Mastering a film

[sottovoceprods]

Any thoughts on this? I recently finished mixing a (low budget) feature film and at the end of the process, the filmmaker mentioned that the score music doesn't have the same overall clarity or prescence compared to some of the pre-recorded songs that were licensed for use in the film. My response was that the reason is because the composer did not have his music mastered.

The filmmaker has asked if I can master the soundtrack for her. I have the capabilities to do some mastering, but I am wondering if anyone has experience with and knows the protocol for this situation.

For 60 minutes of score--would I master each individual cue sepeartely, or the entire piece? It is all orchestral in nature.

I am also wondering if another option would be to master the entire final film mix (sound FX, dialogue, source/score music and all). Of course, I am already running the mix through some light software compression and saturation plug-ins. My next step would be to run everything through my outboard mastering chain and just give everything that extra polish.

I admittedly have little experience in mastering orchestral music--does anyone have any pointers he/she wouldn't mind sharing?

P.S. For purists reading this post, referring to another facility or hiring another engineer is not an option for this one. ;-)

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by shaundrew

Any thoughts on this? I recently finished mixing a (low budget) feature film and at the end of the process, the filmmaker mentioned that the score music doesn't have the same overall clarity or prescence compared to some of the pre-recorded songs that were licensed for use in the film. My response was that the reason is because the composer did not have his music mastered.

For film that's a loaded statement! The key is to get a great recording and mix. The "mastering" of a film score really has to be reserved for the final film mix, where it has to be heard in context with the dialogue and effects. Experience helps, but if you "maximize" the music out of context, you're going to make a terrible job for the final film mix engineer. Instead, think "what elements can I separate out to make the film mix engineer's job easier"?

Mix dimensionally, with good space, depth, and dynamics, though not too much dynamics for any section of the film where the score is designed to be underlay. And mix to stems, so that the final dubbing mixer can eliminate elements that may interfere with dialogue or reduce them. E.G. if you have a solo oboe cue over an orchestra, this may sound great alone, but when there is dialogue, the dubbing mixer might want to pull it back.

It's difficult to know why the composer has reacted negatively to your score versus other "prerecorded" works without hearing them. But "mastering" per se in advance of the final mix is a dangerous proposition unless you are going for things like improving the dimension, depth, clarity and purity of tone of the mix. Otherwise, stop considering "mastering" per se as an advance leveling tool, for it will screw up the final film mix.

Another point: If this is a film for theatrical release, the whole thing should be auditioned in a large enough, calibrated theatre to get it right. Mixing or "mastering" in a typical small control room can produce entirely the wrong impression.

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by shaundrew

Hi, Bob. Thank you for your response.

I may have miscommunicated. I actually am performing the final film mix; someone else composed the score and they did not provide stems.

It is good to know that the composer was not wrong in leaving the musical program unmastered--I just wish he would have provided me with stems.

So you are saying that once the final film mix is completed, the entire film mix is then mastered with all elements in place.

The targeted release for this film is broadcast, so my control room should be okay for the job. I 'll be checking the overall sound as I audition the final program by splitting monitoring duties between my mains and a 20" Sony Trinitron TV.

Mo' better. Pity the composer did not supply stems. Well, if you can objectively identify what factors in the recording the producer does not like compared to "commercially-produced" music, you might could do some "premastering" to do this. But be careful, because context against dialogue and effects is the key. Since you are the final mix engineer this is good. If you do decide to do some "premastering" of the score, keep the original version in sync with it. Some tools you can have at your disposal that I personally would defer for the final film mix include equalization, reverberation, K-stereo (for widening and spatiality), compression and expansion.

It's a lot of work to concentrate on those things while you're also mixing dialogue and fx, and so there is some possible advantage to pre-mastering the music, just don't paint yourself into a corner. You could create a reverb stem, for example. You could test mix the music against the dialogue and effects and see what EQ alterations seem to suit it and then decide if it would be more effective for you to do those EQ alterations ahead of time. Furthermore, if you are working in an entirely automated environment you can pre-prepare the music stem and undo some of it if you went too far when you hear it in full context.

I am not speaking from experience as much as common sense! It's been nearly 20 years since I was doing a lot of film/tv mixing as now I almost exclusively master music for compact disc release. Mastering a single stereo piece of music and anticipating how it's going to work in a final mix against dialogue is an art---don't paint yourself into a corner.