screenshot from "The Psychology Behind Video Game Sounds (1972-1998), wired.com Cool overview of the history of game sound design and psychoacoustics. With insight from senior audio director at Blizzard Entertainment Russell Brower, the article plunges the depths of vintage 8bit and 16bit games and their sound design. The "dying" sound in 'Space Invaders' and the coin grab … [Read more...]
postPerspective: The Meg: What does a giant shark sound like?
Image from postPerspective In this article, Jennifer Walden explores the work of Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Jason Jennings and the E² Sound team on Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Meg. The music is very sparse, just a little bit of violins to give you that shiver up your spine. Then, WHAM!, the sound of the attack just shakes the whole facility. Read the full article on … [Read more...]
Sound & Picture: Crafting the Sound of The Handmaid’s Tale
Canadian Supervising Sound Editor Jane Tattersall discusses the aspects and creative considerations for determining the sonic approach to the award-winning Hulu original series. With the approach of the 2018 Primetime Creative Emmy Awards, a look back at this detailed article provides may provide some context for the sound of the series, especially considering the nomination … [Read more...]
Using Sound Design for Ringtones
Canadian Youtuber/Composer Andrew Huang had the unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the latest phone from South Korean tech giant Samsung. The Note 9 featured Huang's work as one of the new ringtones users can choose to customize their experience. Huang used a number of household items to craft a unique percussive font which he used alongside synthesizers. … [Read more...]
Creative Field Recording: How to Record Quiet Nature Sounds
Image from Creative Field Recording In this article, Paul Virostek gives an overview of the challenges which field recordists face while recording quiet outdoor spaces and how he deals with "the threat of noise." [It] is the more subtle atmospheres that prompt one of the most perplexing questions of the craft: how can you record quiet wilderness sounds? Read the full article … [Read more...]
Keith Bound: How Sounds Optimise Audience Engagement in Movies
Image from LinkedIn In the 6th part of his Science of Storytelling series, Keith Bound PhD outlines the specific psychological effects of common horror-thriller sounds on moviegoers. "When a diegetic sound resonates with the viewers as a recognizable threat to the protagonist or themselves the viewer, it not only elicits a strong anxiety response but does so very … [Read more...]
postPerspective: Audio post for Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country
Image from postPerspective In this article, Jennifer Walden explores the work of Brent Kiser and the Unbridled Sound team on Chapman and Maclain Way's docu-series Wild Wild Country. “The material hadn’t been maintained, and there were these weird VHS bleeds; the audio had a huge hum. Initially, we tried to clean it up a bit, but in the end we decided to just let it roll … [Read more...]