What to put with 7 hours of film...

[johnnhud]

Does anyone else who does transfers run into this? I just got done transfering about 13 400ft reels for a client and I can't decide what sounds I want to run behind the film...

Projector noise?

7+ hours of "memories" music

silence?

It's really irritating because I want to make this clients films the best I can so I don't want to have a blaring soundtrack that they just turn off.

What do you put behind your old "home movies" or your clients for that matter?

[reflex]

I just got done transfering about 13 400ft reels for a client and I can't decide what sounds I want to run behind the film...

Why not ask your client?

[johnnhud]

Why not ask your client?

Most clients respond with "Whatever" when asked. But this is besides the point. Reflex, your response is something that has become so typical on this forum that it drives me crazy.

Users post a question, requesting an answer from those who may have run into the same issues they have.

Then all they get are replies back demanding why they asked that question in the first place or post like yours that don't answer the question and just require further explanation from the original poster.

Is it so hard to offer up suggestions without assuming that the person asking the question is a complete idiot? Obviously, I have asked my client, I have asked several people who I show my projects to, I have played around with many different soundtracks and now I am asking the people on this forum.

So do you have an answer to the question at hand, which I should remind you is as follows:

"What do you put behind your old "home movies" or your clients for that matter?"

[mattias]

Most clients respond with "Whatever" when asked. But this is besides the point. Reflex, your response is something that has become so typical on this forum that it drives me crazy.

well, while i tend to agree with you about that in general as well as in this case, it's very common on this forum for people to ask the "wrong" questions. if people simply explained their problem instead of guessing what the solution could possibly be and ask about that everything would flow much smoother.

/matt

[jpolzfuss]

Hi,

the biggest question of all times is: will you be allowed to use any song/music for the soundtrack?? (Copyright!!!)
If not, I would suggest one of those "free to use in your films/videos once you've paid for the CD"-CDs, e.g.:
http://www.filmmusik.net/
Im most cases such music is very well suited as background music since it mainly consists of endless syntheziser-repititions ;)

[Evan Kubota]

I would put silence, but since it seems that you haven't even asked the client, I'm not sure why you got so pissed off at reflex's suggestion.

His answer wasn't 'defying' you, simply suggesting that you're asking the wrong question. If you haven't asked the client yet I'm not sure why you're requesting advice on a forum.

[reflex]

Why not ask your client?

Most clients respond with "Whatever" when asked. But this is besides the point. Reflex, your response is something that has become so typical on this forum that it drives me crazy.

Maybe I oversimplified my response. It wasn't supposed to be flippant.

Your client is paying the money and *must* have input into what appears on their DVD. If you want a response, you have to ask them a meaningful question. "Whatever" is an indication that you failed to provide clear options.

Here's one way to do it: Include a couple of checkboxes on a submission form that let people choose what audio they want to accompany their film. State on the form that if they don't choose, it will be silent. That covers your back while giving the client a choice.

Their choices are actually fairly limited, because you can't throw on 7 hours of music unless the copyright is cleared (there was a previous thread about this).

[johnnhud]

I would put silence, but since it seems that you haven't even asked the client, I'm not sure why you got so pissed off at reflex's suggestion.

First of all, thanks for the suggestion. Silence can be effective and is certiantly the easiest.

Sencond of all, I clearly stated in my 2nd post that

"I have asked my client, I have asked several people who I show my projects to, I have played around with many different soundtracks and now I am asking the people on this forum. "

which leads me to another rant about people who don't read the whole thread before they post.....

[johnnhud]

Maybe I oversimplified my response. It wasn't supposed to be flippant.

Sorry if I came on to strong but you pressed one of my buttons :twisted:

"Whatever" is an indication that you failed to provide clear options.

Since most of my clients are friends of friends and I'm not actually running a "business" doing this, I guess I've tended to to do everything verbaly. If my clients were paying I would probably be more inclined to discuss all the various options with them, but they tend to trust my judgment and trust that I will make it "look good"

"Here's one way to do it: Include a couple of checkboxes on a submission form that let people choose what audio they want to accompany their film. State on the form that if they don't choose, it will be silent. That covers your back while giving the client a choice.

Thanks, this is helpful. (Even if it does not actually answer the question that was asked :? )

[reflex]

Since most of my clients are friends of friends and I'm not actually running a "business" doing this, I guess I've tended to to do everything verbaly.

OK, now everything makes perfect sense - friends are the hardest clients to please because they seem to think you can read their mind... "you know what I like..."

it does not actually answer the question that was asked :? )

Quite true.

Answer: Silence.

[Dr_Strangelove]

add a projector sound, because silence will eventually bore your client to death... and if the projector sound bothers the client, I think he/She will manage to lower the volume on their tv set to silence.

win-win situation

[etimh]

I would suggest one of those "free to use in your films/videos once you've paid for the CD"-CDs, e.g.:
http://www.filmmusik.net/
Im most cases such music is very well suited as background music since it mainly consists of endless syntheziser-repititions ;)

I've listened to a few of these and they really are a great solution for innocuous background applications. Different companies sell different ones but they range from that completely bland "smooth-jazz" shit, to some kind-of okay world music, to more interesting ambient Eno-like soundscapes.

But as jpolzfuss says, you own it and they're infinitely repetitive and loopable so it can go on for hours, and hours, and hours. I'd go for silence as well, but clients used to the contemporary sound+vision mediascape might be bored or uncomfortable with the "quietness." :?

Tim

[johnnhud]

Also, I have some music looping software but to be honest it just sounds like 7 hours of porno music.... 8O

[Evan Kubota]

If you leave it silent your client can play whatever they want over it... otherwise they'll have to mute the TV and as we all know that rarely happens in American households ;)

[David M. Leugers]

Maybe this is an opportunity to sell the client an edited 2 hour movie with a decent music soundtrack. With 7 hours of film, the best 2 hours could make for an interesting family album... I personally wouldn't want to score a seven hour film especially a hodgepoge of everything shot. Good luck.


David M. Leugers