I Had 5 Composers Rescore the SAME Scene...

I asked composers to re-score a climactic scene from How to Train Your Dragon. How do they compare to John Powell's epic music?
🐉 The Cultural Influences of John Powell's HTTYD Scores 👉 • How To Train Your Drag...
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00:00 Intro
00:27 Vincenzo Santonicola
03:59 Riccardo Marchesini
8:03 Florian Piewald
12:04 Brian Evans
16:56 Eric Galluzzo
20:51 John Powell
24:41 Go deeper!

[@PeterLewysPreston]

This John Powell guy has potential. He might have a career in film music.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

That was my takeaway also.

[@RyanLeach]

careful, we don't want to be getting people's hopes up

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@RyanLeach Of course. He’ll have to prove himself, maybe study under someone else first.

[@Forest_V19]

@@RyanLeachwhy not?

[@RyanLeach]

@@Forest_V19 He's one of the most successful film composers of our era, just a joke

[@CalebHebertComposer]

John Powell’s was pretty solid, he’s got some potential

[@FilmScoreandMore]

If that kid applies himself, he’ll go far.

[@ethanli2978]

I don't know if you're being sarcastic but john powell is the person who wrote the original soundtrack for the movie

[@CalebHebertComposer]

@@ethanli2978 I’m being sarcastic lol but thanks 😂

[@user-xi7yv9ut7f]

The last one is legit a ctrl C ctrl V of thz original music

[@WhiteFrogtalks]

@@user-xi7yv9ut7fI would see who wrote that ine

[@jimrogers7425]

For me (I'm writing this after the first three), it feels like the composers have lost sight of the fact that they're meant to be scoring individual scenes to tell a story as opposed to writing a composition overall... very different styles and approaches.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Good catch. That was one of the main issues with the submissions overall, including the ones we didn’t pick. They’re best when they respond to the action closely.

[@AriyaLauna]

Yes, this! I felt that characters were getting left out of some of the submissions, and so it felt more like a scene matched to music already composed as opposed to music composed for a scene.

[@arunthebuffoon4554]

I think the second piece was actually very much responding to the different scenes and characters, it just missed a few opportunities.

[@sagarbhandari9424]

You don't know shit about composing

[@Noah-ws8ho]

I do think Powell also has an "unfair" advantage here in that regard - he scored the entire movie, so he already has access to a large toolbox of "cues" he can rely upon to highlight different scenes. And obvious example here is the flying theme kicking in when Toothless lifts off.

[@found_it]

This is why i have mad respect for people who write and compose music, whether for a movie or otherwise. I could never achieve such a masterpiece, again mad respect.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It was a tough task for sure. I’m glad I was on the analysis and discussion end.

[@reaganharder1480]

I feel "I could never" is not the best way of looking at these things. You probably could, with years of practice and hard work learning the craft. Unless you're quite committed to the idea, you likely will never, but you could, in theory, some day, if you really really wanted to.

[@vinzsaint]

Wow, amazed and terrified to hear my name!😅 Thanks for the advices, It's important to me to have any feedback and improve my skills. Thank you Ryan and Josh.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

We’re glad you submitted! Good luck with your next compositions!

[@jacemusica]

Final Fantasy vibes!!!

[@AlethrialTheElvenEmpress]

Great work!

[@cellokid5104]

Has some Star Trek Bridge Commander battle music vibes

[@vinzsaint]

@@cellokid5104 Do you think? Nice pov, I hope in a good way 😅. Thanks ☺👍

[@White.Rabbit.Productions]

What stands out to me the most as the pro vs the amateurs, is time signature changes. John, the pro, knows how to use different time signatures and irregular beats to his advantage. All of the amateurs sound like they're just using 4/4 and trying to fit their very "regular" music with the completely irregular action sequence. Eric Galluzo's one was the most interesting to me because he had time signature changes and so his music really slots up with key action moments.

[@whatdoiputhere9618]

Stumbled upon this on accident. So happy I watched this. I would definitely watch more. I’m curious how people would compose the “Test drive” scene. (Arguably the best piece in the entire series)

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I’m wondering that too. Part of the trouble is we only went for about a minute of the scene because that’s already a lot to compose and this fits as its own sequence. As someone who knows Test Drive really well and the structure of the scene I have a harder time figuring out how to split it!

