Film score recording and mixing is an intricate process that shapes the cinematic experience. In this video, John W. Chapman takes us on a journey through the process and highlights the contribution of film score recording and mixing to the final product. We are blessed to have John take us through the recording and mixing of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” score written by John Paesano.
The reception for this score has been outstanding and it really is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to delve deep into it with John W. Chapman.
John Paesano, the composer, previously collaborated with Ball on the Maze Runner Trilogy of films (2014–2018). Paesano incorporated Jerry Goldsmith’s original themes from the 1968 Film within the score, describing it as “the musical legacy”. John W. Chapman’s brief was to maintain the musical legacy of the original movies, so he worked hard to reproduce the sonics to replicate (in a modern way) the original feel and recording techniques of the classic films. While honouring Jerry Goldsmith’s original score and Giacchino’s score for “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” and “War For The Planet Of The Apes” (2017) the direction was “to take it to a place where the franchise is headed”.
Chapman’s job was to capture Paesano’s immense creativity, organic instrumentation and soundscapes and the beautiful end results are a testament to the success of that. Paesano detuned and used an imperfect piano cue prominently in the score to enhance the film’s realism. The score was built on three recurring themes, each with a unique tonal shift. Noa’s theme, for instance, was kept simple to follow his character’s journey of self-discovery. French horn players even blew through airpieces to create a breathing sound. The percussion base was borrowed from Goldsmith’s original motifs, but Paesano added aggressive metallic oil drums to the mix. One of the themes, “Human Hunt,” recalled Goldsmith’s music from a 1968 film, and Paesano rearranged the first 30 seconds of the theme to bring the film to life. Overall, Paesano’s attention to detail and creativity and Chapman’s ability to capture that perfectly made the score a standout feature of the film.
John Witt Chapman is a Los Angeles based recording engineer, mixer, and producer. Engineering, mixing and producing for film, television, records, video games, online content, and mobile content, John got his start at Remote Control Productions. Working with composers Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi, John Paesano, John Paesano, Joe Trapanese, Geoff Zanelli, Joseph Shirley, Rupert Gregson-Williams, Ludwig Göransson, Anna Drubich, Henry Jackman, Jongnic Bontemps, Lorne Balfe, and more. John has been nominated for both a C.A.S. Award and a News and Doc Emmy. Though he is based in L.A., he works with clients all over the world: US, Europe, Japan, Russia, and China.
Check out the video to learn more about the art of film score recording and mixing of the ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ and gain a new perspective on the cinematic experience. As we explore this fascinating world, we gain a new appreciation for the unsung heroes in audio who work tirelessly to create the magic of cinema.
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