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www.postmagazine.com 7 POST JANUARY 2018 BITS & PIECES HOLLYWOOD — Mzed, an education provider for filmmakers and creative professionals, recently announced the launch of Cinema Sound (www.cine- masound.com), an entirely new online resource dedicated to advancing the craft of audio for video and film. Lead by educator and Hollywood audio guru Mark Edward Lewis, the new site provides daily updates including news, interviews, reviews, tips and tricks — all focused on helping the reader improve their proficiency in audio for filmmaking. In addition, there's a library of more than 85 hours of video-based educa- tion tutorials that comprehensively cover every aspect of audio for me- dia, from pre-production all the way through post and delivery, hosted by MZed at bit.ly/mzedpro. Workflow topics include record & production, editing, fix & repair, sound effects, music, mixing and more. Here, in an exclusive interview with Post's Linda Romanello, Lewis discusses the Cinema Sound resource and its benefits to filmmakers. Can you talk a little about Cinema Sound and what it offers the post community? "Cinema Sound is a Website which offers the most comprehensive education on sound-for-picture anywhere. Record, edit, fix, effects, music, mix and also workspace and inspiration. The majority of our ed- ucation is in post production, since most of the work in sound-for-picture happens in post. "We're committed to ensuring that every independent filmmaker has all the skills and tools they need to create Hollywood-level immersion for their audiences and clients. In many ways, the general audience looks down on independent projects and media. We believe much of that reason comes from a lack of holistic education on the most important immersive element in multimedia: sound. We be- lieve that if every independent media creative has the capability to create amazing soundscapes for their audi- ence, the tide of independent media's value will shift powerfully to the new and creative stories that independents are telling — and people want to ex- perience them all the more. "As to the post community itself, at its most basic level, Cinema Sound is a hub for problem solving for both software and creative issues. Folks post on our blog or forum about prac- tical issues they have, and we and the community do our best to solve them — usually faster than manufacturers can using support forums or tickets. We also have excellent relationships with many respected software and hardware manufacturers (many of whom are our sponsors) so we can get the down-low on what's coming, and how to solve issues as they arise with gear already out. "Cinema Sound is also a place to find new ways of dealing with com- mon post production audio issues, workflows and even new ways of us- ing the software that we all must use in order to stay on top of our game. "Lastly, part of my passion is em- powering filmmakers not only with knowledge, but tools. Cinema Sound offers exclusive products designed to jumpstart the mixing and sound de- sign processes, including specially de- signed audio presets for various NLEs, and soon a 3D ambience library and special Foley library, which is mapped to a keyboard so it can be controlled (and instantly changed) via MIDI." What opening in the post community did you feel needed to be filled by establishing this company? "I was the main presenter for the Sound Advice Tour, where I saw over 1,200 media creatives on two continents in 33 cities. What I saw in the hearts of those creatives was uni- versal: We know that sound is the key to unlocking the impact of our media, and we don't know how to make it work. Film school didn't teach us, the Internet doesn't have anything comprehensive, and we're eager to take our media to the next level. Well, obviously, even in an eight-hour day, you have just enough time to scratch the surface. But with Cinema Sound, we have the ability to lead creatives through a master's level program, which comprehensively gives com- mitted members what they need to get all of what's necessary to get Hollywood impact understood and implemented into their productions. "This is especially true for post production professionals who are used to Pro Tools/Avid workflows and find themselves with Adobe or Apple products as a deliverable. As a post production professional myself, the main issue I see when an indie project comes to our studio is a strong lack of understanding of how the audio process works — even on set. Not to mention a significant lack of understanding about budget- ing, workflow and schedule. "And while there are a ton of great people doing their best out there to help independent creatives, they're doing it in little pieces here and there. You know how difficult it is to try and understand a compli- cated and non-intuitive process by being shown unconnected bits — even if the information is good. With Cinema Sound, we spent $150,000 on getting an education, which would be comprehensive, organized and palatable to a creative who has some understanding of any NLE. I'm excited that we're getting such a positive response from those in- volved in post production as well." What are your short-term and long-terms goals for its growth? "The long-term goal is that every in- dependent creative chooses Cinema Sound as their home for anything audio. And I'll be reaching out to my Hollywood 'pro' buddies to begin adding their wisdom as well, because in the end, indies and studio pros are all going to be working on the same level in a few years. The only difference will be what Internet network they're working for. "For a short term goal, I'm going to start hosting small classes at local studios for a weekend to not only get creatives' hands-on training, but begin creating relationships between the studio owners and filmmakers — and show them how much incredible value there is in having a pro studio finish their project. "In the end, Cinema Sound is for creatives to get audio production handled at the highest level possible, and I'm committed to helping all cre- atives get their media there." For the full article, visit us online at postmagazine.com. CINEMA SOUND WEBSITE LAUNCHES AS AN AUDIO RESOURCE FOR FILMMAKERS Lewis brings a background in audio and education. Cinema Sound is also a hub for problem solving.