To be clear, it doesn't need to be SUPER loud. Especially when it's a quiet scene. You don't want to have a loud BANG in front of your actors' faces. It can really mess with them. Often you'll hear someone (usually a director, AD, or actor) call for "Soft Sticks" as a reminder to the AC to go easy on the clack. - Nick J.
One of my friends works in sound production (freelance) and this episode in particular has really helped me understand the breadth of work he could be expected to carry out on a typical day. It is so complex and underappreciated!
ADR just blows my mind. It seems crazy that they can record so much of the dialogue in post without me even noticing. I guess people have gotten really good at matching the dialogue to what you see and seamlessly connecting the sound and the picture.
Aranofsky's "The Fountain" is a masterpiece of sound design and (Clint Mansell's masterful) music that is very much a noticeable part of the film and doesn't just disappear into the background. That movie brings me to tears of just pure emotional awe every time I watch it, and the sound design is a hugely important factor in that.
0:40 i'd argue that some movies have moments with such great music in certain scenes that it not only maximizes the enjoyment of said epic moment but also makes that song stand out, for the well crafted piece of artistry that was placed exactly where it needed. SOMETIMES the music standing out can be a valuable tool!
Awesome Video but I have one amendment. Timecode slates [digital slates] dont work by sending a signal to camera when it claps [i have one if you would like to see!] . It actually works very similar to a normal slate. The instant a slate closes it either lights up, freezes the timecode or shows some other information. What makes timecode slates useful is the clock that is ticking away inside and on the lcd. This number is called timecode and that number exactly matches the timecode on the sound recorder and often the camera unless it is shooting at a higher than normal framerate. And this is where the slate is super useful. Often when the camera shoots off speed and timecode isnt going to camera then seeing the exact timecode on camera [through the slate] can help precisely sync the audio to the changed framerate of the camera, if the editor chooses to use a off speed take and bring it back to the normal framerate. And I am sure you will cover this in the editing part of this but having audio and camera footage marked with timecode in the metadata is what the editor uses to automate the syncing process! Also one of the key roles of boom ops is being the onset eyes, ears and audio management for the recordist because often the recordist is off set maybe near video village or not in reach. I have had many a converstations with the boom op as they describe how they think they will gather the audio in a scene and had discussions about what i need in my recordings when there is particular coverage that i am after. Anyway I always love these videos and they are a great and fantastic resource for so many amazing topics including this one and me writing this is in no way discrediting the amazing stuff that should be listened to and trusted on this topic. I am just a sound recordist who has to much time on my hands! DFTBA!
I rely on CC, even though I have 20/20 hearing. I like the aesthetic of having words spelled out on the bottom of the screen. It's weird, but then again, if I can't understand what they're saying, I can read it.
Fun fact: You only need omnidirectional and figure-8 microphones. All other patterns can be made by combining the two in different ratios. Equal parts omni and figure-8 gives a cardioid.
I'm actually curious how it works with movies like Baby Driver where the action during production needs to be synched with the movie's soundtrack ever before editing. I always imagined that there was someone off set holding up a boombox so the actors know when to move - then the sound guy would just remove it in post - but there's probably a more professional way than that.
Syncing audio coming in from the mic isn't really a problem. In class we usually hook the boom mic to the camera and the camera does the rest. However, if the sound's to quiet and can't be fixed with the audio gain, or if we want to change a line (but usually the first one)we usually retake, or do a voice over or a sound effect, depending on what needs to be fixed.
You're right about sound production: if it's good, then you don't notice it. But if it's bad, it can pull you out of immersion or destroy your suspension of disbelief. This reminds me recently when I was watching a tv show, and a character was reading a book and turned a page and it sounded like somoene waving a magazine around. It didn't sound remotely like turning one thin page and so it took me out of the story.
Something left about ADR. 1.- Translation: In some countries, like Spain, most films in other languages are translated and dubbed. And often voices are different from original. For instance, in Spain often male voice actors have deeper voices than original actors. It does not always apply; some Kubrik's films were dubbed with voice actors similar to the original. The spanish audience is so used to its familiar voices that pictures like "Barry Lyndon" of "The Shining" sound weird. 2.- I can't recall the name but I think there was some italian film director who did not record live dialogue. Instead he made the actors say numbers and added the voices later.
