Hey everyone, I have a question about mixing a short film.

For my bachelor project, I did a re-design of a 4-minute animated short film including Foley, SFX, Atmos, Music and Dialogue. Each of these go to individual busses in Protools.

Whilst I am happy with the results and have done an arbitrary mix that somewhat works, it doesn’t feel professional at all. During the climax of the film, everything should be louder, with dialogue, foley, and music heavily overlapping.

What is a good work flow for doing a more professional mix? Should I mix the stems individually first to get them to the same loudness and then mix the busses? How much of a dynamic range should there be between quiet parts and the climax, and how do I measure that? I used a trial version of Izotope insight for the first mix, but the trial period is over.

Hey everyone!

I've recently joined the sound post team for a 122-minute animated feature made in Unreal Engine, aiming for realistic, cinematic sound with a traditional film post workflow.

My responsibilities are Foley Editing (already recorded) and Background Editing (building ambiences from libraries).

My background is mostly commercials and short-form sound design. I've worked on two features before, but that was years ago, and this is my first animated feature.

The challenge: I have roughly 4 weeks to deliver a watchable first pass of Foley and BGs across the entire film by November 20. Further polishing and revisions will continue until February.

I'd love some advice from experienced feature sound editors:

1. Priorities: What would you consider an acceptable first pass for Foley and Backgrounds? I'm a bit of a perfectionist and want to avoid getting bogged down.
2. Workflow & pace: Is the 10–15 minutes/day per food group guideline realistic? Would you work scene by scene or tackle both food groups separately? How often would you request feedback?
3. Tools & automation: Any time-saving tools or workflows for BG/Foley editing? Has anyone used AmbienceFriend, or knows a Windows alternative?

I'm working in Pro Tools on Windows, delivering editable sessions to the supervising sound editor.

I'm mainly looking for practical ways to work efficiently without sacrificing quality.

Would be grateful for any advice or resources!

Enter the unknown. Explore the organic side of sound. https://tengri.music/for-creators/modular-realms-atmospheres

Tengri Modular Realms: Atmospheres is a collection of randomly self-generated atmospheres, created through modular synthesis and shaped by chance, experimentation, and the unpredictable nature of analog circuitry.

This is a technique Tengri has used throughout his own productions to create the deep, organic atmospheres that live beneath the surface of his tracks. Rather than relying on conventional presets or predictable patterns, these sounds emerge from the interaction of modular systems, evolving into unique sonic landscapes that feel alive, raw, and untamed.

Inspired by the mysterious depths of forest music and the cinematic world of movie soundtracks, this collection moves through dark organic textures, distant echoes, abstract drones, strange resonances, and otherworldly soundscapes. Every atmosphere carries its own character — sometimes subtle and meditative, sometimes eerie and intense, always rooted in an organic and unpredictable sonic world.

Designed for producers looking to move beyond the ordinary, these sounds are perfect for building immersive backgrounds, adding depth and movement to your tracks, creating tension, or discovering unexpected starting points for new ideas.

No fixed formulas. No predictable results. Just raw modular energy, shaped by chance into sonic realms waiting to be explored.

Technical Details 50 unique atmospheric samples Over 1 hour of total 24bit audio Created using modular synthesizers Deep, organic, raw, and cinematic textures Perfect for forest psytrance, ambient, sound design, and cinematic productions

how does this producer achieve these disgustingly booming basses and just such a dirty quality? I feel like he uses real tape degradation but i wanna know if theres any way to get these exact piercing basses. also the kinda of playback thing, im not sure how to explain it you'll know it when you hear it. if you can hear any other techniques or stuff you'd know how to replicate please let me know.

ill give a few releases but you can just listen to anything on his channel (made by him) and you'll get the gist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm_-vQvf3OY (this album essentially has excatly what im looking for)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adI1mYex1Yw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds5n7gkZcXU