Sound Design Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for sound engineers, producers, editors, and enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Hi guys,
This Tuesday, I will be attending a filmmaker's meetup group to talk about sound. The current speaker had a conflict arise and had to bail. I was asked to do the presentation. I have my own ideas as to what I wish other filmmakers knew as they start preparing for a film shoot. I just wanted to get a feel for what you guys wish your colleagues in film-making would know about sound before production and post-production begins on a project.
heres just a few....
suggest they read Randy Thoms great article Designing a film for sound http://filmsound.org/articles/designing_for_sound.htm
stress how important production sound is (ADR is expensive & may not achieve the same result especially in emotionally driven scenes where recreating performance may be very difficult)
using an experienced recordist & boom is money very well spent
suggest they always confirm the sound post team before the shoot, and a preproduction meeting occur with prod sound, pic editor & assistant & dialogue editor
camera tests should include sound workflow verification; prod sound -> sync up -> picture editor -> OMF/AAF -> dialogue editor (this is ALWAYS important but esp if shooting with DSLRs)
retain access to vehicles and/or any unique props or locations through until the end of post
don't fall in love with the temp score
do ask for temp FX
do turnover the cut to sound post before picture lock
This is wonderful!
The very best directors already do this, but I'd love for a director to have as strong an idea of what the film will ultimately sound like as they do for what it will look like. They put together storyboards, it can be as simple as notes upon the boards.
That way you don't have the editing issues that are so common, and the film is more fully utilizing the potential of sound design. As it stands, brilliant storytelling ideas in post have to coincidentally work with what's on screen. And other brilliant storytelling ideas will totally fail because they don't work in conjunction with the image.
Also, request access to the wardrobe head of department and art department so the recordist can lay down some rules.
This is the same as the DOP saying to wardrobe: No high contrast stripes on actors - this will not work with well with many HD digital cameras.
The head of sound department will say things like, no dangling metallic jewellery, no noisy materials etc.
No noisy fans used as set dressing etc.
Also having location sound in mind when choosing locations. I hhave never had a location scout or director choose a location that is good for recording. They always go for the visuals! Fair enough, but then one must allow time for retakes and wilds and crew silence for recording some extra ambient backing for the recording mix in post. Allow time for waiting for for planes or traffic or car alarms or trains or rain or wind or birds etc in the schedule.
That's what comes to mind that has not already been said by the great answers above.
