Here I thought, Oh Austin talking about something for 20min, this might be interesting. THIS WAS A GAWD DAMN video essay. Wow, I am floored with the amount of work that went behind this video. The editing, the structure of it and how concise it was produced to be. I actually learned a lot, it was beyond interesting and I love it. I love you Austin, I sincerely hope you do more of Magic Moments. Big props to you and to the wonderful editor Dallas Crane. Will do anything and everything to support this.
Music is a really big part of TLoU. It's so iconic because of the setting. Apocalyptic games are really great because you can experience an empty city/world. There's just something great about seeing cities overrun by nature.
It's essential to the mood of the last of us for sure. The music is a massive part of journey tho. Imo it's 50% of the game, at least. It's so essential to that experience.
@@HugoStiglitz88 In Beyond: Two Souls there was that scene where Ellen Page sang Beck's "Lost Cause" after becoming homeless and, even though I've forgotten most of the game by now, I still remember the song because of how it made me feel.
It's really interesting what you said about the "love" scene between Abby and Owen. One of the things I think is great about Last of Us II (and what lots of the bad criticism got wrong) is that they are not morality tales, they're humanity tales. And the most important thematic development in that scene is Owen's line "That f***ing guy" and Abby waking from her nightmare and going "Those f***ing kids". The way the game explores the theme of revenge, and why the disconnect between Abby and Ellie is so affecting, is because both of them share trauma and nightmares, and Ellie's compulsion to kill Abby is to make the bad dreams stop, but Abby knows from experience that the completion of revenge doesn't make the bad dreams go away. Abby doesn't leave that boat with a transformative love for Owen, but his vulnerability getting through to her is the first step to her being able to heal. The tragedy and drama of Ellie is estrangement, both in terms of how she couldn't forgive Joel, and that the circumstances meant she couldn't possibly learn from Abby. She actually never even finds out who the Surgeon was to Abby.
One positive side of covid-19 is that people have now time to do things they didn't have time to do before. These sorts of videos are nice way to get to know you Austin!
I wish there were more videos like this on TLoU2. People really *needed* something from this game. Spoilers- my brother never stopped wanting revenge on Abby, for him, the game "redeemed itself" when it finally let him fight her. The point of the final fight was lost on him. When I asked him why he felt like so, he told me that was what he traditionally expects out of a revenge story. The way the game plays with the players expectations really makes people scratch their heads. I have never played a game quite like this. The theatre fight had me feel so many emotions, to the point I didn't know what I was feeling, THAT was the moment when I realised the power of the medium. TLoU2 even with its flaws, is an incredible work of art that uses interactivity(or where it doesn't use interactivity) to fully showcase storytelling in videogames. Pardon my English, not a native speaker.
Being a great composer apparently helps you with being a great video essayist as well, Austin! I love and enjoy so many (educational) music channels on RUclips and I think your take on game music is quite unique, not only when you create an OST but also when you analyse other peoples work like this. Not only did I learn a lot from this video, I was also entertained. Dallas Crane did a good job editing this!
I loved this analysis! I thought you’re point that Gustavo’s score always lives in the moment of the scene was brilliant. On the Last of Us podcast, he said he intentionally leaves in mistakes on his recordings to give his score a more humanized, authentic feeling. I just found this interesting because I think it proves that he understands that the purpose of a score is to serve the story above all else, and that comment he made even further confirms his score to be one of my favorite video game scores of all time.
I feel like I understand your message, but I do feel like Gustavo also includes themes into his pieces as well. With the many iterations of Vanishing Grace (innocence, childhood), All Gone (aftermath, no escape, all alone, the outside in Part 1, reunion in the DLC Left Behind and the promise in Part 2), and The Last of Us (never again, goodnight, a new dawn), Longing (redemption) and It Can't Last (home) - there are also thematic developed songs across all the games like Forgotten memories (Part 1) into Reclaimed memories (Part 2), and so forth - Gustavo uses thematics because music is another form is storytelling and is used not just to enhance but express the story and emotion of the game.
I really get what you mean about the lack of "themes" in the sense you mean in Part 1 and 2, but I would however like to point out a musical theme than spans both games (only briefly in Part 2). That theme is the "All Gone" theme, which we first hear when Sarah dies in Joels hands. We can later hear it when Henry commits suicide, when Joel finds Ellie after her killing David, and Joel taking Ellie from the Firefly hospital. This is actually also the opening theme of the menu screen in part 1. To me, this theme signifies tragedy and loss for Joel and Ellie in different ways. How Joel loses Sarah, how Henry loses Sam (and Joel and Ellie loses them) etc. This theme in Part 2 reemerges when Ellie is sitting by Joels grave, with a simple vibrato guitar. Now this theme further reflects Ellies loss of Joel. I also really like how the melody goes up but then sighs down over a descending bassline. Using another theme or new song would never had the same impact as using the familiar theme from part 1. Anyhow, I really like how you are able to say that you wouldn't fit as a composer for certain games, it shows to me someone who knows to say no and realize their own limits and expertise. I resepect that highly. Closing, it is really hilarious how you kept Eroica in the background while showing extremely emotional moments from both games! I also just realized, that the "All Gone" theme can also be heard in the conversation between Joel and Ellie at the ranch house (the first moment during Eroice). Second closing note, I really love you score for Journey, "I Was Born For This" is just so extremely beautiful paired with the poetry.
This was really great! As a composer, I appreciate you for taking a deep dive into how one composer's style and approach can be appreciated without throwing someone else's approach under the bus. Also, not sure what recording session the footage toward the end was taken from but I love the double-bass harmonica and love to see it used (17:28 for the nerds out there).
What an interpersonal and eye opening perspective. To take a step back and really put yourself outside of the narrative/ the many elements that help interpret it - and to put yourself in that explorative headroom, just seems so daunting. Especially after taking part in the emotional thrill ride that (narratively - especially as a sequel) seems almost exclusive to this title. (After looking back, post-comment: It does seem par of the course with any discipline. All it takes is the effort to take that pause and to self examine) Though, like you mention (and my take away from this video), it's one of the many ways to understand the composer(s)' perspective (and goal) - and how you (we) as a composer(s) can grow. To sometimes put more thought into the moment rather than the overarching narrative - without neglecting the importance of the latter. Thanks for that! :-)
One idea for a video in this series could be Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinouchi’s work on Halo 4’s soundtrack. Much of how the music was composed and integrated was vastly different than in the Bungie games. However, scenes like Cortana’s goodbye and Chief being alone on the bridge are some of the most impactful of the series despite (in my opinion) being the exact opposite of what Marty O’Donnel would have done. Just a thought! Loved this essay.
