So, Chuck Russom Special has come to the end. Many thanks to Chuck for sharing his fantastic stuff with the community and thanks to the readers who participated in the month. Here're the answers to his questions: Wow, the month of April just flew by! I want to thank Designing Sound for hosting me this month. I also want to thank the readers for putting up with my ramblings! … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Gun Sound Design
I work on a lot of games that are filled with guns. Over the years, through experimentation, screwing up, listening to movies/games with great guns sounds, and tips from other sounds designers, I’ve been able to create a process that works well for me. The biggest influence on my gun sound design has not come in the studio, but on the gun range. I’ve shot a lot of guns. … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Quantum of Solace [Exclusive Interview]
Sadly, the Chuck Russom Special is coming to the end. Here's the last interview we made, this time talking about "Quantum of Solace" (the video game), where Chuck was the Audio Lead. Designing Sound: So ,how do you get hired on Treyarch and how do you get involved with Quantum of Solace? Chuck Russom: I am a huge, life-long fan of the Bond franchise. I even have a poster from … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Recording Fireworks
Fireworks are one of those things that really brings out the kid in you. They are also make a good subject for sound recording. Even the small ones often have cool sounds that can be useful in sound design. My favorite firework is the ground bloom flower. It is also known by other names like TNT Flower, Ground Spinner, etc. It is around the size of an M80, spins around on … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Using Sound Libraries
One of the readers asked if I could give some tips on how to process library sounds and what to do when you can’t record your own source. It is a common misconception that sound teams that work on films, AAA game titles, or teams that do a lot of sound recording do not use commercial sound libraries. The fact is, no matter how large the budget, or how much time you have to … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Slingshot Recording
Slingshots can be a great source of sound recording fun. You can use them to record sound like flying debris, bullet bys, dart bys, spear bys, all sorts of cool flyby sounds. All you really need to do if find an open area where you can fire the slingshot, set up a mic, and shoot various objects at the mic. Try not to hit the mic, if you can! I needed some bullet whizbys for … [Read more...]
Chuck Russom Special: Call of Duty [Exclusive Interview]
Call of Duty (released 7 years ago) was one of the most important jobs for Chuck Russom, so we decided to make an interview talking about that game and what it meant for his career. Designing Sound: How do you get hired on Infinity Ward and how do you get involved with Call of Duty? Chuck Russom: It’s crazy when I think about it, the first Call of Duty game was 7 years ago. … [Read more...]