How To Make Harry Potter Spell Sounds

[@BlueMonkey]

I am loving not only the subject matter but how you are so self aware of your editing style. Every video gets better but the comical editing in this one was perfect. Made this 12 minute video feel no longer the 5 at most! Incredible job and adore the idea of challenges with the same source material. Fantastic work!!

[@abisz007007]

2nd this. For the amount of small amount of videos he puts out, the improvement in editing, pace etc has been incredible.

[@titancameron6624]

you all prolly dont care at all but does anyone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost my password. I love any tips you can offer me.

[@ahmadkasen9515]

@Titan Cameron instablaster :)

[@titancameron6624]

@Ahmad Kasen I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@titancameron6624]

@Ahmad Kasen DAMN IT ACTUALLY WORKED :O Just got access to my IG account details within ~ 30 mins by using the site. Had to pay 15$ but definitely worth it :O Thanks so much you saved my ass :D

[@Sinklarr]

For comparison: Marshall's apparition - 6:30 Akash's apparition - 8:15 Marshall's fire spell - 9:30 Akash's fire spell - 11:12

[@chocov1233]

@Kore VFX Naw, Akash has a better fire spell sound effect. The apparition sound effect was a tough call but I have to agree with you, Marshall's was better.

[@shahabazkhan1]

Marshall's sounds more indie, and Akash's more AAA..

[@klatchabobby]

@@chocov1233 How was Akash's fire better? There was zero distinguishing from casting and blocking it

[@Stramantha]

My friend only knew a few basic spells, so I had to fix it in post

[@SlowSlowSloth]

The water spell that Dumbledore does in his fight with Voldemort is the best sounding one in all the movies in my opinion. Sounds so... Magical.

[@cupajoe99]

A lot of good insight here. Part of the ‘magic’ of sound design is that the audience ends up only perceiving the finished product as a whole without really considering the parts that go into a sound. Good stuff

[@abisz007007]

I have to honestly say you are by far the smallest youtuber that's on my list of creators I get genuinely exited about, and drop everything else when they release a new video. Like SmarterEveryDay, Wintergatan, kurgesagt, nerdwriter, CaptainDisillusion and Co. are on that list. Love your channel ❤

[@Darkest-Light]

Hear, Hear! Geddit? Because it's a channel that focuses on sound mixing and editing? (I'll show myself out...)

[@PaTcHiZzEl]

Wintergatan! Yes!

[@chocobovonhauske8518]

Same for me

[@CordovaBryant]

There's an important distinction between you and Nerdwriter. You are an industry professional and are actually working on and creating your craft. Nerdwriter is a critic who bloats his video essays with unnecessary jargon that could have been conveyed more briefly and easily. Tony Zhou's Everyframeapainting is an excellent example of how video essays should be done. Your channel is smaller than Nerdwriter's but I hold it in a higher regard, IMO.

[@jaypanchal7606]

Yes!

[@Jibash]

Agree

[@MadeinHell2]

Yeah I agree, I was never a fan of Nerwriters style. His videos centre around a subject that could be fully explored in 2-3 minutes but instead he quadruples that with unecessary detail and anecdotes that don't add much. It wouldn't be as bad if it didn't make the whole essay lose cohesion, the often suffer from the common "video essay" problem of not having a clear "point" they're trying to get across, turning into a kind of video shaggy dog story.

[@lucasfreeman9469]

Nerdwriter gets to levels so pretentious and 'spiritual' (with his long pauses and supposedly grand revelations) sometimes that his stuff feels basically like souped up weedtalk

[@Blank_Name.]

Thats a bit too harsh on NerdWriter

[@tfbremer]

I've been designing a lot of magic sounds lately, so your timing is super serendipitous. Thanks!

[@iPhonedo]

That internet connection was incredible! :) Fantastic video.

[@Daffothrill]

Brilliantly done. In an online community flush with tutorials about just about anything, sound design is still something that hasn't been taught much. It's great that you're doing these.

[@Rhedox1]

Would've been cool if you also added in the original movie sound of those scenes for comparison.

[@MarshallMcGee]

Yeah it’s funny, your idea was in the original script to show the clips with the sounds to start, but I felt like it would make the listener compare our work to the original which isn’t really the point of the vid. Maybe it would have been better you’re right but I liked the idea of us going into the design blindly as if we were the people asked to do it for the movie.

