Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1279181
20 I M PS E . O R G take is to listen, different from hearing because you abandon the passive processing of stimuli for active attention directed toward your perception of sound. Most people are able to hear before they even leave the womb, but listening is an oft neglected, learned skill. Living legend Ann Kroeber recounts her transcendental encounter with listening that would lead her to a career working with directors David Lynch, Carroll Ballard, and her late husband Alan Splet. Ann's credits include The Black Stallion (1979), Blue Velvet (1986), Dead Poets Society (1989), and Duma (2005). ANN KROEBER: I was working at the film unit at the United Nations in New York, but there were some complications, and I couldn't stay there. One of my colleagues said, "Ann, you could become a sound recordist and go out and record the visiting diplomats." I looked at him and thought—sound recordist, why don't you become an astrophysicist. It was the last thing in the world that I thought I could do. My father wouldn't even let me turn off his high-fidelity equipment because I'd break it, because I was a girl, you know, and girls just don't do that kind of thing. He [my colleague] said, "You can do it Ann," and he assigned me to go down to Chinatown to record Chinese New Year. He had a beautiful tape recorder, a Nagra and lovely mics, and he taught me how to use it. I wrote down copious notes. I didn't even practice after he left; I was afraid I was going to break it before I even got there. I got down to Chinatown knowing there were fireworks and crowds. I set up the recorder and I plugged it all in, I put the headphones in, turned it on, and listened. I was like, "Wow, wow, this is so cool, listen, wow." I just started pointing the microphone in different places and finding cool places that sounded great. I totally forgot about his notes and how to use the thing other than the basics of turning it on. I just used my ears. I recorded fireworks where I rode the gain to the area in analog just before it breaks up, where it's kind of intense, it's slightly off, but it's amazing. I would take, so that the fireworks would blast even more, they'd grab you and then bring it [the gain] down slowly. I don't know, it was something that I did intuitively. I brought the recorder back to the UN, and the guys were around and they were smiling and they were like, "Oh, how'd you do, Ann, it's okay, don't worry, it was your first time, blah blah blah." They turned it on and they were laughing, and they listened to what I did and they were like, "Holysomoly, did you do that? How did you do that?" and that was the beginning of my recording career. It was just from using my instincts and my ears. Just trying things and not being set in any sort of given pattern. As Ann's story illustrates, there's nothing more important when field recording than using your ears and exploring. Recording a good sound effect is remarkably like taking a good photograph. There are a variety of considerations to take into account, like light, ambience, focus, and noise floor, but most significantly, you must privilege Eric on mokoro recording for Nat Geo in Okavango Delta Africa.