DS: What are some of the airplanes that you've recorded? JA: Mostly World War II planes, and that usually happens two ways. Either I go to an air show and record them as best as conditions will permit. On other occasions I would just call the owner of a plane. Like Lefty Gardner, he had this beautiful twin engine P-38. He regularly performed at air shows. The Nazis called it … [Read more...]
Interview: John Altmann on recording airplanes – Part 1
John Altmann spent 20 years as a recording engineer, recording local San Francisco Bands and running his own studio in San Francisco, John Altmann Recording. He's also the owner of Aircraft Records and has spent the last 36 years recording airplanes. DS: Hi … [Read more...]
Interview: Bijan Sharifi on LoFi sounds in documentaries
The topic this month is LoFi and I know just who to turn to, Bijan Sharifi from Berkeley Sound Artists. Bijan has worked on many films of various styles, but has focused a lot of time on documentaries. With over 75 films under his belt, he knows how to get the right LoFi sound when he needs it. DS: Hi Bijan and thanks for joining us. Can you tell us a little about your … [Read more...]
LoFi Sounds in a High Tech World.
The topic for the month is LoFi and I'm just having my morning coffee. Before taking this further, it would probably be worthwhile to define LoFi. HiFi is high fidelity and LoFi is low fidelity. A quick google search for the definition of fidelity, and I came up with “the degree of exactness with which something is copied or reproduced”, while dictionary.com had a … [Read more...]
Interview: Tim Borquez on using sound design for character development
With the topic of the month being “character”, I knew just the person to interview, Tim Borquez. Tim is a Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording mixer who owns Hacienda Post in Burbank, CA. To date Tim has won 11 Emmy Awards and 10 MPSE Golden Reel Awards. Tim has worked on shows such as The Ren and Stimpy Show, Spongebob Squarepants, The Batman, The Little … [Read more...]
Interview: Dan Olmsted on the Saul Zaentz Film Center and Fantasy Studios
With the announced closure of Fantasy Studios on September 18, 2018, I thought it would be fitting to talk to someone who was there at the time of it being a film center. I tracked down Dan Olmsted, who worked at the Saul Zaentz Film Center on films such as The English Patient, Amadeus, Boogie Nights, K-19: The Widowmaker, and Fern Gully 2. Dan still works in the Zaentz Media … [Read more...]
Interview: James Morioka on mentorship
This month, with the theme being mentorship, I decided to interview my biggest mentor in film sound, James Morioka. James has worked on films such as 21 and 22 Jump Street, Fury, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Hotel Transylvania 2 and 3. DS: This month our theme is mentorship, but before we get started with that, can you tell us a little about how you got started in your career … [Read more...]