[@Rhedox1]

@@MarshallMcGee I agree that you shouldn't have shown the movie one before your versions but they would've been nice right before the end of the video.

[@shadowproductions969]

@@Rhedox1 Exactly. Leave the audience in the dark.. or silence I guess. Have their imagination run wild, show your versions THEN show what it sounded like in the final film and maybe give your 2 cents on the effect they used and whether you agree with it fully or not.

[@Wonderlust69420]

Bro this video cracked me up. I love your work. Been subbed for like a year and gonna def reference these over the years. Thanks for your channel and keep it up!

[@weilermusic5057]

Happy that Pro sound effects reached out to you. I love their blogs. Always learning amazing things from them

[@prosoundeffects]

❤️

[@malahamavet]

That's why I love this Chanel, because you explain how you make the sound effects with random sounds. I love following the magic while you create it

[@monolithaxdxo1665]

Akash sent me here but I've been following you for a while now. Great to see my two favorite SD are working together.

[@NihongoWakannai]

I like how you and akash took opposite approaches to the second spell, and I myself would have gone more towards his. You focused on tension building up to then have a big impact on the block, while akash gave the spell itself more power to then have it blocked with a sense of ease.

[@tsuyoshi3543]

Ah, every episode I get better as a sound designer with the tips and studies you provide. Thanks for all you do, Mcgee.

[@Bread._]

How do we know you didn't just record yourself casting the spells instead of making the sounds like the movies then, huh? I guess I wouldn't be surprised if you were secretly a wizard.

[@HyuugaCharlie]

i havent heard of nerd writer. im here because your editing is clever and your audio is relaxing to me. its like asmr . the tone, clarity and calmness in the voice.

[@OkaBridge]

I'm honestly surprised by how few subs this channel has. This is quality content and I'm loving it despite having nothing to do with sound design in my hobbies/job/school/etc.

[@matthewingwerson2888]

I watched the Nerdwriter video right before I watched yours. I was unsatisfied, so I scrolled down. Yours was what I was looking for. IMO you're the far superior KZbinr.

[@MyachiTipsandTricks]

when I thought about the fire spell, I imagined the end of yours and the beginning of Akash's, so together both of yours actually sounded like what I was thinking initially

[@MikeBreidegamMusic]

This was really cool! It definitely does seem like with spells you can get super creative. I love the fact that it was a little challenge with Akash. I hear some of the similarities in the sounds, but overall they are all unique. Sooo many layers...who would have known.

[@elliotrobles7933]

I really loved how you made the intro to this video! The sounds were just right and not cheesy at all, it's like it just works. Reminds me of Julian Slater's work in Baby Driver.

[@phendan]

Great video. Neither of your designs sounded quite like what I was imagining in my head but they were equally convincing. And, just for the record, Evan Puschak's voice is good. I prefer yours.

[@TomasBatista89]

Man! This is brilliant! Im not talking about the audio stuff (that is super useful btw!) but your editing...!! I love this freaking channel!!!

[@ZedEdge]

Dude, you could make a dozen episodes of only spell sounds and it'd never get tiresome. Syncing up with Nerdwriter1 just made it extra fun. Awesome idea to give two sound designers the same challenge. It's so fascinating how different they sound and yet how well they both work (really helpful to see the silent and mixed clips looped a few times) Also, I've only heard praise for Just Cause 4's sound. I'm absolutely gonna play it.

[@Raymoclaus]

I already follow Akash so I was really interested to see how differently these effects would turn out to yours. In the second example, I think I prefered Akash's "cast" part of the effect but I also prefered your "block" part of the effect. You've done a few videos on making strong impact sounds so it comes as no surprise that you might feel more comfortable creating a great "block" sound. Meanwhile, Akash likes to really go overboard with layering many simple effects like reverb and reversing samples, which I think was a major factor in making that great teleport and cast sound.

[@Black13Kira]

more knowledge than I learned from 3 years college. amazing bro

[@Patchinnn]

your channel is way better! don't lose your own vibe!

[@Ruldolphmaker]

Your videos saved my Senior thesis (KZbin Upload tommorrow morning at 7 AM est for anybody interested) so thanks a lot, man.

