An Ineffable Musical: Good Omens Fan Project

[thewritingrealm]

If you're reading this...

go write three sentences on your current writing project.

[ezzydean]

# my favourite part about this post # is that nowhere does it say to reblog this # but we’re all reblogging it # because if we have to suffer # so do other writers

[anineffablemusical]

Could be a part of the opening number bit I posted a while ago. Or it could be a separate number entirely.

Featuring the bad angels, including the archangels:

GABRIEL:

You might be an angel but

THE ANGELS GABRIEL, MICHAEL, SANDALPHON, URIEL (in unison):

You’re not one of us!

GABRIEL:

The boss upstairs may think otherwise but

THE ANGELS;

You’re not one of us!

MICHAEL:

So go ahead, keep watch at the gate

URIEL:

In the meanwhile we’ll watch you

GABRIEL:

With or without that flaming sword

THE ANGELS:

You’re not one of us!

[tio-trile]

On the bus ride home

[smiling-like-a-snake]

The bus rumbled along the road, catching some of the potholes and taking turns slower than what was probably necessary. Aziraphale didn’t mind. The world could pass by as fast or as slowly as it wanted now that the week was over and the apocalypse had fallen flat on its face.

There would be repercussions, of course. He knew it. Crowley knew it. The only thing that stood between them and punishment was time.

It would come.

But, perhaps, it wouldn’t come that night.

He glanced over at Crowley who had managed to slide half out of his seat, knees tucked high against grey plastic, arms crossed over his chest. Dark sunglasses were drooping off his nose—still managing to hide his serpentine eyes—and red hair flopped sleepily over his forehead. The Demon was breathing slowly, head tilted forward, chin resting against his chest.

There was a subtle blackness growing around the edges of his hair. It could have been soot, but each bump sent glittering light across the patterned texture.

“Crowley,” Aziraphale murmured, knocking their knees together.

Lurching, Crowley straightened with a half gasp, half groan. The bones along his neck and back popped when he rolled out his shoulders.

Scales vanished; sucked back into auburn hair like rice into a vacuum.

“Whatisit?” The sunglasses had dropped low enough that Aziraphale could see the dim lights of the bus reflecting off yellow snake eyes.

Still human enough to blink, at least. That was a good sign.

The bus rumbled along the road, trees and shadows passing past the windows. London was still a good ways away.

“Aziraphale?”

“I’m thinking.”

Crowley hummed in the back of his throat and looked around at the other people on the bus. His body was slumping again, curling, almost as if it wanted to coil in on itself.

(Perhaps it did, Aziraphale realized. They both had been through a very long day but Crowley had spent most of it willing reality to do his bidding. Keeping the Bentley together was enough to make even an Angel falter and the Demon had managed to drive it from London all the way to Tadfield.)

Aziraphale pushed the sunglasses back up onto the bridge of Crowley’s nose—ignoring the grumbled ‘what’reyoudoin’?’—wrapped his arm around thin shoulders, and pulled his friend down. Perhaps the Demon’s cheek hit his shoulder a little more roughly than necessary but that was fine. They’d survive.

They always did.

“Sleep, Crowley,” Aziraphale said, he dug his fingers into black fabric and let the soft, light power of a miracle flow over them both. It would help the snake stay human.

For a time.

“I’ll wake you when we get there.”

[anineffablemusical]

*chef’s kiss*

[deanwinchesters]

😇🐍

[anineffablemusical]

Details.

[space-ace-in-the-space-race]

We call musicals unrealistic because people randomly burst into song but I’ve been home alone for like 3 days and I start singing about what I’m doing every 5 minutes

[tacomel420]

singing in musicals: *perfect harmonies* we’re all in this together!

singing to myself: *one note only* heating up some soup! heating up some soup! ya put it in the microwave and watch it spin around!

[anineffablemusical]

delightful.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

A nice and long article about special effects in Good Omens! :) A lot of info, such as:

Can you explain in detail about the design and the creation of the Wings?

