Fish(er) Tales

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! These posts will give you a better idea about what this site is about. Start here, then go here, and here, and then here.Your ability to get new clients and keep current ones is the single most important factor in your success. Here are ten tips to follow: Always keep looking for new business. You never stop promoting....

Currently, I’m working on the audio-post and music for a horror film called “Creed.” Here are a couple of musical works-in-progress. Comments welcome. DarkIndustry: Breathy Weirdness: Orchestral Madness: And if Bernard Herrmann did the music for the film, it might sound like this: All music above by Jeffrey P. Fisher and his computer. Enjoy! Here are two more tracks made using...

This is a classic look at what to do during an atomic bomb blast — duck and cover! It was shown to children at schools around the US for years. Gee, the gummint sure has a long record of BS-ing the people and instilling a false sense of security. My favorite bit at about 7:55 is “even a thin cloth helps protect you.” D’oh! In 2004 the National Film Registry called this film...

Gaining credentials is an important part of building your career. Credentials give you legitimacy and relevance. Credentials are what you promote to earn your reputation. And people “buy” your reputation. Credentials can be small things, such as having a Website. Reviews and other third-party validation of your work are other must-haves. And winning awards is a key credential that you must...

This is a guest post from Seattle composer Jeff Tolbert and his fine, new film scoring blog (check it out!) Compressors can be confusing little buggers. When I was a recording novice, I was often baffled by them and was never really sure if they were doing anything. Even now, with more experienced ears, it’s still sometimes hard to tell exactly whether a compressor is adding anything useful to...

Hey! I’ve written a bunch of free tutorials on using Sony Vegas, Sound Forge, and Acid. Click to read ‘em! Editing Music with Sony Sound Forge Using iZotope RX for reducing noise and more Audio For Video: The Audio Post Workflow Reflections in Sony Vegas — make your titles and logos shine! Slow, fast, reverse, and freeze motion in Sony Vegas Efficient Editing with Sony Vegas Anatomy...

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...

This past summer I ended up with jury duty. I didn’t serve on a trial, but I did have to report for several days. The only positive outcome of the experience was that it gave me time to think. Since prospective jurors can’t use electronics – no camera phones, no laptops, etc, I brought along a book and a spiral notebook that I bought at a back-to-school sale. (Can you tell me why...