Colossal Re-Score

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As a composer, I recently had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Spitfire Audio Colossus Re-Scoring Competition. This challenge allowed me to flex my creative muscles and dive deep into the world of dystopian soundscapes. In this blog post, I’ll take you through my process of creating an original musical score that evokes tension, unease, and drama.

Conceptualization

My goal was to create a score that would complement dystopian imagery, building a journey from quiet suspense to dramatic intensity. I wanted to capture the essence of a blockbuster production while maintaining a unique and engaging sound.

Tools of the Trade

To bring my vision to life, I carefully selected a variety of high-quality sound libraries and software:

  1. Spitfire Audio’s Contemporary Drama Toolkit
  2. Abbey Road One (various orchestral sections)
  3. Olafur Arnalds Cells
  4. Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 2

These libraries provided a rich palette of sounds, from orchestral elements to modern synth textures.

Production Process

My workflow centered around Logic Pro as my primary Digital Audio Workstation, with notation work done in Steinberg’s Dorico. This combination allowed for both detailed audio production and professional notation capabilities.

To enhance the audio and achieve a polished, professional sound, I employed several signal processing tools:

  • Universal Audio’s SSL G Bus Compressor
  • Fairchild 670 Compressor
  • Ampex ATR-102 Master Tape
  • Logic’s built-in Limiter, Distortion, and EQ
  • Izotope’s Ozone 9 for final mastering

Reflections

This project was a great experience as it challenged me to blend diverse elements seamlessly and push the boundaries of my creativity. The process of crafting a score that can stand alongside blockbuster productions was both daunting and exhilarating.

I’ll be doing a more behind-the-scenes look at my composing process in another post, where I’ll focus on what worked, what could have gone better, and what I want to remember moving forward.

Thanks to Spitfire Audio for providing the opportunity to be part of this.