Epic Trailer Music Breaks

[composer1756]

I am getting conflicted answers from others. I would like for someone to help me with this issue. When I am writing music for an epic trailer, do I need to always put a break before each new section? When I say break, I mean actual silence. Some have told me not to do that. Saying that you should have a small drop in energy. Editors don't need silence to make a cut. They use the musical structure itself as the edit point. What is the common practice for trailer libraries and music editors in your experience? Thanks!

 

[Nekujak]

For the past 4-5 years, I've written trailer music for two libraries - one a standard music licensing library, and another library that specializes in only trailers. The guidance I've always received is to include clear and obvious breaks (referred to as "stopdowns") between sections. In fact, I've gotten notes back several times to add more stopdowns to a cue.

The reason stopdowns are desirable is purely functional. When trailer editors are cutting music to the trailer footage, they need definitive end points in the music that they can use to create breaks and stops throughout the trailer.

With trailer music, you're basically providing editors with a musical toolkit from which they can select different elements and edit as needed. Trailer music is almost never used in its raw end-to-end form when it gets placed in a trailer. Editors chop up and cut the music as needed to match their footage, including using just isolated stems. Having stopdowns in your music helps make their job easier.

Good luck!

 

[composer1756]

For the past 4-5 years, I've written trailer music for two libraries - one a standard music licensing library, and another library that specializes in only trailers. The guidance I've always received is to include clear and obvious breaks (referred to as "stopdowns") between sections. In fact, I've gotten notes back several times to add more stopdowns to a cue.

The reason stopdowns are desirable is purely functional. When trailer editors are cutting music to the trailer footage, they need definitive end points in the music that they can use to create breaks and stops throughout the trailer.

With trailer music, you're basically providing editors with a musical toolkit from which they can select different elements and edit as needed. Trailer music is almost never used in its raw end-to-end form when it gets placed in a trailer. Editors chop up and cut the music as needed to match their footage, including using just isolated stems. Having stopdowns in your music helps make their job easier.

Good luck!

Would you make your stopdowns one or two measures... or maybe just one beat? Or does it just kind of depend on the individual trailer?

 

[Nekujak]

Would you make your stopdowns one or two measures... or maybe just one beat? Or does it just kind of depend on the individual trailer?

I've never had a specific length that I always use. It's usually driven by the individual piece and the nature of the stopdown. For example, if at the end of a section, the stopdown includes a prolonged downer, it could last 2-3 measures, or even longer. Whatever it takes to bring the audio to silence.

I know it can somtimes feel weird to have a prolonged interruptions and silences throughout your music, but trailer music isn't meant to be listened to as a single cohesive piece. It's a collection of discrete sections that are musically related, but don't necessarily flow into each other in the normal musical sense.

Hope that helps.

 

[composer1756]

You are affirming what I have always tried to do! This helps so much!! I appreciate your input, Nekujak!