Advertising and the movie business go hand in hand, and a huge piece of that puzzle is the music accompanying film trailers. But have you ever wondered how movie trailers get their epic scores, even though none of that music typically finds itself in the film? That's where the movie trailer composer comes in. Michael Coleman over at SoundWorks Collection is consistently producing excellent behind the scenes videos related to sound professionals in the film and TV industries, and today we've got another fantastic piece with composer Yoav Goren, who writes music specifically for trailers.
It's truly fascinating to see Goren's process and his love for the work. For anyone making music for movie trailers, I think he's got a lot of great tips for maximizing the potential reach of the trailer. If you're releasing a trailer online only, it's especially important to connect with people in the first few seconds, and a strong trailer score can absolutely do that. As he says in the clip, even if the music doesn't belong in the film, it has to fit the theme of the advertising campaign. It's no wonder that Goren is one of the best at his craft thanks to his attention to detail and his insistence on using real sounds that he has recorded himself.
The sound design that goes into trailers thanks to people like Goren is also a huge part of what gives trailers their identity, and while many also use traditional songs or music rather than a composed score, I think it's clear that it takes a tremendous amount of talent and creativity to compose music specifically for trailers and make something that complements the film and is memorable at the same time.
What are some of your favorite trailers, and how do you think the score benefitted them?
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6 Comments
If you want more of this type of thing, google Zack Hemsey...he's killing it in this game.
Soundworks did a great BTS video on him: https://vimeo.com/21339058
Inception, Lincoln, Game of Thrones, The Town, Transformers....guy is getting noticed.
March 12, 2013 at 8:26AM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM
That was incredible great post he answered a ton of questions for me the difference between trailer sound and film score was a home run for me and the live choir and room for the air and liveness yes that was tight im going to embed this clip
March 12, 2013 at 9:56AM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM
With all due respect to the composers and musicians who work on these soundtracks, subtlety in scores have gone the way of subtlety in hollywood films...it's all über-bloated, swollen horns/strings and bombast that pairs well with CGI saturated imagery and poor scripts. The suits ask for these thick messes, so I guess you can't blame the artists.
I agree with what Soderbergh said recently in an interview: “Music has become another of the most abused aspects of filmmaking. I’m mystified by the direction scores have taken in the last ten years. It’s wall-to-wall—it’s the movie equivalent of the vuvuzelas from the last World Cup!”
The soundtrack for Looper was a welcome change. Interesting industrial 'found' sound collages à la Autechre and Matmos. The Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross soundtrack for The Social Network was good too.
But in the end...to each his own.
March 12, 2013 at 11:57AM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM
A trailer score will/has always been a marketing tool. Trailer songs from the 90's through today haven't changed much other than the quality of the samples used and the obvious changes in style that come over time. I don't think you can accurately asses the state of film scores by using trailer cues as your litmus test.
March 12, 2013 at 12:11PM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM
To me the take away is much more simple: Great production is awesome, but to completely engage and move the viewer you can't forget the crazy effort needed on the music side of things. Obviously we can't all go to these lengths but even on the lowest level (i.e. shots of your kids in the park), taking the time to pick a song which perfectly hits home with your footage can be the difference between a home run and striking out.
March 13, 2013 at 9:52AM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM
The score for the new Superman trailer.
March 15, 2013 at 10:16PM, Edited September 4, 8:21AM