Before she became a tomb raider, Lara Croft had to learn how to survive. This short but compelling vignette is based on the trailer for 2013 game Tomb Raider and features music by Two Steps from Hell.
This version is the first draft, so it’s not quite perfect yet. I need to finish putting the musical credits into the scene and remove the artifacts from the optical flow filter.
Audio: “His Brightest Star Was You” by Two Steps from Hell from the album Vanquish
Read MorePlease note: This is an incomplete rough draft.
First of all, I officially nominate Two Steps from Hell‘s “High C’s” from the album Vanquish for song of the year. Words like “epic” get thrown around far too often, but artistic works like this one truly define the concept. From the roaring horns to the soaring choir, the music and the musicianship are absolutely perfect.
The current version of this video is based on the “The Siege of Neverwinter” viral campaign that preceded the Neverwinter video game. The vast majority of the video is in place, but it is far from complete. I’m still trying to find a couple clips to fill in the gaps. Plus, I don’t have an ending yet. That’s because the original video ends on a cliffhanger. This magnificent song, however, has a final section that is sweeping and grand. I’m still looking for something.
Read MoreTwo Steps from Hell recently released another album, and it continues the tradition of truly magnificent scores of the past several years. Though the album landed in the final month of 2016, I’d say that “High C’s” is probably the lead contender for song of the year. But more on that later. For now, take a couple minutes to experience one woman’s struggle to fight back her almost literal demons. I set this short trailer from Ninja Theory’s Hellblade to Two Steps from Hell’s “Inferni” from their new album, Vanquish.
Read MoreEven in the heart of heaven,
angels can still feel fear.
audio: “Before Time” by Thomas Bergersen
video: opening cinematic from Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
In anticipation of the next installment of Rooster Teeth’s RWBY, I started playing with different songs to see if I could make anything work. Not surprisingly, it’s rife with powerful visuals that can tell a story and get a point across in as few frames as possible. So it all works great together. I used footage from the original four trailers (one for each main character) and blended them into a single video.
audio: “Fearless” by Thomas Bergersen
video: RWBY from Rooster Teeth
A story like Romeo and Juliet, except they kill anyone standing in their way. I’ve been a fan of the Assassin’s Creed series for a long time, though I didn’t actually play them until the third or fourth had been released. After hearing Patrice Desiléts give his account of the franchise’s birth, I love the series even more.
Read MoreBut, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
This is a short and charming vignette about a girl and her companion. Also, robots.
audio: “Reborn” by Thomas Bergersen
video: ReCore E3 Announcement Trailer
Prepare to fall out of the sky. The opening cinematic to Halo 5 Guardians is one of the most intense beginnings I’ve seen in video game, and “Flight of the Silverbird” by Two Steps from Hell feels like it was written for it. The slow opening allows for light dialogue to set the stage, then the music builds to match their flight, the battle, and their escape. Out of all the things I’ve edited, this is definitely one of my favorites, and it’s currently my most popular video on YouTube.
audio: “Flight of the Silverbird” by Two Steps From Hell
video: Halo 5: Guardians Opening Cinematic
This is (among other things) an attempt to use musical themes to represent certain factions, a la John Williams. The heroic main theme represents the humans, and it makes multiple appearances each time they come on screen. But if you listen closely you can hear that not all is well with this particular group of humans. Very early in the video, for example, you’ll hear the change in the melody that coincides with the revelation that the beasts they are subduing are actually a family. The humans clearly see them as sub-human, which sets the stage for the rest of the story.
audio: “Strength of a Thousand Men” by Two Steps from Hell
video: Asura Online Cinematic Trailer