Don't let your indie film be sabotaged by bad sound! One of the weakest technical aspects of a low or no budget short or feature film is usually the sound, and in Sound Design for Low and No Budget Films, author Patrick Winters explains what filmmakers need to do to fix that. Learn how to improve the sound quality of your low budget film with specific tools and practices for achieving a better sound track, including detailed, step-by-step explanations of how to edit your production track, create a sound design, record and edit ADR, Foley and sound effects, music, and much more. Focusing on the essential details indie filmmakers need to know, Winters teaches you how to turn a thin and distracting sound track into one that makes your film shine.
This practical guide offers:
• In-depth focus on hands-on, step-by-step instruction for achieving great sound in post-production, including recording and editing sound effects, ADR and Foley-even without expensive equipment and software.
• Techniques specifically designed for low and no budget projects, perfect for both students and aspiring indie filmmakers.
• A simple and direct style that any aspiring filmmaker or student can understand without already knowing the industry jargon.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
Purpose
Sound Definition
Sound's Abilities
Sound Supervisor
Contracts, Agreements and Licenses
2. Location Sound: How Was That for Sound?
Common Mistakes
Single System
Double System
Timecode
Smart Slate
Boom and Lavaliere
Wired and Wireless
Wide Shots and Close-Ups
Two-plus Camera Set-Up
Exercise
Sample Sound Report Form
3. Sound Design
Defined
Introduction
Movie Examples
Recording
Creating
Editing and Processing
Mixing
Exercises
4. Dialogue Editing: It's Work, Not Magic
Introduction
Picture Lock
Collecting Materials
File Management
The Process
Cleaning
Smoothing
Editing
Split Tracks
Room Tone
Fixing Issues
Processing
Exercise
5. ADR: What Did They Say?
Introduction
Spotting
Microphones
Working with Actors
Production ADR Recording
Post-Production ADR Recording
Editing
Exercise
ADR Cue Sheet Form
6. Walla/Group /Loop Group/Group ADR/Rhubarb: Why Can't I Hear Them?
Introduction
Group Leaders
Research and Scripting
Walla
Specifics
Callouts
Efforts
Screams
Performing
Recording
Editing
Resources
Exercise
7. Narration: It Isn't Dialogue
Introduction
Purposes
Pre-Production
Recording
Editing
Processing
Exercise
8. Sound Effects: Creating Reality
Sound Effect Functions
Types of Sound Effects
The Grey Area (Foley and Sound Effects)
Production Sound Effects
Location Sound Effects
Custom-Recorded Sound Effects
Foley Sound Effects
Library Sound Effects
Spotting
Creating
Recording
Editing
Processing
Exercise
9. Foley: Who or What is Foley?
Foley History
Overview
Spotting and Cueing
Synchronized Recording
Microphones
Performance
Moves or Cloth
Specifics or Props
Pats and Grabs
Footsteps
Libraries
Editing
Sound Effect Resources
Exercise
10. Backgrounds: What's an Ambience, Atmosphere or Background?
Introduction
Spotting
Production Sound
Room Tone
Recording
Library
Editing
Layering
Processing
Exercise
11. Musical Score: In The Mood?
Introduction
Making Notes
Spotting Session
Cues
Hits or Hit Points
Tempo Map
Click Tracks and Guide Tracks
Temp Scores
Music Software
Scoring
Theme and Motif
Titles, Montage and Credits
Composing, Arranging, Orchestrating and Instrumentation
Recording Performance (Tracking)
Digital Music
GarageBand
Song Score, Pop Music and Source Music
Cue Packages
Bands
Musicals
Library Music: Hard Drives, CD's and Downloads
Editing
Stems
Mixing
Deliverables
Exercise
12. Mixing Myself Preparation
Introduction
Preparing Your Mixing Room
Reference Levels
Room Monitor Calibration
NLE or DAW
Mixing In-The-Box By Myself
Session Set-Up
Stereo, LCR or Surround?
13. Pre-Mixing or Predubbing and DSP
Introduction
Mixing Preparation
Track Layout
Virtual Mixing
Mix Tools
Levels
Gain Staging
Fades
Panning
Constant Gain or Constant Power
Equalization
Compression
Normalizing
Noise Gate
Expansion
Exciter
De-Esser
Noise Reduction
Reverberation and Delays
De-Verberation
Effects and Filters
Limiter
Premixing
Buses, Auxes, Sends and Returns
VCA Faders
Master Fader
Metering
Two Pops and Tail Pops
Dialogue and ADR PreMix
Foley Premix
Sound Effects Premix
Design Effects Premix
Backgrounds Premix
Music Premix
Temp Mix
14. Mixing Myself
Introduction
Set-Up
Getting Started
Dialogue First
ADR
Sound Effects
Ambiences
Foley
Music
DME Stems and M&E
Master Output
Quick and Dirty Mix
15. Studio Mix
Introduction
Mixer Interview
Mix Preparation
Premixes
Stems
Mixing
Run Through
Dialogue Mixing
Sound Effects Mixing
Foley Mixing
Ambience Mixing
Music Mixing
16. Deliverables
Introduction
Film
DCP
DVD/Blu-Ray
Streaming
Broadcast Television
Marketing
Archiving
17. Summary
Clean Production Sound
Creating Sound Design
Mixing
Conclusion
Internet Resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Index