Pitching itself as “the UK?s first festival of music for visuals” the Vision Sound Music Festival will be taking over the South Bank in London this weekend (the 2nd to the 4th of September) for a series of events that focus on the relationship between audio and visuals.
Highlights of the programme include the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing a selection of themes from video games, a two part event entitled ‘Sound of Fear’ and the always entertaining Adam Buxton hosting a best of BUG night.
Head over here to buy tickets for the various events.
The organisers of Vision Sound Music in partnership with Pulse Films have also been holding a competition to find new talented filmmakers and whilst the entries are now closed you can watch the finalist’s short films online here.
The official programme of events from the Vision Sound Music press release can be found below:
Friday 2 September:
Day:
Vision Sound Music Professional
A one-day business to business seminar on Friday, bringing together the music, film, advertising and video games industries in a uniquely creative mix. VSM Pro is the place for professionals to network and find out about the latest, most exciting innovations from businesses doing business with music. Featuring Fallon, creative directors Chris Bovill and John Allison, video directors Fred & Nick (Mumford & Sons)production companies such as Big Balls and Pulse Films, Sony Playstation, ieMusic, the Music Publishers’ Association, Xbox Kinect, Soundcloud and a discussion panel about synchronising music to games and adverts, hosted Duncan Smith, music supervisor at Sony Computers Entertainment Europe.
Evening:
Fallon Presents:
Fallon London, the creative brains behind Cadbury’s Gorilla, ŠKODA’s Cake and Sony’s Balls, presents a unique showcase of music like you’ve never seen. Promising an audio-visual evening feast of music and multimedia art, featuring a curated line-up of headlined by Blacktronica’s head-honcho, Charlie Dark (creating a specially commissioned remix of a classic film) and Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson DJing at the after party. Full details announced on www.visionsoundmusic.com Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm £17.50 £15
London Philharmonic Orchestra: ‘Video Games Heroes’ hosted by Iain Lee
Hear video game themes including Super Mario and Angry Birds like you’ve never heard them before, performed by one of the world’s best orchestras. Having recently hosted a Nintendo 3DS launch for GAME, the MCV Awards and a regular column for Retro Gamer, broadcaster, comedian and computer game obsessive Iain Lee will oversee proceedings, guiding us through the weird and wonderful world of video games and consoles. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm £39 £33 £27 £21 £16
Saturday 3 September
Day:
Vision Sound Music How2
Aimed at aspiring musicians, game and sound designers and film makers, Saturday daytime is filled with insider insights by top industry professionals uncovering the creative processes that bring visuals and music together. Whether you’re a music, design, animation, graphics, film or computer science student or a seasoned professional, VSM How2 offers a deep insight into these complementary industries. Featuring Nitin Sawhney, Richard Turner (Gorillaz/Roger Waters’ The Wall/Depeche Mode), Soundlounge, Dan Pemberton (Little Big Planet/Peep Show), Serena Cullen (Sophia’s Diary/Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll), Faber Music Academy and many more. Queen Elizabet Hall / Purcell Room Tickets: £45
Evening:
Sound of Fear: The Musical Universe of Horror Part I
Three performances celebrating the menacing effect of sound and music in horror movies. Vicki Bennett (AKA People Like Us) presents an audio collage from over 100 features to illustrating common concepts and themes, Korean artist Lee Hangjun creates an immersive deconstruction of Hitchcock’s legendary Psycho shower scene in After Psycho Shower and John Carpenter’s closest collaborator Alan Howarth performs live selections from classic soundtracks to Halloween, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and The Thing. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 6.15pm £10 (or £17.50 combined for ticket to Parts I & II)
Sound of Fear: The Musical Universe of Horror Part II
A discussion panel comprising Friday 13th composer Harry Manfredini, musician and author Stephen Thrower and film critic Kim Newman take the audience on a journey through iconic music moments in the history of horror. As well as celebrating the familiar sounds of iconic blockbusters such as The Omen, Hellraiser and Friday 13th, their presentation will pay homage to the lesser known soundtracks of movies like The Beyond, Cannibal Holocaust and The Return Of The Living Dead. This will be followed by A Musical Compendium Of Horror – a new arrangement created exclusively for Sound of Fear by the acclaimed international ensemble of soloists zeitkratzer. The 12-strong group will draw on the entire musical gamut of traditional horror film-score techniques, combining carefully crafted theatrical lighting and sound design, to plunge the audience into a chilling sound-world of tension, fear and unease. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8.30pm £12.50 (or £17.50 for combined ticket to Parts I&II)
Sunday 4 September
Day:
Vision Sound Music’s last day before school
On the last day before schools return from summer holidays, VSM Family is a day for parents, kids and friends to share a packed Sunday full of interactive, creative, hands-on fun, exploring video games, music and film. Featuring Theramin Hero, interactive artworks from Chris O’Shea, Airside animation workshops, the 3D audio game Papa Sangre, Sony Playstation and xBox Kinect. Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, 10.30am – 5pm, £10 or £25 for a family of three
Evening:
BFI Presents Best Of BUG 2001
Come feast your eyes – and of course, your ears – on an evening of awe-inspiring music videos, astounding online nuggets and a unique brand of sit down comedy with Adam Buxton – comedian, writer, broadcaster, video director, general music video enthusiast and YouTube comment wrangler. FResh form the Edinburgh Fringe, Adam Buxton presents a selection of his favourite music videos from BFI’s smash hit BUG music video shows over the past year, interspersed with his own videos and songs, and a selection of delightfully unbalanced commentary from the YouTube community. This special round-up edition of BUG promises outstanding clips rarely seen on a big screen (or even a tv screen) some incredible discoveries and hilarious insights into the online community. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm £12.50 £15
The making of Rocky Horror (including full gory details)
Rocky Horror Picture Show creators Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley share their inspiration and anarchic creative process. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes weird, sometimes touch-a touch-a touching, hear first hand the full uncensored story of how Rocky Horror was brought to life (and afterlife). Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.45pm £10
Vision Sound Music Interactive
The festival will have lots of exclusive, interactive content online at www.visionsoundmusic.com, including an Audio Ad Remix project – your chance to remix classic ads from the Cadbury’s Gorilla to the Guinness Surfers. A video talent search with Pulse Films, online Q&A surgery sessions with professionals, and specially commissioned film profile with mash-up artist, Kutiman, film and ad director Alan Parker and director/composer, John Carpenter.
