Horror Soundtrack

I kind of hear a "Halloween" piece within this. But, as for a horror soundtrack I just don't hear it.

There's a chord of which I can not name. But, lets say you play a G note on the 6th string (3rd fret), you'd play it with the C#/Db note on the 5th string (4th fret). Whatever that's called, it's popular in horror film music. It gives a morose feeling to the music. Also minors and lots of flats. Your's just sounds too happy and steady.
 
Snowman999 said:
I kind of hear a "Halloween" piece within this. But, as for a horror soundtrack I just don't hear it.

There's a chord of which I can not name. But, lets say you play a G note on the 6th string (3rd fret), you'd play it with the C#/Db note on the 5th string (4th fret). Whatever that's called, it's popular in horror film music. It gives a morose feeling to the music. Also minors and lots of flats. Your's just sounds too happy and steady.
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That's a tri-tone, and there are several in there, as well as flats.
Thanks for the feedback, though. You hinted at a good point I should have clarified that this isn't for a "kill scene" but just the intro or a stalking scene. Kill scene would be way more staccato and dissonant.
 
The organ has a lot of midrange energy. Turning it down to an acceptable level would cause your kick drum to drop out. I'd anticipate that by raising the kick, or else give the film producer separate stems for the organ and kick. I agree it's more 60s Sci Fi than 80s horror.
 
I'm not a good judge of these things. But the little riffy thing on the right side is just moving too fast for a horror film. The whole thing needs to be a bit slower and have just a little less going on. Again, I'm not a good judge of these things.
 
Well, I tried matching it up on youtube with a few stalking scenes from horror movies. First, I think this is more of a songwriting thing, not a mixing thing. Just to be fair.

The biggest issue I had with it was the tempo and preciseness of it all. I shouldn't be able to nod my head accordingly in time with eerie suspenseful music. It should be jagged and...suspenseful. Not predictable and bouncy. The instruments are just fine, good choices actually. It's the way they're played and the impression they're giving in relation to what the notes and chords make you feel. I would be interested to hear how it works with the timing stretched out... slowed down and played over again so not to be in perfect pop tune timing.
 
andrushkiwt said:
Well, I tried matching it up on youtube with a few stalking scenes from horror movies. First, I think this is more of a songwriting thing, not a mixing thing. Just to be fair.

The biggest issue I had with it was the tempo and preciseness of it all. I shouldn't be able to nod my head accordingly in time with eerie suspenseful music. It should be jagged and...suspenseful. Not predictable and bouncy. The instruments are just fine, good choices actually. It's the way they're played and the impression they're giving in relation to what the notes and chords make you feel. I would be interested to hear how it works with the timing stretched out... slowed down and played over again so not to be in perfect pop tune timing.
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Thanks, guys.

Yeah I agree, Andru. I recorded it to a click, but that should be easy to fix with using free time and giving it more dynamics.
So maybe more staccato and looser? That's how I originally had it when I wrote it on guitar, but as soon as I went to programmed drums and keys it got as you say and more "grid" feeling. At the same time, the drum felt/sounded like a heartbeat to me, which I liked, but I'm not sure how to get that and also remain loose.

Even as intro music you think it's too on the grid? I mean listen to the intro to "Stranger Things" and it's like perfectly on the grid. In fact, I think they just hit the arpeggio button and held down a Maj7 chord on that keyboard. But that show is maybe more toward sci-fi as Robus said. I'll have to figure this out!
 
Nola said:
That's a tri-tone, and there are several in there, as well as flats.
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I listened again and I still don't hear it. I don't even hear the tri-tone (thanks for that info. The next time I want to describe those notes I'll have to search out this thread. I can't remember a damn thing anymore)

Nola said:
intro or a stalking scene. Kill scene would be way more staccato and dissonant.
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Intro, it's good as is.

Stalking scene, IMO not quite there.

But, most important, did they send you the edited scene? If this is just going to be dropped in the background, then it's fairly good to go. If they want to lay this into a scene to use as an essential part of the scene, you should do that with a final edited scene. It doesn't need proper sound or color correction. But, you need to see the scene to write the music for it.
 
Snowman999 said:
I listened again and I still don't hear it. I don't even hear the tri-tone (thanks for that info. The next time I want to describe those notes I'll have to search out this thread. I can't remember a damn thing anymore)



Intro, it's good as is.

Stalking scene, IMO not quite there.

But, most important, did they send you the edited scene? If this is just going to be dropped in the background, then it's fairly good to go. If they want to lay this into a scene to use as an essential part of the scene, you should do that with a final edited scene. It doesn't need proper sound or color correction. But, you need to see the scene to write the music for it.
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Thanks, good feedback, Snowman.

I was leaning toward it as the intro so glad it works at least somewhat for that. The movie hasn't been shot yet. It's a local film group making a lo-fi 80s slasher type movie who just gave me the plot and asked if I could come up with something; then I came up with this as an opening for it.

The flat note is right off the bat it's G-D-G-Eb for the main theme, then a Db comes in with the higher pitched organ making the tri-tone and adding another flat note. Might be a Bb somewhere in there, too as the minor/flat 3rd, but I forget and would have to check what I wrote down.

For a kill scene diminished chords or cluster chords are nice, played stacatto, so I'd use things like that for way more intensity.
 
Then for an intro you nailed it. Good Luck with it. Soundtracking is a lot of fun. I did it for 3 micro-budget movies.
 
I guess it could work for an intro. It's pretty major even for that tho.

As others have pointed out, after the intro, it's way too much of a "song" and not ambient enough. Maybe you need to listen to more Goblin?
 
we think we know what you tried to achieve. definitely 80s sound in there. try go for more dissonant sounds.

mixingwise you should go for a classic style. just like you would mix a regular track.
 
Late to this thread so I can't comment but I just noticed how varied the "feel"for the soundtrack is for everyone. A great contest idea for best sountrack for someones low budget film. I once made a hokey kung fu movie complete with very unsyncronized voice over and what i thought was oriental music improvised poorly. It was hiliarous to my buds. A few days later i was watching a kung gu flick with a soundtrack almost identicial to mine. Go figure. Good luck with the flick and have fun.
 
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