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Hey guys, so I was hoping I could get some feedback on a project that I did for class, all the sounds were self recorded (only sound that wasn't ours was the crow aha). But yah let me know if you like it, what you think, and if you could have added anything, what? :) Thank you all for being a great community!

http://vimeo.com/49088605

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  • Hi Michael, I am new to this site, and also new to sound designing. Like you I am learning sound design in a class that I am taking, and I am really enjoying it. Although I cannot give you any advice, because I am still learning a lot myself I would like to let you know that I think you did a great job. Keep up the good work, and stay in contact as well. Respectfully, Antoine A Davis [email protected]
    – user6247
    Jul 24, 2013 at 4:46

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Hey Michael,

Great job, in fact awesome job ! Loved some of the little touches, the arrow coming in was beautiful !!!! and great intro to the rest of the scene. I won't mention the Crow : ) Be nice to bring up some of the vocals from guys getting punched, kicked and gutted. I'd have like to hear a bit more of the ambience of the scene coming back in closer to the end (maybe screwed with in something like GRM to keep in line with the sonic) I'd maybe have the Foley on some of the other characters a bit more mid rather than close. It would also be great to have some more cloth/clothing detail in there for the mid freq.

Agree that music scored around the sound design would help as well. I think you've done such a good job of creating "your" sound on the cut-scene it would be a shame to wallpaper it with music ! It had a real nice Watchmen stylised treatment that I dig.

Great job again ! If I was to hear this on a showreel you'd def have got my attention !

Cheers

Chris Sweetman

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  • Hey Chris, Thanks for providing such a nice critique! So glad to hear that you liked it so, and I will definitely be including this in my show reel. Again, if I had had the time I probably would have ironed out this project even more (honestly I don't feel this is close to finished). However, class deadlines are deadlines and I will respectfully let this project lie :P Thank you again for the kind words! Maybe I will just score something around this piece for my showreel! Best, Michael Brennan Feb 21, 2013 at 5:10
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Michael, welcome to SSD. I watched/listened carefully to the trailer and I do like it.

One thing I believe the trailer could use more of is low end. It kind of sounds thin on some parts. Also, the crow is quite out of place IMO.

Otherwise good job!

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  • Thank you for the warm welcome :) Will definitely be trying to master using the sub frequencies effectively in my next project! The crow was definitely a last minute effect as I couldn't effectively record my own bird sounds that I had in mind. Thanks for you input! Feb 19, 2013 at 18:09
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Hi Michael,

Nicely done. I agree on the crow being a bit out of place. The idea however, to use a sonic event with this 'magical appearance', I do like. The crow sound is simply to isolated and doesn't match the image. Feathers from a white dove would be more appropriate, albeit cliche.

Overall I think the sound is too clean/stylised and mostly sounds like a foley and sfx/hard effects track. There is no build up of threat for the situation the main character is in. He is under attack but only in the very end I feel that he is threatened. Maybe that was the point and a score is composed to fill that part of the experience.

Nevertheless, good to hear that you've created all the sounds in the process. Keep at it!

Cheers!

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    Hey Arnoud, I agree that the crow feels out of place, feathers of a dove definitely would have been a nice choice. I was trying to make a connection between the crow sounds in the beginning to the crow sound then. However, I think the listeners attention to that detail may have gotten lost in all the action :P I also agree in the track being to clean. Tried to record an effective background "fighting crowd", just didn't fit in time for my deadline. Maybe a score will be in order for the next project :) Cheers! Feb 19, 2013 at 18:13
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I like it. I'm with the other guys on the crow, maybe it should be lower in the mix. the effects are very well-timed, my only criticism would be that some of the stabs sound too squishy and not thuddy enough. The squishing gurgly sounds seem like they need to be lower in the mix. Of course, as was mentioned above, score would drastically change all of this. Good work!

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  • Thank you Dave! Listening at it again, I probably could have thrown some harder hits with squishes, maybe bone cracks? Thanks for the input! :) Feb 19, 2013 at 18:15
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    Yea, that might work. Also, i think something you could benefit from (this is something i struggle with too), is some high freq roll off on a lot of those squishy sounds. I feel like they will become a little bit more visceral and stand out less, and blend in. Think about the cloth deadening the sound - that sound wouldn't be so clean. I think it will have less of a "gross-out" sound effect and more of a subtle effect. I have a hard time also, and find that I need to knock myself in the head to remind me to blend the stuff with EQ more, and have them stand out LESS.
    – Dave
    Feb 19, 2013 at 19:57
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Hi Michael,

Overall its not too bad. However, it feels very thin and empty. Music will help by setting the mood and feel of the situation of course. What you need next is ambience. Some wind cause its outdoors. And then manipulate, time stretch it to further enhance your sound design during the slow motion scenes. Ambience to me is what helps to put the audience in the same location as to what they see on screen. Basically what you've got is the icing on the cake. Try to build up your SFX on a good base of foley, dialogue, music and ambience in your next project. And Kudos to you putting up your video here and getting feedback.

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  • Thanks idiriszee, I definitely hear that lack of ambiance. It seems so empty because of the absence of crowd sounds to me. If i had more time (only had 10 days to record and edit this project) I would have added in that extra ambiance, but I think next time ambiance will be one of the first to go in instead of all that icing ;P And thanks for the tip on Time Stretching. It was actually purposeful at the time to leave time stretching out as I kind of think of it as overdone, and I tried to do something different. However now I can hear that it needs probably a small amount of stretching for fx. Apr 5, 2013 at 4:38
  • Thank you so much for your response! Good to see people are still looking at this question, and answering it! :D Apr 5, 2013 at 4:38
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hello, i think personaly the sounds are too sharp, you need to smoth the mix out...

the reverb doesnt sound proper on the crow... you need a more bigger "plate"

basicly i think for the cut scene your sound is too much detailed in a way like it was a close up of something, that kind of detailed mix, is nice to capture a certain type of scenes in detail, but in this case its a fight scene, if somehow you could oscilate between a detailed parts with other not so much moments in the mix, that would be perfect...

i eard your mix in the ATH M50 headphones

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Good job, with dynamic foley. I agree that it could benefit from some abstract ambience, especially in the "slo mo" moments or a music score.

There is a repeating sword sound that has a distinct pitch. It could use some slight variation. Started to sound repetitious. (is that a word? ) :)

You should lowpass some of the foley e.g. in the beginning. With full bandwidth it sound too close. Maybe add some armor movement that is heard when the you see the legion in the cliff. After all he is wearing some kind of metal sheets and all kind of belts with metal buckles plus a sword in scabbard. Pure leather foley makes too squishy sound in this case.

Who did the character voices? Nice hoarse yell at 00:31

-Miska

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Wow, this reverb style SFX's is good idea, thanks for sharing! There's crack of arrow (0:11) - I think it sounds too close. Again, thanks for sharing!

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