Whilst I cannot agree fully with your opinion on the game, to hear such an indepth discussion on one of my favourite parts of it is just incredible. Truly a spectacular soundtrack. REALLY looking forward to more in this series! (Also, your music for Banner Saga was just... wow... fantastic)
interesting to come back to this 2 years-and another one and a half playthroughs of part ii and many rotations of my copy of it’s score-later. when i first watched this i agreed with you pretty much entirely about the non thematic nature of gustavo’s work, but now i’ve learnt it’s actually much deeper than either of us thought. part ii in particular has so many little leitmotifs that score not characters or even relationships but feelings and specific dynamics-and it just makes me wonder how much of this gustavo ever intended to be noticed at all, given it took me so long to start to unravel the spiderweb of motifs across the ~40 hours of game. i think it’s incredible the way it’s making me think about the narrative on such a micro level, drawing connections i hadn’t even previously noticed in the writing, in a way that more macro thematic scores really just can’t (of course that kind is great at many things this kind is less suited for, too). i imagine, in part due to the subtlety and minimalism of the music, it was meant to remain entirely subconscious like you talk about here-more about the feel than the tell-but delving into it has left me feeling like these extremely loved scores are perhaps even underrated. i’m also sure this is something you’ve discussed with gustavo himself, haha
Wonderful analysis Austin, really appreciated this! Personally I think Part 2 has more thematic development than part one with motifs being revisited more often, especially to show ellies state of mind. However, I really love the scene where Abby and Lev talk to the firefly over the radio, and the "main theme" from part one is reworked to sound fresh and hopeful rather than melancholic and apocalyptic! (p.s. Just played through Erica a few times and wondered why the score was so good, great job!)
Gustavo Santaolalla is probably my favourite composer of all time and the score of TLoU is very, very, very close to my heart. This was a great video, Austin :) Looking forward to more videos in this series. PS: I bought Journey in the most recent Steam sale. Looking forward to playing it for the first time!
@@awintory I suppose that we shall see. Fingers crossed that it is okay lol I got to hear to snippets of the score in the video and I cannot wait to listen to it all, in context
Austin, this series is a brilliance. Please, continue... :) Prior to Part I, I've never heard Gustavo's music. And, honestly, I wasn't very excited about the game at first. By that time I was pretty overflown with "zombie" theme (TWD thing...It's great, don't get me wrong :) I just wanted a freaking Uncharted 4 :) So, I've started the game somewhere in 2014 without any pre-existed expectations or hopes. After that introduction and titers with Gustavo's theme... I was sobbing, I was overflown with the emotional heaviness. I'm pretty sure, everyone was like that and it is beautiful. The first thing I remembered was "the last of us theme". I decided to give the game and myself a bit of a rest after the shock, and the theme was just swirling within my head for a few days :) That almost rock track with the catchiest melody ever did it for me... And later on, after I started analysing, I understood that the tiniest movement of adding a sharp 4th into a descending can be so impactful... And the contrast. That is the most arrangement/dynamic filled track within the score. It is making it even more impactful. Then, when I heard "part II theme", I thought it was unnessesary emptied. I thought...ummm... just a banjo with some sound fx..? Cmon... But after completing the game I heard it in a new perspective. Just like Ellie or Abby were emotionally, physically, psychologically stripped down, chewed up and reconstructed; so was the "theme"... It is a change. This series, the music (Mac and others did a fantastic job with their contributions also) are really something else within a videogame storytelling field. Also, I think that "Beyond Desolation" will be our focus basis for The Last Of Us future instalment :) Just a feeling :) Thank you for this video, your vision and everything you've said. You are one of those who inspire me to figure out my own voice, to battle with myself and evolve as a person, who want to tell stories and support others :) Take care! And all the best to you and your loved ones.
This is great, and I always appreciate your honesty and eloquence, Austin. I have been and remain in awe of Gustavo's naturalistic commitment to simplicity and as you say, restraint. The longer I've been composing, the more pressure I feel to create music with complexity as my current maturity allows. Simplifying, (or maybe a better word is purifying) feels like a betrayal of growth sometimes, which I know is not correct, but remains a nagging thought with each project. Logically, such a commitment to simplicity/purity is in no way a disparagement on one's skill or competency, actually likely the opposite, but it still pollutes the best of intensions sometimes.
How did I miss this video? Amazing work, Austin. I’m a songwriter (I did the bossa nova version of your Erica theme, maybe you’ll remember) and the questions you’ve raised here were really interesting, specially regarding the feeling of being challenged by a different creative approach. It’s the kind of thing that really motivates me to become a better creator as well. I’m looking forward for more videos in this series.
This is an excellent essay on game music score that adds value to the space and is equally educational. The only other score analysis channel I follow is Sideways. It has thought me to appreciate and understand soundtracks. And I am confident you will be able to achieve that too. Great work.
I've always been so excited by the music of video games. When a game like Journey comes around, my whole day is filled with the soundtrack. Whatever it is I'm doing, I associate it with the music. It's sort of like the soundtrack became the story of my day, and all of the songs represented me and my feelings. With the last of us, I felt the same happiness from the beautiful score, but at the same time, the score left enough room for the player ( or me, in this case) to really ponder all of the themes presented by the story. Instead of being immersed in the soundtrack alone, I started to associate the music with their life instead of mine. It is such an awesome thing to really learn about all the different ways that music can compliment a story.
It's a genuinely interesting point, as to whether a score should serve the player or the character. While as players, we expect builds in intensity in those moments where gameplay becomes more tense or difficult, would it actually be in better service of the character for the score to peel back, become more minimalistic and animalistic as they focus on the threat around them? I think The Last of Us is one of a handful of games that's trodden that extremely fine tightrope, where the quiet moments that give you room to breathe are equally impactful as the adrenaline pulsing intensity that's put upon you in other scenes where the score is front and center. It's masterful, not only Gustavo's score but how it's actually utilized by the team at Naughty Dog to land the gut punch they're aiming for.
The soundtrack to TLoU (1) is one of my go-to instrumental albums, along with Aphex Twin's first Collected Ambient Works album. This is the first video of Austin's I have watched, but I get the feeling that his Journey soundtrack might be added to my list. His analysis here is frankly mind-blowing. What an intellect! He clearly loves the medium that he works within, and his passion is inspiring. I am in awe.
