George Spanos has published a new article at GameSoundDesign, this time talking about the use and approach of silence in sound design. Silence is a very powerful sound. Sound? Silence is not a sound... right? Well I think that silence should be considered a "sound", a "sound effect", and "music". But that's crazy isn't it… how can the lack of sound be considered the same as … [Read more...]
The Sound Design of "Avatar"
Avatar is one of the most impressive films I've seen. Amazing use of technology and a great story. Fantastic combination. The 3D experience there is totally amazing. The sound is really great... A good challenge with animals, sci-fi stuff and of course: create a new world. The January's Issue of Mix Magazine contain a fantastic article featuring Chris Boyes talking about the … [Read more...]
Andrew Lackey Special: Surviving the Crunch; Being Healthy Sound Designers
For many of us, this time of year is about spending time with family and friends; the other "half" of the life balance. I jokingly put half in quotes because that "half" can look a lot more like a sliver on the pie chart during some projects. One of the dicier topics in our industry is "The Crunch": the final weeks or months of a project where there aren't enough hours in … [Read more...]
Ben Burtt and Gunshot Sound Effects for Western Movies
Great mini-documentary featuring Ben Burtt and the creation of gunshot sound effects for western movies … [Read more...]
Creating Sound Effects in "Sound Ideas"
Check the nice video from Sound Ideas Channel on YouTube, featuring some of his engineers and designers recording and making sound effects for his libraries. … [Read more...]
Andrew Lackey Special: Top 5 Audio Tools for Christmas (but don't yet exist)
For the most part, Sound Designers use borrowed tools. Most audio software has its basis in music, and through the years features have been added for linear post production and surround sound. Particularly in the areas of interactive sound design and surround sound there are big time needs for audio software development. Here's my Christmas list: 1. Sample Bank Audio … [Read more...]
Designing Sounds for "World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade"
Cool featurette about the sound design of "World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade" featuring Developer Chris Metzen, Audio Director Russell Brower, Lead Sound Designers Brian Farr and Joseph Lawrence, and Assistant Sound Designer Jonas Laster. There are also videos about the voices and music if you want to see. … [Read more...]