Game Trailer Cue Sheet

Hello to all!

This post will be supporting a project that I am working on right now. This project is to replace the sound in a cinematic game trailer including music, effects and Foley. The trailer that I am replacing the sound for is the "run boy run" trailer for Dying Light. A zombie game with elements of parkour makes this the perfect trailer to remaster the sound for in a way that brings out the sound effects more in this trailer other than having music mask all the sounds in the current trailer. Below is a cue sheet of what sounds will be going where in the trailer:

(NOTE: All Foley is to be recorded on concrete. This includes jumping sounds and breathing to be included with these jumps. All running Foley will have an inherent utility belt rustle, however this will be a separate layer of sound for closer contact with the camera in the trailer.)

0:00 - 0:05:

The following image on the screen is just a warning to show that the following trailer is not suitable for children. No sounds are required here.

0:05 - 0:14:

The images on screen are short idents for the companies involved with the creation of the game (Warner Brothers, Techland). This transitions into the game trailer so sound here is key to set the mood of the trailer.

Sound Plan:

Low Oscillating bass rumble - (This would be inherent for most of the trailer). This will be used to create tension before the trailer starts.

Wind - TIME - 0.09 - 0:18. This noise will be used to set the scene before it comes in to it would be a smooth transition between the idents and the trailer itself. (This noise will carry over to the trailer footage)

Transition Out Sound - Fabric waving slowly. Time 0:11 - 0:17. - Bass rumble and wind are still present

SCENE 2: Free Running on building

Transition In Sound - Running foley on concrete. Time 0:15 - 0:17 - This is to switch views from torn flags to free runner on buildings

Jumping Foley - TIME - 0:17-0:18.

Landing Jump to Roll Foley - TIME - 0:18 - 0:20

Jump onto box sound - TIME - 0:19 - 0:20

Jump onto scaffolding Foley - TIME - 0:20 - 0:21

Running to jump Foley - TIME - 0:20 - 0:21

Landing spot sound - TIME - 0:21:22

Jumping Spot sound/Transition - TIME - 0:22:07

Layered Running Sounds - TIME - 0:22 - 0:24

Distant landing spot sound - TIME - 0:22:26

Breathing sound - TIME - 0:23:24 - 0:25:21

Plane over head effect - TIME - 0:23:24 - 0:31 (Used as transition when overhead)

Parachutes opening x4 - TIME - 0:26:02 - 0:27:03 [Done VIA umbrella opening - Multiple velocities]

Parachute in the wind FX - TIME - 0:27 - 0:29:16 [Done VIA waterproof coat fabric - Multiple takes needed]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For the velocity of the crate falling and the parachutes, the sounds will be automated with the volume with a slow fade. When the crate falls to its pull back speed the sounds will be amplified and will have a higher velocity sounds being played. After second velocity has been heard the sounds will fade out to a transition sound which will be a third velocity sound.

Breathing sound - TIME - 0:29:17 - 0:31:15

Running Foley x4 layers - TIME - 0:30:22 - 0:39:28 AUTOMATION: For more effect when you see a zombie for the first time. At 0:35:03 the volume of this foley will be lowered so you can still hear it but from a distance. The volume of this will become louder as the runners will get closer to the camera.

Jump sound of a bar (Spot Sound)  - TIME - 0:31:29 - 0:32:09

Jump sound of a bar (Spot Sound) - TIME - 0:32:13 - 0:32:22

Footplant sound (On concrete wall) - TIME - 0:32:19 - 0:33:01

Jump sound of a bar (Spot Sound) - TIME - 0:32:27 - 0:33:10

Utility belt rustle (Used for transition via volume boost)  - TIME -  0:33:05 - 0:35:02

Landing jump sound (Landing on concrete) - TIME - 0:33:09 - 0:33:20

Landing jump sound (Landing on concrete) - TIME - 0:33:21 - 0:34:02

Landing jump sound (Landing on concrete - Harder landing for transition sound) - TIME - 0:34:03 - 0:34:15


Zombie Groan sound - TIME - 0:34:22 - 0:37:28 (This effect will fade in for more effect for running up to a zombie. When the camera pans closer to the zombie the louder the sound of it will be)

Wrench pick up spot sound on wood surface - TIME - 0:37:11

Head hit with a wrench spot sound (Replicated with a watermelon being smashed and celery being crumbled for a more realistic sound) - TIME - 0:37:28

Hand placement on wooden railing to jump Foley (Replicated by hopping a wooden fence. It is a small sound but it adds more effect) - TIME - 0:39:29 - 0:40:17