Fantastic video. Loved hearing your insight on this. I've always had an appreciation for the scores that fit the work perfectly, even if it's not music I'd listen on its own. Kinda put TLOU in that camp. The score feels like it's just another part of that world. Also, man, that Journey score...still gets to me. I get emotional even just hearing tiny snippets of it. Just incredible.
totally agree on how great the 'moment over theme' approach the score in the last of us takes. after finishing 2, i started thinking about the soundtrack and thought "so what was abby's theme?". i thought i found it when i found the track from a scene that represented abby in that moment perfectly. i then thought i found it with several other tracks from several other scenes. the approach the game takes allows for a score that respects the dynamic and complex characters on screen, where it doesn't try to convey them in a melody, if that makes sense. no hate to the thematic approach tho, love me some good themes. great video
Amazing game... Masterful is a great word to describe this, Austin. So deeply moving. I stayed up until 5 am to finish this game, and had to call a friend afterwards... Great video here ✌️
It is amazing seeing someone with your trajectory and talent be so open about your workflow and also being so recognizing of other peoples work and what makes them special. I’ve been following you thanks to Play, Watch, Listen and just found out about this channel. Great stuff, and i’m reaaaally looking forward to this series and everything to come! Thanks and keep it going!! :D
FASCINATING. I have played video games since I was a kid (mostly Legend of Zelda) and been fascinated by the art form of video game music for a long time. Journey is by far one of my favorite video game scores of all time. Loved hearing you talk about this.
This was extremely enlightening for me. It just shows the potential that not only game soundtracks, but games as a whole have to develop. While the "establishing a theme, then developing it" approach may still dominate the art form at the moment, there are so many other interesting approaches to writing game OSTs, including this one. Great video.
What a great video. Gustavo is a great composer and so are you. By the way...i saw the video that you mentioned (the review one), it's really good! A... i love to see you, Alanah, Troy and Mike in the pod cast that Alanah's have....you guys are awesome!!
Very well made video. Santaolalla really does approach these scores in a unique and beautiful way. A way that’s kind of hard to put into words, and yet you did it. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Looking forward to more in this series!
The Syndicate soundtrack is so so good. Highly underrated. It’s so beautiful and unforgettable. I’m not really a gamer but I love game soundtracks and your music is outta this world!
I've also noticed that in video games as well. Themes are not usually present in today's triple-a games, but they seem to be more common in indie games.
I don't know that I'd say themes are not usually present in AAA vs indies. It's a very mixed bag across the board. Lots of great themes and non-themes in both camps :) Also the difference b/w AAA and indy is very hard to tell anyway
Great video, Austin. I'm a big fan of your work, especially Journey. Of course Santaolalla has done excellent work, even though he's not a big fan of themes. And yet he did it in the Chasing a Rumour track in TLoUPII, a piece that I can now confidently say that is my favourite. Funnily enough I can't recall it from my playthrough!
It plays when Abby is contacting The Fireflies on the radio. The main theme for me it was always related to the fireflies, and plays there for that reason.
Beautifully put and very informative. As a casual gamer, I never get to really understand the thought process behind composing music with all its technicalities as mentioned in the video. This is very interesting and I'm looking forward for the next P.S. would love to see your take on Nobou Uemetsu
This is really great video! I exeactlly remeber after finishing the first part of The Last of Us back in 2013, that i was not necessary hit by story and dialog (that happened years later, after i grow emotionally), but how i felt after it. Music is naturally big part of it. I just was not sure what it was, but i had inside me that feeling years after because i was listening soundtrack of the game very often. :)
A little late to the video, but I really enjoyed your analysis about how you perceived the approach to the Last of Us' music. I see it this way, and that the feeling of playing and experiencing The Last of Us is how all the parts come together rather than the gamer just outright enjoying the game Just as playing a game for fun per se' (gameplay, typical cues of music etc). Great video Austin
Absolutely fantastic, Austin! I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to more! As you mentioned a few times in the video, I found that a lot of the music was simply... there. I didn't notice it even though I have clear memories of the game, including the museum scene. I came to the same conclusions as you about its presence (or carefully crafted lack thereof). Fascinating!
Phenomenal discussion and analysis. Not being a composer myself, I had never thought about how many different ways there could be to approach scoring a game like this, and how unique Gustavo Santaolalla's approach was. I adore both of these games and the sparse in-the-moment music is such a massive part of that. One of my favorite uses of it is the scene in the first game when Ellie brutally kills David and is pulled away by Joel, who hugs her, and then the music just overtakes the scene and the dialogue, and their connection and the emotion of the moment is just represented and conveyed completely through the score. I hadn't been able to articulate why those moments work the way they do but this video really put it into words. I'm extremely excited to see where this series goes in the future!
A masterful analysis on a masterful game. Thank you for your insight and knowledge sharing on the growing maturation of video games through the lens of musical design. I learned quite a bit and had a fun time listening as well.
This was so amazing to watch and listen to!! You had such wonderful insight on how you approach composing and how you looked at scores from years ago vs now. This was a delight and I'm super hype to see more of these!! :D (Also love the Star Wars hat!!!! ^__^)
Thanks for this one, Austin! It's so interesting seeing the different approaches - and why they make sense, each in their own way. I always find it super inspiring to think outside the box, or to at least take a look at other boxes and just try them on for size. The "how" and the "why" need to be figured out. Then it can still come to the conclusion, "nope, not for me." Looking forward to more like this - and of course to seeing your evolution. 🤞💪👍
Very interesting. Just found this channel after binging Play Watch Listen for the past month or so. Love listening to your analysis of things and looking forward to watching your discussion with Gustavo :)
I love this game to death!!! I love what Gustavo Santaolalla did with the game's soundtrack he also has quite a unique style. Also the choice kf instrument he uses is lretty unique to him. The Last of Us is empty and alone and theme in the first game were rearranged in different context and instrument too. Like man he did a good job for the "thematic" music in specific scenes. Like from what I know it's actually Mac Quayle who composed the hight tenssion music in game when we played it was more synth-y and quite agresive and rythmical at parts. Didn't finish listening to it but wanned to share those thoughts before finishing watching it. Aw man when I saw this video I just HAD to click on it. I look forward to this type of content you might make more and more. I like it! 😁👌
Wow! What a fantastic insight into so many different aspects of score and creativity in general. If this is a sign of things to come oh boy am I excited!
Not gonna lie, by the end of the game I was heavily craving some kind of unifying theme to make the work feel a little more cohesive. There are so many complex threads in the story...I think a theme that unified Abby and Ellie's story would have helped. That being said I'm a sucker for Wagnerian writing so it may just be me. Loved the video! I'm looking forward to more :)
I think the most insightful part was where you said, "but I could be wrong." I once had a brilliant English teacher that would say, "I can find symbolism when symbolism isn't there." It's not uncommon to have a moving, emotional experience and then and in order to stay wrapped up in it we we try to suck every last drop of feeling and insight out of it. Sometimes we're just equating the strong emotion we felt with some elevated brilliance that we couldn't possibly achieve. If you wrote the score, I wonder if others might feel the same way. It would be an interesting test to have an amazing moment in a video game and and give it to one audience with Adagio for Strings playing and another audience with The Marriage of Figaro and see if they draw the same conclusions. Perhaps sometimes it's enough to just feel _something_.