[@wernerzieglerrrrrr4574]

Oh hey it’s Akash! Small world...

I just discoverd you today. Watched a couple of videos and instantly subbed the hell out of that button! You are doing some amazing content!!

[@nivelis91]

Same here!

[@Oscar_Armstrong]

So glad you're back

[@Teflora]

Ah, I really love your videos, they're so much fun and tell me I'm doing alot of stuff right already while still teaching new stuff! I have two suggestions for your next videos: 1) Making several sound from a characteristic base sound. Basically think of the process how lasersword sounds are made! You have one basic sound that has no movement to it, and then you need to make several sounds with different movement, impact etc out of it! So consistency is the goal here, that you can recognize the base sound out of it! 2) Goes into a similar direction: How to achieve consistency over your whole project/game/scene etc. So, how can I make sure everything sounds good together! I had trouble at first when I started making sounds for a videogame, since you can't control when which sound plays how often, but I think for a polished movie this can take even more effort and focus!

[@gena1384]

Just found your channel and it's such a godsend. I didn't know this was stuff I could nerd out over but here I am.

[@austin_oreilly]

Super informative and love your humor man! I don't get nearly enough sound design education at my school so I love finding content like this

[@q.4384]

This is by far the most deserved, and valuable subscription I've ever used. I enjoy your videos to the point where I think about them all day. You're one talented sound-designer, and content creator, and I really do appreciate you sharing that with us. Thank you! I do hope you'll do a waveform episode on Apex Legends, as there are some supercool & interesting sound designs in there. My favorite one is the sound of Pathfinder using a beacon to reveal the next circle. It reminds me of the sonic boom you covered from Battlefront, but with less low end!

[@PinePizza]

it would be interesting to see some challenges where you and some others create sounds for moviescenes or games and compare them

[@Catupmyarse]

I love your videos because it’s really given me a good way to get into the world of sound design. Keep up the amazing videos!

[@jimmy-ten-fingers]

Awesome. I've been looking for a channel like this for forever.

[@samycolombano9832]

One thing that was not particularly mentioned in the video is the importance of adding the "character" or "emotion" to the spell. So that the audience can close their eyes and know what spell has been cast because there is this unique element to it. "Yep that was Ava Kedavra". And that would be the pinnacle of sound design. After "making it work".

[@PivasRox]

This video is amazing, i'm working with this, and I was looking for references to create magic spells sound effects. I just loved it, helped me alot!!! Thank you so much

[@AlexHeisEngholm]

You and nerdwriter are equally good for creating interesting content.

[@lkf12300]

I could say, this video help a lot ! It gives me a very clear way to start my design! Thank you very much for making a fantastic video and please keep making more new video!

[@kaipaquin7060]

Just stumbled randomly into this youtube channel. Killin' the game Marshall!

[@miguegomusica]

Came for a tutorial and ended with a tutorial and a comedic sketch. Nice video!

[@Max_filmatic_music]

I really want the prosoundeffects library so I think I will become a sound design KZbinr. That seems like the most logical approach.

[@conralaje2059]

Awesome as usual Marshall! You have to do a "contest" like this one with akash, but with us, your subscribers. The winner gets a free class with you hahaha. Greets from Argentina

[@RyanBCreative]

2:32 I loved my red pan back at Anderson, I made a lot of turkey paninis on that bad Larry. That's the only part of this video that I could relate to. I've never seen Harry Potter and I don't know shit about sound design

[@mwosound]

Excellent video. Hilarious and informative. Thank you so much for putting this together. Can't wait to check out the rest of the videos on your channel.

[@Lem819]

"DO IT LIVE!!!" Lol I love your intros bro

[@yezur88]

I just discovered your channel. You have some great quality content! I havent come acros something similair yet. Keep it up. Subscribed!

[@HippieMoney]

Stumbled on your channel randomly. Will be binging hard

[@besknighter]

I like how the sound I'd make for both scenes would be something in between those two ideas hahah

[@cheesepizza6339]

If possible, I'd love to see a video on creating creature sounds like the Balrog from Lord of the Rings, in particular using sounds from non-animal sources (in this case cinder blocks)

[@WangleLine]

Ah, it sucks being outrun by other content creators here on youtube, I know that too well :D Anyway, the video is super spicy and I love how different your results sound!

