Reading and Writing
The more effort and planning that is put into pre-production planning means the more time a filmmaker can put into their actual production without having to worry about locations, shots, etc. And the same goes for the production phase itself in that if all goes smoothly (or at least close) then the editing phase will not be as difficult to put the final piece together. But if the proper precautions and steps aren’t take in production, in this case audio recording, then the editor could find themselves having to put in a lot of extra work to prep the audio rather than assemble it.
Flilippo Gaetani gives tips on how to record great sound in his article 7 Secrets for Getting Pro-Sounding Vocals on Home Recordings. He recommends first finding the right room and ambience before you begin setting up and recording otherwise it’s a hassle to have to move if need be and set up again. When looking for a good room to record in he also recommends having sound absorbers such as a bed, blanket, and curtains so that echoes are neutralized. And finally play around with different microphone positions to find the best sound level and think about giving time for multiple takes.
Hal Robertson then gives advice on the post-production side of audio editing in his article Sound Advice: Editing Audio for Video. It easier to get away with bad video than it is bad audio. The slightest detect of a problem in audio and the viewers are instantly taken out of the moment. Sound should be given the same level of attention as video for any piece. When it comes to editing just audio, things can get tricky without a visual guide. The most important thing to nail down first according to Robertson is telling the story in the best possible and coherent way. This should help assemble a rough cut which can then be trimmed down to different versions before finally settling on a final piece.
Research to Inform
Here are a few examples of what I think are some of the best produced movie scenes where the audio is able to enhance the scene through sound effects and/or music:
Jaws (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I91DJZKRxs
John Williams will no doubt go down as one of if not the greatest film composers of all time. And while many believe all of his work is masterful, I believe the one that stands out most in propelling a film to new heights through music is the Jaws soundtrack. The music helps to propel the character’s fear of the shark as it swim towards the boat and circles it. There is very little dialogues as the characters stare in shock at the size of the shark but the music helps to unsettle the viewers in a good way and makes them fear for the life of the characters.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp91xlsaKSo
Another example of John Williams work, the Phantom Menace soundtrack is most famously known for its Duel of the Fates soundtrack. What is great about this scene of the movie is how the music not only works great with the character’s lightsaber battle choreography but also the actual sound effects of the lightsaber. The sound effects of the lightsabers hitting take precedence over the music levels to transport the viewers into the Star Wars universe yet the music helps to add to the tension of the fight and informs viewers when the tide begins to turn in the fight and the characters are in trouble.
Iron Man (2008)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t86sKsR4pnk
Iron Man helped to set the new standard for visual effects and CGI in the 21st century but what many people overlooked is the sound effects that went with it to help bring the Iron Man armor to life. The sound effects come in multiple layers down to every last screw and gear turning on the iron man suit as viewers watch it being assembled around Tony Stark. This helps to give the sensation of the suit being assembled right before their very eyes in real life as well as all the parts and pieces it takes to put the suit on.
Create
Above is a link to my podcast that I recorded and edited. I decided to do the story on my grandmothers non-profit group home company for people with developmental disabilities. This company is very close to me and my family and I wanted to be able to share the story with others and help spread awareness. For this particular project I used a H4N Zoom Recorder connected to a Rode (shotgun) microphone on a mini-stand through XLR cables. I recorded the piece in my grandmother’s apartment in the guest bedroom which provided the best sound feedback in the microphone after prepping it for recording such as closing the curtains. The editing software I used for this podcast was Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 and I exported the sequence as an MP3 with 128kbps.
Works Cited
Gaetani, Filippo. “7 Secrets for Getting Pro-Sounding Vocals on Home Recordings.” Sonicbids Blog – Music Career Advice and Gigs, 27 June 2014, blog.sonicbids.com/7-secrets-of-getting-pro-sounding-vocals-on-home-recordings.
Robertson, Hal. “Sound Advice: Editing Audio for Video.” Videomaker, 20 Apr. 2018, www.videomaker.com/article/c4/8862-sound-advice-editing-audio-for-video.