LOVED THIS VIDEO! Can't wait for more. I wonder what you think about the difference between the main "theme" from the two games. How the theme song from the first game played during the intro title sequence has connotations of an epic or a big adventure while the main theme (at least according to the album) for Part II barely shows up in the game and is replaced by "Unforgiven" in the prologue (probably a choice made by the director and not something for you to answer). But I'd like to hear from you how these two versions differ thematically. The second one is definitely haunting.
I don't have much to add in that regard beyond what's in the video. Everything is about mood and that 'in the moment' quality, including very much how they begin. The second definitely didn't feel like an adventure to start, the way first did, and that would surely be by choice given its far darker content
Austin: After you mentioned that TLOU p1 didn't have any ¨combat¨ score, so typical in most videogames.....what did you think of Mac Quayle´s scores during ...combat scenes in Part 2? Mac has become one of my favorite composers thanks to Mr. Robot and my fascination with Trent Reznor, which is a clear influence in him.
Generally a fan though don't know Mac's music that much. MR ROBOT has been on my list of shows for ages but still never watched. I generally felt combat music was more engaging in TLOU2 than the first, though a bit samey by the end of the game
They reduce reflection, making the room more "dead" (ie less reflective, or with less audio 'bounce'). This makes recording cleaner and also makes mixing far more accurate
Also i just wanna say that Gustavo is amazing, but we should also give credit to the people who used the music in the right scenes or was that also Gustavos job to do that?
Yes of course there is an entire terrific crew at Sony led by Scott Hanau that do a superb job of this. And on top of that, Jonathan Mayer helped flesh out the score in the first game and Mac Quayle on the second game. Just not time to get into that nitty gritty for this video. But YES you are certainly right
I don't know if someone has pointed this out to you, but you're not quite right about the use of themes. Santaolalla did do this, just in a different way from what you were looking for. The theme that played when Sarah died is used again, just very sparingly. Gustavo or Neil stated that that theme repressented the relationship of Sarah and Joel. And it isn't used again until the point where Joel comforts Ellie after butchering David. This to try to evoke the feeling that Joel now cares for Ellie as if she was his own daughter. There's 6 different variants of the track The Last of Us, 5 versions of All Gone, 3 versions of Vanishing Grace, and 2 versions of The Path. It's all very different from Journey no doubt, but I feel the journey and evolution of the characters was very well repressented in the score Plus it might not quite be what you meant, but the use of instruments was also similarly utilized. Gustavo has stated that the Charango was used to repressent Ellie, a six stringed bass for Joel, and a guitar for them together.
@@awintory Yeah we made this little demo called Sinfeld Chronicles and we are trying to bring it to Unreal next year. ruclips.net/video/5Tv7Js1EBM0/видео.html
Perhaps this is not my place to say but while your style may not have worked for the Last of Us 1, I honestly believe your style of music may have been better suited for the Last of Us 2. The Last of Us 2 as has been mentioned is structured very differently from the more straightforward plot of the previous game. In the Last of Us 1, you journey through the game with basically just Joel and Ellie. They directly share the same events and emotions as you continue through the game and thus the music which you mention is played by scene brings out emotions that can be more easily attributed to the characters you are playing as. However, with the Last of Us 2 I feel that the music doesn't truly resonate with how everyone is characterized. In the sequel, you play through as and with different characters whose immediate concerns are not immediately aligned and so any musical cues based on situation alone would not be enough to help guide an emotional reaction because several scenes have characters with conflicting interests. This lead me at least to not have any strong reactions at least music wise to scenes which included both Ellie and Abby as well as any new characters whose stories were being told. I feel that addition of a unique theme or leitmotif of the new characters may have aided in that and I feel like you are most capable artist in this industry who would been able to pull it off. If a theme needed to develop, Ellie and Abby could have had themes that were very different but then slowly morph into a more unified theme that mirrors how the audience realizes how closely their drives and traumas intersect. However, this is all conjecture and opinion and for all I know I am just someone who wishes that a lot about this game was different from how it turned out. Hopefully though it helps bring in a new viewpoint regarding how you perceive your strengths as a composer and I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors.
It's an interesting point but I feel like the choice made was to place empathy above everything else. Anything that might feel like conventional storytelling was set aside, and so the careful manipulation of leitmotives could take away from that. MAYBE it's possible to have the cake and eat it too. Who knows. We can always Monday morning quarterback this stuff but in the end, they made their choices and I find myself feeling profoundly inspired by them
As much as I hated the writing and story in the TLOU Part 2, the soundtrack was one of the best I've ever heard. Gustavo is a genius but so is Austin This is a really well done and interesting video though. Love stuff like this. I never could imagine writing something as amazing as the soundtrack of journey so to get some insight into that masterpiece and composing in general is really cool
To hear Journey’s composer talking about TLoU score.... priceless.
Here I thought, Oh Austin talking about something for 20min, this might be interesting. THIS WAS A GAWD DAMN video essay.
Wow, I am floored with the amount of work that went behind this video. The editing, the structure of it and how concise it was produced to be. I actually learned a lot, it was beyond interesting and I love it.
I love you Austin, I sincerely hope you do more of Magic Moments. Big props to you and to the wonderful editor Dallas Crane. Will do anything and everything to support this.
Thank you!!
Music is a really big part of TLoU. It's so iconic because of the setting. Apocalyptic games are really great because you can experience an empty city/world. There's just something great about seeing cities overrun by nature.
It's essential to the mood of the last of us for sure. The music is a massive part of journey tho. Imo it's 50% of the game, at least. It's so essential to that experience.
@@HugoStiglitz88 In Beyond: Two Souls there was that scene where Ellen Page sang Beck's "Lost Cause" after becoming homeless and, even though I've forgotten most of the game by now, I still remember the song because of how it made me feel.
It's really interesting what you said about the "love" scene between Abby and Owen. One of the things I think is great about Last of Us II (and what lots of the bad criticism got wrong) is that they are not morality tales, they're humanity tales. And the most important thematic development in that scene is Owen's line "That f***ing guy" and Abby waking from her nightmare and going "Those f***ing kids". The way the game explores the theme of revenge, and why the disconnect between Abby and Ellie is so affecting, is because both of them share trauma and nightmares, and Ellie's compulsion to kill Abby is to make the bad dreams stop, but Abby knows from experience that the completion of revenge doesn't make the bad dreams go away. Abby doesn't leave that boat with a transformative love for Owen, but his vulnerability getting through to her is the first step to her being able to heal. The tragedy and drama of Ellie is estrangement, both in terms of how she couldn't forgive Joel, and that the circumstances meant she couldn't possibly learn from Abby. She actually never even finds out who the Surgeon was to Abby.
