Sound-Design

Following all that production sound talk from “The Dark Knight” I knew I needed my next post to focus on something I never really covered here, ADR. In a mix, ADR and production dialog try to play nice, hopefully resulting in a pristine dialog track that keeps an audience engaged. Luckily, people like ADR supervisor Tammy Fearing are on call, ensuring the viewing public an enjoyable experience. Even better, she was willing to discuss her job as an ad lib wrangler on “Step Brothers”. ...

When I seem to have a grasp on what production sound crews have to overcome on set, I sit in a theater watching a film like “The Dark Knight” and humbly remind myself I really have no idea. Production sound mixers have to battle everything from wind machines to air conditioners all while doing their best to capture performances that may not be able to be duplicated on an ADR stage. Sadly, in the case of “TDK” this scenario rang true with the untimely passing of Heath Ledger. Thankfully, with Ledger’s incredible performance on screen and Ed Novick’s hard work on set no looping was needed. Confirming with sound supervisor Richard King (his interview will be up this weekend) Novick’s mixing captured Ledger’s “Joker” well enough that everything you hear in the film is production. Moreover, King revealed that there is very little ADR in the mix, period. I don’t think there is a better compliment for a production mixer and thankfully this one took some time out to talk about his experience in Gotham City. ...

If you know me, you know a bat-nerd. I grew up on batman, I have seen the franchise through good times and bad (1997 was excruciating). That said, I was very stoked on Chris Nolan’s retooling of the series with 2005’s “Batman Begins” and with the release of the second Nolan helmed film this July my excitement is nearing fever pitch. So this is a warning if you will, there might be a slight bias towards “The Dark Knight” in the next couple of months. I might damn near post any and everything sound related for the film including up to the three interviews I am trying to do with “TDK” sound folk. So to start the ball rolling I submit THIS LA TIMES BLOG, an interview with the two composers returning to Nolan’s Bat universe, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Please don’t fault me for the addiction, if there is a Batman Anonymous, I’ll join. ...

Albeit a slight bias toward the leaning tower of Pixar, I am always game for a great animated film regardless of the brand. “Kung Fu Panda” was just that - a well crafted story supported by some well crafted sounds. While Ethan Van Der Ryn, Erik Aadahl, and co. attack another Dreamworks animated film next year with “Monsters vs. Aliens”, I’d like to thank them for taking some time out to talk about their work on this one.. ...

“The Strangers” introduced itself to theaters May 30th. Supervising sound editor Scott Hecker makes sure you notice the film’s sound. Hecker is continuing a horror roll with this falls retelling of “The Tale of Two Sisters” with, “The Uninvited”. “The Strangers” mixed in Burbank at “the dub stage” with Marti D. Humphrey and Chris M. Jacobson on dialog/music and effects, respectively. Humphrey and Jacobson continue mixing together with this August’s “The Horsemen”. Jeffree Bloomer, who is mixing on David O. Russell’s current film, handled production sound on the film “Nailed”. Composer Tom Hajdu, teaming up with the Slovakian based Bratislava Symphony Orchestra provided score for the film. Hajdu, also known as Tomandandy is heading up the film adaptation of the video game, “Return to Castle Wolfenstien” ...

It’s been almost a year since I posted about my last bad (and I mean bad) experience in a theater. When I saw the latest “Harry Potter”, the theater sounded crappy. When I went to see “The Strangers” this past weekend it was godawful. A 60Hz hum plagued the center channel, all but pooping on the hard work done on the mix stage. Of course I complained multiple times to the management - they assured me it was the speaker not the print(glory) and “there was nothing they could do about it, would you like a refund?” Man, did I want to storm out of there, cash in hand but alas, I had a job to do. It was a task using the notch filter in my head to tune out that terrible buzz and listen to the work re-recording mixer Marti D. Humphrey and the rest of the sound crew did. Luckily Marti took some time to talk about mixing “The Strangers” before I wasted your time just now complaining about my attempt to enjoy it! ...

Ben Burtt has one of the best answers to the my favorite reoccurring question, “What was your first gig like?” After graduating from USC with a masters in film production, he was hired to record some sounds for this sci-fi movie fellow USC alum George Lucas was putting together. Some 30 years later, Burtt is credited with designing the most memorable sounds for some of the most beloved films as well as helping to put film sound into the public consciousness. In the late 1970’a he was there when what was Sprocket Systems started and has been a cornerstone in its evolution into skywalker sound. He is now an employee of Pixar and adding to his ridiculous resume, he has two huge films releasing this summer. Thanks so much, Ben, for taking time out to talk about one of those films, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Check back next month for a discussion with Ben about the other film, Pixar’s “Wall-E”. ...

Hey All, My apologies for the limited movement over the past couple of weeks. No offense to the great craftsmen who offered up their time for this humble cause, the Q and A’s were great! I guess I’m just hypersensitive of the slow goings on here. With that said, summer is almost upon us and with that a slew of some of biggest films of the year. Not downplay any of the great work heard in releases outside hotter months, its just nice to see sound coverage on these high profile films too. So with my eyes fixed on the horizon I am turning to you guys for any suggestions of what you’d like to see more of here? I can already note the lack of music peeps represented(I am in the process of nabbing one for an upcoming release). So any other notes or suggestions would be outstanding. Thanks for your support and bring on the blockbusters… ...

Thanks to sound supervisor Julian Slater for taking time out to do this Q and A! FSD: How did director Martin McDonagh’s theater background influence his thoughts on sound in this film? JS: Martin, more than many of the directors I have worked with is extremely focused on the dialogue in the film. Being a playwright, he is obviously a man who sees the sound effects and maybe even the music as secondary to the words in his film. As for looping, he will do everything he can to avoid looping dialogue or adding new dialogue for that matter. As far as he is concerned, what he captures on the day is what he wants to go out in the cinema. ...

You really can’t beat RED CARPET DISTRICT’S coverage of the Cinema Audio Society awards last night, in which the mixers from “No Country for Old Men” walked away with the award for outstanding achievement in sound in motion pictures. Info on the rest of the awards are available HERE.Congrats to all the winners! Data preservation for the cinematography community.