p>Then the atmosphere intensifies with the arrival of violins and violas in <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"The staccato or \u00ab piqu\u00e9 \u00bb \u2014 that is, the phrasing in loose notes - refers to a type of phrasing in which the notes of patterns and musical phrases must be executed with suspensions between them.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">staccato<\/span>, as well as a violin playing fast <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"In music, an arpeggio is a series of successively issued notes that together form a chord.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">arpeggios<\/span>. Back to calm, then pause.<\/p>\n<h3>From 1&#8217;12 to 1&#8217;55: Cover of the original theme<\/h3>\n<p>Acceleration of the tempo and start of the original theme of the series, which I rewrote by ear.<br \/>\n<span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"Passage of the music where the sound volume increases gradually\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">Crescendo<\/span> of all the instruments on 12 seconds, intensification of the staccatos on all string instruments, introduction of a synthesizer (because why not &#8211; that must be an idea of \u200b\u200bHans: D), three big timpani shots, as to symbolize the rising excitement of the arrival of a new &#8220;Genius&#8221; idea.<\/p>\n<p>Concert bass drum roll, and <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"In music, the climax is the culmination of a piece - especially in romantic symphonic music - when fortissimo nuance and maximum musical excitement are achieved through an orchestral tutti.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">climax<\/span>, cymbals crashing and sudden arrival of Trombones and French Horns, to support the expected return of virtuoso violin, celebrated as ever by a whirlwind of up and down arpeggios. Clear transition to the end with the return of all stringed instruments in staccato, as in the introduction.<\/p>\n<p>End of the piece with a concert bass kick and a low note on the piano.<\/p>\n<h2>What the contest brought me<\/h2>\n<p>Even if I did not win this very first contest (with more than 740 submissions accepted), it will have allowed me to meet some challenges:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 30px;\">\n<li>Deadline : 5 days to reinterpret the original theme, compose, orchestrate, mix and edit a video, is very short. I had to plan everything and force myself to respect my schedule. I would have liked to accompany the violin in unison playing myself on the electric guitar (since it is my favorite instrument), but I quickly abandoned the idea to refocus on the orchestral part and not be late.<\/li>\n<li>Compose a Theme : which remained close enough to my basic inspirations. I am very influenced by the work of Hans Zimmer, whom I admire a lot and listen to since I am little. (I still remember deciphering Gladiator&#8217;s music when I was little on my sister&#8217;s piano).<\/li>\n<li>Produce a video to accompany my track: I have never done a video to accompany on of my compositions. I decided to simply show Cubase, my <span class=\"itg-tooltip\" title=\"A digital audio workstation (DAW for short) is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files such as musical pieces, songs, speech or sound effects.\" style=\"border-bottom:1px dotted currentColor;cursor:help\">DAW<\/span> which I use to compose and produce music), which offered the abillity to &#8216;visually&#8217; show my work.<\/li>\n<li>Existing on social networks: the most viewed and shared video on social networks would win the contest. And since I still had no account on Twitter or Instagram, it was an opportunity for me to create them and start to solicit followers. Thanks to that, I could at least get a &#8220;like&#8221; of my composition by the composer Lorne Balfe on Tweeter! Yeaaaah \ud83d\ude00 !!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The winners:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 30px;\">\n<li>Most viewed\/shared video by the community:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/indi.com\/969z6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/indi.com\/969z6<\/a>, by\u00a0Nick Nu\u00dfbickel,<\/li>\n<li>Selected by judges (Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe):\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/indi.com\/96tt8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/indi.com\/96tt8<\/a>, by CineCraft Collective.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In September 2017, I participated in a composition contest organized by National Geographic. Participants had 1 month to compose, record, mix and edit a video on the theme of the TV series Genius, whose season 1 is a biopic about the life of Albert Einstein. It was necessary to propose an interpretation of the original &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/genius-composition\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Genius &#8211; composition contest&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-concours"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.6","language":"en","enabled_languages":["fr","en"],"languages":{"fr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1"}],"version-history":[{"count":61,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":611,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions\/611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romainpennes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}