Movie Trailer Mixing

[voiceaddict]

Okay, at this point I feel like I'm about to fall over and die. I took on a project for a radio station, they're putting together a DVD for a show and hired me to do the trailer. They supplied the music, I broke out the big pipes and voiced it. The trouble I'm having is that it just doesn't have that trailer "sound" even though all the elements are there. What they did give me was highly compressed, I had to compress the VO just by nature of if being a trailer. While I don't know about the chains they used, the music sounds incredible. I used a 416 >> Millennia (SS pre, no eq, tube comp 6:1).

I always thought trailer EQ was "different" but I'm mixing this right now and don't have a frequency analyzer to check it out. Any comments on what I should be ensuring is in the mix?

Kevin

[voiceaddict]

Well ... I had a breakthrough, hooked up multiple compressors inline and bam .... nice airy sound was back, fit right in the mix. Had to redo the VO but it sounds beautiful right now.

Kevin

[Tim Halligan]

Yep, you discovered it...movie trailers - both at the flicks, and on VHS/DVD - are just like TV/Radio commercials...ie: spanked to hell and back.

Compression is your friend...the needles should go to 0vu and just quiver.

It sucks, but there you go...nature of the beast.

Cheers,
Tim

[Jules]

(in deep voice, limited to death)

"nearly 7,000 people, from accross the globe, with one goal, to use great recording equpment, this is their story"

[voiceaddict]

Well, that's the fastest mix I've ever had that got immediate air play - heard it last night twice between 11pm and 12pm. The stations compression destroyed it like everything else you hear on air, but to be politically correct it "fit in context."

Jules, one addition:
"...to use great recording equipment, forged by God himself, this is their story"


Thanks again guys,

Kevin

[heinz]

I don't know who that one guy is that VO's all the major movie trailers, but he must have a dock on the back of his house for the money trucks.

[Tim Halligan]

Originally posted by heinz
I don't know who that one guy is that VO's all the major movie trailers, but he must have a dock on the back of his house for the money trucks.

His name is Don La Fontaine, and the studios send limo's for him to get to the session. He does (on average) two a day, at (minimum) US$7500 per session...the movie trailer, the EPK, a 60" and a 30"...then he works for Rick Dees (yep, the Disco Duck idiot) once a week.

Sad pathetic life really...

I've said it before: when I die, I want to come back as a voice-over artist.

Happy New Year to all...

Cheers,
Tim

[max cooper]

I love the voice of the guy who used to do the radio spots for the drag races back in the day:

"Gear Jammin' Door Slammin' Smokin' Nitro Burnin Funny Cars...Big Daddy Don Garlits...One Night Only...Shirley Muldowney, she'll be there!

[Rader Ranch]

actually, Don has had his own personal limo and driver for quite some time. and, like everyone eventually, he seems to have reached his peak and isn't #1 any more....he's probably still top 10 though. there's a number of guys just in LA who make over a million a year at VO....well past the top ten i'm thinking. don't think any women have made that list though....

[voiceaddict]

Yeah, Howard Parker is the current trailer king and I'm sures he's in the top 5 or 2 at this point. If I was making that cash, I'd be too thrilled driving my sport car of the day. A'hem, "Jeves, It's Wednesday, please warm up the Diablo and have sauna ready for my return, please make sure the twins arive early this time... " Too bad I'd probably have to pay $25k a year in insurance and the medical bills brought on by twins would probably be just as much. <sigh> I'll stay right here in the 250,000th ranking for now.

Since we're on it, other than compression to death, what else can you recommend for future processing of these trailers? I'm certainly convinced I need to pick up two LA2As at this point.

Kevin

[loudist]

Originally posted by max cooper
I love the voice of the guy who used to do the radio spots for the drag races back in the day:

"Gear Jammin' Door Slammin' Smokin' Nitro Burnin Funny Cars...Big Daddy Don Garlits...One Night Only...Shirley Muldowney, she'll be there!

It was 2 guys actually, and they had that 'step on the other guys line' thing down.
The background music was usually a 2 track the Zep 'Heartbreaker' riff looped.
There was another 2 track tape of the supercharger blower 'popcorning' .
Three 2 tracks in all, 2 for play back one for recording.
The beginning of the spot was the popcorn supercharger with the Heartbreaker loop stepping on that then the announcers with their hyper last syllable line stepping style, all mixed live to 2 track (lots of fader moves).
Yes there was compression involved.
How do I know?
I did quite a few of those spots for our region, in a big assed world famous studio.
Those advertising sessions were the bread and butter sessions for our studio. Remember film strips with the cassette narration and the 'ding' to advance the filmstrip? We did those as well.
Just like EMI, we were taught how to record (and edit) voice first.
Next were Bagpipes.