Three Phases of Film Sound Production
Three Phases
There are three phases of production when dealing with film sound:
- Pre-production
- Production
- Post-production
1. Pre-production
In the past, sound was unfortunately not taken as seriously as it is now. It was the element in film production that was overlooked until the film was shot and edited. Often it was a cleanup job, a place to fix things that had been left out or underconsidered. With new understanding of sound as a concept (something to be creative with and designed) and the increase in hardware technologies (improved power, mics, and software), sound has forever changed for the better. No longer is it left for cleanup but for true contribution, respect, and artistry. So much so, the sound department is considered a contributor in the preproduction phase of a project. Directors now look to great recordists, designers, mixers, and composers early on in the process for input.
In his video on the SoundWorks Collective website, Randy Thom speaks about the Sundance Composers Lab, which was originally mostly for composers but now includes sound designers. This showcases the evolution of sound as part of the process from beginning to end, successfully impacting the film.
In the past, sound was unfortunately not taken as seriously as it is now. It was the element in film production that was overlooked until the film was shot and edited. Often it was a cleanup job, a place to fix things that had been left out or underconsidered. With new understanding of sound as a concept (something to be creative with and designed) and the increase in hardware technologies (improved power, mics, and software), sound has forever changed for the better. No longer is it left for cleanup but for true contribution, respect, and artistry. So much so, the sound department is considered a contributor in the preproduction phase of a project. Directors now look to great recordists, designers, mixers, and composers early on in the process for input.
In his video on the SoundWorks Collective website, Randy Thom speaks about the Sundance Composers Lab, which was originally mostly for composers but now includes sound designers. This showcases the evolution of sound as part of the process from beginning to end, successfully impacting the film.
Now that we have accepted this new perspective of sound, when directors come to the sound department in the preproduction phase, what things might they be looking to the sound department for? What areas can the sound department focus on so that it can add insight and advice and contribute as creative designers?
David Sonnenschein has written a book on creative ways to break things down for sound when it comes to storytelling. Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice, and Sound Effects for Cinema is a good recommendation (but not required for this course). Sonnenschein's ideas are straightforward and easy to comprehend.
David Sonnenschein has written a book on creative ways to break things down for sound when it comes to storytelling. Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice, and Sound Effects for Cinema is a good recommendation (but not required for this course). Sonnenschein's ideas are straightforward and easy to comprehend.
Read the Script for Clues
Some ideas and answers are found right there in the script. Therefore, try as best you can to get your hands on the script before you do anything else. Reading the script before you see the final edit, or anything for that matter, gives you a chance to go into the project pure. The mind is unspoiled with visuals or sounds, and you may find that reading allows you to instinctively draw on your internal ear vs. your physical ear.
- Think about the spaces in which scenes are shot.
- Think about the actions that are happening in the scenes. What things are being moved around? Is it in a cafe? Is someone cooking while having a conversation?
- What emotions are supposed to be conveyed at certain points? Make notes for yourself to flag your thoughts. Also try to go to the first script reading with the actors to really gain a sense of this for the scenes.
- Finally when reading a script, what are the transitions? Not every time but nearly often enough, these transitions are great opportunities for composition or sound design to help push the scenes forward.
Forrest Gump Script Example
Take a look at the script example of the first scene of the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Pay attention to all the sounds your brain naturally fills in to the reading, even before the main character speaks.
Conversations with Directors and Composers
As an aspiring filmmaker or student director, you must take on the skill to speak the subtle language of each department's intricacies. In the sound department, which includes sound designers, composers, recordists, etc., it is so important to trust the internal instinctive ears of the team.
A sound designer may want to go with you in preproduction to listen to the location. In the example of a small town, for the film Forrest Gump, finding an idyllic location may be easy enough, but maybe one small town is connected to an active train track and small town station, or on a flight path to the local airport. Be flexible because you do not want to miss great performances from actors due to sound that was not considered in preproduction.
As an aspiring filmmaker or student director, you must take on the skill to speak the subtle language of each department's intricacies. In the sound department, which includes sound designers, composers, recordists, etc., it is so important to trust the internal instinctive ears of the team.