Crowley and Aziraphale both have large wings when seen in their real forms. Initially, our concept artist Grant Bonser designed bat-style wings for Crowley but Neil Gaiman preferred to have feathers for both the demons and angels.

We built each feather based on swan wings – which was most appropriate to the concept. We started building the feathers in geometry so that we had a map for our groom team to develop each feather. The wings were laid out in an anatomically correct way, with primary feathers (the long finger like feathers that feature at ends of wings); secondaries (above those on the ends of the wings) and coverts (top wings / fluffier wings). The wings were then re-groomed into feathers using Yeti. We modelled in a swan’s wing bone structure and this was then all passed to the rigging team to ensure the feathers folded correctly and worked well together. Working together, the groom, modelling and rigging and animation teams refined the wings, referencing heavily the way a swan’s wing physically folds and behaves to ensure that when doing our wing simulations, everything behaved realistically.

We decided to create the wing texturing in the look development phase. It was all shader based so that we could have complete control over colour variants and no one feather was the same hue, to break up the overall look making it more realistic.

Getting the right balance of iridescence on the black feathers and then ensuring the white feathers had enough detail and variation to stand out was challenging. We spent time in the look development stages tweaking the shaders and then when we got to actual shot production we were working very closely with Neil and our groom and creature effects team so that we were able to get a look that he and Douglas were really happy with.

Some of the shots needed to have a bespoke groom set up as we soon realised that when the animators were posing the wings at some angles they would not capture the correct shape or volume that was required for that specific shot, but this gave us the freedom to sculpt the groom and make sure that none of the detail was lost and so the wings looked and felt a part of the actors as they progressed thought the scene.

[the-moon-loves-the-sea]

This is all very lovely but I’m stuck on the fact that they are actually swan wings. Where’s that post that says these wings are made for hitting and that’s just what they’ll do?

[anineffablemusical]

amazing. i’m a sucker for behind-the-scenes stuff.

[anineffablemusical]

A simple explanation of rhythm

homework.

[rafaelafranzen]

Ineffable Husbands x Sondheim (1/?)

Not While I’m Around - Sweeney Todd

[anineffablemusical]

Haven’t seen something more apt that I could reblog!!

[anineffablemusical]

Visit Original Link

Here’s a terrible demo of yours truly singing the melody of What Do You Have to Lose?, a song Crowley sings to Aziraphale to get on board with stopping the Apocalypse from happening. Y’know, nearish this scene:

Playing to Aziraphale’s hedonistic interests, he lists all the things that will disappear if the Antichrist comes to power. (Aren’t they adorable?) Also included are my terrible attempts at voices and accents. 

This will likely be the hardest song I’ll need to translate to music notes (so far). The program I’m using isn’t all that accurate with voice input, especially with this song’s tempo. If anyone is interested in helping me transcribe this, you’d have my blessings forever and maybe some Starbucks. I know there’s likely some time signature shifts that I won’t exactly know how to capture in sheet music but I’ll figure it out eventually!

[avengersandangels]

Oh, Good Omens musical in my head, what are you doing

Finally figured out the song before the romantic reprise. Full scene here, with lines obviously lifted from the bandstand scene in the absolutely tragic third episode.

If anyone actually likes this stuff, spare a like/reblog? *rattles coin jar* Alms!

“Maybe She Knew”

[SCENE: The bandstand. Aziraphale is pacing in the rotunda, fiddling with his gold pinky ring. He’s nervously mumbling about what he knows from Agnes Nutter.]

AZIRAPHALE: What am I supposed to do now? There has to be something that can convince Gabriel and all of them to stop this. If I can find the Antichrist myself… 

Enter CROWLEY.

AZIRAPHALE: And Crowley wouldn’t have to do anything. He doesn’t have to–

CROWLEY (interrupts):  Don’t have to what?

AZIRAPHALE: Oh! Heavens, Crowley, you startled me.

