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COMING SOON VOL. 2 CLICK HERE TO BUY AT ITUNES
The John Beal Trailer Project: (Compilation) For almost all fans of modern film music, trailers have become a source of double pleasure. Not only do we get to see a preview of the new film to be released, but we also get to hear the use of some great (and sometimes frustratingly unknown) music in the trailers. Some studios, depending on the budget of the project, will license the recording of a previously available film score theme or classical piece. Others save money by asking a composer to emulate a well-known piece of existing music with one that is just barely altered to avoid legal confrontations. And even others receive completely original music. Considering the frighteningly bloating prices of licensing fees –some of which in the hundreds of thousands of dollars– it is no surprise that film producers are turning to artists like John Beal to produce quality original music for their frantic 2-minute creations. As these producers lean further towards largely orchestral original trailer scores (with a 90-piece orchestra or more), new challenges are placed on the shoulders of Beal and other trailer artists. For Beal, however, the job of completing the best quality trailer in this environment of lightening speed is just part of the fun.
This album, which compiles a surprisingly broad collection of Beal’s compositions, is perhaps one of the most creatively ingenious soundtrack-related sets to be released in a long time. Not only was it the first such commercial release of its kind, but very few similar promotional products have ever been attempted. It does not play like a promo, nor does it sound like a unified score, but what “The John Beal Trailer Project” has going in its favor is its distinct curiosity factor. The wildly shifting genres of each track forbid you from truly enjoying the album chronologically. For every trailer with a vibrant orchestral recording, there are two that consist of synthesizer arrays and colorful soloists. You can’t dismiss the trailers that feature uncontrolled, wailing electric guitars, despite the fact that they quickly irritate you in their sudden bursts. Also important to remember is the time frame overnight writing and recording in which this music is produced. Most film music collectors will be amused by the predictably bizarre requests of the film producers upon a composer like Beal. The issue of plagiarism is always discussed in regards to these requests, but rather than blame the composer for doing his job, notes need to be made about Beal’s ability to very creatively and quickly adapt a previous score’s theme into a new setting. It takes a significant amount of skill to not only assemble a recreation of another work, but to alter its rhythms and progressions to such an extent.