A sound designer may want to go with you in preproduction to listen to the location. In the example of a small town, for the film Forrest Gump, finding an idyllic location may be easy enough, but maybe one small town is connected to an active train track and small town station, or on a flight path to the local airport. Be flexible because you do not want to miss great performances from actors due to sound that was not considered in preproduction.
Production Sound: Sound and Locations
Are you inside or outside? This is super easy to distinguish in the script because the answer is given to you right away, by the heading Interior (Int.) or Exterior (Ext.) and Day or Night.
If the scene is exterior, like in the opening scene for Forrest Gump, it is the sound department's job to build the activity of the town, the air, basically the total atmosphere. And it may not all be recorded during the shooting of the scene. Thinking sonically in the preproduction phase is about forward-thinking or imagining the sounds that could have an impact.
For example: There is a narrative in the opening credits of Forrest Gump of a feather floating on a gentle light breeze. This can be expressed by the sound department a number of ways. It could be a gentle breeze and wind, maybe a couple of bird sounds to give the sense of trees, or trees blowing in the breeze. Or none of that can be happening, and the feather is highlighted with musical composition. Either is a good option and ultimately the mixer's and director's choice. The ability to develop the skill to analyze this is the point. Not that you have to solve all these issues as a one-man band, but note that all these things are part of your increased skill set and awareness as you meet each new element of your sound design journey.
Are you inside or outside? This is super easy to distinguish in the script because the answer is given to you right away, by the heading Interior (Int.) or Exterior (Ext.) and Day or Night.
If the scene is exterior, like in the opening scene for Forrest Gump, it is the sound department's job to build the activity of the town, the air, basically the total atmosphere. And it may not all be recorded during the shooting of the scene. Thinking sonically in the preproduction phase is about forward-thinking or imagining the sounds that could have an impact.
For example: There is a narrative in the opening credits of Forrest Gump of a feather floating on a gentle light breeze. This can be expressed by the sound department a number of ways. It could be a gentle breeze and wind, maybe a couple of bird sounds to give the sense of trees, or trees blowing in the breeze. Or none of that can be happening, and the feather is highlighted with musical composition. Either is a good option and ultimately the mixer's and director's choice. The ability to develop the skill to analyze this is the point. Not that you have to solve all these issues as a one-man band, but note that all these things are part of your increased skill set and awareness as you meet each new element of your sound design journey.
Rehearsals
Don't be afraid to be proactive. Thinking sonically starts with the script, expanding into the production, and then further into postproduction. On set you might notice things like unwanted reverb in the interior location, or that the space needs to be made to be more sound proof. Many recordists notice the space in the location before anything else—before figuring out the placement of mics and the camera shot.
It is important to notice how the sound bounces off walls or gets absorbed by the walls and really feel the sensation of the location. This is why rehearsals are ideal.
If the actors rehearse on set, then record the rehearsal to make sure your levels and equipment are delivering the quality you desire for the scene. You may find after double checking the rehearsal recordings that you would rather increase or decrease your levels on the day of shoot. You may discover strange background sounds you never considered, like refrigerators, generators, AC units, fans, or a janitor who cleans the floors at night downstairs. Time of day makes a big difference. Try your best to encourage rehearsals to be during the same time of day as the actual shooting day, if at all possible. This might be a stretch, but to think sonically, you can already imagine that if the rehearsal is at midnight in a small apartment in the city, but the scene is shot during the day at 5 p.m. traffic, the sound of the atmosphere will be quite different. You may not have any control over rehearsal times, but try your best to participate, because there are so many elements to consider. The actors may have such different ranges and there may be yelling in the scene. To avoid missing the best capture of an emotional moment, it's best to be prepared.
Lastly on rehearsals: Be there for rehearsals to improve on the skills, mic choices, and what levels work so that you are ready to go on the day of production.
Don't be afraid to be proactive. Thinking sonically starts with the script, expanding into the production, and then further into postproduction. On set you might notice things like unwanted reverb in the interior location, or that the space needs to be made to be more sound proof. Many recordists notice the space in the location before anything else—before figuring out the placement of mics and the camera shot.
It is important to notice how the sound bounces off walls or gets absorbed by the walls and really feel the sensation of the location. This is why rehearsals are ideal.
