"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...]
Interview Rewind – The Sound of Simon Killer
In light of the film opening this weekend, I thought that I would remind you that we have an interview with Antonio Campos (director) and Coll Anderson (sound designer) about the sound of Simon Killer. It was originally posted about a year ago; shortly after they completed final mix of the film. Maybe that gives you a bit of an idea of what life is like for an indie … [Read more...]
Design’s Future Potential Engaging Audio
Michael Theiler has posted a new article on Gamasutra in response to Rob Bridgett's "After Sound Design" I have been buoyed recently due to some excellent writings by Ariel Gross and Rob Bridgett talking about game development, and also by my own sense of belonging in the world of games. We are at such an exciting and interesting point in history as it relates to games, and … [Read more...]
Backgrounds: Sound Design Under the Radar
Guest article by Douglas Murray Remember, all rules are meant to be broken! With that principle in mind, let's scratch the surface of the grammar and possibilities of an aspect of film sound design: backgrounds (also called BGs, atmospheres or ambiences). Backgrounds offer a powerful opportunity to use sound for maximum impact. Movies essentially need to have background … [Read more...]
One Day Workshop at London Film School
The London Film School is offering another one day workshop focusing on the role of sound in story-telling. The workshop will take place on Saturday, November 24th. They're also offering a 20% discount to Designing Sound readers. What is it that makes the dream sequences in Hitchcock’s SPELLBOUND, Bergman’s WILD STRAWBERRIES and Coppola’s THE CONVERSATION so disturbing? What … [Read more...]
Ideas in Sound Design: Semiotics and Language – Part 1
Cross-posting from my personal blog. Let's start off with a disclaimer. I am no expert in linguistics and semantics, nor would I consider myself truly conversant in the many critical models employed in film theory/criticism. Semiotics was something waved in front of my eyes a couple of times during undergrad (where I did not studio audio or film, by the way), then explored in … [Read more...]
The Sound of Simon Killer
In early March, I took a trip back home to visit my family and some friends. My buddy, and featured sound designer here on the site, Coll Anderson happens to live pretty close to that area. He and director Antonio Campos were in the process of finishing up the mix for the upcoming release, Simon Killer. We got together to talk about the process and the concepts behind the sound … [Read more...]