Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535806
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 47 Duncan, how about when incorporating Foley on the dub stage? DM: I approach Foley as if it needs to be part of production. For instance, if you're listening to a show and you can hear ADR, it can pull you out of it. I feel the same way about when you're listening to a show and you can clearly hear that it's Foley. With this show in particular, there were times when I needed to really dirty and gritty it up to make it fit with the aesthetic rather than just leave it clean and floating on top of the screen. I think the Foley team on this show did such a phenomenal job of really making it feel real. So, my approach was to just fit it the best that I could with production at all times. It's like when you get something that is such a full and rich studio recording and it can sound great by itself, but when you have to put it into a show, you really have to fit it in with the texture of the production. I needed to match the Foley with what Tim had delivered from production. Conveniently for me, the Foley team did an amazing job, so it was a true joy to mix. Thor, on the scoring side, what was the orchestration setup and recording process like on this show? Thor: The show, of course, has a big orchestral sound. However, the first thing we recorded for it was two months before we did the main scoring sessions. Instead of using synth sounds and pads and textures and tension sounds, we thought it would be cool to do an orchestra. So we started with a list of different ideas. And I would mix those and hand them to Blake [Neely, composer], and he just had a whole tool kit of soundscapes to add to his music. Then, for the orchestra, we recorded in Nashville. The room wasn't too big, so we did string sessions and then we did brass and wind sessions. The string size was a pretty big group with 42 players, and we had 20 total players for woodwinds and brass. For Masters of the Air, we talked before we recorded and had ideas of what three different sounds we were looking for. One sound was your classic orchestra, and that was more for sections like emotional heroic moments. The second sound was more for close action to help cut through some of the engine noise, dialogue with people with masks on, and explosions and everything. So, just a sound to help it cut without losing the energy of the music or needing Mike or Duncan to push it up because then the mix could fall apart. The third one was Blake's idea. He wanted a sound almost like you were listening to an orchestra that was on the floor, but you're in the sky. The recording room wasn't too big, but we were able to achieve this sound with a few techniques such as setting some microphones high up above the orchestra. I blended those with some of the other microphones and just created a space that felt slightly different. When mixing the different scoring pieces, did you have an idea of where the dialogue was going to be or what the design was going to be? Thor: That brings something up because we started scoring pretty early on. Since everything took quite a while, we had temp visual effects and dialogue at times before they had done ADR and everything. So, there were times when I was mixing, and I was unsure of how the final product would play in space sonically. Also, I'm reacting to visuals and there were times where I wasn't sure if what we had would work on the dub stage. But we got to watch the first episode on the dub stage, and I was just blown away by how it sounded and how everything just worked. What was your approach to mixing a score like this specifically in this genre? Thor: The demos that came from Blake already sounded pretty good. He's a great producer. The first thing I do is just listen to get an idea of the emotion he's going for. Then I start out kind of micro and then I'll find two things and I'll zoom out and listen to it as a whole. I'll make sure everything has a good balance and then zoom out. I'll make sure the scene is flowing and the emotion of the music is really hitting. While I do have a general template that reflects the typical levels of certain microphones and sections that I like, each project is different and the sounds are different, so it's just getting the right blend for everything. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences working on the show. Before we wrap, can you share your reaction to winning the CAS Award, along with any closing comments? MM: It's fantastic, of course it is. Any award is fantastic, but the CAS Award is especially right up there, next to an Oscar as far as I'm concerned. It's your peers voting for you. That means a lot, it means everything. You know it's truly the best pat on the back you can get. DM: Oh, it's everything. It was a surreal experience standing on stage and giving the acceptance speech for the award, knowing that all the people around me are people that I look up to, are great friends with, and are mentors to me. To be recognized by these people for doing what I love to do in such an amazing talent-filled category like this left me just speechless at how grateful I felt to be part of it and to be recognized for putting everything I had into the show—it was really special. It's very encouraging, particularly now with a climate where the work around L.A., in particular, has diminished. It's a real motivator to keep doing what you're