If the actors rehearse on set, then record the rehearsal to make sure your levels and equipment are delivering the quality you desire for the scene. You may find after double checking the rehearsal recordings that you would rather increase or decrease your levels on the day of shoot. You may discover strange background sounds you never considered, like refrigerators, generators, AC units, fans, or a janitor who cleans the floors at night downstairs. Time of day makes a big difference. Try your best to encourage rehearsals to be during the same time of day as the actual shooting day, if at all possible. This might be a stretch, but to think sonically, you can already imagine that if the rehearsal is at midnight in a small apartment in the city, but the scene is shot during the day at 5 p.m. traffic, the sound of the atmosphere will be quite different. You may not have any control over rehearsal times, but try your best to participate, because there are so many elements to consider. The actors may have such different ranges and there may be yelling in the scene. To avoid missing the best capture of an emotional moment, it's best to be prepared.
Lastly on rehearsals: Be there for rehearsals to improve on the skills, mic choices, and what levels work so that you are ready to go on the day of production.
2. Production
THE FRAME AND BOOM SHADOW
During production, if the location sound is suddenly really bad, then speak up; the director will appreciate the input if it saves the film. Consider suggesting a better spot if the location sound is simply not recordable. Often there is a look the director is going for that can still be achieved from a different, more-distant camera angle that helps the overall sound of the scene. Say, for example, the scene is two people having a conversation in a coffee shop and the location is right next to a train station. There are so many coffee shops in any major city, it would be easy enough to suggest another coffee shop in a quieter location. Also, is the sound better outside in the courtyard of a coffee shop or inside? Don't be afraid to speak up.
THE FRAME AND BOOM SHADOW
During production, if the location sound is suddenly really bad, then speak up; the director will appreciate the input if it saves the film. Consider suggesting a better spot if the location sound is simply not recordable. Often there is a look the director is going for that can still be achieved from a different, more-distant camera angle that helps the overall sound of the scene. Say, for example, the scene is two people having a conversation in a coffee shop and the location is right next to a train station. There are so many coffee shops in any major city, it would be easy enough to suggest another coffee shop in a quieter location. Also, is the sound better outside in the courtyard of a coffee shop or inside? Don't be afraid to speak up.
valorous_vox_audio.m4a | |
File Size: | 3416 kb |
File Type: | m4a |
Also, have a thorough conversation with the camera operator to help ensure that the boom and the boom shadow are never in the shot. Having a small chat to double check will keep everything flowing. If you have to reposition the boom, then do it.
You are looking for an invisible frame around the actor. Once you find that frame, and know where to place the mic and boom, it is important to look for a boom shadow. The shadow is as important to note as the microphone being inside the shot. The crew will wait for sound to get in position, and it may take you a few adjustments to navigate the ideal place for the boom, the boom operator, and the microphone on set. It is good to have a quick conversation with the camera operator to clarify that the microphone is out of the shot.
You are looking for an invisible frame around the actor. Once you find that frame, and know where to place the mic and boom, it is important to look for a boom shadow. The shadow is as important to note as the microphone being inside the shot. The crew will wait for sound to get in position, and it may take you a few adjustments to navigate the ideal place for the boom, the boom operator, and the microphone on set. It is good to have a quick conversation with the camera operator to clarify that the microphone is out of the shot.
Room Tone
When the script says words like "she paused" or "silence," there is still sound, it just isn't necessarily the sound we immediately think of. Remember, there are sound clichés we expect to hear. For example, when we see a bicycle, we expect a bell. When we hear silence, we often hear a single bird or a cricket. There is also the sound of the space the dialogue is shot in. This space has a natural room tone to it, and upon the day of recording there is an entire crew of people in the same room making a movie alongside the actors acting in the scene. They too are a part of the room tone. This room tone is essential to good sound editing in postproduction. After a scene is complete and given the OK, make sure the assistant director announces, "Silence for Sound: Room Tone" so that you can have at least 30 seconds of room tone for every scene, for every location where production sound will be recorded. This helps prevent drops in sound in the postproduction phase to make a film smooth and seamless.
Room tone is also known as the atmos track, and is the natural air or sounds that the scene was recorded in.
