I caught up with Looper's composer Nathan Johnson to talk about the dynamics between his sound-based score, the sound design of the film and between himself and director Rian Johnson. What follows is part of the transcription of our Skype conversation. Can you talk about the dynamics between your sound-intensive soundtrack and the sound design of the film? For any movie, I … [Read more...]
Tutorial: A compressor in Pure Data
Compressors have become more than just gain control units, they can be just as important as EQs in shaping a sound and sometimes even more so. For the mathematically inclined, a compressor works with a transfer function, or in plain speak, it changes its input in a predictable way. The controls of a compressor help specify this transfer function. The most common controls … [Read more...]
Finding Your Way With High Dynamic Range Audio In Wwise
Guest Contribution by: Louis-Xavier Buffoni – Software engineer at Audiokinetic HDR in a Nutshell HDR (“High Dynamic Range”) audio is a technique which draws its inspiration from the local adaptation method used in HDR imaging, which “attempts to maintain local contrast, while decreasing global contrast.” [1] In audio, this local/global dichotomy applies to time, and contrast … [Read more...]
The Dynamics of Mark of the Ninja
Guest Contribution by Matthew Marteinsson At first listen you can tell Mark of the Ninja is a game with a wide dynamic range. The game is all about being hidden and safe or out in the open with the danger of being seen. A very binary visual contrast between being hidden and visible informs the player clearly which state they are in. When hidden, the player has got time to … [Read more...]
Dynamics…What’s Your Range?
For June, we've chosen to focus on the theme of "Dynamics." As the title of this post implies, we don't think of this topic as narrow or specific. There are two obvious directions this theme can go. We could start a discussion about the use of dynamics processing: compressors, limiters, expanders, or transient enhancers. How do we use these in the design phase to mold a … [Read more...]
The Sound of Looper – Interview with Jeremy Peirson
I contacted Jeremy Peirson, the sound designer for Looper (2012), to talk about his role in the best received time travel movie in a very long time. What follows is a transcription of our phone conversation. Enjoy! DS: For our theme on the site this month we're talking about "time," and I though it would be interesting to talk about Looper (2012) as a time travel movie and … [Read more...]
Sonic/Temporal Ambiguity as Evidence of Psychosis in Martha Marcy May Marlene
"Where are we?" "Connecticut." "No. How far are we?" "From what?" "Yesterday." Directed by Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) centers around the damaged psyche of Martha, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen. Martha is a young woman who, through the time spent living as part of a small farm commune, has lost nearly all sense of boundaries...from social through temporal. … [Read more...]