At 2:58, your graphic reads 2nd AC in the brackets alongside Utility Sound Technician, but this should in fact be 2nd AS, since AC would be Assistant Camera.
The mic used here is the Sennheiser ew 112-p G3 Camera-Mount Wireless Microphone System with ME 2 Lavalier Mic - A (516-558 MHz). It's not perfect but it's done the job for 6 years. - Nick J.
I know you are trying to stay with the universal concepts, But what about descriptive text, closed captioning, 3-D, & other options? when do they come into play; before or after production?
Most of those will, I'm sure, be discussed later. It's a hefty series with someone inevitably saying "what about these things" for things that will undoubtedly be touched on later.
I appreciate the video and the attention to detail... save for one aspect. Scoring. This video barely gave 10 seconds to the concern of the musical score and I found that to be disappointing. I hope there will be a separate video on this topic, because it is just as important as everything else related to film production. And yes, my disappointment is a little biased as I am a composer myself :)
MakeMeThinkAgain you're right that there is not a simple answer. I work in production sound and I have thought about this topic a lot. Basically, it can depend on things like the director or the genre of the film or the location. For example, it's generally safe to assume that there is more looping (adr) in action or horror movies because of the locations. Speaking of, two examples from this video were looped; the one from Indiana Jones and the one from Fellowship of the Ring. I'm not sure why they were used as examples in this video since this is about production sound and not post. But anyway, those two examples were definitely looped. In fact, a lot of Fellowship of the Ring was looped. That may have been because of the locations. Or perhaps the director. I know for a fact that James Cameron and George Lucas prefer adr to production sound. That to me is an odd preference because I like to hear the size of the frame and the room and the moment of the actual performance. But to each their own. And it can depend on the era in which the film was made too. For example, I rarely hear looping in movies made in the golden age of Hollywood ~1930-1960. I understand looping was harder to do in the early days of film sound. But to give you a current example, the movie IT had very little looping. But the looping that was done was very bad-- reminiscent of movies from 30 years ago. Which I know was the decade when it was set. So maybe it was a stylistic choice. But I'd say about 80-90% was recorded on set. There's one scene in the beginning that's entirely looped for obvious reasons. But I don't want to spoil anything. But in summary, there is no simple answer. But if you're listening AND watching, you should be able to hear and see the looping. For example, if it doesn't sound like they're in that room, then it might be looped. And each room has its kind of sound that really adds to the picture to me. Also, the size of the frame. If the mic sounds like it's 1 inch from their mouth, it's looped. You should be able to hear the headroom. The headroom dictates how close we can get with the boom mic. So a wider shot should sound wider and less intimate than the closeups. And that's a big part of why the production sound is so important. Because you can feel close when they cut to that angle.
What department is responsible if there is a mistake in the background setting (objects in the scene) in an animated movie, like The Lego Batman Movie?
Not entirely correct. First, it should be mentioned that the production sound team is also responsible for all production communications - walkie-talkies, bull horns, etc. as well as sending a rough sound mix (including headphones and sound distribution) to the director, DP and the video village. Also, the only sound with which the production sound team is concerned is the production dialog and dialog wilds plus capturing room tone. Except for the smallest low/no/mini/micro budget projects all other sounds are created and added during audio post production. When it comes to audio post the dialog (DX) editor puts together the entire DX track, which includes incorporating the ADR sent by the ADR mixer(s). The Foley team (artists/walkers and mixer) is responsible for all character made sounds such as footsteps, kisses, punches and props handling and sometimes smaller "soft" sound effects. The Foley editor will select the best takes and correct Foley sync, if needed. The sound effects editors are responsible for "hard" effects such as gunshots/explosions, vehicles, ambient sound, creatures and the like, although Foley may enhance sound effects and vice versa. The music editor does just that, edits the score and source music. You also neglected to mention the Supervising Sound Editor, who is responsible for coordinating the entire audio post team, and the Sound Designer, who is responsible for the sonic palette of the film. The Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer can sometimes be the same person. You also neglected the rerecording mixer(s) who combine all of the sonic elements onto a cohesive whole to create a believable sonic world. It is not unusual for the Supervising Sound Editor and/or the Sound Designer to be a member of the rerecording team.
