Soundscapes and music of Middle-earth

[Frodo's Love]

I'm not quite sure if this should be posted in the "Music" subforum, but I'd like to discuss the processes and developments Howard Shore and his helpers went through to create soundscapes and the music for Middle-earth and which effects came (and still come) forth of it.

So I'd like to hear your opinions on for example the Balrog's roar or the screeches of the Nazgûl... or your opinions on how the soundtrack works together with the scenes (e.g. Moria, the Departure of Boromir and so on).
:)

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

oh yes, feel free to discuss about the sound-editing stuff and sound effects. After all, the sound effects team did a great job and even won 'Best Sound Editing' for the Oscars. :thumbs: Yup, they deserve some recognition here too. ;)
I'm really impressed by the shrieks of the nazgul. They really give me the goosebumps. *brr*

[Frodo's Love]

A friend of mine said today the shreeks of the Nazgûl would sound like "a kitten that's being tortured in a very nasty way". mecry It gives me the shivers, actually. And the Dead Marshes for example freak me out just by listening to the music. That makes the effect even better than the dead faces in the water, IMO. :o

[Kenzie]

actually the scream of the nazgul was one of the director people (some one like that) screaming!! her name was fran! thats some talnt to scream like that!!

[Saruman]

Yes; it was Fran Walsh! That scream is really petrifying!
There's a movie on the DVD all about how they created the sound effects, and another on Howard Shore's music.
Does anyone know how the ent sounds were created?

[Kenzie]

i can't say i do ... i though it was funny though how they did the watcher... they went to a river and played with plungers... and then they flapped wet mats around in an empty parking lot ... that would be great to watch lol lol

[Hobbit]

The music made the film even greater then it already is. When the Fellowship leaves the chamber of Mazarbul you can hear the Fellowship theme and the first time I heard hat it gave me the chills.... as did the music when Eomer and Gandaalf came down the hill to Theodens aid.
But my fave part of music is at the Argonath: the music fitted the scene and the feelings of the moment sooo well. And it gives a glimp of the greatness of the Numenoreans.. but also the downfall as if it's the last memorie of the men of Numenor. The music was great!

[Kenzie]

i lov the lothlorien theme!! that gave me goosbumps lol

[Periantari Andruil]

One of the sound effects i really like is when Sauron made that horse-like shriek when Isildur cut off his finger.. that horse-like sound is funny lol
also, i really like the music they put in the scenes with the Elves.. very beautiful calm music... i love the whole LOTR soundtrack but that belongs in the LOTR soundtrack thread ;)
but yes, the sound editing team did an awesome job and definitely deserve their Oscar :thumbs:

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

Originally posted by Kenzie
actually the scream of the nazgul was one of the director people (some one like that) screaming!! her name was fran! thats some talnt to scream like that!!

Oh yes. That is really some talent!!! lol

[Frodo's Love]

Fran Walsh did the Nazgûl screams? :elfeek: I thought they were computer animated... lol
I have to take a look at that scene with Isildur and Sauron again. I vaguely remember the scream of Sauron right now. Horse-like? lol I have to check that out... ;)

[Kenzie]

i really liked the trolls dying bellow!!! it was really really deep!! was it like a walrus or somthing??

[Hobbit]

Yesa it sounds like a tounted animal, dying... quite sad if you put it this way :( (it did sound like Walrus a bit)

I think it's funny you hear this deep, low "boom" everytime the ring falls or is laid down (very good noticable when Frodo gently puts the Ring on the table at the counsil of Elrond)

[Frodo's Love]

Yes, I heard they wanted to show through the noises that the Ring had a will of its own, was "alive" (I think PJ said it :huh: ).

Also the evil whispers that seem to come from the Ring when Gandalf explains the true nature of the Ring to Frodo at Bag End, and they are also to be heard at the Council of Elrond.

I pitied the cave troll when he died, actually. The noise was indeed sad. :(

[Luvara]

I really love the music in LotR, especially in Lothlorien!:thumbs:

[Kenzie]

yes lothlorien was my fav too...

i think the wispers were really cool ( yhea froster i think he did use alvie) and it gave it the feeling that it had a much deeper secreet than what it seemed on the outside .. kinda creepy

[Hobbit]

Yes it amplified the fact that the Ring was evil...
When you hear those wispers it's clear that the Ring is up to no good....

[Kenzie]

yhea they did a wonderful job to make the watch see that it had a mind of its own!!

[Hobbit]

I agree. For the Ring looks kinda innocent but when you heard those strange whispers of that evil sounding voice, together with the low, dark and threathening sounding "doooooom" when they put the Ring down..... it shows us the Ring has an evil will of it's own.

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

I agree. Those spooky and mysterious sounds really brings out the fact that the ring isn't as 'simple' as it seems.

[Hobbit]

Yes. Great thinking from the crew to give the Ring voices and sounds of it's own...
That way people don't think they're making fuss bout an ordinairy ring lol

[Kenzie]

we were talking about this in another thread but then we had to get back on topic ... so i'll start it here

what is the ring really saying?

