Sound recordists are a special breed. On a recent trip to Zambia, the safari guides were very interested in the sound I recorded of the animals and villager’s ceremonial drumming. Apparently no one ever records sounds there. Here are 11 general tips from my experience field recording for film, games, music and fun. 1) Put together a really great rig. Building your rig is … [Read more...]
The Use of Silence in Sound Design
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...]
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...]
Notes About the Sound of "Watchmen" at the MPSE Discussion Panel
A few days ago I talked about a MPSE Discussion Panel called "Watchmen - Superhero Sound", which took place on December 8 at Hitchcock Theater, Universal Studios. Then you can read some notes taken from the show and wait for Michael Coleman said on Twitter that he would be there filming the show to publish on SoundWorksCollection (I guess). I hope to see that video on the … [Read more...]
Andrew Lackey Special: Dead Space [Exclusive Interview]
Dead Space is one of my favorite videogames and the sound there is really amazing. We have already seen good info about the sound of Dead Space, but here are some more specific questions from an interview that I had with Andrew Lackey, Check it! Designing Sound: First of all, tell us exactly what was your job on Dead Space. Andrew Lackey: I was one of three sound designers on … [Read more...]