I started editing sound effects at Todd-AO back in 19.......... Something-or-other! I started working on a show called "Brooklyn Bridge" produced by Gary David Goldberg. I worked in television for a few years and then moved over to working on features. With a few brief side trips back to TV, I stayed in the feature world ever since until starting in on "Fringe" in August, … [Read more...]
Decisions
"You learn that the most important thing that you can do as a sound designer is to make the right choice, for the right sound, at the right moment in the film" -Ben Burtt … [Read more...]
Bruce Tanis Special: Cutting Crowd Effects
Hello again. Over the years I've worked on several films and TV shows that required editing crowds for different sorts of sports, both indoors and outdoors, concerts, and, my personal favorite, panic, battles, and riots. Umm, just kidding there. Mostly. Crowds are actually a bit more difficult to cut than they might seem on the surface. There are two obvious problems to be … [Read more...]
Bruce Tanis Special: Using Default Audio Suite Plugins in Pro Tools
I gave up a quasi-staff position nearly a decade ago in order to pursue a career as a freelance sound effects editor. Certainly, there are positives and negatives to both of these paths but, at the time, I was being offered a one-film job at a different facility from the company where I'd been working for a few years. I had pretty much reached the highest plateau available to … [Read more...]
Bruce Tanis Special: Exclusive Interview
Let's get started with this new special. Here is a great talk I had with our special guest Bruce Tanis talking about the general aspects of his career, his techniques, the way he works, and more! Designing Sound: Bruce, please introduce yourself and tell us how you get started with your sound career. Bruce Tanis: I'm a freelance sound effects editor working in Los Angeles, … [Read more...]
Charles Maynes Special: Gun Recording Thoughts for 2010
I hope you folks found some of my experiences entertaining, and more so helpful in your problem solving, so in the spirit of such fellowship I wanted to share some thoughts and experiences in my recording weapons and explosions for Films and Games. Chuck Russom, whom I consider a great sound designer, already spent some time discussing many of the logistical and creative … [Read more...]
Charles Maynes Special: Weapons SFX Recording and Design
Here's another interesting article published some years ago by Charles Maynes, this time on Gamasutra, talking about his approach on weapon sound effects recording and design. Some things have changed in Charles' process, but it's a worth reading anyway. Check: The romantic notion of sound design is what gets a lot people into film and game sound; that idea of creating sounds … [Read more...]