[@ghillies4life]

I like Test Drive, but Forbidden Friendship has a lot going on too

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@ghillies4life Forbidden Friendship is special. And yet it was written very last minute, inspired by a piece by Jónsi and Sigur Rós, and still had to be tailored to the scene. John Powell made it work, but I know it wasn’t easy. I have a feeling this challenge would have been even harder with it.

[@SCPguy]

Test Drive is undoubtedly the best piece of music in the entire movie

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@SCPguy Test Drive was written as the center piece for the movie; it’s the culmination of the Flying Theme halfway in and it’s what John Powell started writing the score from.

[@crispyjokingtuna1495]

This video really shows how important the director and creators are in the scoring process. Without active input from others involved in a scoring project it becomes to miss a beat here and there and I think that we see that with the rescores as I imagine they did it mostly by thenselves

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Good point.

[@TheDaringPastry1313]

The way John Powell incorporated a few bars of his original main theme in there as Toothless is running is very nice. 21:43

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It’s perfect placement, and I think it helps that it actually gets cut off by the next bit; there’s no satisfying end to it.

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

Having not watched the final analysis yet, one thing I noticed is that in the heights of the action, JP's score is MUCH more dynamic. And I don't mean that just in terms of going from forte to piano a bunch, which he does, but more that, he is FAR less afraid to jump between entirely different textures with each cut--different tempos, different moods, different melodies, different time signatures.... It makes the whole thing feel a lot more chaotic, because just when your ear has figured out the current "groove," BAM! the next one starts.

[@RensStoryteller]

I do say that eric's blending of that soaring heroic music allowed Toothless and Stoic to both have the epic and heroic running to stop the chaos and that was quite an impressive for the scene and how the others used it. Not bad.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

This was a fun project! It was really interesting to see all the different approaches to the scene, whose techniques were similar, and how they compared to John Powell's cue. Thanks again for letting me join.

[@RyanLeach]

Thanks for being a part of it!

[@azureatt]

wow! which one were you?

[@RyanLeach]

@@azureatt he was the cohost!

[@azureatt]

@@RyanLeach ahh ok! also you should do more videos like this they are very entertaining! ❤️

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@azureatt I agree.

[@dade1603]

Crazy how big of a difference Midi/Real instruments can make, John's has so much power behind it and especially compared to the 4th submission I think at least part of that HAS to be credited to the real instruments and real performers bringing their energy to it. Midi instruments, especially MuseScore or Sibelius instruments, are really really really hard to make sound natural, it's a real art

[@reaganharder1480]

The thing is, there's a documentary about the making of this film, and there's a behind the scenes bit where they're checking out the composition while it's being worked on, and since it's still being written it's all MIDI, and it sounded great there too. The real instrumentation definitely did add something to the final product, but pretty well all that power and "bigness" was already there before an orchestra ever saw the score. Bang on about MuseScore and Sibelius instruments though... Good luck trying to make something sound good with just stock sounds from a scoring program.

[@edward3320]

@@reaganharder1480 When you're using those very high end sample libraries, I'd imagine that the main difference between a midi production and a studio recording is probably the expertise the musicians bring. If the composer is knowledgeable enough and pays enough detail too all of the instruments, they could likely mimic something very similar in a DAW. But, that's quite unlikely.

[@maxschrader3884]

‘Note performer’ with Sibelius is very realistic sounding in my experience

[@manuel.roesler]

at the end of the day it comes down to being able to really write for orchestra: for example how do I divide a chord into the different registers of strings, woodwind and brass. in which position does an instrument sound best and where will it probably not be able to assert itself. good film music, for example by John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, also sounds good in the concert hall. badly orchestrated music needs all the help in the mix it can get. Several years ago, I had the interesting experience of attending a rehearsal with Hans Zimmer and the Babelsberg Film Orchestra when they were rehearsing Pirates of the Caribbean. the music sounded gray and muddy and I particularly remember one passage where the main theme horns couldn't be heard at all because they had to play in a very awkward register.

[@peteroselador6132]

@@edward3320 yeah, John Mackey makes demos with that level of attention to detail and they’re not perfect but at the same time they’re VERY realistic

[@riccardomarchesini7446]

As i did on Discord, thanks again for considering my track in the quintet. It was an exciting experience where one can only learn, and I hope there will be more of them.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Thanks for your submission! Hopefully you’ll improve from here.

[@AlethrialTheElvenEmpress]

Lovely job! You have talent

[@riccardomarchesini7446]

@@AlethrialTheElvenEmpress Thank you very much!

