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Tag: Sound Design

  • Video Essay: See What Happens When Scorsese Goes All Quiet

    In our age of twenty-first century cinema, we’re awash with wondrous visual stories and their corresponding soundtracks (though this is no given! Check out our post on how music coming out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is actually all kind same-same in the sound department).

    It is because of a ubiquitous big-ness of many soundtracks that I would suggest we actually take more notice when a director decides to do things differently. For example, putting in the necessary effort to deftly craft out a film’s sound design with an absence of musical underscoring.

    Cue this amazing little video essay by Every Frame A Painting on the work of Martin Scorsese. Yes, the man is known for his incredible use of music – however, this essay explores his use of silence throughout his 50-years of cinematic experience. So click away, and check out what happens when Scorsese goes all quiet.

  • Short Film: The Foley Artist (Feast Films)

    If you are an amateur videographer, you may never have heard of Jack Foley. In our digital age, we seldom have to consider making sound effects for ourselves. This has not always been the case, however. In a time before you could download unlimited audio files off of the Internet – sound effects for radio dramas, films, and television actually had to be created.

    This shouldn’t surprise you, but props and sets don’t usually react the same way acoustically as their real life counterparts. Jack Foley understood this, and it was where his genius shone. In an effort to lend a more realistic sound-scape to a production, he developed a process whereby authentic sound effects could be created in real time alongside the footage. It also proved to be an excellent means of supplying the more nuanced sounds that microphones would miss anyway (the rustling of clothing, or the slight squeak of a saddle when a rider mounted his horse). Such was his aptitude, fellow workers say that the results of a Jack Foley session were as good as editing together twenty audio tracks.

    Jack Foley has been dead for almost 50-years, but the technique he developed is still a popular option for professional productions. And in a lovely homage, those who employ his technique are still known as foley artists. Thus we finally make it to the crux of today’s post. While informative (hopefully), it is a chance to share an excellent short that takes us on a little journey with a fictional foley artist. I am sure that you will enjoy it.

  • Video: Why ‘Over the Rainbow’ Takes Us to a Magical, Musical Place (PBS)

    Most of the material that I share has to do with the visual side of videography and cinematography, and that is mainly because it is where my own personal interest lies. With that being said – I read material and watch clips that branch out beyond those limitations quite frequently too, as there is so much interesting stuff to delve into when it comes to production.

    So today I am going to take a bit of a diversion from my usual programming, and share a clip on music in film: specifically a PBS Newshour report that explores the Wizard of Oz classic Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Number one on the “Songs of the Century” list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America – there is no doubt that it has an enduring legacy. But why? Well, the premise offered by composer Rob Kapilow is quite a clever analysis which I am sure you will enjoy.

    “Words makes you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song make you feel a thought.” – Yip Harburg (paraphrased).