🎧 Quick Sound Check? My Mix Might Be Too Hot (Kids’ Short / Heavy VFX)

Hey everyone... I could use some trained ears. I just finished a short, VFX-heavy kids’ piece with a big soundscape (SFX, music, dialogue, etc), and I’m pretty sure I pushed the mix hotter than I should’ve.

Before I start batch-mixing future episodes, I’d love a gut check from the pros here.

What I’m trying to nail down:

Go-to LUFS target for YouTube? (honestly, I don't even know what LUFS is ???)
How you keep dialogue crisp without flattening the fun stuff?
Any tweaks for content mostly watched on phones/tablets?
Tips for managing dynamic range when the visuals are composited and loud by design?

Workflow angle (aka: where I’m leveling up):

I still cut inside CapCut for speed, but will be pulling more work into DaVinci Resolve: mainly for their free transform/perspective tools, which are a game-changer for shadow generation and tighter VFX blends. If anyone mixes inside this hybrid setup, I’m all ears.

If you’re willing to give a quick listen, here’s the short:👉 https://youtu.be/ETUQx7xeqGs

Even a “drop it 2–3 dB” helps. No deep critiques, please... I'm a novice and it will probably go over my head 🙈

Thanks in advance — and happy to return the favor on color, compositing, or edit pacing if anyone wants another set of eyes.

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