Will you be doing the visual effects (modeling, texturing, animating, lighting, compositing etc. etc.) in film as well? It regularly gets a bad rap by casual movie goers because the only CGI they notice is bad CGI. They don't know how much fantastic visual effects is used in film these days because if realistic visual effects is done correctly, it shouldn't be noticed. Practical is still great and all (and looks better in a lot of cases), but visual effects is also really great these days.
Doesn't practical effects fall into the "special effects" category? As in, special effects is everything you see in camera while shooting on set, and visual effects is all the digital effects (digital matte paintings, cg objects etc.) that's added in post?
A cardioid microphone is essentially a 50/50 mix of the signals from a coincident omnidirectional and figure-8 microphone, so if those are all you have, you can make your own cardioid (or any of the other patterns) just by using those two.
@0:48 ... No, E.T. phoned home COLLECT. His *folks* paid roaming charges. Where were you on about half-a-dozen indie productions I engaged with that could have *rilly,rilly* used your help in explaining simple ideas to weird directors?
To be honest, I clicked on this purely for the Crash Course John Williams character and was a bit dissapointed that scoring was not something with enough elaboration.
It's hard to notice good sound, but it's REALLY easy to recognize bad sound!
Ohh, now I finally know why they clap so loudly with the slate. Thanks CrashCourse! :)
yeah i never knew what it was for either. really interesting.
To be clear, it doesn't need to be SUPER loud. Especially when it's a quiet scene. You don't want to have a loud BANG in front of your actors' faces. It can really mess with them. Often you'll hear someone (usually a director, AD, or actor) call for "Soft Sticks" as a reminder to the AC to go easy on the clack.
- Nick J.
Also helps in post-production. The slate helps with knowing which scene you're working with. Also helps you cut out the director's instructions
This seems to be the most commonly overlooked element of amateur film making. I hope to see more on this topic. Great work!
One of my friends works in sound production (freelance) and this episode in particular has really helped me understand the breadth of work he could be expected to carry out on a typical day. It is so complex and underappreciated!
The notification squad can go somewhere else. True fans know by instinct when Crash Course uploads.
StarKing15
#nonotifications detachment
I think sound is the most important part of a film. It can improve or ruin your production.
Man, ain't that the truth.
- Nick J.
Well, it’s half of the film yes, but you can still make a great film without sound. Charlie Chaplain proved that.
Jack Forde yeah but thats when no music was normal
ADR just blows my mind. It seems crazy that they can record so much of the dialogue in post without me even noticing. I guess people have gotten really good at matching the dialogue to what you see and seamlessly connecting the sound and the picture.
Butted in r and me both sides are u going back in r a
AND your amazing sound design team is Synema Studios. Great work as always, but this one must have been particularly key!
We do love Synema!!! Callie Dishman is our hero.
- Nick J.
omg this was really informative, I never thought someone could explain this topic this well. Great job and thank you crush course!
Aranofsky's "The Fountain" is a masterpiece of sound design and (Clint Mansell's masterful) music that is very much a noticeable part of the film and doesn't just disappear into the background. That movie brings me to tears of just pure emotional awe every time I watch it, and the sound design is a hugely important factor in that.
Pfhorrest Don't forget Requiem for a Dream... It's sound design made the movie 10 times more haunting
Yes that's a great example too, and same composer!
Completely agree!
This is a fantastic crash course into film sound. Couldn't in any way have imagined it being more clear.
Oh look, crash course even did a video on my major. You guys are awesome
Thank you Crash Course for making this series! I'm in my first year of a film program and it really helps!!
0:40 i'd argue that some movies have moments with such great music in certain scenes that it not only maximizes the enjoyment of said epic moment but also makes that song stand out, for the well crafted piece of artistry that was placed exactly where it needed.
SOMETIMES the music standing out can be a valuable tool!
Dang, this series is probably my fave Crash Course one to date!!! Amazing stuff guys :)
I LOVE this series!
