Please help with feedback on NEO CLASSICAL TRAILER-Style INSTRUMENTAL

[JustinBanks]

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated with this one. I understand not everything will be a homerun, and usually understand the feedback when it gets returned, but this one kind of left me feeling like I just can't win. Here's the brief.

Lots of NEO CLASSICAL TRAILER-Style INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a BRAND NEW Music Licensing Company, led by a CEO with a strong track record of working with Major Clients and landing some very notable placements. They are currently looking to build up their catalog, and this is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a Company that is poised to make waves in the industry!

This company is on the lookout for a bunch of Instrumentals in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references:

"Timeless" by Lacoste

Knives Out - Official Trailer

Succession: Season 2 - Official Trailer

Quoting the CEO: "3-Act Structures are required."

Please submit well-composed Trailer-Style Instrumentals with captivating arrangements that feature Neo-Classical instrumentation and motifs. Three "acts" that build to a climactic crescendo are must-haves for this opportunity. Please craft your pieces around one central motif and create dynamics, interest, and forward development by layering instrumentation in and out as the pieces progress. Emotionally, your tracks should evoke suspense, drama, and anticipation, drawing listeners into a world of intrigue and tension. Your tracks should aim to create a visceral connection, making the listener feel the stakes involved and leaving them fully immersed in the narrative. Orchestral instrumentation that's in the general wheelhouse of the references will work best, such as chamber strings, cinematic piano, orchestral drums, etc. Please make sure that any virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality, modern, and sound very realistic.

Submissions should be about 2 to 2.5 minutes long, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best. Please do NOT copy the referenced examples in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, texture, tone, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

AI ALERT: This company does not accept or sign music that has been melodically composed using generative AI, nor does it accept backing tracks or full instrumental tracks created with AI.

This Library offers a NON-EXCLUSIVE, 50/50 Deal. You’ll get 50% of any sync fees and 100% of the Writer’s share. The Publisher will get 50% of sync fees and 100% of the Publisher’s Share. You’ll keep 100% of the original Copyright and Master Recordings. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit to this pitch. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Saturday, January 25th, 2025. TAXI # S250125CL

Here's my submission:
https://www.taxi.com/members/-JFGK_YRTv ... Q-intrigue

Here's the feedback:

What I like most about this song:
A captivating intro that seamlessly introduces the central motif with an air of mystery and anticipation. Through strategic use of motifs and orchestration, this instrumental builds a compelling narrative, creating tension and intrigue that crescendos as requested.

I think you could improve this song by:
What I'm missing here is a good full sound. It seems to be too contained at the moment. The expression could be fleshed out some more.

I returned or forwarded this song because:
Production quality could be better.

[RealPickle]

Yeah man, that's a tough one.

I'd advise you to listen to your third act, in relation to the references. Your percussion is pretty subdued, and it also seems like the overall EQ for your mix stays skewed towards the higher frequencies. If you boosted the drums/percussion as it builds, and make sure there's plenty of bass (whether string bass or otherwise) in the mix, it might've satisfied what the screener wanted.

Trailers, even neo classical ones, want a big sound by the end. I think yours could get there simply by tweaking your mix and EQ (and possibly adding some sound design at the end. Maybe a tasteful swoosh or riser or somesuch).

Hope that helps!

[BrentI]

Hey Justin! I'm not a trailer guy, so take this with a grain of salt. But I think Geoff is right about the mix. You might experiment with adding a sub bass and/or a synth pad to fill out the bottom a bit more when you get into the later sections of the track.

Otherwise (and the screener seems to agree), this all sounds right on for the brief! Nice work!

[JustinBanks]

Thanks Geoff and Brenti!! I appreciate your help on this! I will definitely make these changes and wait for the next neo classical trailer. Hopefully the next brief will be somewhat close to this one. Thanks for taking the time guys!

[AlonMarcus]

Hi Justin, I really enjoyed the track and have to take my hat off to you for the great work. It sounds very realistic, and I actually love the overall feel. The intro especially amazed me!

As more instruments came in, I felt the clarity got a bit lost. Maybe a bit of editing and refining could help bring out the strongest elements more clearly. Just a thought—looking forward to hearing where you take it!

[calumupton]

Hi Justin,

I just got my first forward in this genre, after adapting based on feedback for several years so I sympathise! Enjoyed the track. Here's how I'd personally decode the comments:

"It seems to be too contained at the moment"

I think the screener might be commenting on the intensity of the orchestra performance, not sounding like it varies or grows a huge amount throughout the track. The staccato violins for example don't sound like they're being attacked very hard in general, and they're roughly the same intensity in Act 1 as in Act 3.

Another reason I suspect this is what they mean: "The expression could be fleshed out some more" sounds to me like it's referring to using the entire expressive range of the virtual instruments (e.g. by varying velocities/modulation/expression) to create a greater range of emotional intensity.


There's a chance you're already doing all of that, but your hard work is being hidden by lots of compression and reverb, which can have the effect of averaging things out.


I'm not very good at forums so apologies if this comes across badly!

Calum

[JustinBanks]

Thank you so much for your kind words AlonMarcus. I will definitely go back to the mix and see what I can clean up. Thank you as well Calum! These suggestions also make a lot of sense. Your comments are very helpful! Everyone so far has been a very big help. I will be doing another mix and hopefully a new listing like this will open up soon! Thank you everyone for taking the time and helping me out!