[@AlethrialTheElvenEmpress]

@@riccardomarchesini7446 Anytime! 🌸

[@fantasyspirit2034]

I got goosebumps after listening to John Powell’s score… I’m so thankful for him making httyd’s music, it just wouldn’t be the same movie otherwise…

[@maxsmith9291]

Composing is hard, and I have the utmost respect for all of these composers. It takes a lot to create anything like this. Thanks for showcasing this.

[@NekoAKAJeff]

Awesome video idea! That must have been quite the challenge for the composers. You should do more of these. Thanks!

[@RyanLeach]

Thanks! Different scenes from HTTYD or a whole different score?

[@NekoAKAJeff]

@@RyanLeach Oh different movies would be great. Different tones, moods and genres. You have an amazing series of videos right there. I love how it highlights different composer's take on a scene mixed with your analysis and experience of musical theory and scoring. Very interesting and enlightening. Must be a lot of work for you too though. But I love this idea.

[@izjgxj4275]

@@RyanLeach both honestly sounds great. Would also be a fun way to highlight different composers in a way, even though there is no direct comparison between popular composers I feel like you can still really see a unique style when highlighting these tiny details in short scenes like this. It really gives a sense of how amazing and special some composers are at creating these captivating scores.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I’m sure it was difficult to do! We gave them over a month to write, but a minute of fast-paced action music is still a big ask!

[@beyondthecamera333]

@@RyanLeach Do Lord of the Rings!

[@narnia_eclipse389]

you know you've done something right when you get goosebumps just from the music all 5 submissions sounded too safe and muted meanwhile the moment you hear that change in pace after the dragon first snaps in Powell's original composition I got goosebumps - it happens each time i watch this movie, it never fails to support each action and build tension

[@one_secular_sparrow]

OH YES THE KILL RING!! I've always been so impressed by how this scene was scored by John Powell (ever since middle school when I first started listening to the soundtrack). I still remember the first time I realized that I could tell *exactly* who was on screen, what they were feeling, and a gist of what was happening from the musical motifs alone. Just genius. Very cool to see what other people do with this, but it's a tough task without being able to establish musical motifs for each character prior to this scene

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It’s a great cue, and a tough scene to re-score! Some of the composers definitely attempted assigning themes, but there’s so little time to use them. And frankly, (as Powell’s cue shows) it’s not really the time for themes to shine that much. There are just two in his very briefly.

[@beckapowell]

This is such a cool video. As a filmmaker, it's fascinating to see how the composer has to understand story beats as well as the writer does, and write a piece of music that actually tells the story, translating those beats into music.

[@tonio3375]

The friedship theme when toothless is running through the forest... I had tears in my eyes

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It’s so frantic and desperate there!

[@pyguy7]

of the 5 other composers, I did like Eric Galluzzo. I think he hit it the closest. Some of those beats felt very like John Williams-esque score like when toothless was trying to climb out. And when Toothless running through forest was beautiful. I LOVED that part, felt heroic. props to Eric.

[@Heldproductions]

Thanks Ryan and Josh for the invaluable feedback. I see what you mean about the Astrid and Toothless transition, I can see that so clearly now!!! Re the production and beefing up of horns etc. I did try to add more horns having seen your video about how John Powell uses horns but I'm afraid my sound system isn't up to the job and I don't think I'm getting an accurate representation of how it would sound on a decent system, or even in a theatre proper. (excuses, excuses) Having said that even with a decent system it wouldn't sound like John Powell I'm sure but it's time to upgrade I think. I'm just very happy to get some feedback and acknowlegement of geting the 'hits' right to punctuate the action. You have given me some hope I'm kind of getting some things right :) Thanks for the advice about maybe modulating up too. Thank you both so much and thanks for the opportunity!

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I’m glad you’re able to take something from it! And you did a pretty great job. Yours was a standout among all 20+ submissions. You were definitely sensitive to the changes for the most part, but like we said it’s quite a lot to capture in just a little time. Good luck with your next projects!

[@Heldproductions]

@@FilmScoreandMore Thanks so much

[@AlethrialTheElvenEmpress]

Great job!

[@adventurika1903]

I liked yours best ^^

[@t.b.wighill2634]

This one was also my fave -- ifl it's really hard for soundtracks to compliment action scenes while getting recognizable melodies/motifs across to the listener (like I'd remember where it was from if I heard it out of context), and yours knocked that out of the park!

[@nora_8090]

I think John Powell really tells the story with the music, you wouldn't even need the movie to understand and feel everything. The other composers rather underlined the scene like you would in most other movies.

