Sound Design - From Zero to Hero
- 1. Audio for Picture Overview • Sound for picture can be grouped into the following stems: • Dialog (ie. Spoken word) • Sound FX • Music/Score • Often different “teams” of people work on producing the audio for each of the above 3 elements. • During the final mix or “dub” these 3 elements are brought together. 1
- 2. Picture Soundtrack Overview Production Dialogue Dialogue / Narration ADR Narration/Voiceover Animation Dialogue Picture Foley / Sound FX Foley Soundtrack Sound FX Ambience Musical Score Jingle Music (Ads.) Music Environmental Music Soundtrack Music 2
- 3. Dialogue • Dialogue (spoken word) is usually recorded on location during filming (production) by a team consisting of the Boom Operator, Sound Mixer and Cable/Utility Person. • The sound crew’s aim is to capture dialogue from the actors as cleanly as possible • They may also attempt to capture some “room tone” and a few environmental sounds 3
- 4. Location Audio Equipment • Recording dialogue on-set is usually done using a boom microphone. These mics tend to have a highly directional polar pattern to avoid spill Sennheiser MK416 Boom Mic Mackie 1202 Mixer and noise. • Small lavalier (spot) microphones are also used in some cases. • Recording is done via a small Countryman B6 Lavalier Mic - used in mixer to a portable medium addition to boom mics. such as a Nagra, DAT or Nagra V Digital Recorder 4 Hard Disk Recorder.
- 5. Location Recording Formats • Location (aka production) audio was originally recorded to analog tape (usually 1/4 inch and in Nagra III - 1962. This was a mono deck that used 1/4 inch mono). analog tape. • The de facto standard device for many years was the NAGRA tape deck. • Later versions had 2 tracks plus a time-code track Nagra IV - 1971. This upgrade included 2 mic inputs and a built in limiter (Nagra IV - STC) 5
- 6. Location Recording Formats • Analogue formats were eventually replaced with digital devices. Nagra V - 2002. This device records in stereo at a resolution of up to 24 • Nagra has brought out bit/96 kHz to an internal hard drive. It is fully SMPTE compatible and records in BWF (Wav) file format. the Nagra V which records to an internal hard drive 6
- 7. Location Recording Formats The Nagra VI digital audio recorder was awarded the TEC Award for “Outstanding Technical Achievement” at a ceremony in New York on Saturday October 10th 2009 during the 127th AES show. What has happened to the Nagra IV? 7
- 8. Location Recording Formats • Other hard disc based Fostex FR-2. Records 2 tracks of audio with time-code to a PC recorders have been released most of card at a resolution of up to 24 bit/96kHz. which can transfer files directly into Pro Tools. Zaxcom Deva V. This device records up to 10 tracks to an internal hard drive and backs up to a DVD drive. 8
- 9. ADR - Automated Dialogue Replacement • ADR is the process of re- recording dialogue from an actor once filming has ceased (post production). • ADR is (usually) done in a studio with the actor viewing themselves on screen and re- speaking their lines. • ADR is often required for scenes that contain a lot of background noise and the location sound is unusable. 9 • NB - Narration is also recorded in this way.
- 10. Foley • Foley effects are sounds that accompany live action/movement on the screen. • They include footsteps, clothes rustling, doors opening etc - sounds that are difficult to capture during filming. • Foley sounds are recorded during post production on a dedicated foley studio/stage by a foley artist whilst viewing the picture. • Foley is named after Jack Foley (1891-1967) who is credited as being the inventor of foley. 10
- 11. Sound FX • Sound FX are classed as any other sounds, besides Foley, that are non-dialogue and non- musical. Example - explosions, gunshots, mechanical sounds etc. • Sound FX also includes any non-synchronous sounds (eg. off camera sounds that don’t require sync to picture) 11
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- 13. Music in Picture Empire Strikes Back (1980). Soundtrack Contains the score written by John Williams • Music included in film/TV etc can take several forms: • Score Walk The Line (2006). Soundtrack album • Performed/environmental contains songs performed by the actors in the movie music • Soundtrack music • Music is usually included to create/convey a “mood” for Top Gun (1986). Soundtrack album contains several songs the visual action. It can also heard during the movie. be, in some cases, part of the action. 13
- 14. Musical Score • Often a composer may be hired to write a musical score for a picture. • A rough “cut” of the film will be given to them after shooting and the composer will work Warner Bros Scoring Stage from that. • The method of production/recording for the score will depend on the budget for the picture. Larger budgets allow for a full 14 orchestra (see left).
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- 16. The Final Dub (Mix) • Once all the elements of the soundtrack have been recorded and edited, they are then mixed together. • This process is referred to as Film Dub Stage at Soundfirm Studios. Melbourne “Dubbing” and is carried out (usually) on a Dub Stage. • A dub stage will be located in a cinema-type area and (usually) house a large format console to handle the multiple signals involved in a soundtrack. Film Dub Stage at Twickenham Studios, London 16