Making creative decisions for post-production is something that can either make or break a career depending on what industry you are apart of. This is especially relevant when it comes to something like Trailers for films when you have some big budget clients relying on you giving the audience a memorable first impression and leaving them wanting more.
This is the first time an audience will be introduced to film and it is important to create an experience where the viewer is left wanting to see more. Capturing the attention of people by revealing things such as the main characters, some of the key moments, or genre without giving away to much by cutting at the right time will build anticipation and leave people wondering what happens next. The use of Non-Diegetic sounds in the background of films helps establish genre, whether its a fast paced action film, suspense or a horror film, one key thing that builds tension is the use of rising elements followed by silence. One of the main things the audience should be able to tell from the trailer is what mood is being presented which usually relies on sound.
As a trailer usually doesn't give the whole plot away, music can help build to a point where something will happen but not have to show what happens. This creates anticipation for the film and also helps with creating interest. Diegetic sound can also help, by using elements like wind, rain, thunder etc; to help create atmosphere. Elements also such as Breathing, Footsteps, Creaks and Bangs can motivate camera movements and draw attention to what is happening on screen.
Using conventions in film trailers can help with this type pf media as it uses familiar and predictable forms to communicate certain ideas and convey a desired impression. This is important because the audience is used to hearing particular tropes usually specific to the genre which are widely recognised. Utilising elements such as dynamic risers, bass drops, large drums, glitch effects, strings and other elements that we have been almost conditioned to hearing in trailers specific to genre aid in creating interest in the media.
With all of that in mind, as a sound designer it is your responsibility to not only aid in the process of portraying the directors vision but still have the ability to translate this into almost a narrative audio piece. Emphasising mood and emotion, creating an atmosphere for the production that is supportive of this. There are multiple tools to help achieve this but even picking the right EQ, Reverb or even Sound Design element.
Take the last scene from the video above where our protagonist falls into a ravine and has a short line where we realise how dire the situation is. Being our last scene and although we have already established that our duo is fighting the elements in an arctic wilderness; up until this point we have been exposed to the harsh elements with lots of wind and other elements building tension up until this point and we are left with the idea that perhaps they might not make it and that they are truly isolated. Creating the sound of the cave and leaving our protagonist literally on the edge of existence was one of the most challenging elements in terms of creating that mood and atmosphere and perhaps most importantly making it sound like it was in a cavern while still maintaining clarity in the dialogue.
Exaggerating dynamic changes in some instances can create a disconnect and ruin the immersion of the clip, especially when we only have a few seconds to establish the characters and the scene. In saying this it can also be your best tool in terms of creating an experience that is unforgettable to the viewer and one that you will use regularly as a sound designer.
So now even by just looking at the picture you can probably already tell where some key moments are during the trailer, where our most impactful moment and the buildup to that scene and how much dynamic range can be involved even in something that is so short. It's arguably easier to do this in short form because you want to get as much as possible into the production while still keeping within convention for things such as loudness and narrative.
Now is saying this shorter doesn't always mean easier. Just in terms of targeting level for the platform this was intended to be released to without losing dynamics or sacrificing loudness proved to be difficult for some. In saying this, the processes involved had to be thoroughly developed so that each scene had its own space and that elements remained consistent but easily definable. Pictured below is a quick look into some of the processing involved and how each element regardless of being wither Diegetic or Non-Diegetic has its own space but all fit together in terms of tonality.
Overall the project was a success in terms of what was set out to achieve and the creative vision intended for it. This was an exercise in streamlining many processes such as Phase Induction for dialogue to sit characters into scenes or bring them forward for narrations. Building Atmospheres such as the plane fuselage or the cavern and creating the tone for that space.
While post-production has been a major focus, many elements also transfer directly to studio production process. Things like Dialogue Cleanup using software such as Izotope RX-7, or even just EQ to get more clarity and definition, Compression, Automation and Side-Chaining are all common elements across any type of audio production. Without many of these tools we as engineers would lose valuable time, and therefore become restricted during the creative process, spending most of our time editing.
Haverkamp, Michael. (2012). Movement Represented by Film Score and Sound Design.