Course · Sound design
Building Drones
Trailer music at its simplest, and one of the most effective tools for tension.
- 16 lessons
- 2.3 hours of video
- All levels
- Lifetime access
- Watch online, any time
Do you ever think, “this is far too simple to be any good”?
That voice is the inner critic, and it talks composers out of some of the most effective tools in trailer music. Building drones are a perfect example. They’re trailer music at its simplest, yet they’re one of the best ways to tie a soundtrack to the story and emotion of a film.
These aren’t any old drones. They’re crafted to mimic the natural build and rising tension of a trailer cue. I’ve written four albums of them, and years after release I’m still landing placements with them. They’ve been used on trailers for Nobody, Judas and the Black Messiah and Your Honor.
In this course I show you different ways to make your own drones, then walk you through ‘Sati’, the track used on both the Nobody trailer and a Your Honor teaser. Then I write a new one from scratch, with all the little tricks I use day to day.
The real lesson is learning to trust simple ideas. They can carry complex emotions and stories with ease.
By the end, you’ll be able to
- Embrace simplicity in your trailer music
- Craft drones that build in step with a trailer
- Create tension and drama with very little musical material
- Use texture, timbre and dynamics instead of harmony and rhythm
- Make your own drones by recording, stretching and generating sounds
- Quieten your inner critic and follow even the smallest ideas
At a glance
Techniques you’ll learn
- layered drone construction
- timbral layering
- automation of effects and volume
- cluster harmony
- octave-based tonal ambiguity
- found sound processing
- live instrument drone recording
- time-stretching with PaulXStretch
- staggered layer entrances
- dry-to-wet reverb automation
- saturation/distortion automation
- pitch-shifting for dissonance
Write music for
- film teaser trailers
- TV thriller underscore
- psychological horror atmosphere
- sci-fi cinematic intros
- video game ambient underscore
- documentary tension beds
Influences we look at
Your Honor · The Mule · Lucy in the Sky · Steve Reich
Proof it works
What composers say
Texture, timbre, dynamics! Rich points out three vital elements when building drones, which makes building drones much more fun and not just creating a long note! Rich also shares many different ways to build drones, which opens my mind and helps me see some new possibilities while creating drones!
What’s inside
- Introduction to Building Drones
What you'll learn, and references of trailers that have used building drones really well.
- How to make your own drones
Different ways to create your own drones, from recording them to stretching samples and generating them in software.
- Track Walkthrough
My track 'Sati', used on a Your Honor teaser and the Nobody trailer, taken apart step by step.
- Building Drone track from scratch
A new track from scratch, using the same steps I've used for four albums of building drone trailer music.
This is for you if…
- Deep down you think simple means rubbish
- You struggle to build tension without drums, riffs or chords
- You lack the confidence to work with texture and timbre
It’s not for you if…
- You want melodies, themes and big orchestral moments. Try Uplifting Orchestral
- You're looking for a complete trailer production course. Start with the Trailer Music Course
Who’s teaching
I’ve written music for ads since 2007 and movie trailers since 2011, and went full time in 2014. My music has been used on over 100 campaigns, including Captain America: Civil War, Glass Onion, WandaVision and The Conjuring 2, and I’ve won eight awards along the way. Since 2017 I’ve taught thousands of composers how to do the same. More about me.
Questions before you buy? Email hello@richardpryn.com.
Questions
Do I need to be able to use a DAW?
Yes. You need to be able to use a DAW so you can follow along with the videos.
Do I have to use Logic?
No. Use whichever DAW you like, as long as you know how to use it.
How much music theory do I need to know?
Very little. Drones rely on texture and timbre rather than harmony, and I steer clear of deep theory in all my courses.
How long is the course?
Just under 3 hours of video, with a detailed walkthrough of a successful track.
Can you guarantee I will get a placement?
Of course not. The composers who get work are the ones who put the hours in. They also happen to be very nice people (industry secret).
How long do I have access?
Forever. It's a one-time payment, not a membership, and you get all future updates and new lessons free.
What if it's not for me?
Within 30 days of registering you can ask for a full refund, as long as you haven't accessed more than 30% of the course (not counting anything public or in the Welcome module).
Building Drones
Learn to design evolving drones that build in sync with a trailer, with a walkthrough of my track used on Nobody and Your Honor.
Not ready yet? Start with the free path
The free learning paths cover the same ground in article form. Work through one first and come back when you want the full walkthrough.
Horror and suspense music