This is really a great series. If anything, I wouldn't mind if it was even longer and more detailed.
Awesome Video but I have one amendment. Timecode slates [digital slates] dont work by sending a signal to camera when it claps [i have one if you would like to see!] . It actually works very similar to a normal slate. The instant a slate closes it either lights up, freezes the timecode or shows some other information. What makes timecode slates useful is the clock that is ticking away inside and on the lcd. This number is called timecode and that number exactly matches the timecode on the sound recorder and often the camera unless it is shooting at a higher than normal framerate. And this is where the slate is super useful. Often when the camera shoots off speed and timecode isnt going to camera then seeing the exact timecode on camera [through the slate] can help precisely sync the audio to the changed framerate of the camera, if the editor chooses to use a off speed take and bring it back to the normal framerate. And I am sure you will cover this in the editing part of this but having audio and camera footage marked with timecode in the metadata is what the editor uses to automate the syncing process! Also one of the key roles of boom ops is being the onset eyes, ears and audio management for the recordist because often the recordist is off set maybe near video village or not in reach. I have had many a converstations with the boom op as they describe how they think they will gather the audio in a scene and had discussions about what i need in my recordings when there is particular coverage that i am after. Anyway I always love these videos and they are a great and fantastic resource for so many amazing topics including this one and me writing this is in no way discrediting the amazing stuff that should be listened to and trusted on this topic. I am just a sound recordist who has to much time on my hands! DFTBA!
"Wilhelm's Ice Cream"
I heard what you did there...
This series is great
I rely on CC, even though I have 20/20 hearing. I like the aesthetic of having words spelled out on the bottom of the screen. It's weird, but then again, if I can't understand what they're saying, I can read it.
Please make CrashCourse Math!!!
(EDIT.)Please pin this comment if considering doing this series.
Fun fact: You only need omnidirectional and figure-8 microphones. All other patterns can be made by combining the two in different ratios. Equal parts omni and figure-8 gives a cardioid.
I recognized right away that the music composer character is John Williams lol. Great video!
OMG I've always wondered why do they use a slate and what's the purpose of their closing it. That's awesome. Love this series.
I'm actually curious how it works with movies like Baby Driver where the action during production needs to be synched with the movie's soundtrack ever before editing. I always imagined that there was someone off set holding up a boombox so the actors know when to move - then the sound guy would just remove it in post - but there's probably a more professional way than that.
Thanks for sharing!
Amazing Amazing Amazing
And I have my computer fan roaring constantly, creating a lovely backdrop to any video I watch :-P
Syncing audio coming in from the mic isn't really a problem. In class we usually hook the boom mic to the camera and the camera does the rest. However, if the sound's to quiet and can't be fixed with the audio gain, or if we want to change a line (but usually the first one)we usually retake, or do a voice over or a sound effect, depending on what needs to be fixed.
i had no idea that this much thought had to be put into sound :O thanks crashcourse :D
E V E R Y O N E !
Emmanueli Adzoh cool.
There's a scene exactly like that in the ending of the game Need for speed Most Wanted haha I found it funny
Love this series! Can you guys do a video on copyright/how to protect your ideas & prevent plagiarism?
shopworn angel
Try crash course intellectual property. Its 6 or 7 episodes long I think. You might find what you want there.
I'll have a look, thanks!!
shopworn angel
Np
You're right about sound production: if it's good, then you don't notice it. But if it's bad, it can pull you out of immersion or destroy your suspension of disbelief. This reminds me recently when I was watching a tv show, and a character was reading a book and turned a page and it sounded like somoene waving a magazine around. It didn't sound remotely like turning one thin page and so it took me out of the story.
Something left about ADR.
1.- Translation: In some countries, like Spain, most films in other languages are translated and dubbed. And often voices are different from original. For instance, in Spain often male voice actors have deeper voices than original actors. It does not always apply; some Kubrik's films were dubbed with voice actors similar to the original. The spanish audience is so used to its familiar voices that pictures like "Barry Lyndon" of "The Shining" sound weird.
2.- I can't recall the name but I think there was some italian film director who did not record live dialogue. Instead he made the actors say numbers and added the voices later.
This is so damn good.