[@uajrh1]

The first one felt like it was written as a complete composition and not for a film scene. Second one did great in the beginning, but fell off later when it didn’t acknowledge certain changes or moments in the scene, like the first one. The third one, like you said, felt like it was written for a completely different scene. The fourth one doesn’t feel as intense as it should be and doesn’t acknowledge certain moments. The fifth was the best and was pretty good, love the intensity.

[@magdaleenmostert3173]

I love how John Powell's score is a immediate throwback the flight scene the moment Toothless takes flight. This cements the urgency of the moment as it reminds the audience of their relationship

[@lucanagato_kogen]

What this video proved to me: even the best ost will sound weird and dull without sound effects to complement the action

[@perplexedon9834]

It's amazing how John Powell was leagues above. Eric's definitely had the best intensity (still only 60% what it should be) and scored parts like Toothless running up the hill well.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It really shows how hard one has to push to get it there.

[@Roescoe]

Wow I've never heard the soundtrack for How to Train your Dragon, wow that's really good. Super interesting to find out the different improvements to make.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It goes all out for sure! Especially in the action and flying scenes. The composers had a lot of work cut out for them on this assignment.

[@colecederholm]

The whole trilogy has some truly amazing score work!

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

Hooboy, you should give it a listen. It is one of the best soundtracks ever, in my humble opinion.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@Crazy_Diamond_75 It’s up there.

[@jacobfife7273]

The last 2 were close. The Brian Evans one just needed better mixing I felt, otherwise everything was there. Also that moment where the music may feel "final" I think isn't that bad in regards to the story leading up to this. Out of context it is a little bit too much of a relief though. The Eric Galluzzo one just needed drums. Musically it was great but I think it needed something to hit me with.

[@jobvankuppeveld400]

Amazing video Ryan!! You should definitely make this idea into a monthly series with different types of scenes (not from HTTYD per se)!!! I think everyone loves this, since your feedback could be applied to some pieces of other composers as well! Thanks for this video! (One of my favourites on your channel now) :)

[@fleurpouvior2967]

I feel like working on a full movie, or with the advantage of access to the rest of the score for the movie, is easier. So much association is made through the score, and you can reference it by dropping in pieces of already established music. Recreating the moment with toothless, and building up hope, by playing part of that scene, then dashing it on the rocks with a sudden change. Without the call back to subconciously create that emotional reference, it's a lot harder to achieve the same level of awesomness. Or, its late and I'm losing my mind. 50/50 if insightful or crazy talk

[@lexievans5198]

It's amazing to listen to all the constructive criticism of the submissions, and then compare it to Powell's. I wish I knew music well enough to be able to create something as incredible as film scores. So be able to hit all of the key moments, linking each individual scene, whilst not losing momentum or your intensity... it's incredible, and even more of a reason why the HTTYD series is my favourite, and John Powell my favourite composer. I'd love to hear the submissions and comparisons to Romantic Flight, Forbidden Friendship and Test Drive.

[@MultiPokemonlover3]

I have no knowledge of music besides from shows/movies/games but I wanted to write down what I thought what scene the music would be for after hearing the first one's feedback. So I'll put what I think is happening while listening but as if I have no visual context. 1/Santonicola It definitely sounds like a fight, maybe some trickery is being used, then it kinda sounds like a serious fight but for like a competition and the main character is winning so the antagonist is losing and getting pissed and trying harder and starting to win again. 2/Marchesini It starts with finding something mysterious like a cave and nabbing the treasure before being attacked by the caves traps, then going up some stairs to escape and making it out alive but still running and avoiding/jumping over things in a forest or attacks from people like spears/guns/more traps, and then a big obstacle that's an actual threat and the mc is barely avoiding the attacks and then they get help from another source that's running towards them and then they fumble out of harms way in a goofy manner. 3/Piewald It sounds like an army heading to war while at the same time there's someone with a message thats trying to beat time and make it somewhere to stop the fight/war. 4/Evans The beginning sounds like the middle of a standoff, some weird climbing noises, and when it picks up it sounds like a rat or small animal fighting a cat or big creature and constantly running/dodging attacks. 5/Galluzzo There is no buildup for the begininng, it just starts out very threatning, so then as it continues it sounds like a fight happening in one area and as it goes on two people are added so it's 1v3, and the mc is running away with the three after them, then the mc runs into what sounds like royalty, it sounds more like a person than a place now that they're safe, then the bad guys show up after catching up, then the royal wins by killing/putting an end to the fight. OG/ jesus this shit is fast as hell, the others are very easy to keep track of, like they said in the video everything sounds like the scene is taking place in one area while in the og there is a lot happening at once. So in the beginning, it sounds like smth good is happening, maybe it's the final triumph of the story, and then suprise it gets bad very quickly. Then it sounds like there is fighting, most likely from an onlookers pov, someone from the crowd. Then the cut to toothless climbing sounds like someone slicing a sword at someone or leaps from someone/something running (think of a deer hopping), then like a saving grace (toothless running scene) like the mc is currently being saved and then slowly turns into it being in vain, (Stoick opening the gate part) then it sounds like maybe punching like the strikes in the track line up with missed punches, then it sounds like someone is falling and hitting stuff on the way down maybe or hitting the floor, then it goes back to running, some bombs, and then the trailoff. So yeah everything is happening very very fast and I had to pause multiple times just to write down what each section sounds like, and often times it sounded like something out of batman as the strikes remind me a lot of fights in batman the animated series. (Also again I have little to no knowledge in music and the criticism in the video is a lot more helpful than this comment lmao I just did cause I thought was interesting)

