The movie-within-a-movie tradition is a time honored Hollywood self-indulgence — almost as much so as the musical-within-a-musical tradition. This celebratory music alludes to the Golden Age of cinema as young filmmakers Rod and Bill receive their cherished startup funds. (Their set will later be ransacked by an onslaught of murderous vultures and eagles, but let’s let them enjoy the moment.)

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	Making a Movie

It wouldn’t be right to compose music for a movie about attacking birds without at least one tribute to Bernard Hermann. While this week’s music selection doesn’t directly parody or reference The Birds, I’d like to think that the all-string sound and chromatic harmonies are at least in the spirit of Hitchcock’s great musical collaborator.

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	Let Us Go That Way!

James Nguyen’s Birdemic: Shock and Terror has been hailed as one of the most entertaining indie films ever made… albeit perhaps not for reasons the filmmaker had in mind. When I was presented with opportunity to write some music for the sequel, how could I say no?

This drum-and-guitar-driven cue accompanies the film’s perhaps tragic, perhaps confusing, but definitely avian finale.

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	The Birds Depart (Again)

Clearly I don’t mean that the game is a lower body extremity. This music plays during Wizard Ops Tactics‘ introductory moments, providing a sense of anticipatory excitement and setting the stage for the (literal) magic to come. I’ve cheated here and merged two related musical moments from the score in order to give the material reasonable duration for stand-alone listening. Enjoy!

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	The Game is Afoot

This week’s selection from Wizard Ops Tactics portrays the game’s swamp level as a damp and ominous place. Plaintive woodwind harmonies ease in and out over low string undulations, while excerpts of the game’s main theme recur in the brass. And to show you how lazy I am: the low string lines themselves are just the main theme, slowed down and set to 7/8 time.

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	The Murky Swamp

Continuing the music progression from Wizard Ops Tactics, this week’s cue accompanies the game’s Army Builder sequence with an anticipatory mood and almost-obligatory snare drum rhythms. A martial melody recurs throughout the piece, starting with the low strings, then subsequently in horns, violas, and low woodwinds.

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	The Army Assembles

This music selection from Wizard Ops Tactics takes on a distinctly pirate-y tone, as befits a game setting with beach umbrellas, cannons, and a giant frigate.

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	Beach Battle!

Another music selection from Wizard Ops Tactics, this cue accompanies a winter-themed battleground. High-register strings and harp help reinforce the icy visuals, while the low brass stabs remind us that we’re not at a peace conference.

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	Wizardly Winter