Sections: In the Press | Marketing Mar 2nd, 2007 16 Comments Broadcast Newsroom has an article up about the mixing of the sound for Hammer & Coop, including some information on how the voice of Coop was done. Here’s an excerpt:
The audio tracks for all of the work are robust and contribute much to the storytelling and the humor. The 5.1 mix for the cinema trailer rivals a film soundtrack with its rich blend of music, sound design, dialogue and narration. “The mix is more than 70 tracks wide,†noted Rincon. “We wanted it to feel huge to make people think we’re advertising a movie.†The soundtrack for the web and DVD series has similarly high production value with the mix for each episode requiring multiple ProTools and Audiofile sessions.
Rincon put considerable effort into honing the voice of “Coop†the car. For one thing, the voice needed to sync with an LED display on the car’s dashboard that generates a bar pattern as it speaks. He also modified the voice to make it sound as though it is coming through the car’s speakers.
“We used EQ and high-pass filters,†Rincon observed. “We wanted the voice to have a tinny quality, but not too tinny, or it would sound like a phone. We used another process to distort it and give it the quality of something coming from a dashboard speaker. And we added a tasty bit of reverb to suggest the cubicle environment of the car.â€Â
Coop’s voice had to be further modified to fit the context of individual scenes. “In some of the chase scenes, the car is screaming at the top of its lungs,†Rincon said. “That required a change in the distortion of the reverb. The voice had to be tweaked a bit for each scene.â€Â
Also, here’s a preview of things to come with the Hammer & Coop music video set to debut on MotoringFile early next week.
In the final step, Rincon prepared a master of a music video. The video, featuring footage from the Hammer & Coop series, is set to the 1982 hit Heat of the Moment by prog rockers Asia.
MrChips Mar 2nd, 2007 Link
I hope that MINIUSA will be making the entire H&C series available on a Dolby 5.1-encoded DVD once the series has completed. They could include the music video and a “making-of” as extras.
Now THAT would be rockin’ cool.
Rich.
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Ian C. Mar 2nd, 2007 Link
They haven’t released an MTTS DVD (which people would buy), so probably they won’t release H&C either … although they did release the Counterfeit MINI DVD
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dickdavid Mar 2nd, 2007 Link
I’d buy the Hammer and Coop DVD as well as a MTTS DVD. Let’s get movin’ MINI!
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Nextmoon Mar 2nd, 2007 Link
So Hammer and Cooper is the best effort by MINIUSA to introduce the R56?
Gee, this pales in contrast to the R53 introduction back in 2003 when new MINIs starred in the classic movie remake of the Italian Job. That was a grand slam of incredible proportions that put the car at the center of people’s hearts.
H&C is not in the same league as the Italian Job…
ReplyGee, this pales in contrast to the R53 introduction back in 2003 when new MINIs starred in the classic movie remake of the Italian Job. That was a grand slam of incredible proportions that put the car at the center of people’s hearts.
MINI USA had nothing to do with the Italian Job. It was what you call, dumb luck. They were asked if they were interested in supplying cars and they agreed.
On the other hand MINI USA did have something to do with H&C. And from what I’ve heard from dealers across the nation, the response has been overwhelmingly positive from non-(perspective)-owners.
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jimskater Mar 2nd, 2007 Link
Gabe, I think I might owe you a beer for this one.
If they’re non-owners, they might be prospective buyers. Or they could be looking at the car from the wrong angle.
It all depends on their perspective.
See you in Vegas.
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Mark M Mar 3rd, 2007 Link
Gabe,
Dumb Luck? Come on. MINIUSA didn’t need to do any promotion since the Uberlords at BMW had taken care of it for them in the Italian Job.
If you don’t that BMW had a lot of money invested in the Italian Job as well as control of how their product was displayed, then you are being intellectually dishonest.
Personally, I’m cool with the movie being an extended product placement ad. Just don’t try to say that it wasn’t.
Oh, and to get back on topic, I refuse to waste any more time watching the uninteresting and too clever by half Hammer and Coop. Come on, making the mini sound like a wussy Kitt is the opposite of cool. Oh yeah, and some dude that looks like a cross between Tom Selleck and Ben Stiller in Dodgeball is downright creepy.
Nextmoon is spot on, H&C is weak. Maybe MINIUSA should ask MINIWORLD or maybe even BMW to do some type of real promotion.
I doubt this will get posted, but I’m sure that I’m not the only one that feels this way.
Mark
05MCS EB/B
ReplyDumb Luck? Come on. MINIUSA didn’t need to do any promotion since the Uberlords at BMW had taken care of it for them in the Italian Job.
Well I can tell you that’s incorrect based on conversations with some of the “uberlords”. It’s also common knowledge in both the marketing and automotive industry that MINI/BMW didn’t pay for or plan any part of the Italian Job. They simply supplied the cars. I guess you must have missed that memo all those years ago.
Personally, I’m cool with the movie being an extended product placement ad. Just don’t try to say that it wasn’t.
MINI or BMW did not pay anyone anything to use MINI’s in the Italian Job. I can’t be more clear than that.
If you don’t like it say it. But don’t call me dishonest.
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Bob Mar 3rd, 2007 Link
Actually Mark, Gabe was right, the Italian Job was dumb luck. It didn’t come out for about a year after the ‘02 launch. Paramount actually approached MINI to do a joint advertising campaign for the car and the movie. MINI said no because they knew that Paramount couldn’t advertise the movie without showing the car.
Dumb Luck.
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steve stein Mar 3rd, 2007 Link
All the dealers are getting a DVD each week with the episodes. Not sure if they are DD but you might find someone to make you a copy. Once they are all out I’ll try and post on my website and allow you to download.
regards… Steve
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Joanna Pena-Bickley Mar 3rd, 2007 Link
This was a smart site. I thought the content was well produced. I thought it could have had more downloads for the digital user. i.e. podcasts or even some bling for the phone.
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GregW Mar 4th, 2007 Link
Where’s the Italian Job 3 – or are they using new Fiat 500’s this time?
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Greg W Mar 4th, 2007 Link
According to Expedia.com original The Italian Job was supposed to use Fiat 500 cars…then along came the Minis.
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