CAS Quarterly

Fall 2015

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sound guy.' There is no sort of [role.]" The transition of duties back-and-forth seems natural to both of these individuals. Perhaps this is because the goal of a sound editor and a sound mixer is quite similar: to attain the vision of the director. While the supervising sound editor may spend more time up front with the client, their tools and focus are traditionally limited by their role. According to Henighan, "The biggest thing is that during the temps or the sound [edit] work, they work really hard with the director to get [the soundtrack] the way that they want it. And, yes, it is 'a temp,' but I am really not a big fan of that word. I actually refer to a lot of our earlier mixes as just a version. Just like you're making a record. This is the version where we only had a few days to do it, but temps can be exciting because you don't micro focus on things. You can just let it go. Sometimes, some really great sound ideas kinda get born out of those sorta deals." But, just because these two gentlemen can both design and mix does not mean they feel either role requires any less expertise, skill, or creativity. Henighan explains: "When we did action movies 10–15 years ago, you could get a better sound out of a traditional mixing console. But now, we can give you so much more in-the-box. I take a lot of those mixing skills I learned on a traditional console and apply [them] to in-the-box. Taking that esthetic and that ability and applying [it] in-the-box is a really important thing. A lot of people think if you have Pro Tools and you have a few things, that you are a mixer. That is actually not the case at all … It is a different process and [I] try really hard to kind of take off the editorial hat and put on the mixer hat when I am mixing. I am the first one to dump all the sounds if it is going to work better. Maybe it becomes a music thing or a dialogue thing." Babcock also explains that, while the knowledge of edit- ing can help you in the mix chair and vice versa when cutting for a mix, he must "definitely switch mindsets." "Your job as mixer is to see more of the big picture. What sound thing, if any, should help tell the story at that par- ticular frame in time. Conversely though, as an editor, I like to think like a mixer—how can I organize the 'food groups,' efficiently? How can this particular effect play through music? SHOULD there be an effect here?" In fact, it was immediately apparent from the informa- tion gathered from both these artists that the mixing and designing portions of their jobs often overlap and both duties begin almost immediately upon sitting down with the filmmaker. Babcock, who designs for immersive mixes while temping in more traditional formats explains: "The back-and-forth with filmmakers have been more about the design itself than the spatiality. In the early stages, I've been presenting material in 7.1, 5.1, or even stereo mix- downs that go into the Avid. However, I do like to present ideas as 'mixed,' as possible. I see the mix as an extension of a design idea." Henighan, who is natively designing in Atmos, says, "The trick is having a room that you can actu- ally mix in. So, even though the room is kind of a sound This is Michael Babcock's workspace—allowing him to design and pre-mix with incredible results.

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