Horror/thriller mixing tips/tricks

[okta]

Hello there,

Any of you guys familiar with horror/thriller movie soundtrack mixing?
I've been working on the soundtrack of this low budget horror movie for a few weeks now and got tired of what I am doing.
-soft eerie music with sudden in your face hit.
-soft to annoyingly loud automation.
-super big reverb.
-short delay for out of tune piano/bell.
etc...

so if you guys have any ideas to make my work more interesting throw it out. Would be fun to try it out.

cheers!

[Rogervandeberg]

I think mixing movies like thrillers and horrors is a lot about drastic dynamics in the music. Build up string parts from a very low volume until very loud and let them fade away again. use fast staccato arrangements in quick screen changes.

Also those little kid-wind-up-music boxes seem to do it well in a lot of horror movies. Add chorus and split-harmonizer to taste!

good luck!

[Mark1353]

Seemingly random arpeggiated pizzicato and violin "bulpyness"?

Didn't notice this was only about mixing. How about some kind of pseudostereo effect to make the sound appear to come from side or behind? That would freak me out.

[soundfx]

Don't underestimate the power of silence.


Roger, love the avatar. "Maybe there are some happy trees in your mix. Its your mix...there is no right or wrong."

[alexstringer]

Silence is the key!
Modern horror movies sucks.
If you want good references, watch a lot of these 70's horror/terror movies...You'll notice that a lot of the atmosphere from the movie is essentially built using Silence .

[kk@jamsync.com]

I've done my share, unfortunately. I would rather be nibbled to death by baby ducks.

30 Hz for the bottom end of punches works wonders.

The last one I did (a few years ago) had a section where there were naked 60-year-old women for an appalling five-second shot. I told my then-partner, "don't you dare schedule any more of *these*!!!"

[kk@jamsync.com]

Originally Posted by soundfx

Don't underestimate the power of silence.


Roger, love the avatar. "Maybe there are some happy trees in your mix. Its your mix...there is no right or wrong."

Ha! It is awesome!

[Josh Donnelly]

Low budget, you say? Reaktor all the way. I "scored" a short film recently using nothing but the scariest Reaktor ensembles I could find (and the occasional bit of Ivory). Worked really well.

[dr.sound]

Use Dynamics. I do Horror movies all the time.There is a lot going on.
Use all 6 of your speakers.
It can be a lot of fun if the clients give you some rope!
As for "modern Horror Movies Suck", we'll I was never a fan
growing up, but once you get to mix a few it can be fun.

[okta]

Thanks guys, keep em coming...

Yea, played a lot with the dynamics. Give them a big boom when they lease expect it :D

Low budget, you say? Reaktor all the way

Well, I'm just the engineer not the composer.
Most of the music are Orchestral instrument base. the typical trem strings. Big drum boom. Some bells here and there. And all mix ITB.

How about some kind of pseudostereo effect to make the sound appear to come from side or behind?

Any plugins you can suggest to do this? the free one would be nice

[Juice Malone]

Most of the scariest movies I've seen had startling high frequency content. The kind of stuff that I couldn't make out clearly, but effected my mind subconciously.

[JSt0rm]

Originally Posted by MFHethan

If you guys wish to know about mixing, I suggest you check out this link...

www.elementsofmixing.com

I went to the last 2 events and Ive had all my questions answered, learned new things and got to play my stuff for them.

Check it out!

send some pink to the sub let it rise and fall. Use silence then BANG. Go for the cheap sometimes its ok.

[emf1138]

Theramin. Lots and lots of Theramin.

[charles maynes]

Waterphones too....

[soundboy]

Vibra Slap and Crotales!
A horror film is a great place for experimentation. If you are bored, you are not doing it right. Go listen to "Drag Me To Hell", or "Brahm Stoker's Dracula".

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by soundfx

Don't underestimate the power of silence.

Bing bing bing....you win the quote of the week!

And, don't let your composer tell your audience "you're going to jump here...get ready..." unless the producer/director are so sold on the lead-up that you can't get them to think otherwise.

Did a feature last year where out of three good 'jump' moments, I was able to actually hide only one of them. But...as any good, experienced viewer of horror films knows---when the music and sound dips away to nothing:

get ready to sh*t yourself/scream/both



-Jeff


p.s. The Exorcist: mono mix. Study... Thank you, Buzz!!!!