One positive side of covid-19 is that people have now time to do things they didn't have time to do before. These sorts of videos are nice way to get to know you Austin!
I wish there were more videos like this on TLoU2. People really *needed* something from this game.
Spoilers- my brother never stopped wanting revenge on Abby, for him, the game "redeemed itself" when it finally let him fight her. The point of the final fight was lost on him. When I asked him why he felt like so, he told me that was what he traditionally expects out of a revenge story. The way the game plays with the players expectations really makes people scratch their heads.
I have never played a game quite like this. The theatre fight had me feel so many emotions, to the point I didn't know what I was feeling, THAT was the moment when I realised the power of the medium. TLoU2 even with its flaws, is an incredible work of art that uses interactivity(or where it doesn't use interactivity) to fully showcase storytelling in videogames. Pardon my English, not a native speaker.
Sidenote, I love your music! :)
COMPLETELY AGREE re: the theater fight. And thanks for watching :)
@@awintory looking forward to more of this series!
Austin this was brilliant! So excited to see where you take this series :)
Thank you! A TON are already scoped out for videos :)
Being a great composer apparently helps you with being a great video essayist as well, Austin! I love and enjoy so many (educational) music channels on RUclips and I think your take on game music is quite unique, not only when you create an OST but also when you analyse other peoples work like this.
Not only did I learn a lot from this video, I was also entertained. Dallas Crane did a good job editing this!
Thank you! And Dallas does wonderful work indeed! Very grateful to have his help
I loved this analysis! I thought you’re point that Gustavo’s score always lives in the moment of the scene was brilliant. On the Last of Us podcast, he said he intentionally leaves in mistakes on his recordings to give his score a more humanized, authentic feeling. I just found this interesting because I think it proves that he understands that the purpose of a score is to serve the story above all else, and that comment he made even further confirms his score to be one of my favorite video game scores of all time.
I feel like I understand your message, but I do feel like Gustavo also includes themes into his pieces as well. With the many iterations of Vanishing Grace (innocence, childhood), All Gone (aftermath, no escape, all alone, the outside in Part 1, reunion in the DLC Left Behind and the promise in Part 2), and The Last of Us (never again, goodnight, a new dawn), Longing (redemption) and It Can't Last (home) - there are also thematic developed songs across all the games like Forgotten memories (Part 1) into Reclaimed memories (Part 2), and so forth - Gustavo uses thematics because music is another form is storytelling and is used not just to enhance but express the story and emotion of the game.
Yeah I think he just doesn't use themes in a way that we'd expect; he attaches them more specifically then just as an overall theme for the game
I really get what you mean about the lack of "themes" in the sense you mean in Part 1 and 2, but I would however like to point out a musical theme than spans both games (only briefly in Part 2). That theme is the "All Gone" theme, which we first hear when Sarah dies in Joels hands. We can later hear it when Henry commits suicide, when Joel finds Ellie after her killing David, and Joel taking Ellie from the Firefly hospital. This is actually also the opening theme of the menu screen in part 1. To me, this theme signifies tragedy and loss for Joel and Ellie in different ways. How Joel loses Sarah, how Henry loses Sam (and Joel and Ellie loses them) etc. This theme in Part 2 reemerges when Ellie is sitting by Joels grave, with a simple vibrato guitar. Now this theme further reflects Ellies loss of Joel. I also really like how the melody goes up but then sighs down over a descending bassline. Using another theme or new song would never had the same impact as using the familiar theme from part 1.
Anyhow, I really like how you are able to say that you wouldn't fit as a composer for certain games, it shows to me someone who knows to say no and realize their own limits and expertise. I resepect that highly.
Closing, it is really hilarious how you kept Eroica in the background while showing extremely emotional moments from both games! I also just realized, that the "All Gone" theme can also be heard in the conversation between Joel and Ellie at the ranch house (the first moment during Eroice).
Second closing note, I really love you score for Journey, "I Was Born For This" is just so extremely beautiful paired with the poetry.
This was really great! As a composer, I appreciate you for taking a deep dive into how one composer's style and approach can be appreciated without throwing someone else's approach under the bus. Also, not sure what recording session the footage toward the end was taken from but I love the double-bass harmonica and love to see it used (17:28 for the nerds out there).
What an interpersonal and eye opening perspective. To take a step back and really put yourself outside of the narrative/ the many elements that help interpret it - and to put yourself in that explorative headroom, just seems so daunting. Especially after taking part in the emotional thrill ride that (narratively - especially as a sequel) seems almost exclusive to this title. (After looking back, post-comment: It does seem par of the course with any discipline. All it takes is the effort to take that pause and to self examine) Though, like you mention (and my take away from this video), it's one of the many ways to understand the composer(s)' perspective (and goal) - and how you (we) as a composer(s) can grow. To sometimes put more thought into the moment rather than the overarching narrative - without neglecting the importance of the latter.
Thanks for that! :-)
One idea for a video in this series could be Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinouchi’s work on Halo 4’s soundtrack.
Much of how the music was composed and integrated was vastly different than in the Bungie games. However, scenes like Cortana’s goodbye and Chief being alone on the bridge are some of the most impactful of the series despite (in my opinion) being the exact opposite of what Marty O’Donnel would have done.
Just a thought! Loved this essay.
Whilst I cannot agree fully with your opinion on the game, to hear such an indepth discussion on one of my favourite parts of it is just incredible. Truly a spectacular soundtrack.
REALLY looking forward to more in this series! (Also, your music for Banner Saga was just... wow... fantastic)
interesting to come back to this 2 years-and another one and a half playthroughs of part ii and many rotations of my copy of it’s score-later. when i first watched this i agreed with you pretty much entirely about the non thematic nature of gustavo’s work, but now i’ve learnt it’s actually much deeper than either of us thought. part ii in particular has so many little leitmotifs that score not characters or even relationships but feelings and specific dynamics-and it just makes me wonder how much of this gustavo ever intended to be noticed at all, given it took me so long to start to unravel the spiderweb of motifs across the ~40 hours of game. i think it’s incredible the way it’s making me think about the narrative on such a micro level, drawing connections i hadn’t even previously noticed in the writing, in a way that more macro thematic scores really just can’t (of course that kind is great at many things this kind is less suited for, too). i imagine, in part due to the subtlety and minimalism of the music, it was meant to remain entirely subconscious like you talk about here-more about the feel than the tell-but delving into it has left me feeling like these extremely loved scores are perhaps even underrated. i’m also sure this is something you’ve discussed with gustavo himself, haha
Wonderful analysis Austin, really appreciated this!
Personally I think Part 2 has more thematic development than part one with motifs being revisited more often, especially to show ellies state of mind.
However, I really love the scene where Abby and Lev talk to the firefly over the radio, and the "main theme" from part one is reworked to sound fresh and hopeful rather than melancholic and apocalyptic!
