hi, i took by random a gametrailer and added my own score to this, just as exercise. how does it fit for you, how does it sounds. video with own music http://www.vimeo.com/1972141 video with own music and own sounddesign http://www.vimeo.com/1941637 video only with sounddesign: http://www.vimeo.com/1976119 the original:

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i would be glad about an honest review even it is hard and tough. regardly, toxu [Edited by - toxukim on October 31, 2008 3:19:37 PM]

Overall a very nice job here. I liked most of your pacing and choice of sounds. I did feel like there could be more of a dramatic build up and climax. Perhaps the choice of the cello patch didn't really lend itself well to that. Other than that, I liked what you did. Thanks for sharing!

Edit: Just checked out your sound design and music clip as well. Nice work! I felt that you had too many missed opportunities in the intro section (0:00-30 or so). It just felt too empty. Remember you can create entire worlds with the right kinds of soundscapes. Explore this more. I also felt that the impact sounds around 0:19 started off too soft. Have them start louder and really build up to a nice level because if a creature was kicking up the street like that in front of me... well it would sound much more destructive, scary and I'd hear the impacts much sooner. Perhaps some of this is due to mixing as well.

Overall: You have several breaks in the music which work well with the action but not with the sound design aspect (since it is pretty spacey at some spots too). I'd consider vamping up the sound design work when you have the music back off a bit. You want the audio to come alive in this trailer instead of too much silence or breaks in the action.

Just my thoughts. Nice work man! Keep it up!

Nathan

I think this was a very good job too. When listening to the sounddesign alone, and to the score alone there seem to be something missing, but when combined they are absolutly great - maybe some effects should be louder, like the gun.

I don´t know if it is something with the movie server, but to me some effects sounded a bit out of sync. Not much, but hearable.

However, very nice work!

//Henrik

thanks for these feedback.

@nsmadsen:

you mean more like a dramatic "stacato melody" climax?
at moment i just use a cello efx link in a horror movie.

sounddesign:
you re dam right. i can create and define a new world (even you cant see this in the picture). i didnt thougth about this, because my priority was making music.
but during producing i was thinking: why not sounddesign too *g*
exploding street:
oh man, i hear this critic opinion a lot. everybody sais this.
but i cant make it louder. maybe i have to choose another sound or make all other sound more quiter.

"I'd consider vamping up the sound design work when you have the music back off a bit":
oh man, you are a experiened sounddesigner!!
this is a good advice. i need those advise because, this is my first sounddesign exercise (i normally make only music).
but in case after jumping through the window: how can i vamp up the sfx?
by the way, i uploaded a new version.
sry, can you define vamping up? (i am from germany :-) )

thanks, man



@hensum:
strange...
my opinion was: the music and the sounddesign itself alone sounds great but together something is wrong. this makes me crazy.
but i am happy about your positive feedback.
maybe i am to tough to myself.

out of sync:
thanks, i have to check it.

I'd just like to say, I really liked the music. Listening to just music first, and then with sound effects, I have to say that i didnt really notice much difference. It seems quite lacking in sound effects. But the music was really good, and felt very appropriate. When I looked at the original, it was kind of dissapointing...

lol,
thanks man, so you like my version more then the original *gg*

seriously:
which part of the sound efx seems to be lacking?
and in which version?

only combined with the music? or also if you listen to the version "sounddesign only"?

Quote: Original post by toxukim
thanks for these feedback.

@nsmadsen:

you mean more like a dramatic "stacato melody" climax?
at moment i just use a cello efx link in a horror movie.

I mean more of a climax in the music period. You did some brass swells here and there but I felt that the climax of the music in the piece was somewhat less than it could be. Consider fleshing out the orchestration towards the end a bit more, instead of relying so strongly on the cello patch you have throughout the piece. Perhaps a strong percussive ending as well. Also vamping up means more of a swell or build up to the a point. With trailers you really want to end in a dramatic sense and I feel like your piece could do this a bit more effectively. I'm not saying it isn't doing it- it is- but you can take a up a few notches.

Quote: Original post by toxukim
sounddesign:
you re dam right. i can create and define a new world (even you cant see this in the picture). i didnt thougth about this, because my priority was making music.
but during producing i was thinking: why not sounddesign too *g*
exploding street:
oh man, i hear this critic opinion a lot. everybody sais this.
but i cant make it louder. maybe i have to choose another sound or make all other sound more quiter.

"I'd consider vamping up the sound design work when you have the music back off a bit":
oh man, you are a experiened sounddesigner!!
this is a good advice. i need those advise because, this is my first sounddesign exercise (i normally make only music).
but in case after jumping through the window: how can i vamp up the sfx?
by the way, i uploaded a new version.
sry, can you define vamping up? (i am from germany :-) )

thanks, man

Regarding the exploding street section: If you get this critique all of the time, don't you think it should be fixed? :) You don't have to make the street exploding sound louder, if the mix is already peaking out. Perhaps you need to make the music softer? Maybe the surrounding sound design should be brought down some at this point too? You need to make room for what is the focus at that point in the trailer. The street SFX feels very underpowered and non-important. The impact isn't there like it could be. Overall, I don't feel like there is much dynamic contrast in your trailer. Everything feels at just about the same level, aside from the two breaks where it goes much softer. Experiment with turning some assets up while turning others down. Go through the trailer and figure out what are the focus points. For example:

Point A: The street exploding is important, feature that

Point B: This musical cue is important, feature that

Point C: The machine SFX is important, feature that

And so on. Create a priority list for the overall trailer, then tweak the audio. When I'm working on a trailer, I spend time looking at different sections and seeing how I can make the audio balanced and dynamic. This will greatly help your trailer and give it much more range and impact. I think the foundation is very strong and a great job was done here. Because of this, pay much more attention to your mixing and production. Spend more time with your sound design, having it move up and down, left and right. Reinforce some of your musical swells with volume envelopes.

Side note: If you're peaking out consider this: I'm listening to your trailer on my second to lowest setting. I had to turn way down when opening your file. Perhaps all of your audio in this trailer is too loud. Do you know what your dB settings are set to in this trailer? Give yourself some head room. I never (NEVER) mix to 0 dB. I usually give myself about -3 to -9 dB headroom. This ensure that:

1) My content is super loud compared to other media

2) My content doesn't damage customer's speakers or annoy them. :)

3) It gives me the flexibility and headroom to make truly dynamic audio instead of "painting myself into a corner."

Make sense?

Thanks!

nathan

@nsmadsen:

thank you very much for so detailled feedback.
i learn a lot.


now i had the time for an update:

music:
more dramatic melodic parts for several cuepoints.
also more dramatic for the final.

sounddesign:
more life in enviroment (wind, broken doors, standing up zombie, cloth etc.)
more volume and frequenz dynamic (for example: street explosion)

mix:
changing priority of music and sound (volume and frequency).
in the beginning the sound is more dominant, in the end more music.

i hope, its perfect now.

toxu

if you got a myspace-profil, you can add me :-)

http://www.myspace.com/toxukim