# The Maze Runner - trailer



## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

What do you think about my trailer for The Maze Runner?


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## PeterN (Feb 27, 2018)

Thanks again for sharing Mads.

Sound is getting more and more compact. Sounds more professional by the day. And the echo is, again, prime time.

Would take away the first choir, theres something ”depressive” about the choir. ”Oooooooo”, like too many gothic angels dressed in black around. Takes away some tension by making it depressive. The second choir ok. Would also put in some more tension with some notes outside the usual progression scale. Like, rather than the usual F maybe flip in a F# and some odd notes. Or switch a major to a minor in between. And such.

That being said, its not too fair to judge others by not putting own stuff around too. But just a suggestion, cut away the depressive choir and take some steps outside the usual notes and chord progression, for tension and surprise.

Just two cents from here. Keep it going mate.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

PeterN said:


> Thanks again for sharing Mads.
> 
> Sound is getting more and more compact. Sounds more professional by the day. And the echo is, again, prime time.
> 
> ...



Thanx for constructive post PeterN - as always from you. I agree that the ooo (from Merete Soltvedt) is too depressive, and I will definetly try out the suggestion with some notes outside the scale. I use that too rarely.

Maybe a new version will appear here in a day or two


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Feb 27, 2018)

Mads Skønberg said:


> What do you think about my trailer for The Maze Runner?




Thank you for sharing. I think your pacing could have thought. Imo your 4 count is a bit too slow. I tapped the trailer and I was a faster tapping to match the pacing and cuts of the trailer. Actually with my tempo..I was hitting often on the cuts. Besides the composition, I would spent if I were you more time on such things.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Thank you for sharing. I think your pacing could have thought. Imo your 4 count is a bit too slow. I tapped the trailer and I was a faster tapping to match the pacing and cuts of the trailer. Actually with my tempo..I was hitting often on the cuts. Besides the composition, I would spent if I were you more time on such things.




Thanx Alex! How can I get the tempo to match better? Is it just adjusting tempo in Logic?


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## mac (Feb 27, 2018)

Tap along with the cuts in the picture to get a rough idea of tempo, then set your metronome to play along with it. Adjust as necessary. You may need to set a tempo map at certain points.


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Feb 27, 2018)

Mads Skønberg said:


> Thanx Alex! How can I get the tempo to match better? Is it just adjusting tempo in Logic?



Well, before I start writing a cue for a trailer, film whatever. I watch the scenes a couple of times to get feeling for the pacing. The pacing is influenced by: 

- how fast the people act, morve or things (for instance are they fighting, going, running)
- what pace are the cuts? Are they blending slow, are there long scenes without cuts etc.
etc. 
So then I start tapping with my hand for getting a feel for the tempo. The tempo I tapped is often when its done right an arithmetic average of the overall pacing of the scenes, so it often works fine with the action and cuts. You should practise that: Just tap tempos a whole day.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Well, before I start writing a cue for a trailer, film whatever. I watch the scenes a couple of times to get feeling for the pacing. The pacing is influenced by:
> 
> - how fast the people act, morve or things (for instance are they fighting, going, running)
> - what pace are the cuts? Are they blending slow, are there long scenes without cuts etc.
> ...



I am very greatful for your time. Thank you very much. I have never thought about this. But I really understand that I should from now. Thanx!


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Feb 27, 2018)

Mads Skønberg said:


> I am very greatful for your time. Thank you very much. I have never thought about this. But I really understand that I should from now. Thanx!



And try not to hit every cut in those trailers with a "braamm" or "Hit". I mean..as an effect..well why not, but not too much as it gets predictable and maybe a bit comical?


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> And try not to hit every cut in those trailers with a "braamm" or "Hit". I mean..as an effect..well why not, but not too much as it gets predictable and maybe a bit comical?


I agree.

I have tried to not to do that. Do u think its too much as it is now?


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## Harry (Feb 27, 2018)

Have you put your music over the top of the actual trailer music? Or have you got a copy of the trailer without the music? I'm not sure what are your sounds and what is the original.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

Harry said:


> Have you put your music over the top of the actual trailer music? Or have you got a copy of the trailer without the music? I'm not sure what are your sounds and what is the original.



I have a copy of the trailer without music. Only talking and cinematic sounds.


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## Harry (Feb 27, 2018)

Mads Skønberg said:


> I have a copy of the trailer without music. Only talking and cinematic sounds.


Ahaa, I think I found it - it had a few sounds and hits on it, but not a full musical soundtrack.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

Harry said:


> Ahaa, I think I found it - it had a few sounds and hits on it, but not a full musical soundtrack.


No music at all on mine. But yes, a few sounds and hits.


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

PeterN said:


> Thanks again for sharing Mads.
> 
> Sound is getting more and more compact. Sounds more professional by the day. And the echo is, again, prime time.
> 
> ...



Here I have removed the vocal in the middle, and some other improvements. I think the sound is "bigger" in the end too. Agree?


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 27, 2018)

Some more improvements...


