[Abadoss]

CMC: Conceptual Music Competition


This competition is based on the rules of the classic TOMC (Thematic Original Music Competition).

The CMC (Conceptual Music Competition) is designed so that each participant enters a piece of music based on a set theme. The participants take the theme and interpret it as they will to come up with something that fits. Any style can work, as long as it portrays a sense of what the theme is.

Feel free to be imaginative!

Each successive theme will be chosen by the winner of the previous competition. For example, say the theme of the last competition, CMC 17, was "Avalanche" and the winner, Serena, submitted a piece that knocked the socks off of everyone, so she won. Beth then gets to decide the theme for CMC 18.

This competition is open to registered members of the forums of
OverClocked ReMix, VGMix, Ormgas, VGMusic, SheezyArt, Gaming World, and Young Composers.



CMC 10: Still Hunt
"PRESS RELEASE:

STILL HUNT - A terrifying new film from acclaimed director Alan Smithee and New Line Cinema

In STILL HUNT, two killers have escaped from prison in south Texas and are out to stalk their latest victims in the woods of the hill country. They have escaped on the eve of deer season and are not on the hunt for the largest deer, but whomever crosses their path first! Just as the Marshall family settles in at their quiet farm for a relaxing November weekend, they run into two strangers and quickly ask them to leave their land... but are these trespassers simply poachers or are they hunting for something else? The Marshall family will soon learn that they are not the family doing the hunting this deer season... but that they are, in fact, the game being hunted." -Rich Douglas

Results!:

• Text results and critiques

There are 3 entries for this round...

Rich Douglas - "The Gas Station"

• "My cue follows the first 2 victims as they stop at a derelict gas station looking to fill up on gas. Little do they know that the criminals who escaped are waiting for them and have already killed the gas station attendant. The first part of the cue starts off with a bang as the first victim is stalked and killed as she explores a shed behind the gas station. Mournful strings are brought in as she struggles and attempts to call out for help. Her boyfriend, now worried that she has not returned to the car, begins to search for her... calm at first, then frantically. Eventually he meets his end as he's hit in the ankle with a wrench and tries to limp away only to be killed as he's just about to reach the car."

Avarixin - "Hunters on Holiday"

• "It is Christmas eve, and everyone is out either carolling, joining together as a family for the upcoming holiday, or finishing up last minute shopping for presents. The Marshalls are at home singing carrols, discussing the pleasure they feel of this most joyous time of year, as they are huddled underneath their fireplace for warmth. A typical family at the time of Christmas. However, as they are rejoicing in this most glorious occasion, one of the family members notices two men sitting on the cold ground outside. Thinking that they must be very cold from the weather outside, the family invites the two strangers inside to join them in their Christmas celebrations. Sadly though, this will be the last Christmas that the Marshalls ever experience, as they discover the true motives of these strangers much too late to do anything. The first of these two strangers kills the husband, then the eldest son and wife, all three of which don't even put up a fight. In the meantime the other goes into the hallway, where the three children have run off to. He kills the two sons just as easily, but misses the daughter, who runs off into the living room, only to get killed by the first killer. The first killer, though, is displeased with the sloppy job of his partner, and kills him as well. Then he leaves the house once again, to return to the cold outside. He then fires one last shot off, this time into the distance ahead of him, for his Christmas celebration isn't quite over yet..."

Herb Wheeler - "Still Hunt"

• "This piece can either be considered (1) an overture to the movie run during the initial credits, or (2) as the story compressed into one afternoon as follows:
  
  The two killers have escaped their pursuers through the woods and hide out near the Marshalls' farm. The Marshalls are enjoying a fine sunny day barbecuing while checking their gear and rifles for tomorrow's deer hunt. The killers pretend they are hikers and join the barbecue but the Marshalls get suspicious - a fight breaks out - the family are forced to retreat and hide in the barn leaving their rifles behind. The Marshalls try to sneak away to hide in the woods while the killers come after them with loaded rifles. The hunt is on."

Voting Rules!:

• Voters will be allowed to pick a first place (3 points) and any number of honorary mentions (1 point). Only one set of votes from any one voter will be accepted and a person cannot vote for any one piece more than once. Corrections to votes, from the original voter only, will be accepted, but corrections will void the previous votes. Basically, a voter can vote and correct the vote, but only the final form of that vote will be counted. Send all votes to Abadoss by PM. Please include any and all constructive critiques (not to be confused with bashing) about them with your votes as well, so that there's always a sense of growth in the artform. If you wish to remain anonymous, just state so in your PM. Thanks.

