The Project
From start to finish, we collaborated to bring Bethesda Softworks’ highly anticipated Starfield campaign to life, crafting custom pieces for four trailers. Collaborating closely with the teams at Bethesda Softworks and Hammer Creative, our mission was to infuse musical pieces with the energy and emotion required to amplify the campaign's impact. 
Background The project presented a unique challenge, particularly in the selection of the ideal vocalist for a custom rendition of Elton John’s “Rocketman.” Through a meticulous audition process, Nana, who happens to be the spouse of Sencit composer Jonathan Soengen, emerged as the perfect choice. This decision set the stage for a unique and personalized musical journey.
Integral to the success of this project was the exceptional direction by Sencit’s VP of Creative Production, Brett Sorrentino, who ensured that the music smoothly fit the narrative of each trailer. 
Process
Our workflow for custom projects like Starfield involves a composer assignment, internal revisions, submission, and client revisions. 
The cornerstone of our approach for this project was a meticulous selection process of the composer. Each step involved extensive internal revisions, ensuring that every musical element met our standards before delivering to the client. 
The creative minds behind the music included composers Ole Wiedekamm and Max Ackermann for the Game Teaser, arrangements by Tomas Oliva (4Boars) and Alexi Thomakos for the Gameplay Trailer's "Into The Starfield" track. Additionally, the Official Live Action Trailer featured the track "Rocketman," composed by Jonathan Söhngen in collaboration with Inon Zur.
Result
The project's success was resounding and left an indelible mark on Bethesda Softworks' game, Starfield. The Starfield Gameplay Trailer won 5 Clio Awards, including the 2023 Silver in the categories of 'Game Footage Trailer' and 'Game Capture Cinematography."
Watch the trailers <a href="https://www.sencit.net/projects" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

Starfield Showcase HERO 4b9a39a7ac96fb685886

Sencit Case Study: Starfield

The Project
Our collaborative journey with Hammer Creative, alongside Bethesda Softworks, revolved around constructing a comprehensive campaign that authentically mirrored the spine-tingling experience of the game, Redfall. A pivotal aspect of this venture was the creation of a haunting horror cover of a renowned song, meticulously crafted to harmonize with Redfall's eerie tone and narrative. 
Background
One of the primary goals of this project was to craft a horror cover of a well-known song that aligned with Redfall's tone and storyline. However, Sencit’s work on the Redfall project wasn't an isolated effort. In fact, we had the privilege of working on three distinct trailers for Redfall, each contributing to the game's immersive experience. 
Brett Weyhrich played a crucial role in music supervision throughout the entire Redfall campaign, ensuring that every beat of the campaign captured the essence of horror, dread, and attitude found in the game.
The Process
The project's biggest challenge was the extensive time it took to finalize. The project initially aimed to involve big-name artists and producers for the main trailer. However, after exploring various options, the project ultimately relied on the in-house team's determination. 
To ensure the project's resounding success, the critical decision was the careful selection of an artist and producer capable of capturing the desired quality and attitude resonating with Redfall's dark aesthetics. The workflow was mainly dictated by client requests and feedback, with a focus on refining the selected cue until it seamlessly aligned with the client's vision.
As the project unfolded, it underwent a transformative shift and gravitated toward the creation of original content that converged with the project's objectives. The Sencit team created multiple demos for three different songs before honing in on a specific cue.
For the Redfall Official Launch Trailer, our in-house composers crafted a custom cover of "Blackhole Sun" with arrangements by Kris Kovacs and Brett Sorrentino. The vocals for this version were performed by ADONA and KELSON, adding a unique dimension to the trailer's atmosphere. 
The Official “Into the Night” Trailer featured the track "Marauder," arranged by Jake Siegler and Brett Sorrentino. The Game Trailer showcased the track "The World of Redfall," arranged by Paul Maxwell and Brett Sorrentino. 
The Result 
The music received enthusiastic acclaim and resonated profoundly with the audience. Three critical elements contributed to bringing the project to a successful conclusion: the patience, determination, and artistic prowess of our team. Specifically for the Official Launch Trailer, composer Kris Kovacs' mastery of the horror/hip-hop genre, complemented by the exceptional vocal talent of ADONA, breathed life into our work. 
The Redfall Official Launch Trailer earned a 2023 Music &amp; Sound Award in Best Re-record or Adaptation. This accolade serves as a resounding testament to the contributions to this project, further affirming the enduring partnership between Sencit, Hammer Creative, and Bethesda Softworks. Watch the trailers <a href="https://www.sencit.net/projects">here</a>.

