2023 Portfolio

Nicholas Huaman

Composer / Arranger

About Me

I'm Nicholas, currently studying Music and Music Technology at the University of Nottingham, in the United Kingdom. My passion lies in composing music for visual media such as film soundtracks and video games.

From a young age, I've held film composers in high regard, finding immense inspiration in their work. To learn and train my ear, I delved into arranging various pieces of music, with my ambitious journey beginning at the age of eleven when I tackled the entire "How To Train Your Dragon" soundtrack. Analyzing the sheet music enabled me to get a grasp on the elements used in composing film music, nurturing my understanding and skills in the field.

Similarly, ZAG holds a special place in my heart, namely because of the music in Miraculous, which has played an integral role in shaping my musical development. Having the opportunity to play a part in the music creation process for future ZAG projects would be a dream come true!

16.09.2004 | England
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @nicholashuaman

Skills

Sibelius Musescore FL Studio English Spanish Photoshop JavaScript Node.js PHP

Additionally, I have some experience with DAWs such as ProTools, Logic X Pro and Ableton Live, but my expertise lies in the skills mentioned above.


Compositions

Audio Files:

  • 1. Portal Beleaguerment (2023)
  • 2. Film Suite (2022)
  • 3. Forest Rhapsody (2022)
  • 4. The Store (2023)

Information:

"Portal Beleaguerment" is a 1-minute and 28-second soundtrack designed to accompany an intense escape scene. Envisioned for the story of an extraordinary alliance and friendship between two humans and an alien, this soundtrack tells the story of the penultimate confrontation between the heroes and the relentless government agents.

The story unfolds through various sections: the antagonist's relentless approach is portrayed by marching-like rhythms and low-pitched notes (00:00 - 00:11), while the protagonist's fleeing is accompanied by fretful violin pizzicato (00:12 - 00:17) and ascending piano sequences that build anticipation. As the tension rises, there is a momentary respite, but the energy remains tense (00:22 - 00:29). The protagonists rush and prepare to resist the impending break-in. The main theme resurfaces, reinforced by the tuba, as the characters brace themselves. A dramatic climax signifies the antagonist forcing open the door (00:29 - 00:31).

However, a glimmer of hope emerges as a portal opens, giving them a glimpse of a lush and peaceful paradise where they can take refuge (00:34 - 00:41). The alien enters the portal, followed by the others (00:54 - 00:58). The music changes drastically, creating an intriguing and uplifting atmosphere as the protagonist takes a deep breath, feels good about themselves, and picks up the courage to enter the portal, leaving all the chaos behind (00:58 - 01:12).

The scene reaches a final moment of splendour and resolution, and the camera pans to reveal the new location (01:12 - 01:18). The characters exchange smiles and congratulatory dialogue, relieved that the ordeal is finally over (01:18 - 01:26). However, the piece ends on an ominous tonic note in the cello, indicative of more challenges ahead.

The score can be provided upon request!
This composition, designed for an animated film soundtrack, comprises three distinct scenes that capture the essence of adventure, intrigue, and drama. The first section, "A Tale of a Train Fight," captures the energy and intensity of a fierce battle with its dissonant brass and train whistle-like strings. The rhythmic sounds of trains are brought to life through the use of the strings and percussion, creating an immersive sonic experience (00:00 - 01:38).

In the second section: "Creeping around the Launch Site" (01:39 - 03:25), the composition explores a scene of tension and stealth set in a rainforest. The piano and strings take center stage, conveying a sense of creeping and exploration. Techniques such as pizzicato strings, repeated quavers, and changes in accentuation heighten the intrigue and mystery, keeping the listener captivated.

"Cogitation" (03:30 - 04:56) delves into the protagonist's introspection and contemplation. Reflective melodies, sustained notes, and gradual crescendos create a contemplative atmosphere, while the integration of instruments such as the harp and electric guitar adds unique timbral colours, enhancing the emotional depth of the composition.
Forest Rhapsody is a composition that is minimalist in nature, intended for an easy overworld level in a 2D platformer game that I had started programming.
The Store is also meant for the 2D platformer game [see Forest Rhapsody], and is for the background music when the user enters the shop.



EXTRAS:

Arrangements

The music in this section contains implicit quotations from themes in the show "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir". The arrangements displayed below showcase my ability to creatively incorporate and manipulate the iconic themes and motifs from the show and movie and often include a few of my own original compositional ideas in between!

  • 1. Underwater (2020)
  • 2. AwakeningMedley (2023)
  • 3. Zoe Lee (2021)
  • 4. Back in Style (2022)

Underwater is a track for a level in a game titled AllStarBrawl, a 3D Miraculous puzzle fan-game I had started to develop in Unity in 2020. Its relation to Miraculous is found in the chord pattern, as well as the use of the main theme.
This piece combines all snippets of the Miraculous Movie OST released on Jeremy Zag's Instagram story (as of December 2021), that I have attempted to combine and make a coherent musical narrative out of.
This arrangement tells the empowerment story of Vesperia: coming from a past where she is bullied to becoming one of Paris' most-loved superheroes.

Using Vesperia's transformation music as a base, I very slowly infer and build up to the actual transformation music, until the very end when I quote it in full.

View Score
This arrangement is a different version of the modelling photoshoot music found at the beginning of S2E21 Queen Wasp. It uses a piano, vibraphone, a string quartet and drums.

Melodic Dictations

This section features unaltered music owned by ZAG, serving as a testament to my good musical ear and substantiating my claim that having the scores in front of me grants me an unparalleled comprehension of the music in Miraculous.

  • 1. Plus Forts Ensemble (2023)
  • 2. Courage in Me (2023)
  • 3. You Are Ladybug (2023)
  • 4. [MiraculousTheMovie] Trailer Compilation (2023)
  • 5. [514] End Scene (2023)
  • 6. [514] Marinette's Flashback (2023)
  • 7. [513] I'll tell you everything (2023)

Also, I have started to organise a group project with the other ZAG Influencers to make cover for Stronger Together, with all of us singing a line in our own language, to post upon the official release of the movie!