PRODUCTION
SOUND DESIGN
even bigger sandbox to play in. “The further degree of sonic spatial separation is great,” says Walpole. “Although you have to be mindful of the stereo collapse. Used carefully, Dolby Atmos can completely immerse the viewer within the soundtrack and dramatically heighten the viewing experience.” Gates says that “The obvious impact [of
Atmos] is that we have more control for an immersive experience and create more clarity in complex sonic environments because we simply have more bandwidth - more speakers to put more sound in. The outcome can be breath taking. The detail and clarity of the sound reaches new heights with Atmos.” “Who doesn’t love Dolby Atmos?” says
Fairfield. But along with all sound designers, says it’s important to not lose sight of the prize. “It always has to work in a very fundamental way. Atmos is like sweet extra icing. The real crux of it is that the work has to tell the story, support the story. The format that you’re listening in is just extra.” “It is a craft where the tech and tools are
building sounds for the scene and after a while it starts taking its own form. I find that the narrative starts asking things of you from a sound point of view rather than me trying to find things to attach to it.” Stemler similarly notes that “in time the film
kind of tells you what it needs, and I tend to get most of my ideas once I’ve fully dived in.” Formosa’s Gates says that “as sound
designers we are always listening. We’re listening to the world as we walk through it. We find interesting ambiences, distant rhythms, creepy doors, irregular electrical hums, and I think it’s important to always have some type of recording device available whenever you need it.”
Picking up vibrations Because sound designers are collectors too. “I
have a massive library that I’ve been collecting for years and years,” says Paula Fairfield. “And we have a huge community of sound recordists all over the world, field recorders who are recording things in places I’ll never get to and selling them in our marketplace. When I start a project, one of the first things I will do is go shopping.” Halo’s Price says he uses a “combination
of recording sounds myself, sound libraries and processing and manipulating sounds.
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The availability of bespoke and commercial sound fx libraries means that I am continually building and expanding an already vast library of sounds.” “There is an incredible amount of top
notch general and small boutique libraries out there and it grows every day,” says Stemler. But making your own is important too as “you perform it exactly to match the action, angle and intensity in the scene. That can make a huge difference. In the end it’s always a mix of the recordings from set, libraries, FX recordings from the foley team and the stuff you capture yourself.” Getting sounds direct from the action helps
too. “We always visit location while the sets are dressed to record any bespoke props or location details,” says Boom’s Walpole. “Then I look at what aspects of the soundtrack I think could benefit from a specific record session.” After that collection and creation process,
the next step is “getting weird, one of my favourite parts,” says Formosa’s Gates. “Using tools to bend, twist and manipulate sound brings me a lot of joy. I allow myself enough time to turn the lights low and start turning knobs, not coming out until I have something cool.” The emergence of immersive mediums like Dolby Atmos, have given sound designers an
always getting better,” says Price. “Yet in many ways, although the toys change, the principles of sound design approach will always stay the same.”
The sweet spot Whatever the process, good sound design
comes “when it is woven into the fabric of the show in a way that serves the narrative and goal of the storytelling,” says Price. “When it is not just there to copycat the picture but to add a different element that enriches the storytelling. It can communicate emotion in the most subtle way and betray the true intention to the character’s on screen thoughts, feelings and motivations.” A good soundtrack is one “that serves the picture and enhances the show.
It should not
distract or feel imposed,” says Walpole. And it should “make you feel something,” says Fairfield, and draw you into the action. “The dragons are a good example. I want you to feel like you can reach out and whoop them on the nose.” It’s also never simple. “Most of the time
you won’t find the perfect atmosphere or the perfect car crash, so you have to build it out of single elements,” says Stemler. “It’s similar to writing a music score where you have to think about each instrument of the orchestra and what it can contribute to the story.”
The Crown
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