• The voting period will last from the moment the entries are posted in the thread to the Saturday of that week. The voting period for this round ends July 28, so be sure to spend some time really listening to the pieces.

• Any participant in the competition can vote, but not for their own pieces. However, in an effort to encourage voting among participants, any participant who votes will have 2 points added to their voting score.

Official Rules!:

1. Each piece must be originally composed for this competition. Arrangements and remixes will not be accepted. (Pieces composed by the participant prior to the competition will not be accepted.)
2. Each piece must be 2:00 or longer and match the competition theme.
3. Only one entry per person. Collaborations will be allowed, but each collaborator may not submit any other pieces. (This also means that a person cannot collaborate on two or more different pieces at the same time.)
4. A link to the entry piece must be PMed to Abadoss prior to the deadline set for each competition. DO NOT POST THE LINK IN THE THREAD! However, feel free to post in the WIP:Other forum.
5. Important: Each file must be labelled accordingly: Composer_Name_-_Composition_Title_CMC#.mp3
   (For example, if Allison Riddle submits a piece called "The Hunter is Hunted by a Girl" to CMC 14, then her filename would be: Allison_Riddle_-_The_Hunter_is_Hunted_by_a_Girl_CMC14.mp3)
6. MP3 file format is required. Know that even OGG will need to be converted into MP3. (If someone is unable to do so themselves, Abadoss would be willing and able to do it for them.)
7. Entries should be accompanied by a description and/or story to help listeners understand what the piece is about. (Not required, though.)
8. All entries must be submitted by Saturday, July 21, 2007 at 11:59 PM - PST, GMT-8.

You can find the competition threads for each forum listed below:

• OverClocked ReMix: http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10546
• VGMix: http://www.vgmix.com/vg25/viewtopic.php?id=6982
• Ormgas: http://oc.ormgas.com/forum_viewtopic.php?2.19280
• VGMusic: http://www.vgmusic.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=8918
• SheezyArt: http://www.sheezyart.com/forum/topic/79148/
• Gaming World: http://www.gamingw.net/forums/index.php?topic=62084.0
• Young Composers: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...unt-10334.html

Good luck and have fun! :D

Previous CMCs: http://www.warnerpacific.edu/personal/kkeyn/CMC.htm

[the prophet of mephisto]

dunno if i'll be able to participate, but i'll update my profile linky.

[Abadoss]

Originally Posted by The Prophet of Mephisto

dunno if i'll be able to participate, but i'll update my profile linky.

You have nearly three weeks this time around...

[the prophet of mephisto]

its a matter of me having way too much music on my plate to begin with, not a lack of commitment or time. the tetrisphere thing, plus other music for projects, is certainly taking up most of my time.

[Abadoss]

Sorry to hear that... not that you're working on those projects, but that you won't be able to do anything for this.

[Prasa_U.]

I was actually looking forward to this since now that it's summer I'd have time to finally enter one of these, but as it goes, that concept leaves me completely blank, so I guess it's next time for me yet again....

[Flik]

I was looking to try and get back into this, but after reading the concept for this one I don't know whether to jump off a building, cut my wrists, or set everything on fire.
The theme has sparked not an ember of thought in my mind. I'll mull it over a bit and see if something develops, buuuuuut in my opinion I don't think it's a very good theme.

That's just me whining though. Good luck to those that actually have an idea for this.

[Alex Smith]

Great concept. I have a few ideas for this, so I hope I'll be able to come up with a decent entry.

[beckett007]

Hmmmm.. I think some of you are looking way to deep into this, hence the reason you're having trouble think up an idea. It's a basic B movie slasher film concept... for inspiration I'd dig up mp3s from scores like Scream (Marco Beltrami), Urban Legend (Chris Young), The Hills Have Eyes (TomandAndy), Predator (Alan Silvestri), or even Halloween (John Carpenter) for more of a synth approach. Personally, I'm going for more of a big hollywood horror score with the same kind of orchestration heard in the scream series. Of course the cool thing about horror scores is you can really do anything from ambient to full blown orchestral to rock and have it fit. I figured it would be more of a challenge to restrict the competition to the horror genre, rather than the standard new age stuff. There's quite a few talented people lurking around here, I'd really like to hear what you guys come up with for this!

Rich

[Abadoss]

Only a week left! Be working on your pieces...