Above is a cinematic sound re-design that I have just completed. It took about two weeks of work and it was super fun to create the ambiences for each scene. I have also posted a version with cinematic music on my YouTube channel, check it out and consider subscribing if you want to be the first to see clips of my work.
More about this project
When looking for projects of mine to include in the new demo reel I am creating, I realised that I do not have one that shows my ambient sound design abilities, especially in terms of a cinematic. My last cinematic project was during university and is included in my first demo reel. To have an updated and more impressive project in it's place, I searched for all the current and new game trailers.
Final Fantasy is a title I have always been aware of but only once played for a short while. However, watching the trailer I immediately felt drawn to the idea of showing off so many different environments and started thinking of how interesting it would be to create them with my own sound design. The sheer amount of scenes involved would be a large undertaking but thankfully the trailer mostly focuses on the different environments in the game and does not have too many dynamic moving pieces.
I created a production asset list of all the scenes and sounds I might need, counting about 17 scenes in total. Then came the searching through the sound libraries I have available to me, which did feel quite limiting in some areas but very broad and interesting in others. Taking those samples into Pro Tools, I set out creating the ambiences. Thinking of interesting sound design ideas for areas but trying not to go overboard, I started making good use of the automation features which I had not done for a while. Some of my favourite scenes included the running through a forest scene as well as the volcano.
Footsteps were of course necessary next. I did not have access to a lot of samples or my own recordings suited to the environments in the trailer, but I believe I did a good job making them sound believable. Having footsteps right for the environment is always a huge part in making that character feel part of the world they are in. Therefore, they are part of that world and part of the environment itself. It would have been quite a misstep in this project not to include them, even if I only wanted to show off the ambiences.
I believe some areas may have needed more polish including the explosions, but they were a fun exercise and not something I have the most practice in. Overall, the trailer turned out quite well and I am hoping they will make impressive parts of my demo reel for employers to enjoy.
If you have any feedback for the trailer, if you enjoyed certain parts or want to tell me about parts you didn't think sounded good, please let me know. Feedback is always greatly appreciated and the only way for me to progress and get better. Thank you for reading!
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