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## Harry (Feb 28, 2018)

Hei Mads - just curious to know - presume you made your music inside Logic - how did you then combine the music and the video + its soundtrack, did you do that in some other software and create for example a .MP4 that you then uploaded to YouTube?


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## NoamL (Feb 28, 2018)

@Harry you can "File -> Movie -> Export Audio to Movie" inside Logic which lets you have the option of keeping the old audio track and adding your music. It's better though, for a project like this, to extract the audio into Logic (File -> Movie -> Import Audio From Movie) and then export the SUM audio back to the video when you finish. That way you can check limiting etc. Although obviously you would not work that way with a professional client because you are usurping the role of the dub.

@Mads Skønberg I like some parts of the trailer.

However, I think you need to play more tightly with the edit.

These trailers are cut for impact. The editing throughout "Act One" of the trailer, between small slices of action and total blackness, is there for CONTRAST and your music must work with that in some way instead of just sitting on top of it unchanging.

That is why trailer music has so many "bramms" although recently the "ding" has come into fashion as well... sometimes you get both in the same trailer even!




So, AMP UP the dramatic cutting of the trailer. Hit the cuts hard.

Your music for Act One "lands" at 0:26 after the kid says "rise and shine." Not quite right I think. It should "land" at 0:21 when the kid jumps down. (It is okay to have some echoing element or downer after this, but the "hit" should be when the kid jumps down.) That way, you are correctly playing to the bewildered reaction shot (0:22) and letting the kid's line take center stage. The point is that line is our hero's introduction to this whole new dystopian world.

"Act Two" takes place between 0:26 and 0:57 or maybe 0:59. *Think structurally:* by the time the trailer starts cutting away to words (0:57 aka "Act Three") the music needs to be totally HUUUGE. That last act is where EVERYTHING is berserk! So the task of these 30 seconds in Act Two is to BUILD UP. Build the urgency so that the dropout on "no one ever makes it out alive" hits the audience like a punch. The other musical task in Act Two is introducing some musical progression or melody in a "medium" sized orchestration that you will then explode into a ridiculous over the top orchestration in the next act. Musical unity... less material is more...

"Act Three" goes from 0:59 to 1:25. Again, respect the cut. Look at the large cut to black between 1:25-1:27. The music isn't supposed to continue through that. You need to build up instead to 1:25 and ramp out on the shot of the two kids running away from the falling debris. Musical content in this Act wasn't urgent enough. I don't feel from your scoring that this is going to be an epic action movie with great scenes. Also think about the urgency of the last three shots: we see a guy drowning, we see that one of the kids is a traitor (?) who will fight the others, we see two kids running away from falling wreckage. Build into these shots.

"Act Four" is from 1:27 to the end. Actually it should probably start at 1:28 right when the kid makes the decision to run even though the walls are closing. This needs to be MUSICALLY EXTREME. This is where to put all the risers, berserk sound design etc. Build up to the cut to black at 1:33.

The last bit of music accompanies the title drop at 1:34. This doesn't need to be more than a big orchestra hit or bramm that dies away.


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## NoamL (Feb 28, 2018)

I put together this to show you more visually. Insomnia!

Please note:* I didn't write this. All music is by Mark Petrie.* Who is basically a genius at trailer music and his scores are used every single day in trailer houses. I just put on my music editor hat and assembled some very rough temp that shows the proper beats of the trailer using his music. Obviously the edit is rough, pitch shifting is bad, tempos don't really match, musical unity is not there... but it shows you the "shape" of the trailer.

_(link deleted)_

Let me know when you've had a listen and I'll delete it.

Again:

Act One - danger, uncertainty, disorientation, get the blood pumping, wtf is going on?

Act Two - the high concept. Big walls big picture big music. BUILD, HIT, DROP on the revelation that all these people are trapped and gonna die.

Act Three - NON STOP ACTION with a thread of rising urgency and even panic at the end. SELL the movie and the action.

Act Four / Stinger Out - "Realm of the ridiculous" (according to MP). Totally over the top.

Act Five / Title Drop - release the tension, hit into ambient outro.


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## Puzzlefactory (Feb 28, 2018)

Where did you get the trailer sans music from, out of interest?


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## Mads Skønberg (Feb 28, 2018)

@NoamL thanx for a lot of advice. I think my biggest mistake is that I am thinking I have to compose a "musical piece" to the trailer. I understand now that the timing is more important than the melody...

I am greatful for your tips. I will try to make a totally new version


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## Puzzlefactory (Feb 28, 2018)

Nothing wrong with writing a musical piece IMO.

The guy @NoamL mentioned, Mark Petrie, writes very musical pieces (as does of course, TSFH).


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## NoamL (Feb 28, 2018)

Mads Skønberg said:


> @NoamL thanx for a lot of advice. I think my biggest mistake is that I am thinking I have to compose a "musical piece" to the trailer. I understand now that the timing is more important than the melody...
> 
> I am greatful for your tips. I will try to make a totally new version



Cool! Would love to hear it when you're done.


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