First of all, many thanks to the music art student: Qianhui Sun.

The initial video was made according to my storyboard, and we conducted further discussions based on this.

At the time, when I was discussing with a classmate in sound art, I presented the promotional video for “Black Myth: Wukong” as a reference. I expressed my desire for this grandiose and distinctly Chinese style.

Initially, I simply incorporated my renderings into the video. However, after communicating and exchanging ideas, I realized that many of my thoughts could be expressed through music. Thus, I segmented and reflected on my video, eventually pinpointing what I wanted to convey: focusing on Song Jiang, showing fine armor and confident strides in the first act, and transitioning to a desolate mood in the second act, creating a stark contrast.

Later, we also discussed the voice actors, as I wanted to briefly introduce the story background at the beginning to help the audience understand the showcase-like content that follows.

At this point, I discussed the possibility of using arias from Peking opera (such as copyright issues). After getting confirmation, I found a stage performance of “Water Margin” in Peking opera and selected two lines to include in my video.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ab411L795/?spm_id_from=333.788.top_right_bar_window_history.content.click&vd_source=506d800ea30f75e76e7f33968325bc50

After our discussion, the music art student produced the first version of the music:

After receiving the first version of the music, I felt that it far exceeded my expectations, and I also identified some areas that needed adjustments. I organized a list:

1. Sampling Peking Opera

• [ ] The sampling might need to be mixed to give it an old CD feel.
• [ ] The duration of the first sample still feels too long; I’ll shorten it further.
• [ ] For the second sample, my idea is to start with a blackout, then introduce the second sample during the blackout (I’ll make a simple sample of this later and gradually bring in the video).
• [ ] Since the second part should convey a desolate feeling, keep the sample volume as low as possible.

1. Cue Points & Editing

• [ ] I’ll handle the cue point issues in the first half; I’ll review and rearrange the duration of each segment to better blend the dramatic shifts in tone and rhythm.
• [ ] At the end of the first segment, add a stronger gong sound right at the moment the screen goes black.
• [ ] The sound effects of walking are good, but it feels like the final step could be heavier.
• [ ] Try to create a grand backdrop for the character—a vivid, warm-colored backlight setting, and before appearing, have many soldiers shouting “Ha!”.

1. Music

• Overall, the feedback suggests it’s somewhat flat without much variation; perhaps adding a suona (Chinese trumpet) would help!

23/5/24

update

more rendering/more sound in section 2

25/5/24

In order to emphasise the difference between the before and after: the difference between “Heaven and Hell”, I have made further renderings to complete the video.