(p.s. Just played through Erica a few times and wondered why the score was so good, great job!)
Gustavo Santaolalla is probably my favourite composer of all time and the score of TLoU is very, very, very close to my heart. This was a great video, Austin :) Looking forward to more videos in this series.
PS: I bought Journey in the most recent Steam sale. Looking forward to playing it for the first time!
Thank you! Hopefully it's great! I've heard a lot of troubling comments that the port messed up a lot of the nuance in the sound and music :\
@@awintory I suppose that we shall see. Fingers crossed that it is okay lol
I got to hear to snippets of the score in the video and I cannot wait to listen to it all, in context
Austin, this series is a brilliance. Please, continue... :) Prior to Part I, I've never heard Gustavo's music. And, honestly, I wasn't very excited about the game at first. By that time I was pretty overflown with "zombie" theme (TWD thing...It's great, don't get me wrong :)
I just wanted a freaking Uncharted 4 :) So, I've started the game somewhere in 2014 without any pre-existed expectations or hopes.
After that introduction and titers with Gustavo's theme... I was sobbing, I was overflown with the emotional heaviness. I'm pretty sure, everyone was like that and it is beautiful. The first thing I remembered was "the last of us theme".
I decided to give the game and myself a bit of a rest after the shock, and the theme was just swirling within my head for a few days :) That almost rock track with the catchiest melody ever did it for me... And later on, after I started analysing, I understood that the tiniest movement of adding a sharp 4th into a descending can be so impactful... And the contrast. That is the most arrangement/dynamic filled track within the score. It is making it even more impactful.
Then, when I heard "part II theme", I thought it was unnessesary emptied. I thought...ummm... just a banjo with some sound fx..? Cmon... But after completing the game I heard it in a new perspective. Just like Ellie or Abby were emotionally, physically, psychologically stripped down, chewed up and reconstructed; so was the "theme"... It is a change. This series, the music (Mac and others did a fantastic job with their contributions also) are really something else within a videogame storytelling field.
Also, I think that "Beyond Desolation" will be our focus basis for The Last Of Us future instalment :) Just a feeling :)
Thank you for this video, your vision and everything you've said. You are one of those who inspire me to figure out my own voice, to battle with myself and evolve as a person, who want to tell stories and support others :)
Take care! And all the best to you and your loved ones.
Thank you so much for these comments. Basically my dream response!!
LOVED THIS. Simultaneously honest/vulnerable and professional as well. Would love to see more of these.
This is great, and I always appreciate your honesty and eloquence, Austin. I have been and remain in awe of Gustavo's naturalistic commitment to simplicity and as you say, restraint. The longer I've been composing, the more pressure I feel to create music with complexity as my current maturity allows. Simplifying, (or maybe a better word is purifying) feels like a betrayal of growth sometimes, which I know is not correct, but remains a nagging thought with each project. Logically, such a commitment to simplicity/purity is in no way a disparagement on one's skill or competency, actually likely the opposite, but it still pollutes the best of intensions sometimes.
How did I miss this video? Amazing work, Austin. I’m a songwriter (I did the bossa nova version of your Erica theme, maybe you’ll remember) and the questions you’ve raised here were really interesting, specially regarding the feeling of being challenged by a different creative approach. It’s the kind of thing that really motivates me to become a better creator as well. I’m looking forward for more videos in this series.
This is an excellent essay on game music score that adds value to the space and is equally educational. The only other score analysis channel I follow is Sideways. It has thought me to appreciate and understand soundtracks. And I am confident you will be able to achieve that too. Great work.
the beginning music where you ride w Tommy back to Jackson is Soo good
I've always been so excited by the music of video games. When a game like Journey comes around, my whole day is filled with the soundtrack. Whatever it is I'm doing, I associate it with the music. It's sort of like the soundtrack became the story of my day, and all of the songs represented me and my feelings. With the last of us, I felt the same happiness from the beautiful score, but at the same time, the score left enough room for the player ( or me, in this case) to really ponder all of the themes presented by the story. Instead of being immersed in the soundtrack alone, I started to associate the music with their life instead of mine. It is such an awesome thing to really learn about all the different ways that music can compliment a story.
It's a genuinely interesting point, as to whether a score should serve the player or the character.
While as players, we expect builds in intensity in those moments where gameplay becomes more tense or difficult, would it actually be in better service of the character for the score to peel back, become more minimalistic and animalistic as they focus on the threat around them?
I think The Last of Us is one of a handful of games that's trodden that extremely fine tightrope, where the quiet moments that give you room to breathe are equally impactful as the adrenaline pulsing intensity that's put upon you in other scenes where the score is front and center.
It's masterful, not only Gustavo's score but how it's actually utilized by the team at Naughty Dog to land the gut punch they're aiming for.
The soundtrack to TLoU (1) is one of my go-to instrumental albums, along with Aphex Twin's first Collected Ambient Works album.
This is the first video of Austin's I have watched, but I get the feeling that his Journey soundtrack might be added to my list.
His analysis here is frankly mind-blowing. What an intellect! He clearly loves the medium that he works within, and his passion is inspiring. I am in awe.
This is sublime!! So glad I found your channel ... an instant subscribe.
This is an excellent analysis. I’m excited to see where you go next with the series!
I cannot believe I discovered you just now! Very inspiring my friend, as someone who's trying to get into composing myself!
Fantastic video. Loved hearing your insight on this. I've always had an appreciation for the scores that fit the work perfectly, even if it's not music I'd listen on its own. Kinda put TLOU in that camp. The score feels like it's just another part of that world.
Also, man, that Journey score...still gets to me. I get emotional even just hearing tiny snippets of it. Just incredible.
totally agree on how great the 'moment over theme' approach the score in the last of us takes. after finishing 2, i started thinking about the soundtrack and thought "so what was abby's theme?". i thought i found it when i found the track from a scene that represented abby in that moment perfectly. i then thought i found it with several other tracks from several other scenes.
the approach the game takes allows for a score that respects the dynamic and complex characters on screen, where it doesn't try to convey them in a melody, if that makes sense. no hate to the thematic approach tho, love me some good themes. great video
I love the way you speak Austin. You have such an eloquent manner to your speech and I just can't get enough of it.
AMAZING video. Absolutely loved it dude!
Amazing game... Masterful is a great word to describe this, Austin. So deeply moving. I stayed up until 5 am to finish this game, and had to call a friend afterwards... Great video here ✌️
It is amazing seeing someone with your trajectory and talent be so open about your workflow and also being so recognizing of other peoples work and what makes them special. I’ve been following you thanks to Play, Watch, Listen and just found out about this channel. Great stuff, and i’m reaaaally looking forward to this series and everything to come! Thanks and keep it going!! :D
FASCINATING. I have played video games since I was a kid (mostly Legend of Zelda) and been fascinated by the art form of video game music for a long time. Journey is by far one of my favorite video game scores of all time. Loved hearing you talk about this.