Wood board smash sound effect (Replicated by layering multiple drops and breaks of wooden planes. Also used as a transition sound) - TIME - 0:41:02 - 0:42:20 (This effect will fade out quickly to match the movement from scene to scene)

Scene 3: Indoor zombie chase

NOTE: This scene will be reverb heavy. Must not over do reverb otherwise it will be too much for the scene

Running Foley (This will be used as a transition. There will be a high and mid cut EQ in this and will be automated back to normal to add a transition effect to the trailers scene change) - TIME - 0:42:07 - 0:43:15 (Reverb will be needed to simulate indoor space)

Zombie horde moans (Replicated by layering multiple different zombie voice overs into one sound. Order will not matter. The less order the better the sound may be. There will be a high and mid cut EQ in this and will be automated back to normal to add a transition effect to the trailers scene change. Volume automation will be used also to suit the scene change.) - TIME - 0:42:09 - 1:00:02 (Volume automation when necessary to add distance to the zombies. Reverb will also be used to simulate indoor space) 

Wrench hitting door spot sound (This will be replicated with a wrench being pushed onto a door that is wood) - 0:43:07

Wooden door hinge squeak (This will be to add emphasis to danger) - TIME - 0:43:25 - 0:47:13 (Multiple velocities will be required)

Wood Smash (Could be sourced from wood break from previous scene) - TIME -  0:46:20 - 0:48:06

Second wood smash (To lead into the camera panning to the broken wooden window barricade) - TIME - 0:48:11 - 0:49:19

Man screaming sound - TIME - 0:50:09 - 1:00:01

Second man screaming sound - TIME - 0:54:00 - 1:00:01 (These screaming sounds will have automated EQ and volume to add effect to the next scene transition)

Flesh eating sound effect (This can be replicated by messing about with a broken watermelon and crushing celery) - TIME - 0:50:16 - 0:53:00

Running Foley - TIME - 0:46:18 - 1:00:01 (Multiple layers needed with different principles to them such as zombie squelching feet and different times and types of running)

Zombie head hit spot sound (Replicated with breaking celery and water melon breaking)  - TIME - 0:53:03

Concrete climb Foley - TIME - 0:52:29 - 0:54:25

Flesh eating Foley - TIME - 0:55:24 - 1:00:01

Concrete climb Foley - TIME - 0:56:29 - 1:02:09

Concrete slap spot sound - TIME - 0:59:01

NOTE: All sounds in this scene that carry close to the next scene will have automated EQ, reverb and volume to suit the house style of the sound)

Scene 3: Sewer time

NOTE: Reverb will be automated to make the setting for the next scene feel right. Reverb will be slightly overused in this scene to give the impression of a sewage tunnel

Zombie horde running Foley (This will consist of many layers of reverbed running and depending on how close the camera is to the running the louder it will be) - TIME -  1:00:00 - 1:24:28

Rustling of clothes - TIME - 1:02:14 - 1:08:11

Woman grunting vocals - TIME - 1:02:29 - 1:08:20

Close zombie groan vocal - TIME - 1:02:24 - 1:08:06

Foot placement spot sound - TIME - 1:04:05

Wind "swish" sound effect - TIME - 1:05:22 - 1:06:09

Electric current sound effect - TIME - 1:06:02 - 1:11:08 (Pulsating electric current sound is needed to add more effect to the electricity. Add an LFO onto the sound in post if it cannot be recorded)

Electronic Blast spot sound - TIME - 1:06:03 

Main character running foley (This sound sequence will be louder than the other running foley scripted above to make the viewer seem as they are the character) - TIME - 1:06:10 - 1:07:03

Wall jump foley with landing- TIME - 1:07:04 - 1:08:24

Electronic Buzz spot sound (For impact on zombie) - TIME - 1:08:06

Zombie hit spot sound effect (Replicated via broken watermelons and crushed celery) - TIME - 1:08:06

Parkour Foley (jumping over metal pipes. Replicated with a hand plant on a large metal pipe or metal barrel for a good echo effect on the jumps) - TIME 1:11:09 - 1:16:16 (Volume will decrease near to the end of the sound as the scene is moving fast)

Volatile zombie roar (This sound vocal will be lower pitched than the rest of the zombie roars to give the sense of fear of this creature. This roar will also have a liquid effect to it for support to make the zombie creepy. Reverse a vocal and put a low EQ on for effect.) - TIME - 1:16:10 - 1:18:22

NOTE: Zombie vocals from here will sound lower pitched and will be louder to really push the sense of fear

Main character running Foely (This running will be faded in and will have reverb to add effect to a leap that is coming up in the scene. - TIME - 1:18:16 - 1:21:11

Zombie grab spot sound (Replicated via fabric rustling) - TIME - 1:22:23

Woman screaming vocals - TIME - 1:23:07 - 1:27:00 (This sound will fade out near to the end to simulate length in an empty shaft)

Ladder grab (Replicated with metal scraping against metal) - TIME - 1:23:12 - 1:24:20

Ladder climb Foley - TIME - 1:27:28 - 1:36:29 (To be used as transition into the next scene)

Wind ambiance - TIME - 1:23:10 - 2:15:28 (This will have a slow fade in and out and will automate according to the trailer. Will also be used as a transition between scenes.)

