Sound Design for the Trailers

One of the most important parts of the trailer can often be the music. It sets the tone, it reveals the genre, it builds anticipation, suspense, whatever it needs to do to make the target audience interested in the movie. Off the top of my head, some of my favorite trailers have amazing song choice (including Mission Impossible: Fallout). The sound design can benefit so much from just having that right song. Because I don't have the best mics, and there are going to be some weird sound edits, I already know that. A good song might hide some of those faults. I also really need it to build suspense, so the song is going to be vital, especially for my second trailer. For that one, I need it to have that suspenseful nuance, otherwise it could come off a little weird in the beginning. There has to be something that gives the audience the feeling that something in this seemingly perfect town is off. Yeah, this introduction might have been a little too longwinded. I'm really sorry. But, I'm guessing you can deduce what topic I'm diving into for this blog post. So, let's do this!

What site am I going to use for copyright free (and actually free) music that I could easily use on Adobe? 

Well, that is a good question. Good thing I have just the site: Chosic. It's the same site that I used last year, I have an entire blog post dedicated to how much I appreciate this site. If I remember correctly, someone recommended it, and now it's the class choice for music. So shout out to that person (I'm sorry I can't remember who you are, but you're really saving my derriere). It has all the free and royalty free music my heart desires, and I already know that my computer is compatible with downloading the files, so, fingers crossed, I should be fine. I'll also use some other sites for the sound design, more likely than not, and I might look around some other places if Chosic doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for. It'll be more of a risk, because it seems free and then you have to pay a fee for the site or there's a membership involved. I've had that happen too many times, and I'd rather not get frustrated immediately and slam my face on the desk when one of those things pop up. 

I just looked up cinematic trailer music to get a feel of what I would find in that category. I was surprised to find this one interesting song:

It's called "Guardians of the Fallen", and there's a part that seems more like it would belong in a heroic action movie trailer, but the majority of it is actually really eerie. I think it would work well for the second trailer, especially the later part. I was thinking while Val is wandering around TC and is starting to really see the underbelly of the town. It could also work well while she is facing off against Sigma, or when she is trying to get away from her husband (after he's been "turned"). 

This one's called "L'Etoile danse". This is most likely the one I'll use for the beginning of the first trailer. This song is melodic, happy, and tranquil. It could also be used for the scene when the couple is dancing to the record player. I know I won't use all of it, and just to remind myself, this could also be used for the beginning of the second trailer if I need to.

"Psalms" is for sure the one I want to use for the beginning of the second trailer. For the most part, it is airy and tranquil. But, it does have hints of suspense and tensions running along as undercurrents. I already feel as though this is the one I want to use.

And now for the horror/thriller music section:

"A really dark alley" is what the name suggests: a creepy four minute trip to a haunting alleyway (or town, in my case). This could be prefect for either the first or second trailer. It's thriller-y enough to give the psychological punches and to quicken the pace in the latter half of either trailer. This is pretty much perfect for my project.

This one is probably the one I'll use for the first trailer. It is the build-up of suspense and it makes you unsettled when listening to it. I figure it'll be the perfect song for my target audience and will add some more thriller flavor to the sound design of the trailer. I can also add in stings to make it sound even better.

This is just something extra that I downloaded. "Countdown" could possibly help build suspense in the first trailer. I can see it playing while Val is running from the demon at TC and facing off Sigma. Again, just something that I have in my files to help my project if it needs it.

I probably shouldn't have mentioned this last, but I had to psychoanalyze myself a little to figure out why I want to do this right now. Besides the fact of having slight OCD, this is one of the parts that I am scared of the most when it comes to putting the trailers together just because I know how much this sound design is going to mean. I'm just scared that I'll mess it up somehow, maybe choose the wrong song, or not be able to find a good one in the first place. This is why this is the part of the project that I usually put off the most, even though it's the one post-production element that I can actually work on prior to having everything filmed and ready. I'm trying to improve my production habits, and this hopefully goes a little ways to improve myself overall as a person. And I have to face my fears. I've already been on the Velocicoaster, so this seems like the next step. Anyways, here's hoping that I come to a decision soon. And I'll download all of these anyways, so I'll already have them on my computer just in case I can't find them again. 

I'm set on starting to film and having a photo shoot for my poster, so be excited! I know I am. And nervous. But mostly ecstatic. See y'all soon. Glory to Ukraine.