Full-length LotR Parody Movies

[Galadriel55]

I did something really stupid. I told myself this morning, I will do some music, and when it stops coming easy I will transition to doing work. 10 hours later, I have a choice between finally getting a tiny bit of work done, cook some food, or trying to sing it. Guess what I chose.

I haven't forgotten about Quarrel, this was only supposed to be a couple hour side thing while I was in the mood for the grotesque. But this preliminary (and off tune, sorry!) version shows I need to rethink some of my impromptu harmony in the middle before doing a proper recording.

I will so regret my epic procrastination... But it was also so worth it.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Apologies for the delay in response, it was because I was waiting for an evening when I could could make this to toss back. ^.^ I can't let you have all the fun. Unfortunately I only had time for two goes, one for the second Feanorian and one for everything else on a single breath, so you can guess how it went. But it's so fun to sing!!! I spent the first couple evenings just listening to your recording, it's fantastic - I can't wait for the "real" copy!

^_^ ^_^ ^_^ That's fantastic. There's a few lines I'm going to steal for my own version (I can't remember which now, but rest assured it will be done). I'm currently working on the video, and will re-record at some point to match it.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Definitely the right place, and I think the right tune too! :-) The only spot I think is not in tune is "there's no blood on my hands, they're clear" - that's one of the confusing chord changes I was talking about, and I am not sure whether I played it correctly, but the way it's written it's higher than the corresponding line in the first and last stanzas (the same as "I bare my soul", but I think that one is in tune with the instrumental). Ugh, it will be fine regardless - it's awesome!

And the only line that I think could be done differently is "Won't you go along". I wrote it as a sort of drawl, and I think musically it doesn't work out as well if the speed is kept normal. The call-back can either go on top of it, or after - I think there are several options here, just didn't have time to play around with it. Do you prefer it back at a "normal speed"? That's fairly easily done, just two bars to modify. It's just that the notes don't match up to the normal speed lyrics, and it would bug me for the rest of time if I don't fix it to match. Or if you like the drawl, we keep it as is. Seriously, please do let me know if you think any place needs adjusting.

I'll take a look at all these, but I don't think anything needs to be done to the instrumental.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Oh no. This made me imagine different dancing styles for the different characters, debating how well swing would look like on the bros - and of course Thingol has to ballet onto the stage in full ballet gear to break up the sweet couple, and that's not an image that I particularly wanted stuck in my head. o.O

Yesssssss. Though I can only imagine the look on Melian's face as he pirouettes around her.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

The Bickering Brothers, coming soon.

Took me a couple of tries to find the melody, but once I did I think it works. I haven't recorded it though.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I did something really stupid. I told myself this morning, I will do some music, and when it stops coming easy I will transition to doing work. 10 hours later, I have a choice between finally getting a tiny bit of work done, cook some food, or trying to sing it. Guess what I chose.

It sounds like a weird twisted Christmas song; if you ignore the actual lyrics, the minions sound like little Christmas elves talking to Santa. I love it!

hS

[Huinesoron]

And having stolen the computer back over lunch, I've finally managed to get this done:

Renunciation of Nargothrond: The Animated Classic

I firmly resisted the urge to have Cel'n'Cur bouncing around the screen, though they do get the most animated entrances yet. I'm positively bouncing along to this one still. ^_^

As ever, any tweaks to the singing or animation let me know - I did my best on the recording, but there's always room for improvement!

Can't wait to see what's up next - I either get to continue the Madcap Feanorions, or break out Sauron again. It's a win-win!

hS

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

And having stolen the computer back over lunch, I've finally managed to get this done:

Renunciation of Nargothrond: The Animated Classic

Squeeeee!

...And oooh, the crown! *dies*

Originally Posted by Hui

As ever, any tweaks to the singing or animation let me know - I did my best on the recording, but there's always room for improvement!

