Month: March 2018

The purpose of this blog was to understand the process in creating audio for a moving image. While researching, I came across an interview in which Sound Designer and mixer TJ Dumser answers this question and many more. In order for me to create my own audio design for this film, I not only need inspiration but also to understand the process behind it.  While in a project, his way of working is similar to how I have been working in my previous projects and is what I tend to do with this one also. Over-designing everything and then once done, stripping it back so to sound less muddy and more professional. His idea of a sound design contains the idea of, “if it moves, it makes a sound”. Secondly, his advice towards making sound is to be yourself. Trying to work as someone else would will only make you lose your ability to create greatness.

Lastly, In his interview he mentions how quick you have to be as well as creative. You should also know what the client wants exactly and not fall short or exaggerate on what the client has asked of you. That being said, Tj explains his thinking behind creating his audio.

 

https://theaudiospotlight.com/tj-dumser-interview/

In this post, I will reflect on the guest lectures presented from Barney Oram, Mark Hills and Rory Hunter. All of these people, are and have been in the industry for quite some time now and because of that, they were able to all provide me with key information on the industry and the roles I intend to pursue once graduated.

Barney Oram left the university to chase the path of game sound. This field is not so much different to film sound when it comes to the creation or professionalism and creativity. Barney mentions sound for game becoming more and more of a cinematic experience since the past 20 years, and I believe that soon to come, games will obtain a space within the cinematic requirements or expectations. However the difference between the two is the timeline. Game audio is not linear and therefore becoming 100% interactive. Sounds in games are heard many times throughout, and the challenge with that is creating an amazing sound design by using randomisation and interactive and reactive audio. Lastly, Barney talked about entering the game industry, how you get started and what you need to have to be able to apply. He mentions the two different path ways you can take which include, Indie companies or AAA. With each having its pros and cons, we were able to analyze both and gain knowledge so that we are able to make our own decisions when coming out of university. In addition, in order for us to apply as a game sound designer, it is important as mentioned by Barney to obtain a professional website containing your best 1 minute showreel showing all your potential and creativity as well as, previous works, recommendations and personality. Personality in this industry is seen as key in order to succeed, charisma and work ethic may get you further in the career path then purely skill.

Mark Hill works at Factory post production company for films, television and animation. In his lecture he talks about some key things to look out for and do as well as the role and the clients. All of which are essential knowledge to have when going out there and thinking of where and what you want to do. Firstly he mentions the sound design path you want to take. In the media industry there are many different ways to approach a sound design role, including games, animation, documentary, television and/or film. All of these are included in their own sector however sharing the same or similar skills and creativity. Deciding which path to take is the first ever step we should think about before even leaving university as it will determine everything you do and look for. As mentioned by Mark, once this is decided, looking for your first job should be done carefully and with plenty of research. It was advised that family style companies are the best first job companies to look for, as it gives you the capability to strive a lot faster and attain a title of sound designer a lot faster. The second piece of advise he mentions is interesting and many times something we do not think about. Searching for a job seekers allowance is something which gives you the possibility to earn and retain free transport from and to interviews and any work related meetings and trainings. As a starting job we are firstly to apply for a runner job as we are yet not prepared to obtain the responsibility and skills of a sound designer. This job is super important in the industry as it gives you the opportunity to show your work ethic, personality and will to grow in the industry. In all the different lectures and online researches I have done and heard, all mentions the importance of this job. Building a good relationship with producers while a runner is key in getting a head start on the promotions available. The next step up from that is the transfer/audio assistant. As an assistant you are responsible for loading and prepping the mixes on to ProTools and most importantly, you are responsible for making sure the audio meets the correct volume requirements before reaching the client. Lastly, he advises us to, even while a runner, build a relationship with clients, while serving them tea, or just passing by. These clients may turn out to be potential future clients which you may come across and work with. In addition, they might come to remember you for your charisma and work ethic when you were a runner and from the decide to work with you as a sound designer.

Rory Hunter works at one of the companies which I have looked at before as a potential company for me to apply for after leaving university. Fonic is a audio post production company specialized in television, film, radio, gaming and digital media. In this lecture we were able to learn more about dialogue editing, CVs and techniques in interviews. One thing that caught my attention was the fact that it each CV should be tailored for each job. Even though you apply for the same job role, each company require specific attributes. Recruiters also are able to notice if the CV is not tailored to that specific company/role. In terms of interview technique, I was surprised at some of the advises given. One which caught my attention was the dress code. Normally, we prepare our best suit for our interviews for any job, however, in this industry its seen as different, a more casual smart look is preferred and shows more understanding about the industry than a smart suit. Another technique which took my attention among the rest was body language. Keeping an open body language shows that you are comfortable and not nervous, a good posture shows professionalism and recruiters look and pay attention to these details.

Before starting a project it is important to see how other people have started on their projects and have a look at their experience in order to apply some of their ideas and workflows into my own project. While looking at this idea I encountered an interview in which Steve talks about his experience while doing the film Alice in Wonderland. This interview has helped me immensely in realizing some of the thoughts professionals in the field go through in their projects.

The first question and response which caught my eyes was the question about his relationship with the producer. This is one of the most important factors to pay attention to before, during and after the job. Beyond your personal technical abilities, producers look for people who they can build a relationship with, someone who they can feel comfortable with and at ease. In this specific case, Steve had already worked with Tim Burton before in previous projects and already knew his style and what he was looking for, his likes and dislikes. Being able to work with Tim for many different films shows how much of a relationship Steve built with Tim from the first time working with him. Steve however mentions in his reply the fact that he knew how Tim worked and how he wanted his sound to be like while even at the very start of the production with only green screens behind the characters. This is something that intrigued me as I never thought of the idea of actually researching into the producers pervious works and analyse the sound for those films as an indicator or guide as to how they look at sound as to how predominant they like the sound to be, or how the simpler the better. For future reference, this is something which I will do before starting a job with a producer.

Another question which caught my attention was about the challenge facing in taking Alice through so many different changes of scenery  bearing in mind the ambience and textures and how did he make the audience feel as if they were in wonderland. This is something that attracted me because it has always been a curiosity of mine as to how these different changes can be made without having such a sharp distracting change. From Steves experience with Tim, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to have sounds that jump out at you, however it was interesting to know that even in such a `wonderland` a lot of the sounds used were sounds which was realistic to the human ear with few strange sounds. I have always imagined, if given the opportunity to make such a film, to make every sound `strange` in order to portray the image, however, it is a lot more subtle to place sounds which people are used to fused with strange sounds so that people can relate to but also realize that it is a wonderland rather than a real forest or place. In my current project, I am to produce a fantasy world, a dream, and this interview will help me realize that I don’t have to focus too much on `strange` sounds but create an ambience where people can relate to however also realize that its not real, its fantasy.

"Alice in Wonderland" – Exclusive Interview with Sound Designer/Supervisor Steve Boeddeker