[@riccardomarchesini7446]

I like your pure cinematic approach, it's very funny and interesting, and says a lot. So in short my track suggests you something like an Indiana Jones action sequence, that's really great! 😀

[@phoebeahn8941]

Ive got something called a chill factor where really good musical moments give me chills. It's actually interesting how the number and intensity of my chills went up as we progressed up to John Powell. 😂

[@robgellner7707]

This was super educational. I’d love to see more of these for different genres such as scoring dramatic scenes or comedy scenes. It helps to see why a scene and it’s music work or do not work. Great videos as always Ryan

[@myroslavsaratovkin6868]

This video is incredibly helpful for me. This is the first time I have watched something with so much impact to my acknowledge about film scoring . I feel like I am a student of a film scoring academy with amazing teachers. Thank you for sharing the content.

[@Couchwurst]

Wow, thank you! Please more of that! It really helps to understand that kind of music. When you have well written film music, it just melts in with the scene and the whole experience so that the music almost gets subconscious. But hearing those submissions - all rather well done, but missing out some key elements - really makes aware of the thoughtfulness, mastery and stylistic devices of the real score. Very instructive.

[@wisemank9904]

This is great to learn by comparing different scores for the same scene. What's missing is easily noticed. Thank you!

[@annalysac435]

Just discovered the channel because of this video - please do more of these! So interesting!!

[@louispearson8306]

This was amazingly insightful thank you , please do more

[@NoahPrince.2]

As a complete casual, Riccardo's was damn near perfect for me. Eric's was ALMOST perfect and Brian's had some great moments. The others didn't feel like they were catering to what's going on in the scene... It was kinda like those scenes you find on KZbin where they mute all of the movie sounds to avoid copyright strikes and just put some random music over it. They had sounds that fit with the environment but not with the action. EDIT: I forgot John Powell 😂 Yeah

[@joshuamusselman4525]

Would love to see more videos like this! Giving feedback to aspiring composers is super helpful

[@Invert_Scrub]

This is such a masterclass. Great video and resource, thank you.

[@minniexplayer5405]

This is genuinely fascinating to watch and incredibly useful! I would absolutely love to see more of this.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Hopefully there will be more!

[@philippecaron6936]

17:28 this give me chills! wow well done! The beginning of john Powell part is just awesome!

[@ishagshafeeg]

Very helpful. Thank you everyone participating for sharing.

[@kronik907]

Please make this a series!! This is so interesting and educational!!

[@megsz4102]

I reckon each piece would have fit the scene more if the sound effects were able to be added. The talking, the shouting, the fire, screaming, metal hitting metal, Toothless's claws scraping at the rocks, etc. All critic points were excellent and all artists did an amazing job. I wouldn't mind any piece for that scene!

[@filiprangus5826]

I really love this video, would love to see more of them, thanks!

[@RyanLeach]

Thanks we will definitely do more!

[@FlorianPi]

As I already said it on the Discord channel: Thanks a lot for the feedback on my track! It is really helpful! 🙂

[@AnthonyGuevara]

This is actually really cool to learn, i would love to see more videos like this!

[@carissashley]

As an outsider just stumbling in - I’ll definitely keep watching. This is very cool. I’ve always listened to music while I write fiction and I never thought about how much excellent composers look at all of these little details. How awesome. Great breakdown.

