Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Intolerable Cruelty" trailer -sound mix

This is topic "Intolerable Cruelty" trailer -sound mix in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005170

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-02-2003, 09:38 PM:

Has anyone noticed or does anyone think that the sound mix on the "Intolerable Cruelty" trailer - is bad? I had some complaints about my sound levels and I noticed that particular trailer has a weird sound mix - too much low end. Has anyone else experienced this same problem?

Posted by Christopher Duvall (Member # 284) on 08-03-2003, 04:59 AM:

I have had no problems here. Do you only have it on one screen? You may just have a bum trailer.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-03-2003, 05:21 AM:

I've ran it on several screens. No problems at all, but do bear in mind I am running trailers with no surrounds or subwoofer.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-03-2003, 01:03 PM:

I believe that it is this one trailer. I have listened to it a few times and the low end is extreme. We will be checking the levels in that theatre this week.

Posted by Bill Carter (Member # 156) on 08-04-2003, 02:19 PM:

I thought it sounded strange myself. Mainly the music sounded odd to me in that mix. Strange low end, and maybe some weird (intentional?) phase effects. The rest of the show sounded/sounds great in that house. Just the one trailer is odd.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 08-17-2003, 11:25 PM:

The one attached to our prints of American Pie are just incredibly loud. Normally run our trailers at 4.6 to 5.6 but this one goes through at 3.8

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 08-18-2003, 10:27 AM:

Ours are too loud, and they also sound strange. We're playing them in SDDS, and SRD, and I have to turn them down until the trailers are over BECAUSE of this trailer, then turn them back up for the feature. Otherwise we get complaints. I'd complain too... they sound like [bs]

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 08-19-2003, 12:51 AM:

Brad...why do you run trailers that way?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-19-2003, 03:57 AM:

I've explained it a lot in the archives Manny. Simply put, I don't like the idea of the trailers having more of an impact than the feature. I play them at "tv volume", lights at half with stage channels only. The sub isn't needed, especially on the trailer mixes of today. There is more than adequate low end coming from the left, center, and right channels.

So when the cue passes at the beginning of the feature, the lights dim down fully, the surrounds and subwoofer turn on and the master fader raises to a proper feature level. I've found not blasting people with the trailers not only helps to get the customers to settle down and pay attention when the first image hits the screen (because the volume is not loud enough to talk over them), but when the feature starts the surrounds, subwoofer and noticeable increase in volume commands their attention.

If you don't like that explanation then you have the added side benefit too. Customers will complain when it is convenient to them to do so. This is during the previews. When the previews start the customers will demand to turn the fader to an acceptable level, then when the feature hits (regardless of what the trailer level squad says), the volume is just too low on most movies to achieve the impact the producers intended. (Putting bad mixes like Charlie's Angels 2 aside.) Once the feature starts, people get involved in the movie and it can be ran at an ideal level without a single complaint.