It's fantastic! I think my favourite singing part is the back-and-forth fight in the middle. And the favourite animated part goes to the crown! It's just so perfectly drawn and placed with Finrod fading out - brilliant! (Second favourite is the Feanorions' appearance)

If you really wanna tweak it in the sense of "Why only an A when it could be an A+", the only place I might look at is Finrod's opening stanza, in particular "to arms, people". All the stuff in the middle, the fighting and all, sounds amazing! And the ending is perfect, singing and animation and all.

I'm gonna go rewatch it again, for like the 10th time now.

Originally Posted by Hui

Can't wait to see what's up next - I either get to continue the Madcap Feanorions, or break out Sauron again. It's a win-win!

Any preference? They're both lying open on the table, so to speak, though I think I only got one or two lines into Quarrel so far.

I've been thinking for Minions to drop it a little lower, if that's still in your Sauron singing range, because the Minions are just a tad high for me. If it's a pitch lower I'd try to do them in a nastier voice. I hate doing that to music that's already written because it makes it sound weird, but it won't be a big drop and I think it will be worth it.



In unrelated news, I only now realized that the Nargothrond backdrop is adorned in Finrod's colours.

*goes off dancing with some words to say on this matter also*

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

...And oooh, the crown! *dies*

The crown is staying there until Thingol occludes it at the end of Quarrel, because Symbolism.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Any preference? They're both lying open on the table, so to speak, though I think I only got one or two lines into Quarrel so far.

I've been thinking for Minions to drop it a little lower, if that's still in your Sauron singing range, because the Minions are just a tad high for me. If it's a pitch lower I'd try to do them in a nastier voice. I hate doing that to music that's already written because it makes it sound weird, but it won't be a big drop and I think it will be worth it.

No preferences, and the drop should be fine; I can push Sauron pretty deep.

Do you have any preferences for what the minions should look like? I'm avoiding Jacksonian orcs, but can go any way after that. I think most performances just go with spandex, so, y'know...

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

In unrelated news, I only now realized that the Nargothrond backdrop is adorned in Finrod's colours.

Which is going to be the main animation change for the Quarrel. I has plans.

(The Finarfin-serpent border took quite a while to get right...)

hS

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Do you have any preferences for what the minions should look like? I'm avoiding Jacksonian orcs, but can go any way after that. I think most performances just go with spandex, so, y'know...

There is a certain part of me that is inordinately fascinated with the performances that depict Sauron's minions as being, well Minions - not Orcs, not Men, not Wolves or Telvidos, just Minions of undifferentiated species. I am not too sure if/how Speciesless Minions would translate onto a visual form; to paraphrase you, I Don't Art. But I think I would be delighted with anything that's not too recognizably Jackson-orc, whatever those petty creeps end up looking like.

Originally Posted by Hui

Which is going to be the main animation change for the Quarrel. I has plans.

I can hear the hands rubbing together from across the screen.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

There is a certain part of me that is inordinately fascinated with the performances that depict Sauron's minions as being, well Minions - not Orcs, not Men, not Wolves or Telvidos, just Minions of undifferentiated species. I am not too sure if/how Speciesless Minions would translate onto a visual form; to paraphrase you, I Don't Art. But I think I would be delighted with anything that's not too recognizably Jackson-orc, whatever those petty creeps end up looking like.

Ah, so you're thinking something like this!

No? No, perhaps not.

So I've gone through the, uh, three performances with costumed minions, and wound up pretty much drawing one from each. I've turned them all into hairless, earless white things, which are then costumed to evoke Wolf (2014), Bat (2010), or, er... Creepy (2002).



I had to remove the seams from the 2002 mask, because it came out looking like a fish-man, which is a bit too far afield. As it stands, I think they're all tolerably Orcs or Other.

Incidentally: do you prefer the title "Sauron's Creed", "Sauron's Minions", or "Sauron and His Minions"? It can go any which way.

---

Also! I decided in my madness to see whether a live-action recording of these songs was at all possible. And, er... actually kinda?

The Oath of Feanor (Live)

Lip-synched, with Curufin slightly out of synch, but given all the other issues it didn't seem worth fiddling overmuch. With a bit more time/effort I could make something decent of it, but this will do for now.

hS