Redfall

Sencit Case Study: Redfall

The Project
When a project comes along that’s going to involve all of our services, Sencit will jump at the chance for a new challenge. That’s exactly what happened when A24 - the studio behind Moonlight, Lady Bird, Ex Machina, Hereditary, and much more - came to us in search of a song for their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg3EQ1_zRow">Stars at Noon</a> trailer. We had our whole team involved and worked alongside Giaronomo Productions’ Lynn Franciotti. Brett Weyhrich, our music supervisor, got the ball rolling by pitching the Natasha Kmeto track to A24 which our composers, Kris Kovacs and Joseph Holiday, remixed by adding stronger percussive breaks and synths to build up the tension and thrill felt in the final trailerized version. 
Background &amp; Process: 
When Lynn Franciotti reached out to Sencit for help finding the perfect audio to enhance the movie’s themes of adventure and indulgence, our Director of A&amp;R and Music Supervision, <a href="https://www.sencit.net/about">Brett Weyhrich </a>knew exactly where to look. The trailer needed to compel feelings of suspense, mystery, and excitement and could be easily sourced from Sencit’s extensive collection. Once the song was pitched, the client asked if our team could provide some custom embellishments to the track to build more tension and create a greater thrill. Working with a team that can provide not only sourcing and supervision, but custom compositions is one of the most noteworthy parts about Sencit’s 360 project abilities.
Morgan Mackintosh, our Client Services Manager, communicated with the client to better understand specific points and breaks in the audio that should be emphasized to induce the highest emotional impact for viewers. The client suggested using rhythmic or percussive sounds to elevate the tension beyond the existing build of suspense the Natasha Kmeto track held. With this direction and feedback our team quickly organized our composers to create the high quality synthesized requested layers. Our composers produced two versions within a two day turnaround to offer the best options to our clients and allow them to have their remix of choice. 
The Result
In the end, one mix was approved and used in the trailer to masterfully invoke sensations of thrill, seduction, uncertainty, and exhilaration. This project was unique for our team because of the amount of dialogue included in the trailer. This needed to be worked around to allow for the movie’s context to be fully understood, yet at the same time balanced with the rise of sounds to inflate the emotional intoxication of the viewer.
Stars at Noon, produced by acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis and starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn, will be released October 14th in theaters. It is based on the novel ’The Stars at Noon’ by Denis Johnson. 
Watch the trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg3EQ1_zRow">here</a>.

Stars at noon

Sencit Case Study: Stars At Noon

The Project
When the creator of The Wire writes a new series for HBO, the trailer has to have just as much grit as the story at the center of it all. Our producer, Brett Sorrentino, and music supervisor, Brett Weyhrich recently had the pleasure of getting looped in to help with <a href="https://www.sencit.net/services/music-supervision">music supervision</a> and customization for David Simon’s new series, We Own This City. Working alongside Giaronomo Productions’ Chris Devine, our team and composers were able to provide a few music options that landed the teaser and the trailer exactly where they needed to be. 
Background
Chris Devine reached out to Sencit for some help sourcing the right music to convey the themes of David Simon's new series for HBO. The goal was to unearth a cue that succinctly captured the narrative arc while maintaining the right energy level to mirror the gravity of the subject matter. Based on the direction and references provided by the client, Brett Weyhrich saw the potential to drive the music search with a hunt for dramatic, cinematic, retro-soul music. We felt an alignment with artists like Michael Kiwanuka, Algiers, and D’Angelo, and Chris came back with a few Kiwanuka tracks for consideration.
Kiwanuka’s Solid Ground was one of those tracks, and the team settled on moving forward with it. Brett Sorrentino sent it off to our composers to begin crafting the customization. While this was in motion, Brett Weyhrich continued the music supervision search and landed on another track: Cleveland by Algiers.
The teaser was in a good place when HBO discovered they had used Solid Ground in another trailer. This is where having multiple options is a godsend. We were able to quickly pivot to Cleveland, but ultimately HBO decided to explore some hip hop tracks. The team used what they learned from their previous experience and suggested some hip hop library tracks. Our composers Kris Kovacs and Jake Siegler created overlays and remixes to amp up the action and grit. Chris cut with Kris’s version and incorporated small amounts of Jake's version. In the end, Kris recreated the bits of Jake's version that were used to keep it sounding consistent.
Overall, the combination of Sencit’s expert music supervision, customization, and composing team was critical to making this project sound like nothing else. 
 
The Process
When starting any project, Sencit is dedicated to understanding the client’s vision inside and out. From the imagery they find most inspiring, to the timeline we have to make it all happen, nothing is overlooked. Our approach integrates A&amp;R, <a href="https://www.sencit.net/services/artist-and-label-services">artist and label</a> partnerships (both known and up-and-comers), music supervision, and rights clearances, bespoke production, all with the purpose of providing the best tools to create successful campaigns.
With 13 years of composing music and <a href="https://www.sencit.net/">sound design</a> for trailers, we have a deep understanding of our clients' needs, even when they cannot articulate it. Combining this knowledge with our music supervision network, we are able to go beyond a typical trailer library and bring in an array of collaborators to create a compelling campaign. We Own This City’s trailer is a great example of this. 
The Result
One of the main challenges with this project was balancing the large amount of characters and dialogue in the <a href="https://www.sencit.net/">trailer with music</a> that worked to underscore that context, yet elevate the more dramatic action scenes. Our team was able to do just that and bring this idea into reality within 24-48 hours, which is a feat in its own right.