When the script says words like "she paused" or "silence," there is still sound, it just isn't necessarily the sound we immediately think of. Remember, there are sound clichés we expect to hear. For example, when we see a bicycle, we expect a bell. When we hear silence, we often hear a single bird or a cricket. There is also the sound of the space the dialogue is shot in. This space has a natural room tone to it, and upon the day of recording there is an entire crew of people in the same room making a movie alongside the actors acting in the scene. They too are a part of the room tone. This room tone is essential to good sound editing in postproduction. After a scene is complete and given the OK, make sure the assistant director announces, "Silence for Sound: Room Tone" so that you can have at least 30 seconds of room tone for every scene, for every location where production sound will be recorded. This helps prevent drops in sound in the postproduction phase to make a film smooth and seamless.
Room tone is also known as the atmos track, and is the natural air or sounds that the scene was recorded in.
3. Post-production
Once the editor and the director have finalized picture lock and the final edit of the picture is completed, it is time to hand over the project to both the composer and the sound editor/sound designer. With the picture locked, the development of the soundscape can begin. It's best not to count on ADR (automated dialogue replacement) and simply record quality sound during production, simply because the atmosphere is so important to seamless edits. However, if for some reason ADR is needed, it is during this phase of the film process where it will be recorded and placed. Also, Foley is done during this time, as well as sound editing and designing.
After all the sounds have been placed onto the final picture and the director has approved, the last phase is mixing. The mixer will take all the parts of the sound department, music included, and orchestrate the overall complete sound of the "final mix."
Once the editor and the director have finalized picture lock and the final edit of the picture is completed, it is time to hand over the project to both the composer and the sound editor/sound designer. With the picture locked, the development of the soundscape can begin. It's best not to count on ADR (automated dialogue replacement) and simply record quality sound during production, simply because the atmosphere is so important to seamless edits. However, if for some reason ADR is needed, it is during this phase of the film process where it will be recorded and placed. Also, Foley is done during this time, as well as sound editing and designing.
After all the sounds have been placed onto the final picture and the director has approved, the last phase is mixing. The mixer will take all the parts of the sound department, music included, and orchestrate the overall complete sound of the "final mix."
The Value of Music
Music is emotional. We all know this. Therefore, music is the part of the puzzle that can bring everything together. Music can be included in preproduction, in terms of emotional intention, so that composers can supply samples of theme music to make sure they are on the right track with the vision of the director. However, it isn't until the final edit that music will really be dropped into picture, or composed to picture, for the full creative process to take effect.
There are many composers out there, and it's always exciting to start to pick up their musical thumbprint. Each composer has a "sound" that you already probably pick up on but have yet to identify.
Here is a list of major composers. Please check out the soundtracks they have created over the years and begin to notice a type of style they possess naturally as artists.
Music is emotional. We all know this. Therefore, music is the part of the puzzle that can bring everything together. Music can be included in preproduction, in terms of emotional intention, so that composers can supply samples of theme music to make sure they are on the right track with the vision of the director. However, it isn't until the final edit that music will really be dropped into picture, or composed to picture, for the full creative process to take effect.
There are many composers out there, and it's always exciting to start to pick up their musical thumbprint. Each composer has a "sound" that you already probably pick up on but have yet to identify.
Here is a list of major composers. Please check out the soundtracks they have created over the years and begin to notice a type of style they possess naturally as artists.
- John Williams (Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Superman, Schindler's List, etc.)
- Thomas Newman (Wall-E, Skyfall, Lemony Snicket, Shawshank redemption, etc.)
- Jonny Greenwood (Romeo & Juliet, There Will be Blood, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, etc.)
- Alan Silvestri (Forrest Gump, The Avengers, Captain America, The Croods, etc.)
- Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, etc.)
- Michael Giacchino (Ratatouillie, Cars2, Lost, The Incredible, Mission Impossible, etc.)
- Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Good Will Hunting, Silver Linings Playbook, Hulk, Beetlejuice, etc.)
- James Horner (Titanic, Avatar, Braveheart, The Amazing Spiderman, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, etc.)
- Trent Reznor (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Se7en, etc.)
John WilliamsJonny GreenwoodHans ZimmerDanny Elfman |
Thomas NewmanAlan SilvestriMichael GiacchinoTrent Reznor |
Sound Design Production Appreciation
Production Sound w/Nick Allen - Critical Listening Lab #3
After watching the Production Sound video above, complete the Critical Listening Lab assignment in Blackboard.