[@arielyznardocomposer]

Hi Ryan! Just watched this! So awesome. Would love to be a part of the next one, whenever comes of course.

[@FamilyHomeTheater]

I wish the music appreciation class I took in College examined videos like these. There is a lot to learn from here. One advantage Powell had over the others is he had the whole movie to establish the theme music for each character, and keeping continuity with a character's theme is important. Powell's score had subtle echoes of each character's theme as they appeared on screen. Another point I noticed that I don't think they mentioned is as Toothless was running to the rescue, dissonance crept into the score which I think really amplified the sense of panic and urgency.

[@LiamLegoStudios]

This was a great video idea. Really puts into perspective how good Powell's score is, and makes me appreciate high-level composers even more than I did before.

[@olivierpeartnoy]

Loved Brian's score. Production wasn't perfect, but the composition was almost flawless.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I really enjoyed that one too. It stood out when I first listened to all the submissions.

[@laraschepp9840]

Amazing video! I love taking deeper looks into the httyd soundtracks and seeing rescoring analysed was really interesting

[@FilmScoreandMore]

It was really interesting to see how everyone approached it, to hear the different styles!

[@mimix3555]

I loved this video, it was great seeing how everyone interpreted the scene. I think for me, one of the biggest differences between Johns and everyone else's, was the mixing. Its almost what you said 'If you find yourself tapping to the beat during a scene..youve done something wrong." And its the same for mixing. The listeners immersion will break extremely fast if your mix isn't quite right. Then again..mixing a badly written song will still just be a bad song at the end of the day. Composition is key! 🎶 🎶

[@aphish_n_flips]

Man this video just game me an even greater appreciation for what goes into making a film

[@naomistuart3966]

This video is incredible! Thank you!

[@lindenlynx]

I really loved this video! So interesting

[@hbuss12]

Think you've stumbled across a goldmine for a video format here, would love to see more scenes from other films.

[@cineblazer]

Eric Galluzzo definitely got the closest in my opinion. Had a touch of that John Williams flare to it, and the choral elements were very fitting.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

His submission was really strong! The choir really helped, too.

[@u.v.s.5583]

The rest was zero, his was, say, 3-4, with the original at about 8-9 for we do not give out 10s. Edit: why 3-4? It was really good by itself, but you have to compare it to that original, and it turns out that the ceiling is that much higher. But his submission was not just the strongest among the submissions, it was the only one that was somewhat close to what is needed. The rest do not deserve 1/10 for scoring the scene.

[@jamiehale4078]

@@u.v.s.5583 Totally disagree. I felt Riccardo Marchesini's really captured the severity of the situation near the beginning. Brian Evans also did a great job hitting the key moments. All of them had something and you simply can't go around dictating that none of them deserve more than a 0/10, that isn't how art works. These are attempts by people who haven't had anywhere near the amount of time or production value that the original score had. For me, they've all done a good job. Even if you personally prefer one to another, rating them on a scale is totally subjective to your own opinion and preference. That said, my favourite was also Eric Galluzzo's. I'd even go as far as to say that with a real orchestra and a few small tweaks I'd prefer it to the original.

[@yuishizu2]

@@jamiehale4078 ​Completely agree with you!!

[@shannoncurry2037]

And Danny Elfman wirh the choir

[@juanku03]

Thank You so much. I Learned a lot with you!

[@gonzalozubillaga9341]

Great Class on movement and hit points when to use more energy and a bigger sound!

[@yuishizu2]

Everyone tried their best to interpret the scene and only had synthesizers (from what it sounds) to work with, but not the wholesome sound of a full orchestra. Their efforts deserve acknowledgement. I also see them commenting in the comments, eager to improve. I think that's cool and admirable. I don't know how many of the composers have seen HTTYD. They might not have known the background story leading up to this scene. Knowing the context would have definitely helped inform their compositions and made them realize how important this scene is. JP had the inherent advantage of using the themes he had established all throughout the movie and to use it here (giving the score a much richer and characteristic sound). JP's score was also already on the move prior to the start of this segment; but the other composers had to have a hard start on that specific part. That is quite challenging and may require tons of imagination to figure out what exactly is happening. I think that might explain why the beginning sections of these 5 re-compositions are comparatively quieter compared to the original. I LOVE JP, but I would have to say that Eric Galluzzo hit a lot of the action landmarks a lot better than JP did. JP's theme seemed to just blend in one scene after another. JP's transitions are very subtle. Eric did an awesome job acknowledging the transitions in an obvious way. He just needed a more wholesome quality and sound to his score. I can't believe I'm saying this cuz I really adore the HTTYD score, but I think Eric's composition has a huge potential to be better than the original. (Which makes me wonder if out of all the 5 composers...if Eric is someone who was familiar with the movie.) (Speaking as a non-composer here, but as someone who appreciates movie scores.)

