Sound Design for Low & No Budget Films

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 soundtrack 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.

Patrick Winters has been working in sound design for 30 years and teaching sound design for 12 years. He has personal experience working on major motion pictures as well as creating his own short films, stretching minimal budgets to get the best sound tracks possible.

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 MistakesSingle SystemDouble SystemTimecodeSmart SlateBoom and LavaliereWired and WirelessWide Shots and Close-UpsTwo-plus Camera Set-UpExerciseSample Sound Report Form 3. Sound DesignDefinedIntroductionMovie ExamplesRecordingCreatingEditing and ProcessingMixingExercises 4. Dialogue Editing: It's Work, Not MagicIntroductionPicture LockCollecting MaterialsFile ManagementThe ProcessCleaningSmoothingEditingSplit TracksRoom ToneFixing IssuesProcessingExercise 5. ADR: What Did They Say?IntroductionSpottingMicrophonesWorking with ActorsProduction ADR RecordingPost-Production ADR RecordingEditingExerciseADR Cue Sheet Form 6. Walla/Group /Loop Group/Group ADR/Rhubarb: Why Can't I Hear Them?IntroductionGroup LeadersResearch and ScriptingWallaSpecificsCalloutsEffortsScreamsPerformingRecordingEditingResourcesExercise 7. Narration: It Isn't DialogueIntroductionPurposesPre-ProductionRecordingEditingProcessingExercise 8. Sound Effects: Creating RealitySound Effect FunctionsTypes of Sound EffectsThe Grey Area (Foley and Sound Effects)Production Sound EffectsLocation Sound EffectsCustom-Recorded Sound EffectsFoley Sound EffectsLibrary Sound EffectsSpottingCreatingRecordingEditingProcessingExercise 9. Foley: Who or What is Foley?Foley HistoryOverviewSpotting and CueingSynchronized RecordingMicrophonesPerformanceMoves or ClothSpecifics or PropsPats and GrabsFootstepsLibrariesEditingSound Effect ResourcesExercise 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?IntroductionMaking NotesSpotting SessionCuesHits or Hit PointsTempo MapClick Tracks and Guide TracksTemp ScoresMusic SoftwareScoringTheme and MotifTitles, Montage and CreditsComposing, Arranging, Orchestrating and InstrumentationRecording Performance (Tracking)Digital MusicGarageBandSong Score, Pop Music and Source MusicCue PackagesBandsMusicalsLibrary Music: Hard Drives, CD's and DownloadsEditingStemsMixingDeliverablesExercise 12. Mixing Myself PreparationIntroductionPreparing Your Mixing RoomReference Levels Room Monitor CalibrationNLE or DAWMixing In-The-Box By MyselfSession Set-UpStereo, LCR or Surround? 13. Pre-Mixing or Predubbing and DSPIntroductionMixing PreparationTrack LayoutVirtual MixingMix ToolsLevelsGain StagingFadesPanningConstant Gain or Constant PowerEqualizationCompressionNormalizingNoise GateExpansionExciterDe-EsserNoise ReductionReverberation and DelaysDe-VerberationEffects and FiltersLimiterPremixingBuses, Auxes, Sends and ReturnsVCA FadersMaster FaderMeteringTwo Pops and Tail PopsDialogue and ADR PreMixFoley PremixSound Effects PremixDesign Effects PremixBackgrounds PremixMusic PremixTemp Mix 14. Mixing MyselfIntroductionSet-UpGetting StartedDialogue FirstADRSound EffectsAmbiencesFoleyMusicDME Stems and M&EMaster OutputQuick and Dirty Mix 15. Studio MixIntroductionMixer InterviewMix PreparationPremixesStemsMixingRun ThroughDialogue MixingSound Effects MixingFoley MixingAmbience MixingMusic Mixing 16. DeliverablesIntroductionFilmDCPDVD/Blu-RayStreamingBroadcast TelevisionMarketingArchiving 17. SummaryClean Production SoundCreating Sound DesignMixingConclusionInternet Resources Glossary Bibliography Index