CROWLEY: Yeah. Sorry. Any news yet?

Keep reading

[anineffablemusical]

Writer here!! I am touched by your tags 😭 you’re one more reason to keep this going! Thanks!!

[anineffablemusical]

Been reading about the importance of the opening number. It has to be big, inviting, and probably upbeat.

What character would open a Good Omens musical? I’m not sure what the unofficial one does, but I would think it’d either be God or Agnes. They don’t need to serve as proper narrators of the show, like The Narrator in Into the Woods, but they’re so omniscient in the show and book. They should be full-fledged characters.

I’ve been mulling over an opening number for a few days after listening to Little Shop of Horrors’ Skid Row (Downtown) and Heathers: The Musical’s Beautiful. I’m getting a sense that opening numbers should probably(?) feature the ensemble. So I’m imagining God opening, then the angels are introduced. Then Beelzebub and the demons. The number is meant to highlight the grandeur that is the world at the beginning, with two great opposing powers and their soldiers ... and then there’s Aziraphale and Crowley, the black sheep of both lots.

God would open, and the actor would obviously be female:

current scribbles

At the Beginning

GOD (bouncy, mighty, singing): We can start at the beginning Let us start at the beginning This is my planet, I made it with love In seven days (approximately)

We should start at the beginning Welcome all to the beginning About six thousand years ago, give or take From the present day

Full of love and green, welcome to Eden No need to know between wrong or right Marvel at my creation Oh, how lovely What a wonderful sight Here, in the beginning

===

GOD (bursting with loving pride, singing): Here are my angels! Michael, Uriel, Sandalphon! And Gabriel! And let’s not forget My guardian angel, Aziraphale!

[The spotlight shines onto the stage where AZIRAPHALE is supposed to be standing. AZIRAPHALE is not there.]

GOD (clearing throat, singing):  Aziraphale!

[The spotlight shifts, returns to an empty space.]

GOD (clearing throat, loud, singing): Aziraphale!

[Nope.]   

GOD (singing, with growing urgency): Azira, zira, zira, zira-

[AZIRAPHALE comes running onto the stage, noisily and almost skipping, in a tremendous hurry. He’s doing his best to smooth out his robes as he hops into place.]

AZIRAPHALE (spoken): Yes, yes, sorry, so sorry! I’m here, Lord! I’m here! Dreadfully sorry! I made it!

GOD (spoken): Aziraphale! Guardian of the Eastern Gate! We’re so happy you could join us.

GABRIEL (snidely): Thrilled.

AZIRAPHALE: It’s no trouble, not at all! I was a little -- sidetracked. I tripped over a serpent on the way here!

URIEL:  A snake?!

SANDALPHON: Was it the demon?!

GOD:  We don’t have time for this chatter! I want to make sure Aziraphale here is introduced.

(singing) Aziraphale, Lowly Principality

AZIRAPHALE (spoken) Happy to be here my Lord!

GOD (singing): Guardian of the Eastern Gate My wonderful angel, bursting with love-- Next time, please, don’t be so late!

AZIRAPHALE (panicked): I’m so sorry!

GOD (spoken): And I forgive you. (singing) One of my most loyal,  Surely by now you’ve won an award.

AZIRAPHALE (sheepish): Well, you know. All in a day’s work-!

GOD (singing): Protector of Eden, bearing strong wings and--

[GOD pauses, looking at AZIRAPHALE up and down. She walks over and circles AZIRAPHALE, examining.]

GOD (singing, unsure): ... One flaming sword. (spoken) Aziraphale, where is the flaming sword I gave you?

AZIRAPHALE:  Flaming sword! What flaming sword?

MICHAEL: Standard issue.

GABRIEL: You didn’t lose that, did you?

AZIRAPHALE: Oh he--heav--oh, absolutely not! I am very sure I left it near my post. Yes. I was in such a hurry to get back, you understand.

GABRIEL: How do you-?

GOD (embracing AZIRAPHALE): Of course I understand. I know you would never lose a flaming sword.