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Context is absolutely important and the odds were stacked against everyone in a number of ways. But we’re not trying to find the best, just giving an (admittedly difficult) challenge and giving feedback to just a few of the results. Eric has not seen the movie. In fact, he threw his together in just a few days. But plenty of John Powell’s best work was also done on very short notice, so maybe that’s part of it!

[@yuishizu2]

@@FilmScoreandMore Interesting! And yes, the feedback you guys gave were spot-on, which I'm sure were very valuable to the other composers. Such a great learning experience for all!

[@EricGalluzzo]

I watched the movie once many, many years ago, but I purposely didn't watch it again before this competition so I wouldn't be unduly influenced. So I had forgotten the storyline, which explains why mine sounds a bit panicky instead of triumphant and epiphanic right at the beginning.

[@colevakamusic]

POV: you are taking Dramatic Scoring 3 at Berklee

[@fartsooup]

Woahhh really insightful thanks!

[@capuchinosofia4771]

I really enjoyed this type of video :o very educational n interesting!

[@EricGalluzzo]

Hey, Ryan and Josh! Thanks for taking the time to review my cue - I appreciate the feedback! And it was a fun project to undertake as well. Keep it up!

[@RyanLeach]

Thanks for being a part of this!

[@FilmScoreandMore]

Yes, thanks for contributing! It was fun to analyze yours. Hopefully this will help you improve, too.

[@EricGalluzzo]

Oh - I also have to mention that I was amazed you pronounced my name correctly!

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@EricGalluzzo There was some doubt, but he pulled it off in the end. I’m just glad I didn’t have the job of getting all the names right!

[@Skip6235]

When you were talking about “fitting the video like a glove”, I immediately thought about Loony Toons. The music is always perfectly instep with the video

[@katiecooper1387]

John Powell is so iconic! I used to listen to the full HTTYD score every day while doing my homework.

[@evagill3552]

I still do, and I'm in my last year of college

[@u.v.s.5583]

Very interesting stuff. Need to take the time and try to score such a scene, but I would not have the balls to show the result to anyone. The difference between the original and the best submission was enormous, and the difference between the best submission and other submissions was even greater.

[@buffkirbothethird]

For Brian Evans’s score at 14:45, the resolution that you felt from that was due to this being a big moment for toothless as he was unable to climb out of the pit without hiccup the entire movie. In this sense, he’s climbing out of the pit *because* of hiccup instead of relying on hiccup. I agree it shouldn’t be the main focus of the scene but certainly a huge moment in the context of the whole movie

[@Kaptenclassic]

Great concept!

[@FrostudioChambersonic]

Bro I'm loving this idea! And as huge fan of how to train your dragon, I might be biasedat first but I'd love to see more video like this

[@internetdudescoob9452]

Frostudio! YOUR take on httyd test drive iss just as amazing . If there is a competition for this i hope you join!! Love your work so much

[@FrostudioChambersonic]

@@internetdudescoob9452 Thank you lol, you're not talking about the old one are you?

[@FilmScoreandMore]

You're right, I definitely had to detach myself from the original when viewing all the submissions, just for the sake of evaluating them as something new without comparing to the original.

[@FrostudioChambersonic]

@@FilmScoreandMore yes agreed 👍 i think Ryan aware of this hence why he puts the og at the end of the video. But listening to different takes from the composers really give different experiences. It feels fresh even though they did the same scene. They’re very talented indeed

[@FilmScoreandMore]

@@FrostudioChambersonic Definitely! It probably wouldn’t be complete without the original cue at the end. That’s the culmination that shows how to really make it all work.

[@gonzalozubillaga9341]

Thank you for this!

[@CoteSaldias]

Really good idea composing for the same scene, great video!

