Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524736
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 29 etc. Some mics are more natural sounding while others are more brittle or sharp sounding. What we turn over to the post sound team informs many other choices down the line, including Foley and final mix. What activities do you practice that improve your ability to understand the relationship between sound and story? ST: I like to observe people and listen when I'm out in the world. I also love to watch what other filmmakers have done and get wrapped up in their stories. JG: I think paying attention to the director and the actors is huge. We are often so busy on set that it can be hard, but getting a feel for how they want to tell the story can give us some clarity. Often, we show up, set up gear, and go. But having some ability to get some of the director's vision for how they want to tell the story and how the actors will play it can make us a more useful department. JC: I listen! Here's a fun exercise. Put something on. Watch the scene. Now, rewind and close your eyes. What do you hear? How is sound supporting the scene? What mix choices were made? Take a few moments to analyze it. It's worth trying to use it as inspiration for your next project. So much growth can come if we take the time to actively listen. RT: I almost always begin by reading the script, looking at whatever footage is available, having a chat with the director, then randomly listening to sounds in my library. I always discover sounds that way, which are extremely useful even though they may have nothing to do, in a literal sense, with what is going on in the film. I'm always listening for emotional notes in the sounds that correspond to the emotions I need to evoke in the story. It's a technique that works for me. Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone in Sound of Metal Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men "From the perspective of a production mixer, we have the ability to color the sound by our microphone choices, technique, etc. Some mics are more natural sounding while others are more brittle or sharp sounding." "The vehicle for the story was about rowing. I doubted there would be a sufficient sound library with those sounds in the specific shells. So, in addition to capturing any boat dialogue, my boom op and I wired the heck out of those boats to get the unique sounds of rowing." –Stephen Tibbo CAS –Johnpaul Golaski CAS