We Own This City 1

Sencit Case Study: We Own This City

The Project
<a href="https://www.sencit.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Entertainment marketing</a> for video games is always an exciting challenge. On this project, our team was tasked with composing a suite of original songs to support Arkane/Bethesda’s Deathloop. Our producer, Brett Sorrentino, and music supervisor, Brett Weyhrich, needed to tap into a retro 60s spy vibe that told a story and sufficiently hyped the game. Together, they rallied a team of composers and talent that delivered the Clio Award-winning original song, “Dejá Vù.” 
From the success of the original campaign for Deathloop, we were asked to create two remixes for the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2022, one in English - FJØRA on vocals and one in Japanese - Ashley Alisha on vocals. Dejá Vù won Best Original Song at the 2022 Game Audio Network Guild Awards.
Background
When the client approached us with this project, they were looking for music and lyrics that would elevate the storyline. 60s spy was central to the theme, and one of our biggest challenges (and opportunities) was to find contemporary artists that could channel a nostalgic tone. Under a tight deadline, we organized our composing team and paired them with handpicked artists. Throughout the process, we’d frequently check-in with our client to ensure we were on the right track. One of the major benefits of working with Sencit is this full-service approach, and this project is a testament to that. 
After three demos were created for each project, client feedback was provided and revisions were made to each demo. From here, the client selected the demo they wanted to move forward with for the trailer. The key to getting there was molding the creative until the client was satisfied, but also anticipating their needs from our briefing process. 
Overall, the Sencit-sourced talent behind this project was pivotal to its success. We were able to take inspiring content and direction from the client and weave it into something that could stand on its own. 
Building on the success of the 2021 release, Bethesda Softworks decided to release the game on Xbox and PC in September 2022, giving a fresh new look to the trailers with the goal of maintaining the legacy and inspire excitement. With that, the client wanted to appeal to a larger international audience, the Japanese market in particular.
The Process
When starting any project, Sencit is dedicated to understanding the client’s vision inside and out. From the imagery they find most inspiring, to the timeline we have to make it all happen, nothing is overlooked. Our approach integrates A&amp;R, <a href="https://www.sencit.net/services/artist-and-label-services">artist and label</a> partnerships (both known and up-and-comers), music supervision, and rights clearances, bespoke production, all with the purpose of providing the best tools to create successful campaigns.
With 13 years of composing music and sound design for trailers, we have a deep understanding of our clients' needs, even when they cannot articulate it. Combining this knowledge with our music supervision network, we are able to go beyond a typical trailer library and bring in an array of collaborators to create a compelling campaign. Deathloop is a great example of this. Our A&amp;R team identified the best artists to collaborate with our production team in the creation of three original songs. 
For the Deathloop Tokyo remix, we decided to shift certain elements that were in the original version. Instrumentally, we added additional retro, Bond-like elements. Vocally, our Director of A&amp;R and Music Supervision, Brett Weyhrich, found the incredibly talented multilingual singer, Ashley Alisha, with an impeccable tone that matched our English language singer, FJØRA. Brett Sorrentino worked closely with composer/producer Kris Kovacs to create these updated versions. It was important that while this was the same song, this rendition should feel different. We explored different tempos and rhythmic feels to break out of the mold of the original version and reimagine what it could be.
The Result
Our ability to source the right talent and let them do what they do best resulted in a knockout success. Social media, comment boards, and the press were buzzing over the campaign. The title song for the game, “Dejá Vù,” was leveraged by Bethesda for social media through remixes by Future, Steve Aoki, and Madison Beer. In fact, “Dejá Vù” took home a Silver Clio Award for the Game Trailer category and has been nominated for the 2023 Music &amp; Sound Awards for Best Re-Record or Adaptation in a Game Trailer.
And for the 2022 Xbox and PC release, the remixes, which honor the original version of “Dejá Vù,” , but with a faster, more driving sound, have successfully shone a new light on this award winning game. Watch the Japanese spot <a href="https://youtu.be/yC7kvgjz6VE?t=2004">here</a>.
Watch the English spot <a href="https://youtu.be/yGTg-AmV9x4">here</a>.

Case Studies

Sencit Case Study: Starfield

Sencit Case Study: Starfield

Sencit Case Study: Redfall

Sencit Case Study: Stars At Noon

Sencit Case Study: We Own This City

Sencit Case Study: Deathloop

Licensing