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by emf1138

Theramin. Lots and lots of Theramin.

Awesome...I actually 'hid' a cheesy old theremin (stereotypical 'ooohEEEEEoooooohhhh' from an old library) as part of a music bed on a film last year and it passed muster.

And if you know your system has the nuts, play with LFE rumbles that make your body very uncomfortable. Conversely, I'm a proponent of the friendly 16+kHz squeal in tense scenes like a good chase scene with the music pounding and that's the only thing you might have going for you on the 'sound effects' end of things.

Can make some people very uncomfortable. And those that can't hear it any longer...well...they miss out. Or are thankful.

[SoundEng1]

Originally Posted by kk@jamsync.com

I've done my share, unfortunately. I would rather be nibbled to death by baby ducks.

30 Hz for the bottom end of punches works wonders.

The last one I did (a few years ago) had a section where there were naked 60-year-old women for an appalling five-second shot. I told my then-partner, "don't you dare schedule any more of *these*!!!"

Hahahaha!

[Gohanto]

Originally Posted by soundfx

Don't underestimate the power of silence.

Or "near" silence. It took a long time to understand why the Sixth Sense only scared me when I watched on my home theater on not on TV.

Watching the extras and turning up the volume later I realized they'd used the sound of different animals and people breathing just above the room tone through most of the movie... like there was always someone there.

[Uncle Bob]

You can always do the reverse of what you normally do (i.e. if you usually make it wet make it dry), or use different tools/techniques (different EQs, and the like).

On one project - a very dark drama - I had a really tough time with a few scenes and was getting very little help from the director. On the suggestion of a friend I set up a new session and started putting in cartoon sounds, silly music, turned the girls into Darth Vader and the guys unto chipmunks; I pulled in random sounds from my sound FX library (ended up with hyenas for a door slam, etc.). It got me out of the rut I was in and I went back refreshed; the director was very pleased. He also had me run off a quick mix of my session, matched it to picture and gave copies to the cast and crew as well as showing it at the party after the premiere.

[ggegan]

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch, ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!

[Jfriah]

Good one, Gary.
However, it is actually "ki..ki...ki..ki...mah...mah...mah.." (as in "KI-ll her MO-mmy", according to the composer)

Classic!

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by Jfriah

Good one, Gary.
However, it is actually "ki..ki...ki..ki...mah...mah...mah.." (as in "KI-ll her MO-mmy", according to the composer)

Classic!

You must be an aficionado to know that.

[Jfriah]

Let's just say I've seen a few horror movies in my time...


And when I get to WORK on one (very few and far between for this guy), love it! Bringing 30 years of experience to the table, so to speak.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

Originally Posted by dr.sound

Use Dynamics. I do Horror movies all the time.There is a lot going on.
Use all 6 of your speakers.
It can be a lot of fun if the clients give you some rope!
As for "modern Horror Movies Suck", we'll I was never a fan
growing up, but once you get to mix a few it can be fun.

Listen to your Doctor! BTW... Just had a chance to catch "Drag me to Hell!"... classic Raimi all the way, and another great job by Marty and the Dub Stage Crew!

[Sonsey@mac.com]

Oh yeah... Effected human voices are always good for scares! Get a singer or two in and have them go nuts!

[jude]

Originally Posted by Sonsey@mac.com

Oh yeah... Effected human voices are always good for scares! Get a singer or two in and have them go nuts!

i like the trick of putting the sound of someone breathing thru the surrounds only. used in the right place it can really make it feel/sound like someone is creeping up behind you

[dr.sound]

Originally Posted by Sonsey@mac.com

Listen to your Doctor! BTW... Just had a chance to catch "Drag me to Hell!"... classic Raimi all the way, and another great job by Marty and the Dub Stage Crew!

Thank you Howard. I appreciate it.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

You're very welcome Marti... and apologies for not catching the mistake on your name!

[ggegan]

When I was a kid, there was this film called "The Tingler", starring Vincent Price. The theater had vibrators attached to the seats that would go off for critical scares. We all thought we were getting electric shocks and it wasn't until years later that I found out what was really going on.