Sound
Several friends of mine and I were discussing the Oscars recently. Naturally most of the talk centered on the categories of best actress,actor,supporting actor/actress and picture. I surprised a few of them by saying that honestly I didn't care about those awards. They are only mildly interesting to me. The awards that really catch my interest are best costume,sound editing and sound mixing. The last two are the ones that interest me the most.
My Dad is an engineer at a radio station. I sometimes went with him to work and got to see the boards that the disc jockeys use to control the sounds you hear. (Mind you this was in the 70s and 80s, I'm sure now most of this is done by computer.) There were all kinds of knobs and sliding switches to make things sound all kinds of ways. Sometimes I would even be allowed to play with them. I once was able to watch a rehearsal of the radio show "Prairie Home Companion". Garrison Keillor would tell a story and there would be several people in the back making sounds of doors closing and other things to enhance the experience. I was mesmerized by these people and the things they would use paper bags, pieces of wood all kinds of things.
Sound engineers are artists. They have air for a canvas and a whole palette of sound waves to work with. A good SE can bring out the best qualities in a voice or instrument. (They can also make a bad or mediocre voice sound good, but that's another thing.) It's like putting together a giant puzzle to make each note sound as good and as clear as it possibly can. It's like seasoning food. Each instrument at just the right level balanced properly so the whole song sounds just right. The vocals and instruments all together making a perfect whole.
In a movie it is even more amazing. The sound people have to make sure that the proper sound comes at just the right point. A fraction of a second too soon or too late can really damage a scene. Getting the sound right can make it more real for the viewer. Think of the movie 'Jaws' and how much more menacing the shark seems when you hear the sound that plays as the shark swims.
I could go on and on about this topic. Instead I'll stop here,turn up my stereo and tip my hat to the hours put in by the engineers that make the sound sound so good.
My Dad is an engineer at a radio station. I sometimes went with him to work and got to see the boards that the disc jockeys use to control the sounds you hear. (Mind you this was in the 70s and 80s, I'm sure now most of this is done by computer.) There were all kinds of knobs and sliding switches to make things sound all kinds of ways. Sometimes I would even be allowed to play with them. I once was able to watch a rehearsal of the radio show "Prairie Home Companion". Garrison Keillor would tell a story and there would be several people in the back making sounds of doors closing and other things to enhance the experience. I was mesmerized by these people and the things they would use paper bags, pieces of wood all kinds of things.
Sound engineers are artists. They have air for a canvas and a whole palette of sound waves to work with. A good SE can bring out the best qualities in a voice or instrument. (They can also make a bad or mediocre voice sound good, but that's another thing.) It's like putting together a giant puzzle to make each note sound as good and as clear as it possibly can. It's like seasoning food. Each instrument at just the right level balanced properly so the whole song sounds just right. The vocals and instruments all together making a perfect whole.
In a movie it is even more amazing. The sound people have to make sure that the proper sound comes at just the right point. A fraction of a second too soon or too late can really damage a scene. Getting the sound right can make it more real for the viewer. Think of the movie 'Jaws' and how much more menacing the shark seems when you hear the sound that plays as the shark swims.
I could go on and on about this topic. Instead I'll stop here,turn up my stereo and tip my hat to the hours put in by the engineers that make the sound sound so good.
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