Oblivion Trailer

Very cool, this definitely seems like your ideas fit well with the video. One thing I did notice is that even in the beginning the scenes are short and the transitions are abrupt, so you may not want to start too slowly or it could make the video really jarring. I do like the idea of the buildup to the motorcycle scene, though.

I like your plan, to build up the music and end on a strong note, that seems to follow the theme of an action movie very well. However I'm a bit confused on what you mean by alternating the dialogue and music to connect it. Does the dialogue have large pauses? If you want the score and music to connect, you might want to consider having constant quiet background instrument(s) so the switch between isn't too contrasting.

Great start, Brian. I would suggest analyzing the piece a bit more as far as rising action, climax, etc are concerned so you can begin to develop a strong sonic backbone. Please continue to post process updates, and I can't wait to hear the final project!

I completely agree with Almeda. Here some general ideas: Think of the functions of the music for audiovisuals that we studied at class and also the composition concepts. Start with analyzing the video more precisely and setting its parts and the mood and characteristics of the music for each part. Plan your instruments. Remember that to make a crescendo you can add instruments apart to make them play louder and vice-versa with decrescendo. Select a good tempo that goes well with the images (beat per minute), though you might change it in some section if you think it is going to fit better. To open the video in Logic: File-Movie-Open Movie. Then mark the sections of it in the next way: Logic Pro-Preferences-Advanced Tools and activate all except for Control Surfaces and Surround (and score if you are not going to use it). Then Track-Show Global Tracks and in the Arrangement Track you can establish the sections, for example:

- Introduction: objectives (mood to set, things to remark with music...), Function/s of the music in this section (set the mood, present the main character (you can create a leitmotif for it), place the viewer in the physical place where the action is (country, region, etc.), underline the time the action takes place...), Composition concepts to get the objectives and music functions: crescendo to begin, tempo that fits, kind of music to set the mood, instrumentation that fits with the place and time,...
- And something similar to the other sections.

Also in the markers track you can put markers to synchronize important moments in the scene to synchronize with the music, example: evil monster appears suddenly (remark with its leitmotif or with some low tones, or drums, etc)

The process should be that: set the objectives, set the music function/s, set the composition concepts to get them, compose the music.

I wrote this on Eunice's and it's because Daragh stressed it when he was helping me come up with ideas. I think a cool way to make sure that feelings of the scene get communicated by the music is to make sure that you identify the changes in the mood and feeling throughout (as subtle as they might be) and to make it so the music matches these changes. If there's a change from anxiety/anticipation to release, you could have music that gets faster and louder then reaching silence and then a softer, slower tune.
If there's multiple camera changes in sequence, have sounds that identify these changes.

Nice, I like what you have here. I agree with your critique about the ariel crash sound effects; it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the piece. I'm also not particularly fond of the percussion sound you used in between frames. I think something that faded out instead of cutting off would have been less jarring. Not that jarring is bad, but I think that would be best used in an action sequence or only right before the falling scene. Since the trailer has so many short scenes, the percussive sound makes it a little difficult to keep up. Overall, though, I like how this turned out.

I really like the turnout with this piece. I agree with you on the aerial crash scenes, the sound could be changed so it is more cohesive with the rest of the trailer. I also think that to make the transitions between your music and the voiceover from the movies a little less choppy, you should fade the voice over more, and possibly even add more background grit/noise to your music.

Wow, I think that this was very well done! Just a few comments to make. In the beginning, it seems like the tones were made to drop as each scene shifted but they drop every so slightly after a new scene of the destruction is shown. (This might just be an issue with the video processing though) I really liked how you handled the high-energy scenes where Tom Cruise is shown in dangerous situation with just the cymbals, it was very effective in terms of building up the suspense. I thought the part where he falls into the hole was a bit awkward just because it was the same sound as in the beginning but it only lasted a brief moment whereas I as almost anticipated something else to linger afterwards. Lastly, I wish that the ending when "OBLIVION" text is displayed you would have let the note ring out a little longer before fading it out - it was a bit abrupt.