Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/37786
Myers on Skywalker’s Tom : “It’s about trying to find a unique sound for each character and then offsetting it from another character.” into Cubase. So then you’re mapping it out with clicks. I won’t go to orchestral instru- ment until I feel good about it on the piano.” Jacob’s studio set-up is based on three computers that are networked using Vienna Ensemble Pro.Vienna Ensemble Pro creates a zero latency network of Macs and PCs using a simple Gigabit Ethernet connection. The main Mac computer houses apps such as Steinberg Cubase, and the other two computers are warehouses for Jacob’s sam- ples.“I do everything in Cubase. It has been my program from the get go. I have lots of orchestral samples. I really rely on the East- West orchestral library. On my main com- puter, I have a template in Cubase that I’ve taken a lot of time to set up. My favorite sounds all ready to go — French horns, drums — because that’s time consuming. As a composer you don’t want to be mess- ing around looking for sounds. I can get right to making the music, and not have to demo five different French horn patches.” Aside from creating all the orchestral and themes underscores, Jacob also arranges and produces the shows’ songs. The shows creators, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, are the show’s main songwriters. “They would stay up in the Disney offices and liter- ally knock it Even when I thought it was good I might be sent back to the drawing board, but it’s a working partnership with your bosses, and I’m fortunate to have very musical bosses in Dan and Swampy, and I’m fortunate to have a music department with Jay Stutler that is very supportive and nurturing.” BOB’S BURGERS For Konrad Piñon, re-recording mixer at Margarita Mix (www.lastudios.com) in Hol- lywood, sharing in the creative process is what makes Fox’s Bob’s Burgers so great. “What’s really different for animation workflows, and particularly Bob’s Burgers, is that there are so many creative choices to be made and experimented with. That’s why I love animation shows so much. I’ve been doing them for several years. I’ve done Robot Chicken (on Adult Swim), and that workflow is great as well.These shows from behind a wall for a large portion of the show. The delicate balance of making him sound realistically behind a wall, but also have him come cleanly through the mix,was a fun challenge, because it was a commitment to have someone talking through a wall, off screen for the whole show.” When a show is all about the dialogue, performance will take priority over perfec- tion.“Oftentimes on shows, they’ll record an ensemble cast, and the dialogue editor goes through hours of recording to get the right performances,” Piñon says. “In comedy, if it’s funny and it works, but there happens to be a flaw, it’s okay because performance rules. It’s kind of visceral. If you feel good about it, and it makes you laugh, so will someone else.” Mixing in 5.1 is starting to have an effect on the way animation directors use space. Piñon says,“5.1 is a boon to the audio post industry because it’s super creative and it al- out on acoustic guitar and sing it onto my answering ma- chine. It was hilarious. At 9pm I’d listen to the guys singing this song.Then at my studio I’d arrange and produce it, and play all the instruments, and a lot of times sing it. Sometimes I’ll co-write the songs too. But more often than not I arrange and produce them.” Jacob spent five months writing and pro- ducing music for Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension. The most challenging genre for him was the orchestral work in general.“The challenge for me was I don’t want to be mediocre. So I have high standards.There’s a lot of great talent out there. I had to be really patient and not turn any- thing in until I really be- lieved it 42 Post • July 2011 was worthy. : Margarita Mix’s Konrad Piñon is re-recording engineer and his approach is to make the dialogue as crisp, evenly matched and loud as possible. are so much fun because the creative choices are so wide. “As a re-recording engineer on Bob’s Burgers, you are part of the creative team. The first day we have a rough mix provided. It’s more of a guideline for the kinds of ef- fects they like, but when I actually get it, I’ll create environments with vocal processing, with ambiences, and when the creatives come to the mix stage they’ll love it or we’ll try some other things. Its wonderful.” Dialogue is an important element on any show. Piñon’s approach to the mix starts with making the dialogue as crisp, evenly matched, and as loud as possible. “It’s so important to get the dialogue to the right level and work everything around it.There was an episode of Bob’s this season, where Bob was speaking www.postmagazine.com lows us as re-recording mixers to be even more creative. Animation directors now have 5.1 in mind, and use a little more movement. They have someone walk across screen and talk off screen and go behind you and we’ll track the voice that way. If they have guns blearing and shooting at everybody,we’ll have bullets whistling all around you.” Piñon star ts with the 5.1 mix, and folds down to stereo from there. “I’ll make the 5.1 mix first so I know that perspectives are correct.There is definitely a lot of con- sideration for effects placement, ambience and dialogue placement in the 5.1 mix. When we fold that down the perspectives are correct.” Audio for Animation Cars 2 Bob’ s Bur gers continued on page 47