When I think lo-fi, I think lo-fi sci-fi. I think of games like Alien Isolation, Bioshock, SOMA. Films like Alien and Blade Runner. I think of gritty, chunky sounds. Interfaces or devices that click and clatter and that have been through the ringer more than once. I think what makes lo-fi sci-fi so great is how everything seems to be grounded in some sort of … [Read more...]
Building Character With Foley
“Sound is 50 percent of the movie-going experience...” - George Lucas The Star Wars series is the perfect example to Mr. Lucas’ statement. From the sound design of the fictional spacecrafts to the lightsaber, the soundtrack of these films enhances the experience and draws audiences to the cinema. One of the most famous sounds in these films is the often-mimicked voice of Darth … [Read more...]
Making a Plasma Gun from a Beer Can
Designing sounds for really large or complex objects can be really intimidating especially for younger sound designers and those with limited access to sound libraries. I’ll be showing you how I go about breaking down complex sounds into simple little sounds that we can easily access with household objects, and then we will build our complex sound using these techniques. This … [Read more...]
Fluidity – Streamlining your workflow
When I think of ‘fluidity’ I think of workflow, efficiency and productivity. How do you connect with your tools to create incredible auditory experiences? Most importantly; How efficient is this process? Working in audio we all know the dream scenarios we envision are far from reality. There’s always less time than we planned. Someone’s added a new animation and decided not to … [Read more...]
Creative Props – Hunting for Insipration
The most fun and creatively satisfying part of sound design, to me, is finding everyday objects and using them in a way no one designed them to function. Recording your own material is rewarding and something I urge everyone to do. In this I want to outline my process in finding new and creative props to create new and creative sounds.. Sometimes the sound you need is sitting … [Read more...]
Reaper Tutorial Series – An Interview with David Farmer
Tutorials. We all watch them, we all know that at some point in time, we will be reaching for that search bar when we are trying to overcome a particular hurdle, and you can guarantee that there is an answer to be found in the darkest corners of the Internet. Although the resulting content and indeed source of the result can be, let’s say, questionable at times. So when you … [Read more...]
News – Film Sound Guru Randy Thom’s New Blog
There's no doubt the sound design community is one blessed with some fantastic artists who are surprisingly willing to share their experiences and insights. This fact was confirmed recently with Randy Thom's announcement of a new blog discussing film sound. The blog, found here, already features three brief but insightful posts from Thom, and will no doubt be a source of … [Read more...]