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 65 There were so many scenes that were sound- driven, and they would let the sound carry the story, give the clue, or make you aware of something that the camera doesn't have to show the audience. This results in a sense of investigative feeling for the viewers and lets them experience it with their senses instead of with 100% visual cues. Huge credit goes to [producer] Mr. Hiroyuki Sanada for being such an exceptional creative mind in visualizing everything beautifully during pre-production and production. There were scenes in which I recorded several layers of sounds, like the earthquake, and scenes that were so quiet that you could hear the sound of a kimono cloth arm rise and a subtle ink brush writing in the distance. Or when only two people are in a quiet room having tea and every little sound gets to play as an important role on the big screen. Big shout-out to the production mixers who help us immensely in capturing the authenticity of these sounds on the set. One of my favorite scenes was Mariko Osama's solo fight on gravel, which had a very dynamic and emotional feel to it. As I was recording it, I would ride the faders for the far shots, then close shots, and off-camera shots to have the right feel as the fight is happening. I had visual markers for the camera cuts so I could tell when the sound would need to change or have more of the room mic. If it was a super close-up of a foot slide on gravel, in order to achieve a natural one-take recording, the Foley artist would perform it spontaneously in character, catching the sync, the emotions and dynamics of the fight as if she's one with Anna Sawai's legendary performance! Most mixers wouldn't do this because it's too much work and weight on their shoulder to record a scene like that in one take without having to stop the artist for every single camera perspective change. Surely you can record that same scene with 30 different takes and cuts and put them together, but it's not going to sound or feel the same. Shōgun has definitely made me a better mixer, and that's how I look at music and learning songs by ear. Each song will have certain challenges that you need to practice until you're playing it with ease, and it advances your techniques, as well as your deep listening abilities since you're really good at it, then you automatically become fast—but not cheap! :) 14 questions I ask myself when I cue or record a show to identify whether a cue is needed or not. 1. Is this important? 2. Does it make a sound? 3. Is this helping the scene? 4. Is that prop part of the story? 5. Is it going to distract the audience? 6. Is it close enough or too far to be heard? 7. What category does this prop/cue belong to? 8. Do we want to hear this sound at that moment? 9. How many separated layers of sound should this be? 10. Is there a critical dialogue line happening in that moment? 11. What can I do to make it easier for the Foley crew and mixers? 12. Would it help to make a separate track for a prop (if it's repeated)? 13. Is there any ADR going on that needs help filling to support the dialogue? 14. What environment are the actors in? (Crowded bar, basketball court, etc.) If you ask yourself all these questions and you're still not sure, follow this rule: WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T CUE IT!! Photo courtesy of FX Networks