This was extremely enlightening for me. It just shows the potential that not only game soundtracks, but games as a whole have to develop. While the "establishing a theme, then developing it" approach may still dominate the art form at the moment, there are so many other interesting approaches to writing game OSTs, including this one. Great video.
What a great video. Gustavo is a great composer and so are you. By the way...i saw the video that you mentioned (the review one), it's really good!
A... i love to see you, Alanah, Troy and Mike in the pod cast that Alanah's have....you guys are awesome!!
Very well made video. Santaolalla really does approach these scores in a unique and beautiful way. A way that’s kind of hard to put into words, and yet you did it. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Looking forward to more in this series!
Thank you, this was very insightful and beautifully presented. You have inspired much to think about.
The Syndicate soundtrack is so so good. Highly underrated. It’s so beautiful and unforgettable. I’m not really a gamer but I love game soundtracks and your music is outta this world!
I've also noticed that in video games as well. Themes are not usually present in today's triple-a games, but they seem to be more common in indie games.
I don't know that I'd say themes are not usually present in AAA vs indies. It's a very mixed bag across the board. Lots of great themes and non-themes in both camps :) Also the difference b/w AAA and indy is very hard to tell anyway
Great video, Austin. I'm a big fan of your work, especially Journey. Of course Santaolalla has done excellent work, even though he's not a big fan of themes. And yet he did it in the Chasing a Rumour track in TLoUPII, a piece that I can now confidently say that is my favourite. Funnily enough I can't recall it from my playthrough!
It plays when Abby is contacting The Fireflies on the radio. The main theme for me it was always related to the fireflies, and plays there for that reason.
I absolutely love this. I had tickets to see Gustavo in London over the summer but, yanno, COVID and that...
Beautifully put and very informative. As a casual gamer, I never get to really understand the thought process behind composing music with all its technicalities as mentioned in the video. This is very interesting and I'm looking forward for the next
P.S. would love to see your take on Nobou Uemetsu
This is really great video! I exeactlly remeber after finishing the first part of The Last of Us back in 2013, that i was not necessary hit by story and dialog (that happened years later, after i grow emotionally), but how i felt after it. Music is naturally big part of it. I just was not sure what it was, but i had inside me that feeling years after because i was listening soundtrack of the game very often. :)
A little late to the video, but I really enjoyed your analysis about how you perceived the approach to the Last of Us' music. I see it this way, and that the feeling of playing and experiencing The Last of Us is how all the parts come together rather than the gamer just outright enjoying the game Just as playing a game for fun per se' (gameplay, typical cues of music etc).
Great video Austin
Get out of my brain.
Absolutely fantastic, Austin! I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to more! As you mentioned a few times in the video, I found that a lot of the music was simply... there. I didn't notice it even though I have clear memories of the game, including the museum scene. I came to the same conclusions as you about its presence (or carefully crafted lack thereof). Fascinating!
Great video
Phenomenal discussion and analysis. Not being a composer myself, I had never thought about how many different ways there could be to approach scoring a game like this, and how unique Gustavo Santaolalla's approach was. I adore both of these games and the sparse in-the-moment music is such a massive part of that. One of my favorite uses of it is the scene in the first game when Ellie brutally kills David and is pulled away by Joel, who hugs her, and then the music just overtakes the scene and the dialogue, and their connection and the emotion of the moment is just represented and conveyed completely through the score. I hadn't been able to articulate why those moments work the way they do but this video really put it into words. I'm extremely excited to see where this series goes in the future!
Thank you!! If you've not seen episode 2 about Ennio Morricone, it's here and ep 3 coming soon!
Austin Wintory I will absolutely check that out, thank you!
7:35 "is any game perfect?" What are you talking about? Journey was great!
This was so informative and interesting! Can’t wait to see more of this.
This was amazing to watch! Can't wait to see more videos of this series. Thank you, Austin!
A masterful analysis on a masterful game. Thank you for your insight and knowledge sharing on the growing maturation of video games through the lens of musical design. I learned quite a bit and had a fun time listening as well.
This was so amazing to watch and listen to!! You had such wonderful insight on how you approach composing and how you looked at scores from years ago vs now. This was a delight and I'm super hype to see more of these!! :D (Also love the Star Wars hat!!!! ^__^)
Ah thank you! That hat was a gift from a friend at ILM who worked on TFA; it's a VFX crew hat!! :)
Dude this was amazing. Excited to see what else you come up with :)
Thanks for this one, Austin! It's so interesting seeing the different approaches - and why they make sense, each in their own way.
I always find it super inspiring to think outside the box, or to at least take a look at other boxes and just try them on for size. The "how" and the "why" need to be figured out.
Then it can still come to the conclusion, "nope, not for me."
Looking forward to more like this - and of course to seeing your evolution. 🤞💪👍
Very interesting. Just found this channel after binging Play Watch Listen for the past month or so. Love listening to your analysis of things and looking forward to watching your discussion with Gustavo :)
Loved this! Great analysis & honesty throughout!
This was a great and insightful video! Thanks a lot for this Austin.
I was not expecting a video essay! Love how candid this is :)
Please, do more and more videos like this one! Thank you so much for doing such an awesome video essay!
I love this game to death!!!
I love what Gustavo Santaolalla did with the game's soundtrack he also has quite a unique style. Also the choice kf instrument he uses is lretty unique to him.
The Last of Us is empty and alone and theme in the first game were rearranged in different context and instrument too.
Like man he did a good job for the "thematic" music in specific scenes. Like from what I know it's actually Mac Quayle who composed the hight tenssion music in game when we played it was more synth-y and quite agresive and rythmical at parts.
Didn't finish listening to it but wanned to share those thoughts before finishing watching it.
Aw man when I saw this video I just HAD to click on it. I look forward to this type of content you might make more and more. I like it! 😁👌
Wow! What a fantastic insight into so many different aspects of score and creativity in general. If this is a sign of things to come oh boy am I excited!
11:36 This is why I like games in general.
Not gonna lie, by the end of the game I was heavily craving some kind of unifying theme to make the work feel a little more cohesive. There are so many complex threads in the story...I think a theme that unified Abby and Ellie's story would have helped. That being said I'm a sucker for Wagnerian writing so it may just be me. Loved the video! I'm looking forward to more :)
I think the most insightful part was where you said, "but I could be wrong." I once had a brilliant English teacher that would say, "I can find symbolism when symbolism isn't there." It's not uncommon to have a moving, emotional experience and then and in order to stay wrapped up in it we we try to suck every last drop of feeling and insight out of it. Sometimes we're just equating the strong emotion we felt with some elevated brilliance that we couldn't possibly achieve. If you wrote the score, I wonder if others might feel the same way. It would be an interesting test to have an amazing moment in a video game and and give it to one audience with Adagio for Strings playing and another audience with The Marriage of Figaro and see if they draw the same conclusions. Perhaps sometimes it's enough to just feel _something_.
