New Short Film - "Trails of Dust"

bewillia said:
i gotta say the sound needs a lot of mixing/sweetening/adr work. but it seems like you might already know this. ambient sound is almost always too hot, perhaps to cover up lack of foley (footsteps, clothing rustle, materials). also, the location music in the gas station has the right eq, but doesn't sound like it's emanating from speakers in that space. lots of the car sound is off too. engine is too mid-range for a muscle car (though not all the time) and the door of the car when he leaves to go in the gas station is too much of a slam when it should be a simple shut. i could go on and on. maybe post this in the audio section, and you can get some more good audio feedback. that's what needs the most help right now, though you've created some really amazing atmosphere with sound (it's just too hot).

i like the feel of the piece.
really great for a student film.
lots of david lynch influence there, no?

so did all of that budget go to camera rental and film stock/processing/transfer?


good job.

You're the first to comment on the sound in this way. Anybody else feel this way? This is actually my second time ever mixing a film. I did it all on a Mac-Mini with FCP and Soundtrack Pro for some stuff.
 
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robinbuday said:
You're the first to comment on the sound in this way. Anybody else feel this way? This is actually my second time ever mixing a film. I did it all on a Mac-Mini with FCP and Soundtrack Pro for some stuff.

I just read this thread and I was about to post, read his post, glad I'm not the only one


I have alot of the same problems as far as sound just not being right - the radio sounded like it was an mp3 of the song and it wasn't really coming out of the speakers (due in part to part of the drumming, i can't remember exactly what, but it was a ticking sound that really didn't fit)

What else, little foley things - in the beginning , the car sounded really fake (needs to be lower, because I mean, the engine IS encased in a big ole car, right?)
Actually there were plenty of car troubles throughout the film, so look into
that..

Some of the dialogue sounds "cheap" (especially his interior monologue)

Also when the guy comes up to the door with food or room service and he slips the 100 under the door, that was pretty poor

I must admit i LOVED the michael mann-esque guitar riff music when he walks out of the gas station

But i felt the sound design was one of the weaker elements at this point, i think if you sharpen it would really take it to the next level~~
 
monte said:
I just read this thread and I was about to post, read his post, glad I'm not the only one


I have alot of the same problems as far as sound just not being right - the radio sounded like it was an mp3 of the song and it wasn't really coming out of the speakers (due in part to part of the drumming, i can't remember exactly what, but it was a ticking sound that really didn't fit)

What else, little foley things - in the beginning , the car sounded really fake (needs to be lower, because I mean, the engine IS encased in a big ole car, right?)
Actually there were plenty of car troubles throughout the film, so look into
that..

Some of the dialogue sounds "cheap" (especially his interior monologue)

Also when the guy comes up to the door with food or room service and he slips the 100 under the door, that was pretty poor

I must admit i LOVED the michael mann-esque guitar riff music when he walks out of the gas station

But i felt the sound design was one of the weaker elements at this point, i think if you sharpen it would really take it to the next level~~


I actually agree with most of your comments but I've noticed that the "non-film" people who screen the film notice none of these things. Take "The Departed" for example... I've never seen so many continuity errors in editing. However, the movie was so cool and well paced nobody cares or takes serious notice. Hell, it won the Oscar for editing. I would love to take the time to flesh out all of these things but I'm in my last semester here at SDSU and I have more projects to do. Maybe over the summer...
 
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