Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1475048
36 FA L L 2 0 2 2 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y reviews to the pre-dubs with the various parties, we try and establish what the film is saying or, at least, what we want it to be saying. This mix is where we unravel the mystery of how to convey that message sonically. Everyone brings their own history and taste to the table and that's what makes collaboration so much fun … and a challenge. "Even for the most ardent creature of habit, tastes can be malleable. Being open to new flavors, so to speak, is essential for growth and it can lead you to some very rewarding places. One great experience I had was collaborating with (re-recording mixer and sound designer) Peter Albrechtsen CAS on the film The Killing of Two Lovers. I was mixing dialogue, ADR, and Foley and he was doing sound design, FX, and ambiences as there was no score in this film. At the outset of the mix, he said to me, 'Let's be creative!' And I was thinking, 'Well, Peter's got all of the design work under his faders and I've got dialogue and Foley, what can I do creatively on my end?!' Usually after pre-dubs, I have a vision in my own head of where we're going, and then it's a matter of getting the mix there. Working with Peter forced me (thankfully!) out of my comfort zone. This was a mix where, once it started, I had no idea where it was going to land. It was like jumping out of an airplane in a freefall. Then we got to the ground and went, 'That was a great ride!' If I had come to the table with a specific set of tastes that I was only willing to sample, it would not have been the amazing trip that it was." I then asked David where he thought good taste comes from? "Sometimes it seems to me that some people appear to have the gift of just going for it and sticking the landing, like they have the Midas touch. But I think that success and taste is developed through diligence and hard work. Behind that 'Midas touch,' there were trials and trials and trials and, you know, honing down an idea. I don't think many of the great sounds and mixes came on the first pass. At a certain point, confidence is grown out of past successes. When people feel they have done something good, and then others respond to it, the call and response of taking chances and then being rewarded is a ladder you climb. It hones your ability to be adventurous and try new things and your ability to recognize what is successful and what is not." S A R A G L A S E R C A S On the production side of the spectrum, production sound mixer Sara Glaser CAS, whose credits include hit shows like Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, and Westworld, had this to say. "Mixing and recording is all about choices that you make based on taste. Whether it's your taste as the engineer or the taste of the person giving you direction—and that is completely subjective. No two people are going to have the same taste ever. There are always different approaches when you're miking or mixing. Are you going to be transparent or colorful? The whole argument of whether the engineer should put their stamp on it or not. There are all different types of styles. At the end of the day, whatever you are working on, what you're doing has to be true to that, it has to serve that. If it doesn't, then it's just your ego at play—and it doesn't belong there. "For me, it's all about the performance. It's the only reason any of us are there on set. It's all about capturing, preserving, and protecting that performance. Step one is always your microphone choice. You want to get the best mic, in the best position, to get the best sound. If you don't start with that, you're trying to fix it for the rest of everything down the chain. But if you can get a good recording, you have so many more options later on.