If you are just starting your career in post production sound you might have seen the position of Supervising Sound Editor or Sound Supervisor pop up here and there on job sites or in the end credits of TV shows or movies. For many new or aspiring sound editors there is a bit of a misunderstanding over what the roles and responsibilties of the Supervising Sound Editor position consist of. Sound supervisors are more than just people who check the editors work, they wear many hats that they need to switch between at a moments notice. We had a chance this week to chat with Tess and Brad, two of our supervisors, about what their jobs entail and advice they would give editors looking to become sound supervisors.
In animation, large crowds serve to support the fullness and sonic versatility of a scene. However, it is easy to get lost in an audience’s hyperactivity and noise, which can potentially distract the listener instead of guiding them through the narrative of the show. Read below to see how sound effects editor Ben approaches a stadium crowd design.
Not too long ago, I was given the creative opportunity to build a unique version of a camper van out of non-traditional motor sounds. The job was to make something that resembled a motor out of sounds that were not machinery or would sound like a realistic engine. This was a fun challenge and proof of concept that you can make a motor out of anything!
As I’m building upon my sound editing skills, a critique I often receive is that my sound effects build is not utilizing a fuller frequency range, so it’s not as impactful during previews. Developing a dynamic frequency range into my builds isn’t just important for having powerful sound moments, it’s also essential for ensuring that the sound effects translate on all possible listening platforms, like a huge Dolby Atmos theatre and tiny pair of ear buds. In order to tackle this challenge, I asked two of our supervising sound editors, Brad Meyer, MPSE, and Tess Fournier, MPSE, to play a frequency-association game. I named some commonly referenced frequency ranges, and they followed up with sound effects that come to mind, and why these particular ranges are valuable for creating effective sound effects builds.
Constructing a portfolio reel for the first time can be daunting, but it’s an effective method to show recruiters and potential employers your skill set in post-production audio editing. I noticed in my own job search that many employers encourage and even require them. While many audio-post production internships or college programs can offer helpful guidance for building portfolio reels, not everyone has these resources. So, here are four tips for making your portfolio reel.
We had so many exciting project releases and accomplishments in 2021, including new TV shows, fresh features, and awards nominations! We started new ventures, ranging from moving into our new office building at 520 S Verdugo Drive, to working on our first Dolby Atmos mixes. Last year, we accumulated two Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program for Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures and Muppet Babies.
2021 was a year full of adaption and learning a new hybrid form of remote and in-person work and life. Here at Boom Box Post, we began to master the new work flow as we focused on editorial on new shows and honed in on our skills. See some reflections from the team below!
As the holidays creep closer and the end of 2021 is in sight, finding the perfect gift can become increasingly daunting. Worry no more - we’ve got you covered with plenty of great gift ideas for all your closest audio friends. From the post-production pros, to the curious minds, to the creative designers, here is our list of gift recommendations!
When I hear telemetry, I’m reminded of the music of twentieth century Austrian composer, Arnold Schoenberg. He used a style called Serialism, which took a mathematical approach to developing melodies and rhythms and focused on atonality. He developed a technique called the tone row, which takes the twelve chromatic notes of a scale, and places them in a random sequence. The sequence is then manipulated by flipping it backwards and turning it upside-down. This develops into a chaotic composition with a melody that is difficult to follow, much like a typical telemetry loop in a sound library.
One of the best parts about sound for animation is being able to completely start from scratch designing something. That’s why we love showing you our creative process on fun things we get to design! For this focus on the creative blog, we are going to dive right into showing you a cute little flying machine we designed. Check it out below!
At Boom Box Post, we primarily work on animated television series, which means that much of our design work is linear and lives within the context of the story. However, every once in a while we’re thrown a fantastic curveball and are asked to design for something outside of our usual sound-for-picture role.
Recently, one of our television series came to us with a design mission: to create the sounds which would be integrated into a toy based on a train which would appear in a future season of the series.
The SiFi genre offers up so much creativity from a visual aspect but also opens up a lot of potential for cool sound design. This week, we will chat with sound editor Tess Fournier about a futuristic disintegration design she created.
Our sound effects editor Jessey Drake has been working on a lot of fun and creative things for us lately so for this months Focus on the Creative post, Jessey is going to break down how she created a unique sound for mind control.
Here at Boom Box Post, we strive to design and create things that are unique. In this month’s Inside Sound Design, we talk with sound editor Tess Fournier about some cool creative vocal design she has been working on.
Granular synthesis is one of the most versatile tools available to sound designers and an absolute favorite of mine. I love using simple sounds like whooshes or taking a steady sound like an electricity buzz and creating something completely new. From eerie drones to big sci-fi whooshes, granular synthesis can help you accomplish it all. For this demonstration I used the Soundmorph Dust plugin. We’re going to have a look at the plug-in's user interface and explore some of the methods I used to achieve some fun sounds. First let's take a look at what Granular Synthesis is.
This week we’re kicking off a brand new series of monthly blog posts called Focus on the Creative. These posts will be formatted like a short and casual interview focusing on the topic of creativity and design in our daily work. To kick off the series I sat down with award winning sound effects editor Jessey Drake to talk about her design for a gigantic other-worldly laser weapon.
