1st Edition
Location and Postproduction Sound for Low-Budget Filmmakers
This book covers everything you need to know to master the fundamentals of location sound recording and postproduction sound in a comprehensive one-stop guide.
This user-friendly book provides real world situations to analyze the many kinds of location recording configurations and postproduction scenarios and offers easy-to-adopt, budget-conscious solutions to some of the most common issues that arise when working with sound. Chapters cover the theory of sound, preproduction with a sound emphasis, microphone selection, testing equipment, how to boom and mix on set, synchronization and time code, and editing sound while doing a picture cut in a traditional picture software platform. Additionally, the book discusses bringing a project into a Digital Audio Workstation and explores basic sound design, dialogue editing, Automated Dialogue Replacement, Foley, sound effects, music for film, re-recording the final mix, and outputting sound to finish a project. Accompanying examples allow readers the opportunity to try out the various techniques and drills on location, in postproduction, or both.
Aimed at students, early career and independent filmmakers, as well as those considering a vocation in location and postproduction sound, Location and Postproduction Sound for Low-Budget Filmmakers makes achieving great sound attainable for all, and is an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to better understand the art of film sound.
1 The Modern Filmmaker. 2 Tech Concepts You Need To Understand. 3 Location Sound Recording: The Basics. 4 Location Recording Microphone Basics. 5 Configurations of Location Recording Set Ups. 6 Train Your Ears…Learn Your Gear…Test Your Devices All The Way Through To Your Final Intended Output. 7 Location Sound Recording – Preparing For The Shoot. 8 Booming And Mixing Techniques. 9 More Asset Gathering When Location Sound Recording, Or What You Need To Come Away With (Hint: It’s Not Just Great Sounding Dialogue). 10 Location Sound Recording In Practice – Specimen Film – Turn Back Night. 11 Sound Post-Production – An Introduction To Sound Editing. 12 Sound Post-Production That Starts In The Picture Edit Stage. 13 Sound Editing And Mixing In Your Editing Application. 14 Organizing Your Picture Cut For Exporting To Your DAW. 15 The Basic Sound Design Project Structure. 16 Let’s Talk Deeper About Dialogue Editing. 17 Automated Dialogue Replacements (ADR) – Yes You Too Will Need Some Of It – Sound Editing That Requires Looping Or "Comping". 18 To Foley Or Not To Foley. 19 It’s All For Effect – An Overview On The Creation, Uses, Abuses, And Editing of Sound Effects In Film. 20 Music Getting It Right And Left. 21 Putting It All Together…Sample Sound Edit/Mix
Biography
Michael Tierno is a former Miramax Story analyst and an independent writer/director/editor of feature films. He is author of the best-selling book Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters and has made four feature films including Turn Back Night, a sci-fi comedy. He is Associate Professor of Film Production at East Carolina University.
"Michael's book is a wonderful resource for the maverick independent filmmaker who makes up a one-person crew and has to learn everything on the job. Its focus on sound makes the book unique. Even if you have the budget to hire a sound team, it is helpful to read about production and postproduction sound to know what to expect. This book will help you avoid making terrible and costly mistakes. Save a lot of money - read this book first."-Ruth Hernandez
ADR editor
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
HBO's High maintenance Season 4
"This book provides the aspiring filmmaker with a great overview of everything that they need to understand about sound but most often do not. Starting from recording through to post-production it explores the technologies, tools and techniques you need to succeed."
- Kira Summers
Birmingham City University