Scene 4: Final Scene

NOTE: To declare this as the final scene it will be a lot calmer with sounds. Reverb and low EQ will be used atmospherically to represent the outside world. Ladder Foley and ambiance will include reverb at the transition at 1:29:15 from the last scene. These will be automated to suit the house style transition of the trailer.

Breathing Vocals - TIME - 1:29:20 - 1:34:09 (This will include a fade in)

Metal wrench bounce - TIME - 1:34:13 - 1:35:05

Wrench grab - TIME - 1:35:20 - 1:36:28

Grunt Vocals - TIME - 1:35:11 - 1:38:28

Clothes rustling with utility belt - TIME - 1:36:28 - 1:40:09

High pitched beeping - TIME - 1:38:28 - 1:55:14 

Breathing vocals - TIME - 1:45:16 - 1:48:19

(IDEA BOX: For the shortest time of 4 frames of time the trailer will be silent for effect on impact.)

Male angry grunt vocals - TIME - 1:48:17 - 1:49:12 (Will have reverb at the end to simulate the loss of hearing in the main character)

Cricket bat impact (Replicated by breaking a water melon and layering cracking of celery on top) - TIME - 1:48:23 - 1:49:08

Blood Squirt (Done by messing about with excess watermelon or by squeezing a ketchup bottle) - TIME - 1:48:23 - 1:55:14 (This will have a slow fade out to replicate the bleeding stopping)

Body Collapse - TIME - 1:49:15 - 1:51:00

Muffled footsteps (They are muffled to simulate the sound of being knocked out) - 1:50:12 - 1:55:14

Muffled metal bounce drop - TIME - 1:50:20 - 1:51:05

Muffled Cricket bat drag across the floor - TIME - 1:52:03 - 1:55:13

NOTE: All sounds that are not direct to the two characters are automated lower in volume to add effect to the impact of the cricket bat hit. They will stay at a low volume for the rest of the scene. However the "High Pitched Beeping" sound will get louder and have a reverb and Low EQ boost to transition into the end idents and the wind ambiance will be present for the end idents.

-------------------- Sounds will fade out from here to end at 2:15:28 --------------------

Update 2: The first step!!

First up this week is a night in the D-command 5.1 studio supplied by Futureworks. I was practicing my music production in here for a few hours and I made some good progress after restarting my progress about 5 times and trying to figure out what I want to make. I created myself a build up including drums and I am going to put a melody synth over this. I just need to figure out what synth goes with my build up. I started to work on the drop of the song first however I do not have a clear view of what the melody should be because right now I have a synth like sound with a steady sound instead of a melody. I also had a slow standard bass wobble that sat well within the mix of the song. Not much progress was made in the session as a whole, however the smallest of progress can be a great help in the future.

In a lecture I was taught something very interesting about sound in almost if not everything. My tutor called Martin Salomonsen was explaining to my group about the tone of sounds and how to really get a good feel for the scene of what you are working with, it is best to be in the correct mindset for the scene. An example of this was the opening scene of Apocalypse Now where you had a man suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and the scene that was playing was drifting in between the Vietnam war and an apartment bedroom, with the focus drawing attention to the apartments fan light and the tail of a helicopter. When sound triggers are heard such as explosions these made a smooth transition between sound and scenes. The feel of the scene however is what was the most important. Where the scene is set is in the apartment which sound wise should be like any normal apartment. Being quiet with some ambient sounds from outside with cars and people talking. However sound designer Walter Murch, thought it would be better to put you in the main characters mind set. He did this by putting out of place jungle sounds in the scene which created unease for the people watching because they would be in the mindset of the character which creates tension also in the viewer.

In a later blog post there will be a cue sheet for what I am doing with a newly chosen game trailer that I am going to overdub. The trailer that I am overdubbing is the "Run boy run" trailer for Dying Light and that will be done and posted to here in the coming week or later. With something other than audio popping up right now I am unable to put any work into anything right now. BUT work will continue soon and blog updates will still be posted. Thanks for reading and stick around for a lot more ;D!