Very astute comments :)
LOVED THIS VIDEO! Can't wait for more. I wonder what you think about the difference between the main "theme" from the two games. How the theme song from the first game played during the intro title sequence has connotations of an epic or a big adventure while the main theme (at least according to the album) for Part II barely shows up in the game and is replaced by "Unforgiven" in the prologue (probably a choice made by the director and not something for you to answer). But I'd like to hear from you how these two versions differ thematically. The second one is definitely haunting.
I don't have much to add in that regard beyond what's in the video. Everything is about mood and that 'in the moment' quality, including very much how they begin. The second definitely didn't feel like an adventure to start, the way first did, and that would surely be by choice given its far darker content
@@awintory thank you!
Great video, thanks
Looking forward to this series! Wonder if Grim Fandango will feature!
we shall see ... :)
Austin: After you mentioned that TLOU p1 didn't have any ¨combat¨ score, so typical in most videogames.....what did you think of Mac Quayle´s scores during ...combat scenes in Part 2?
Mac has become one of my favorite composers thanks to Mr. Robot and my fascination with Trent Reznor, which is a clear influence in him.
Generally a fan though don't know Mac's music that much. MR ROBOT has been on my list of shows for ages but still never watched. I generally felt combat music was more engaging in TLOU2 than the first, though a bit samey by the end of the game
Austin, Erica is free on ps plus, I played it and your music is so good!
Thank you!
Really eye opening video!!
Brilliant video!
ohhh the genius ❤️
you made me cry with journey... :(
A round of applause for the video editor please, wonderful work.
☺️
This is amazing! YOU are amazing!
Very interesting to watch this after the last Play Watch Listen.
I'm wondering, do the black dark gray inclined square planks hanging on the wall serve a purpose, or just to make the place look nice?
They reduce reflection, making the room more "dead" (ie less reflective, or with less audio 'bounce'). This makes recording cleaner and also makes mixing far more accurate
@@awintorygreat idea, I'm gonna do that in my architectural office
Very interesting
This was incredibly well done.
Also i just wanna say that Gustavo is amazing, but we should also give credit to the people who used the music in the right scenes or was that also Gustavos job to do that?
Yes of course there is an entire terrific crew at Sony led by Scott Hanau that do a superb job of this. And on top of that, Jonathan Mayer helped flesh out the score in the first game and Mac Quayle on the second game. Just not time to get into that nitty gritty for this video. But YES you are certainly right
Who owns the game music after release, the musician or the developer/publisher ?
In most AAA games the publisher owns it; for mid-size and indie games, it varies widely
I don't know if someone has pointed this out to you, but you're not quite right about the use of themes. Santaolalla did do this, just in a different way from what you were looking for.
The theme that played when Sarah died is used again, just very sparingly. Gustavo or Neil stated that that theme repressented the relationship of Sarah and Joel. And it isn't used again until the point where Joel comforts Ellie after butchering David. This to try to evoke the feeling that Joel now cares for Ellie as if she was his own daughter.
There's 6 different variants of the track The Last of Us, 5 versions of All Gone, 3 versions of Vanishing Grace, and 2 versions of The Path. It's all very different from Journey no doubt, but I feel the journey and evolution of the characters was very well repressented in the score
Plus it might not quite be what you meant, but the use of instruments was also similarly utilized. Gustavo has stated that the Charango was used to repressent Ellie, a six stringed bass for Joel, and a guitar for them together.
Yeh I ended up having lengthy chats with Gustavo, folks at Sony and ND after publishing this that showed I was partially right and partially wrong :)
Leitmotif would not hurt anyone. :( but I guess that's what make this game different and special.
You should score the Seinfeld Horror Game we are making, we need that bass slap.
... is that a real thing?!
@@awintory Yeah we made this little demo called Sinfeld Chronicles and we are trying to bring it to Unreal next year.
ruclips.net/video/5Tv7Js1EBM0/видео.html
Getting hired via a RUclips comment is so amusing that I really hope you work together, haha
Wow i wish to be hired like this at an amazing work someday!!!
@@The8BitPianist Well I mean, it is a Dreams project, not necessarily a full game.
Austiiiiinnnnnn
I really liked your comments on the sex scene and why your instinct for that scene wouldn't have fit the last of us
Perhaps this is not my place to say but while your style may not have worked for the Last of Us 1, I honestly believe your style of music may have been better suited for the Last of Us 2. The Last of Us 2 as has been mentioned is structured very differently from the more straightforward plot of the previous game. In the Last of Us 1, you journey through the game with basically just Joel and Ellie. They directly share the same events and emotions as you continue through the game and thus the music which you mention is played by scene brings out emotions that can be more easily attributed to the characters you are playing as. However, with the Last of Us 2 I feel that the music doesn't truly resonate with how everyone is characterized. In the sequel, you play through as and with different characters whose immediate concerns are not immediately aligned and so any musical cues based on situation alone would not be enough to help guide an emotional reaction because several scenes have characters with conflicting interests. This lead me at least to not have any strong reactions at least music wise to scenes which included both Ellie and Abby as well as any new characters whose stories were being told. I feel that addition of a unique theme or leitmotif of the new characters may have aided in that and I feel like you are most capable artist in this industry who would been able to pull it off. If a theme needed to develop, Ellie and Abby could have had themes that were very different but then slowly morph into a more unified theme that mirrors how the audience realizes how closely their drives and traumas intersect. However, this is all conjecture and opinion and for all I know I am just someone who wishes that a lot about this game was different from how it turned out. Hopefully though it helps bring in a new viewpoint regarding how you perceive your strengths as a composer and I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors.
It's an interesting point but I feel like the choice made was to place empathy above everything else. Anything that might feel like conventional storytelling was set aside, and so the careful manipulation of leitmotives could take away from that.
MAYBE it's possible to have the cake and eat it too. Who knows. We can always Monday morning quarterback this stuff but in the end, they made their choices and I find myself feeling profoundly inspired by them
As much as I hated the writing and story in the TLOU Part 2, the soundtrack was one of the best I've ever heard. Gustavo is a genius but so is Austin
This is a really well done and interesting video though. Love stuff like this. I never could imagine writing something as amazing as the soundtrack of journey so to get some insight into that masterpiece and composing in general is really cool
Please dont make this video private!
I didn't and won't .... why would I?
Thank you so much man🙏
The Last Of Us part 2 needed more jazz man.
Duh. Of course you would've