[AZIRAPHALE takes a moment to look smugly satisfied in GOD’s arms behind her back, giving GABRIEL and the Gang a little smirk. GABRIEL rolls his eyes.]

[rafaelafranzen]

Good Omens VFX Breakdown

Milk VFX - Good Omens 60″ Reel

[anineffablemusical]

But! I need more!!!

[buddhastew]

Ok, so I was sitting down to pick out the Good Omens theme song by ear today, and it is just a masterpiece. The orchestration, the contrasting themes, its indecision as to whether to be major or minor, the PERCUSSION, the way it builds as the world progresses to an ineffable end…

But here’s my favorite thing: 

After the angelic B theme, the modulation back to the A theme goes UP A TRITONE, from the tonal center of A to Eb. 

The tritone, the interval that occurs when you divide the Western musical octave equally in half, was historically called diabolus in musica or THE DEVIL IN MUSIC, and was avoided as much as possible up until the end of the Renaissance era.

I see you David Arnold, I see you

(The moment in question happens at 1:27)

[anineffablemusical]

oh, this is excellent. celestial harmonies indeed.

[ofvisitorsthefairest]

Small physical things that give your characters personality

How they smile

What their “tell” is for lying

Posture

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Nervous tics

How much eye contact do they make

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc

The sound of their footsteps

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

[anineffablemusical]

More notes.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

[anineffablemusical]

takes notes

[anineffablemusical]

so i watched the trailer for the unofficial good omens musical that’s floated around since 2014. i’m not sure if it’s in active development this moment. i hope it is! i watched a sampling of cast readings with songs and ... i liked it, but i wish i could read the libretto or something. in pieces, it seems to not take itself very seriously. i wonder if, as a cohesive whole, it works.

i may pick up a libretto or two of musicals i enjoy to get a better understanding of how to break segments of the play down and ensure good pacing.

taking a break from the A/C duet because it’s driving me crazy. Crowley’s song jumps from a key of C to G-flat major and I need to keep it to 1 key. Even though this all lives in my head, it morphs from time to time and I wonder if I have the melody wrong. 

better news! got a tune for the nuns of the order of st. beryl. that should be fun to arrange!

@iamteamponcho​ suggested a song about the M25. that should be a challenge. i’m thinking about how to structure it -- at least 6 parts, representing 1 lane of the M25; a round that doesn’t sound too cacophonous that slowly turns into “All hail the great beast, destroyer of worlds”

current scribbles (3 parts down -- part [2] = women, higher register; [3] = men, lower register)

[1] Crowded. Congested. Clogged. [1] Gridlock. Frozen. Stopped. [1] Standstill. Slowly. Smog.

[all] Trapped on the M25.

[1] Crowded Congested Clogged [2] (I’m already late!)

[1] Gridlock Frozen Stopped [2] (Can only sit and wait!)

[1] Standstill. Slowly. Smog. [2] (Please! Lord! Accelerate!)

[all] Trapped on the M25.

[1] Crowded [3] Move! Just move! Congested Clogged [2] (I’m already late!) [3] Jesus christ, these fucking lorries!

[1] Gridlock [3] Move! Just move! Frozen Stopped [2] (Can only sit and wait!) [3] What the blazes is this story

[1] Standstill. [3] Move! Just move! Slowly. Smog. [2] (Please! Lord! Accelerate!) [3] Am I in hell or purgatory

[all] Trapped on the M25

[anineffablemusical]

Crowley/Aziraphale Musical Duet: Maybe She Knew (Reprise)

A cleaner version of the song, now with celestial harmonies!

(Not gonna lie, this looks soooo coooool and legit)

Some notes:

Slowed tempo

Split voice parts

More accurate notes (cough)

Next would be the longer version of this song, where it’s just Crowley singing.

The app I’m using is ScoreCloud Studio (Mac). It’s very forgiving, since I’m doing this all by ear/trial & error!