[@JuneLaLonde]

I would love to hear your take on mecha sounds! Thank you for the vids, your channel is just what I was hoping to find!

[@tamsinsandrielle]

Thank you for this video! Thanks for your time and your work :)

[@JayFolipurba]

for the mcgonnagal one I want the second version for the cast and the first version for the block

[@QuincyIQ]

I’d like another one of these videos for Harry Potter sounds

[@klatchabobby]

Whenever you played it silently, all I could hear were the actual sounds from the movie because they’re so ingrained in me

[@joshlagreca]

how do you feel about your work on Just Cause 4? are there things your proud of, are there things your unhappy about, do you have a fun memory about working on the game?

[@IBeOutHere]

Love you, Marshall!

[@mrkeyzzz]

Love the videos Marshall! I've learned a ton of sound design techniques from each one of them. Could you create a video for how to create robotic sounds (Wall-E, Iron Man, etc)? You've covered magic, weapons and a bunch of other things, but nothing on this topic. Thanks!

[@epaulsenaudio]

This was such a great video and you've hit on all of the major points when it comes to approaching the design of magic. The show (Amazon's Lost In Oz) in which I won my Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing - there's a TON of magic that I had to create from scratch and it was an absolute blast! :)

[@DerMessiasderSatire]

Funny thing is...for the Voldemort-appearing-sound-thingy I kinda imagined something in between yours and Akash's Now I just wanted to say that I extremely enjoy your videos as they are fun and educational Keep it up Greets.

[@nartkelmendi6675]

Fuckin love your channel man, been binge watching and am almost finishing all the videos! NEED MORE CONTENT BRO

[@MGJ182]

Wish they also worked on the flutey sounds, as the one he showcased when Snape forced the windows shut at 1:42. To me those are the most mystical and characteristic. Great video nonetheless, extremely so

[@dogsneezer259]

Your video quality is soooooooooooooooooooo good..

[@Otakutaru]

3:30, love your vids!

[@FirebladeXXL]

round 2 goes to you. i love the space you created in the sound aswell as the satifying block. overall sounds powerful and cinematic.

[@Hopesedge]

Really nice video, I found it very interesting and quite fun to compare the process' and results. Thanks.

[@t3rm116]

This was legit, Akash sent me here :)

[@DragonHeart000]

He uses ableton live by the way. I had an audio friend look at some of the clips and tell me because I didn’t know what software to use to get into it more and at the time I used audacity. Bought it myself and can confirm it is ableton

[@FlowGD]

Can you make a video on the sounds of the Infinity Stones in Infinity War? Those are so amazing to hear and they give off such a spatial and cosmic noise.

[@laughingoctopus8556]

Do something with silenced weapons sfx in games or media in general. or what stealth games sound like, well, how you think it they sound/ or should sound. Like for example, how the Splinter Cell iconic nvg sound is expected when turning it on no matter what the game is, even though it doesn't make that sound, and it would give your position away, but it *sounds* stealthy or body sounds like when grabbing or silencing a guard stealth gadgets how they should sound and when does it stop sounding like a stealthy near future somewhat grounded believable gadget and starts sounding like a Sci fi future gadget or space gadget. footsteps or how loud clothing should or shouldn't sounds when sneaking and still keep it believable that it's quiet. just throwing some ideas.

[@sarthug6572]

Incredible

[@hugobastien2283]

Great videos! I'm a big fan of these "record with iphone" ones and this is cool too. I feel like it would be even better if you would show a little more precisely what you did with the different layes and FX. I get most of it but sometimes, I'm really baffle between the start and final layers. Just a thought :)

[@moshinoroyale5660]

you are so sick, I watch everything you make

[@jamesmeustache7740]

HAHAHA I really thought it was the end. Nice one!

[@Scout339th]

Next up, you should break down and make your own sample of the PlayStation 2 boot up sound effect!

[@jnjbaggott1]

I was actually far more interested in this video because of the nerd writer video. I think your videos have a unique take meaning that instead of competing you guys build off each other.

[@abisz007007]

watching this once on mobile and then again with monitors on desktop

[@kilasracingfactory]

Love it mate!

