Fish(er) Tales

Here is a terrific Sound for Film Profile about the work done on the new film, The Social Network. It features Ren Kylce, supervising sound editor, and Michael Semanick, re-recording mixer on the film. They discuss the major and minor steps involved with bringing this film to life. This video comes from the outstanding series of profiles available from the SoundWorks Collection. Check it out: “The Social Network”...

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...

I get asked by people if they can see my studio. I always counter with this: “Have you seen a computer in a room?” If they answer yes, then, well, they know what my project studio looks like. There was a time when my studio was filled with gear, but now I rely on a computer, decent monitors, a few acoustic instruments, a MIDI keyboard controller, and that’s about it. I prefer to use the software in the ‘box’...

I’m always on a mission to explore the world of sound. I’ve been at it for a number of years, and it would be oh-so-easy to rest on my laurels and take a business-as-usual tactic. Instead I continue to search for new methods, better techniques, and more useful tools (and that includes software). I’m not one who falls for the false consensus effect. It’s why I don’t use the ‘industry standard’...

It seems like every technical field has its own jargon. And the film sound world is no exception. I’ve talked about this a bit in the past, but there’s always room to discuss more funny words and their actual meaning. Futz Sometimes you need to make sounds take on a specific quality. For instance, you need the music to sound as if it’s coming from a clock radio or a voice from a mobile phone. Adding such an effect...

Uh-oh. There’s an audio problem. Now what? When you are right in the heat of recording – whether in the friendly confines of the studio or on-location, some critical piece of gear is bound to fail at the most inopportune moment. A mic may stop working, the mixer may hiccup, the recorder may have issues, et al. It’s oh-so-easy to get flustered when several people are staring you down as you frantically try to hunt down...

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...

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...