The Art of Trailer Building: Essential Swells, Whooshes, Reverses & More

By Sarah Scarlata

The art of making movie trailers has vastly evolved in the past 30 years. When a movie was about to hit the theaters, the movie trailer would usually consist of scene highlights scored with the original film score or by the main popular song licensed in the movie. There might be a voiceover narrating catchy quips along with the names of the main actors and directors at the end, or the visuals may speak for themselves. You got the main gist of what the movie is about, but the trailer didn’t blow your hair back.

Oh, how times have changed!

The movie trailers of 2023 are built to thrill and drastically raise your heart rate. Your seat practically rumbles from the bombastic sounds, and the wow factor is undeniable. A trailer may start off on a calm note, but regardless of if it’s a drama or comedy, the visual will always end on an exciting note convincing you to rush out and see that movie the day it comes out. The art of making the perfect movie trailer is a fine talent. The bar is very high.

The sounds that add power and propulsion to any movie trailer are known as sound design. It’s the booms, bass drops, risers, whooshes, braams, transitions, and suckback sounds that truly make a trailer come alive and shake you to your core. 

Trailerizing popular or public domain songs is another method of beefing up a track to help it carry the heavy action of a movie trailer. This consists of adding big sound design layers to work with the original stems of the song and can vastly reimagine the songs we all know and love. Having the right sound design is the key ingredient to pulling off this method of musical embellishment. 

Liquid Cinema has done it again by offering innovative and unexpected sound design with Transitions Trailer Toolkit: Essential Swells, Whooshes, Reverses & More. This comprehensive trailer toolkit has a wide variety of transitions in many different lengths and intensities. Each track is clearly labeled to help you find the exact transition element you need to add the right texture to your mix.

Some highlights include:

• Imperial Gong Swell
• Ultra Tight Cymbal Swipe
• Mysterio Reverso
• Nickel Cricket Flyby

The world of trailer music is exciting and constantly evolving, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Transitions Trailer Toolkit: Essential Swells, Whooshes, Reverses & More

LIBRARY: Liquid Cinema (LQC)

COMPOSERS: Hamish Fletcher Huntley (ASCAP) 100%, Brandon Yingho Lau (ASCAP) 100%

CATALOG NUMBER: LQC-0063

RELEASED: 2023-03-01

TRACKS: 84

*Alternate Versions and Stems Available

Listen to the full album HERE.