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  • Rydstrom on sound

    If you don’t know who Gary Rydstrom is, then you don’t know an awful lot about film sound. You can read a bit about him and his work on Mix, too. I ran across this quote from him recently and thought it should be shared. Sound effects editing and sound design to me is a lot like knitting. And sometimes I think that it’s like quilting. Or sometimes I even think that it’s like arranging knick knacks in a cabinet...

  • Survive and Thrive

    What are the keys to survival as a creative audio professional? Here’s a handy list: Live the life of a consummate artist Prepare yourself for the demands of business Write down your goals Research your market and your competition carefully and make a plan Practice your skills, both audio and business skills Be confident in your abilities Education is a precondition to survival in America today. – Marian Wright Edelman Work...

  • Volume in a mix

    You might be astonished by how little volume changes have a big impact on a track and a mix. Sometimes the difference between a sound effect or a background sitting in a track or sticking out can be a minuscule volume adjustment. Don’t become frustrated when it seems as if you can’t find the right balance. Keep fiddling with volume until you find the right fit. Consider this advice from award-winning music recording and...

  • Most (over)used sound effec...

    I caught a trailer for a new TV show and heard a familiar sound effect. It’s called Flash Rush and it’s from one of the fine SFX libraries at The Hollywood Edge. It’s actually one of over 100 free sounds they distributed as a promotion several years ago on a CD (remember those?). Most of the sounds they gave away were solid entries, but nothing fancy. That is except for the real standout: flash rush. I’ve heard this particular...

  • Film Music Contest

    To support the release of my latest book Soundtrack Success – A Digital Storyteller’s Guide to Audio Post-Production, I thought it’d be fun to have a contest. The winner (chosen at random) gets a FREE, autographed copy of the book. What’s the catch? Think of your favorite movie, TV show, documentary, or commercial where the use of MUSIC was exceptional. Post your favorite movie music sequence and why you selected it...

  • 44 Audio-Post Resources

    Here is my list of resources that will help you with your own audio post-production work: Software Sony’s Acid Pro, Sound Forge Pro, and Vegas Pro are my primary tools for the music and sound work that I do. (Here is a list of various tutorials I’ve written on these programs.) I also like Reaper. A lot. Check it out. iZotope RX is my go-to noise reduction tool. And both Ozone and Alloy find their way into nearly every...

  • Random Tips from Soundtrack...

    Here are various tips, tricks, and more culled from the many chapters of my latest book, SOUNDTRACK SUCCESS : A Digital Storyteller’s Guide to Audio Post-Production (edited a bit for the blog). Production woes There are quite a few post-production fixes available, but your best defense is, as the saying often goes, a strong offense. Get high-quality sound to begin with, and half the battle is over. Picture lock The sound department...

  • Film sound moment contest

    To support the release of my latest book Soundtrack Success - A Digital Storyteller’s Guide to Audio Post-Production, I thought it’d be fun to have a contest. The winner (chosen at random) gets a FREE, autographed copy of the book. What’s the catch? Think of your favorite movie, TV show, documentary, or commercial where the use of sound was exceptional. Let’s avoid musical examples for this contest (there will...

1000 TEDS, 6 words

If you’re like me, you look forward to the latest TED talks and their “ideas worth spreading.” The problem is there are so many of them. Who has the time to watch and ponder every single one? Not me. Unfortunately. Still I catch the ones that really pique my interest, and have even shared a few of my favs here and via Twitter and such. The latest...

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Inspiring Quotes for 2011+

I love inspirational quotes. Even with their economy of words, they often provide more insight and truth than longer tomes. I’m always on the lookout for pithy lines and here are some of my favorites from this past year. Let them guide you in the days and years ahead: The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates....

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Film/Video Production Sound Tips

I could write a whole book about recording audio in the field for film/video/TV/etc. But if I had to summarize briefly, it would be to keep these tips in mind: Dialog rules. Focus on getting the best dialog recordings you can. You can worry about all the other sounds later. Get closer. Move your mic to be as close to the talent as possible. This will give you...

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