[@Tigerlily22]

I loved how evans’ hit on toothless’ claw grab it was super cool with the build up and also the first thing one had a very nice split with toothless and hiccups music and it kind of reminded me of the test drive with the two sounds connecting

[@ahemoo]

you can tell how amazing the original score is bc it has me tearing up (i love this movie esp the score)

[@magicmisslemain7485]

John's pice really sounded like something straight out of the movie, it's something I didn't realize the others were lacking until I heard it in his

[@ltcgamesdivision1815]

Agreed on how the first one was to monotone as to connect with the scene it self. It was good, just too simple, nothing really special. Second was pretty good but still missed something. Should have done more stuff like the third one did by acknowledging character actions. I really liked the third one, specially for how well some sounds connect with the characters action. But clearly it mas way too "peacefull" for the scene so it didnt really connect well with the scene. I agree it looked more misterious or tense; whereas it should have a sensation of danger, hurry, energetic etc. Fourth one greatly improved. Better connected and still energetic. I must admit i wasnt convinced on the general style, and have some weird parts, but its clearly a hard scene to do with so much stuff and in general it was really good. I loved the fifth one, specially with the heroic part with everyone trying to reach Hiccup to save him. Clearly could improve, maybe some kind of enfasis on when Toothless get his paw over the stone. But still, just so good, really well done.

[@TheLoserface45]

This 5 composers thing could be a cool series. Idk if you’re into a score like Into The Spiderverse but I’d like to see how that goes. Maybe when getting the commission from the composer, tell them it should have some modern hip hop feels to it.

[@raytreader9877]

Everything about this movie was great to me, but what really hit me was the music. Everything just worked. The best scene was when Hiccup first went up with Toothless and Test Drive started playing. When I first saw that in theaters, it almost felt like I stopped breathing. It felt like I was there on that dragon with the intensity of "wow, this is awesome" then the relief and intense excitement of "wow, I can't believe this worked." Being able to connect with this movie the way that I did (alot of it because of the music) has made it 2nd in my top 5 favorite movies.

[@karalewis388]

Great video. I have a question. Even though JP obviously did the best job musically, I found it easier to comprehend the action onscreen with the other music since it wasn’t such a huge information overload. When JP (and other great composers) work their magic, I often find myself so completely overwhelmed by the music that I straight up miss what’s happening on screen. This happens even when I’m not purposefully paying attention to the music. Is this a common situation, and what are you guys’ opinion on it? Thanks!

[@RyanLeach]

In the real version of the film the sound effects dominate what you can hear, so in a scene like this the music doesn’t have a chance to be distracting!

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I agree with Ryan, since we’re really not viewing this in the natural way it’s edited. The sound effects and the little dialogue are more dominant than the music in this scene. Watching it with music only shifts our focus to the music more than the visuals.

[@EdraSatria]

this is sooo cool! it shows what makes a score, “the score” of the scene

[@FilmScoreandMore]

I’m very familiar with it already, but even I learned a lot here. Listening to all the submissions definitely showed me what works so well about the original.

[@EdraSatria]

@@FilmScoreandMore yeah, definitely!! 😁

[@SpecklesTeeV]

John Powell never fails. He always delivers the perfect scores in every HTTYD movie

[@Absauledits]

erics first half of the scene was amazing

[@Absauledits]

if those trombones hit harder i think it owuld bump up that intensity 20%

[@StopmotionStudios13]

This is why animation is usually harder. Its transition after transition after transition. This exercise exposes that very clearly.

[@inkman4703]

Florian Piewald made me think of a war preparation scene, not a fight scene

[@ghadeerelsalhawy]

Awesome video

[@BlueSpaceDust]

This is why I love httyd and its music. I still listen to httyd soundtracks from time to time

[@Concodroid]

Excellent. Try doing this with other scenes - specifically Dragon's Den and Test Drive.

[@FilmScoreandMore]

That would be interesting.

[@TheMusicscotty]

Very interesting. Now let's hear yours. :) And props to men who stepped into the arena.

[@MrStanFungi]

the last one was so freaking intense I love it

[@Jacob-qr8pl]

Brian Evans gave me some goosebumps after watching the same sequence over and over.

[@ijlayugan4149]

This is UNDERRATED

[@saltydoots]

This is great!! I learned a lot of good tips on how to approach film scoring. What programs do you recommend??

[@RyanLeach]

I like Dorico for writing music notation, but definitely Logic or Cubase for writing to picture

[@FilmScoreandMore]

There’s also a thread somewhere in here started by montef246 where Florian and Eric Galluzzo discussed what programs they used.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

Oh HOLY SHT I thought the Night Fury screech was PART OF THE SCORE. Like I always thought they used strings or something to convey Toothless' arrival BUT IT WAS PART OF THE SFX holy crap. Wow. Learn something new every day.