So, I was sitting at a table at a pub tonight with some fat , arrogant cunt that insisted on the idea that unless one was using a particular software it was simply not possible to achieve a professional post-production audio result for their video work. I respectfully disagreed and, following an absurd discussion on the stupidity of software dogma, would like to assist my fellow indie filmmakers struggling with audio on their film productions with some basic workflow/strategies/techniques to achieve the best possible results in so much as audio is concerned . Having said that, I have no desire to do this unless I know there is some kind of demand for such information. Should this be of interest to you, please reply. I'd be happy to share my knowledge/ideas. If there is enough demand I'd be glad to make some videos to illustrate the methods I use.
New topic here : http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/10853/post-production-sound-tutorial-a-bit-on-location-sound#Item_2
VK, could you please close this thread? Thanks.
@soundgh2 Definitely chip in as you possess valuable information that the overwhelming majority of others, including myself, don't. What's important to me is that fundamental concepts/techniques/methods knowledgeable people such as yourself contribute can be added to the opening posts so they don't get lost among the varied replies.
Can chip in if needed with real world breakdowns of actual programmes from acquisition to TV mixing and Feature post stuff if needed - it's my day job. BBC ITV Ch4 Ch5 Adverts Promos Sky Harry Potter Cold Mountain etc etc. World is a changing in TV audio post, especially rapidly, with post mixers working hard to avoiding the dreaded "FAIL" on QC stage, and having to pay to resubmit to companies geared towards failing your sound to make profit!
Thanks CALM act ;p worked a treat - TV much better now at -23 ahem
@caveport. I will cover some basics of location recording with an emphasis on core concepts but there are tons of great books and online resources, some of which I'll reference as I tackle different sub-topics. Now, whether I meet VK's criteria of a good smart person is another matter entirely but I haven't been banned yet so we'll see how that pans out... ; )
I'm presently refining the structure of my layout and will start the tutorial soon as a new topic to enable a tighter organization of information flow.
Problem is not the topic :-) Problem is to find good smart people who'll provide input and such on it.
I'm still amazed how many AD's will allow the DoP extra time to nail a shot but will treat the sound department as little more than an annoyance often refusing to allow even a few seconds to fix the lead talents radio lav when it drops out just as you're about to roll.
If that happens to you especially when working on low/no budget shoots try this line...
"Oh I didn't realise we had such a large ADR budget! So we don't require location sound? Is that what you're telling me?"
Looking forward to reading this topic.
I think that one reason why people give recommendations outside a person's price range is that there are typically distinct jumps in quality that happen in sound gear and they could happen just outside someone's stated price range--so it's worth mentioning. It's really cheaper in the long run to but decent gear that you can use for years rather than having to regularly replace.
I'm often surprised that filmmakers will drop $1,000 on a new lens that expands their capabilities a little yet balk at spending that kind of money on a quality sound recording kit that would make an enormous difference in their overall quality.
Count me in.
Thanks in advance!
Anyhow, I'll start posting this week with an overall workflow list and then delve into each item.
Cool. Everyone will be waiting.
Aloha, everyone. Didn't expect so much interest but ok, let's do it. I need to reflect a little on how to approach this so that the info doesn't flow erraticly.
@Rambo Agreed, my target audience is the indi-filmmaker that doesn't have huge money to spend on gear. I still can't figure out why, when someone explicitly states that they don't want want to spend more than X on a piece of gear, some people will nonetheless go ahead and suggest gear that costs 10X. However, I also fully agree with bmorgan83: if you're going to rent a Zoom H4N to record dialogue using the built-in mics, don't be surprised if the tracks sound like shit. You'll often see posts and discussions about lenses, resolution, sharpness, sensors, dynamic range, and yet it stuns me to find out some of those people so interested in visual aesthetics will happily capture their audio from their kid sister's ipod. Please understand, sound is 50% of the sensory information we're getting from a film, so we should treat its acquisition with appropriate respect.
Anyhow, I'll start posting this week with an overall workflow list and then delve into each item. I want to make it absolutely clear that there are definitely better and more competent people to explain this topic so I make no claims to absolute knowledge or techniques but rather draw on my own experiences since I have more than just a passing interest in audio. I therefore encourage anyone with relevant experience to share their tips/tricks/insights. However, please do not conflate FILM PRODUCTION AUDIO with MUSICAL RECORDING TECHNIQUES which are different disciplines. Mic'ing a piano and capturing dialogue from a boom mic are not the same thing and cannot be approached the same way; so please, do not confuse readers by posting your compressor/EQ settings for smooth jazz vocals, etc.
Cheers
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!