Trailer Critique

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melodea
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Trailer Critique

Post by melodea » Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:27 pm

Hi all

January is my trailer month and this is the first finished result of that adventure. Suggestions are welcomed!

Cheers

Chris

https://www.taxi.com/members/jFlSTGTDRQ ... -outer-rim THIS FILE HAS BEEN UPDATED!

[glow]Here is the listing:[/glow]

EPIC, ACTION TRAILER-Style INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a Production Music Library with lots of great placements in TV Commercials, Sports Programming, and Movie/Video Game Trailers.

CHECK THIS OUT: If you’re looking to diversify and get your music in a globally recognized (and distributed) catalog, this company might be just what the doctor ordered! Several TAXI members have reported placements outside the United States as a result of being signed with this awesome company!

This Library is looking for Instrumentals in the general stylistic range of the following references:

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Trailer

Red Notice Trailer

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw Trailer

Redemption Day Trailer

Although some of the references have vocals, please submit Instrumentals only for this pitch.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This Company is looking more for Composers they can build relationships with, rather than just a specific track for a specific placement. We suspect that if they hear a couple of your tracks and love what you're doing, they'll ask you to send them more music on an ongoing basis.

Please submit epic Action Trailer-style Instrumentals with engaging motifs and rhythms that'll have viewers' hearts pumping from start to finish. Your submissions should have three "acts" that build to a climactic ending and can feature Orchestral, Sound Design, Electronic, Rock instrumentation, OR any combination of all four. Please be sure that your production and any virtual instruments or samples you use are cutting-edge, polished, and modern.

TAXI Tip: Don't be afraid to layer up your instrumentation to create a big, blockbuster sound – the bigger the better for these types of Instrumentals!

All submissions should be about 2 to 3 minutes in length (give or take). Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best.
Last edited by melodea on Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
[glow][/glow]Melodea a.k.a. Chris Moser

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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:03 pm

I think this is a pretty decent first attempt and you'll get there over time if you keep working at them.

First thing I thought was there isn't much low end punch..that first hit, it doesn't really land for me because it feels there's no low energy in the kick area socking it to me.

Also I think something low down should be doubling those string parts around 14s onwards

Around 27s something feels a bit off with the timing - I think it might be becasue you're doing a string melody line and then overlaying the ostinatos and something about them doesn't quite fit the implied rhythm of the track so it feel slike stuff is kinda clashing timing wise to me. It might be better to focus on the melody line there and making that sound fuller rather than having the ostinato too as it feels like there is too much going on at this early stage. Or I guess you could do a call / response type thing instead so play your melody line, and then have your ostinato fill in the spaces between.

I like the guitar part at 1:14 that was a cool and unexpected moment..you use it again at 1:30 but I'm not sure if that's over-egging a bit - when it suddenly brings in the low chugging guitar it feels a little like we've changed to a different cue for a short time and the 3rd time you use the guitar run down it'ss just a bit too much of a good thing. I'd be happier if the chugging guitar was supporting the rest of it as a layer to grow the arrangement and not part that gets highlighted as almost a solo.

Ending is good, I enjoyed that part - you ramped it up nicely.

Overall then a good effort, I think it's lacking a proper thump low down from a kick as I said, some timing and arrangement tweaks need making in the first part and the mix/production could definitley use more polish but you seem to be getting the hang of things and if this is your first effort then I think you made a good start.

Mark

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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by melodea » Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:21 pm

Thanks, Mark for the in-depth critique! Appreciate it. I will have a listen tomorrow with your suggestions taken into consideration and work on that beast again.

Cheers Chris
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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by melodea » Thu Jan 13, 2022 1:11 pm

Here is the updated version of "Outer Rim".

https://www.taxi.com/members/jFlSTGTDRQ ... uter-rim-2 THIS FILE HAS BEEN UPDATED
Last edited by melodea on Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:36 pm

melodea wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 1:11 pm
Here is the updated version of "Outer Rim".

https://www.taxi.com/members/jFlSTGTDRQ ... uter-rim-2
Definiitely better...good work on improving it

My main issue now is the section around 1.16 - 1.30 feels a bit muddled. There's 4 or 5 different ideas going on and none of them are supporting each other. You could probably lose that section and it would still be long enough or otherwise you need to figure out a way to strip it back to one or two ideas that support and work better with each other. Personally I'd probably just remove it.

I like the drop at 1.34 but I feel I need the energy to build more into that final section just to make the listener have more anticipation something big is coming.

One other thing you might want to consider adding is right at the end after the track has pretty finished is I've been asked recently to add a " title card " ...so it's the low key bit of music right at the end of a trailer where it fades to black and then some text appears that says something like " Only in Cinemas Summer 2022 "

The other thing is just the overall mix tonality - not sure how much of it is to do with the Taxi website and having to turn it onto an MP3 but it sounds like it has too much 1 - 2k ..it's got a bit of a slight nasally type tone so some good mastering EQ I think will help.

Mark

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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by Casey H » Thu Jan 13, 2022 6:23 pm

Really nice! I think the last minute does need even more umph and build. Gotta get REAL intense. Those guitar licks after 1:28 sound out of place to me.

Good luck with it!
:D Casey

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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by melodea » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:59 pm

Just btw: in this listing, they're asking for a trailer-style instrumental. I guess that leaves a bit more freedom with the form and arrangement of the track, right?
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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:03 am

melodea wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:59 pm
Just btw: in this listing, they're asking for a trailer-style instrumental. I guess that leaves a bit more freedom with the form and arrangement of the track, right?
That's not how I interpreted it. Any trailer style music I've written for libraries has stayed true to the three act structure. That seems to be the expectation.

I guess there's always a little wiggle room for what you want to use for the arrangement.

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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by melodea » Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:51 am

Thanks Mark

I agree, and I agree too to the last critique and will cut out that second part of the 2. act as it's not really adding any new idea to the track. I'll check the 1 to 2k bandwidth as well.
Thank again for your time and effort!

Chris
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Re: Trailer Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Fri Jan 14, 2022 2:40 am

melodea wrote:
Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:51 am
I'll check the 1 to 2k bandwidth as well.
Whilst you're at it try this - it will help. It's worth saving as your own preset actually so you can re-use it on other tracks.

https://youtu.be/t8T34Cn3T2c

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