[@Zeeno]

Keep these videos coming! This is hot! :D

[@dbzeensun5527]

I am pretty sure you know this, but your channel has all of the characteristics a popular channel has (as in having around 500k views per video). I am sure your channel will grow quickly. The only thing that might have held it back is the content, considering that it is about sound design, and that doesn’t get too much attention from the general public. That does play in your favor in the sense that very few people actually talk about these kind of things, making your channel easily stand out. Edit: I also suggest you to rename your channel to waveform

[@cupajoe99]

been wondering this for a while

[@rafthe2128]

Awesome video, make more !

[@mudgelord]

So ummmm. I recently joined an indie fan game for halo called Downfall. I'm the 2nd audio engineer to join. Your videos actually really help me and the beam rifle one is obviously how I found this channel. This is a pointless comment but I do wanna say keep on making videos so I can be a better audio engineer

[@Dead_Newbie]

Good vid, informative and entertaining. I wonder how long it took you both to create those sounds?

[@MarshallMcGee]

About 2 hours for me not sure about akash.

[@Dead_Newbie]

@@MarshallMcGee Thanks for the reply. I'm looking for a better sense of when it is best to stop working on a sound.

[@ashleighpiccinino1849]

I’d like to see how the golden snitch sounded in all its sounds as well as fawkes. Plus, what about the stuff in the Fantastic Beasts movies?

[@minimatamou8369]

Hi there, just discovered your channel and it's awesome, thanks for the great content. I've got a question, but keep in mind that I'm not a 3D artist nor a sound designer, just a curious guy on the internet. When 3D artists need to do compositing to integrate some 3D model in live video footage for example, I often see them recreating part of the scene in 3D for things like rotoscopy, camera tracking or to have convincing reflections and collisions (basically simulation purposes). Does this kind of stuff happens for sound design sometimes too ? For example at 8:31, would it happen for a sound designer here to recreate the room in 3D to do a sound physics simulation with crowds of student absorbing sound and stone walls reflecting it ? Or is it too much time consuming and adding a bit of reverb is always as convincing and takes way less time ?

[@H1jAcK360]

This is done in the world of sound design, yes. It is known as 'Worldizing', a term coined by Walter Murch who is often regarded as one of the fathers of sound design (The Godfather films, Apocalypse Now etc). Basically, you record audio and then play it back on a high-quality sound system in an environment that projects the characteristics you want the sound to take on and record that audio with another mic. A brilliant example of this is the Cave Troll in The Lord Of The Rings. David Farmer, the sound designer, took the audio he put together for the troll to some kind of underground system that had walls akin to the Mines of Moria and did what I explained above. You can find footage of it here on youtube in the Lord Of The Rings Appendices! Jack Fuller

[@minimatamou8369]

@@H1jAcK360 Nice ! Thanks for the answer. Somehow I thought about 3D modelling an environnement and doing a simulation to be the way to go but going in a real environnement and playing back the sound to record it again seems much more convenient and less time consuming in a lot of cases.

[@colorparade4701]

I was unaware of what Jack explained, but I think the closest most designers and producers come to what you’re describing would be Impulse Responses. It’s not nearly as technical. You record a sine wave in a space so that you can capture how the environment effects the sound, and then you can apply that impulse response to your audio. I have seen a few interviews where sound designers complain about not having technical methods like you were explaining, though, and that they wish they did. We are able to synthesize sounds from scratch at least, that’s pretty complicated

[@Matt_Noble]

Dude!? Are you reading my mind!? You must be!

[@MiniMatthias]

To use your analogy, some of us are still cooking over campfires(audacity). It would be helpful to know what types of pots(newfangled doodads) yall would use.

[@colorparade4701]

Please include the Seinfeld bass as a meme in one of your videos

[@Magnum_Opium]

Hey. I was wondering if you can make a tutorial on how to make gunshot sounds. In more distance layers. Close, near, far, background.

[@natotater]

Love your vids. Funny thing is, I saw the Nerdwriter vid pop up in my recommendations, and for some reason I was like... "nah, I'll pass."

[@adriandure4627]

Here before this channel blows up

[@mercentperrault]

3:29 I know that you were genuinely shocked with the answer and that you really believed that the video was over and so you pressed the full-screen button to see if the video really ended. How do I know that, because the Moon told me so. So, the next time the Moon tells you something, believe it.