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

For which scene?

[Kenzie]

any scene lol... i can never get a word out of it lol

[Hobbit]

He is speaking in the language of Mordor right?
That might explain why we can't get a word out of it lol

[Kenzie]

yhea that would make sense lol

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

Well, one of the scenes involves the ring saying 'Elessar' to aragorn ;) That's the only thing I can make out.

[Beleriel]

Ha! I found where I should have put my comment! :blush:

erm... I would LOVE to know what the black speech was that was spoken by the ring at the Council... what a pity they didnt put it up in the subtitles..... like they did with the eye in The Prancing Pony.

[Kenzie]

oh i think i know what gandalf says in the dark lauguage at the council of elrond though i 'm not sure and might be wrong i think he says whats on the ring

one ring to rule them all
one ring to ... (forget that part lol)
one ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

I think Bel meant spoken by the 'ring' :grin:

[Kenzie]

oh oh oh lol lol my bad lol anyay ... can't help you there lol

[Luvara]

anyone who knows the black language? :huh:

[Kenzie]

nope not me lol ... maybe someone will come along lol

[Hobbit]

I guess you can ask at the language forum: somebody there might now ;)

I liked the roars of the ents. You know: when Treebeard calls his fellow ents to war he roars very deep and low voice like a hurted and angry whale. It sounds like something very old, sad and angry at the same time...

[YayBoromir!]

As many people have said, I also liked the screeches of the Nazgûl, I felt they were exactly like they were described in the book from what I remember... Boromir's death music was also very sad... mecry I personally dislike the title music/Argonath music, just because it doesn't have the same "ring" (no pun intended) as the Fellowship theme, my fave theme in the entire movie.

[Hobbit]

Yes the Nazgûl screeches were great (Fran Walsh is truly gifted lol) and the musci from Bori's deathscene was truly amazing sad yet beautiful!
I noticed the difference between the music from the intro/Argonath and the rest of the movie, but I actually quite liked both types of music. I do have to agree with you: it's strange that the the type of music was way different then the other, but I guess that was meant to show that the second age (to which the argonath and the intro are directly related) was different from the third age.
Still it's strange to hear the type of music which was editited into the movie, suddenly changed.

[Luvara]

I really like the song Pip and Merry sang at the Green Dragon!
"Ho, ho, ho..." :p lol

[Beleriel]

Oh NO! I hope you dont mind my saying this..... but I dont like the way the Nazgul scream at all.

In the book they were described with words in their voices and I didnt imagine it as a screech at all. Especially in the Shire. They had howly voices that were far more spooky than the awful screech that they have.

Well I guess its not possible to love EVERYTHING about the film. But this is one of my pet hates.

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

Well it's a reasonable 'pet hate' lol since it doesn't really fit the description in the book itself.

But I did feel that the screech was quite spooky lol and together with the costumes of the ringwraiths, they create that creepy atmosphere.

[Hobbit]

I liked the screeches too, eventhough your absolutely right when you say it wasn't the way it was supposed to be Beleriel :thumbs:. I think they fitted quite well with the ringwraiths (otherwise they would be great for the guy from Scream! lol)

I liked the screeches becouse they sound a bit like an attacking bird of prey, which I often compare a ringwraith with. Those fell and evil sounding screeches fitted the evil atmosphere quite well, like
Win said. Plus, they gave me the shivers the first time I heard it lol

[Frodo's Love]

Oh, those screeches are awful... but they fit in the scenes perfectly, I think. It's getting so creepy and scary, and one can get a slight idea of how evil the wraiths really are. I have to go back to the books to see how the screeches were described there...

[Tar-Vanimelde]

I agree, the Nazgul screams were perfectly suited to their portrayal in the film, if not true to the books. I also loved the orcs' scrabbling noise when they ran from the Balrog in Moria, (which was made by people wearing 2X4's with bottlecaps nailed to them around in a street) My favorite bit of music was Aragorn's aproach into Helm's Deep in the Two Towers (#14 on the soundtrack) the music was so wide and sweeping, it really fit with the panoramic shots of the landscape. Everything was so well done! I also remember hearing that the battle sounds were muted for Boromir's death scene and the music was played over it. I thought that created a wonderful effect.

[Hobbit]

Yup, for a tragic scene the music is very important. The music plays an important part in creating the "feel" of the scene and has to be right. The sound in Bori's deathscene was great and made it much more tragic then it already was. The music from the fellowship running away from the Balrog made the scene more exciting and actionpacked.
The music of Aragorn's approach to Helmsdeep, gave more depth to the scene and Aragorn's return.
Howard Shore did an excellent job with the soundtrack that fitted the scenes perfectly.
The sound editing was done outstanding too. The nazgul screams weren't totally true to the books but they did gave the public chills. The creatures like the orcs, trolls and the balrog made the noise you would expect from creatures like that.
But what I especially loved was the Ring making noise (when it falls or is put down): you could feel there is more behind the Ring and the low and threathening noise sounds scary and dangerous.