1:10 It's the elderly couple drinking wine clip again! And now it's animated!
The grandpa and grandma clinking wine glasses :D
Here comes the boom!
At 2:58, your graphic reads 2nd AC in the brackets alongside Utility Sound Technician, but this should in fact be 2nd AS, since AC would be Assistant Camera.
2:18 Did somebody say boom?
I was scared when you took down the video. Then, you re-uploaded. Phew!
Just a misspelling we could fix quickly. All is well :)
- Nick J.
8:50
Is that Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet theme? I feel like a music nerd for picking that up.
I want this job! Have you ever eat watched Breaking Bad with headphones ? The sound mixing is amazing
Thanks
A thought cafe John Williams! Life goal met! Would like more about scores and sound effects.
Our favorite satisfied old couple got the Thought Cafe treatment!
Shutting the slate is to sync the AV. I never knew.. That information is going to loop around in my autistic head all day.
You should probably do a separate video for post sound and music.
What Lavalier mic are you using? Im looking for a good quality one. Thanks
The mic used here is the Sennheiser ew 112-p G3 Camera-Mount Wireless Microphone System with ME 2 Lavalier Mic - A (516-558 MHz). It's not perfect but it's done the job for 6 years.
- Nick J.
OoO I saw this host in Certain women, very good film. No wonder her speech skills are so on point.
Nice
Sound production - how to make noise for your ears.
why do all shotgun seem mics rec in mono? is that covered somewhere? ^ what am i suppose to do w/it? just dbl it?
I know you are trying to stay with the universal concepts, But what about descriptive text, closed captioning, 3-D, & other options? when do they come into play; before or after production?
Most of those will, I'm sure, be discussed later. It's a hefty series with someone inevitably saying "what about these things" for things that will undoubtedly be touched on later.
The shadow of a boom mic can have an interesting or awful effect on a scene. I'M LOOKING AT YOU TARKOVSKY!!!! (jk I love the Mirror's opening)
I scream, Wilhelm Screams, we ALL scream for ice cream!
I appreciate the video and the attention to detail... save for one aspect. Scoring. This video barely gave 10 seconds to the concern of the musical score and I found that to be disappointing. I hope there will be a separate video on this topic, because it is just as important as everything else related to film production. And yes, my disappointment is a little biased as I am a composer myself :)
whats a good mic you would suggest buying?
What percentage of the sound you hear in a major film was recorded in post? I know there's no simple answer to this, but I've always wondered.
MakeMeThinkAgain you're right that there is not a simple answer. I work in production sound and I have thought about this topic a lot.
Basically, it can depend on things like the director or the genre of the film or the location. For example, it's generally safe to assume that there is more looping (adr) in action or horror movies because of the locations. Speaking of, two examples from this video were looped; the one from Indiana Jones and the one from Fellowship of the Ring. I'm not sure why they were used as examples in this video since this is about production sound and not post. But anyway, those two examples were definitely looped. In fact, a lot of Fellowship of the Ring was looped.
That may have been because of the locations. Or perhaps the director. I know for a fact that James Cameron and George Lucas prefer adr to production sound. That to me is an odd preference because I like to hear the size of the frame and the room and the moment of the actual performance. But to each their own.
And it can depend on the era in which the film was made too. For example, I rarely hear looping in movies made in the golden age of Hollywood ~1930-1960. I understand looping was harder to do in the early days of film sound.
But to give you a current example, the movie IT had very little looping. But the looping that was done was very bad-- reminiscent of movies from 30 years ago. Which I know was the decade when it was set. So maybe it was a stylistic choice. But I'd say about 80-90% was recorded on set. There's one scene in the beginning that's entirely looped for obvious reasons. But I don't want to spoil anything.
But in summary, there is no simple answer. But if you're listening AND watching, you should be able to hear and see the looping. For example, if it doesn't sound like they're in that room, then it might be looped. And each room has its kind of sound that really adds to the picture to me. Also, the size of the frame. If the mic sounds like it's 1 inch from their mouth, it's looped. You should be able to hear the headroom. The headroom dictates how close we can get with the boom mic. So a wider shot should sound wider and less intimate than the closeups. And that's a big part of why the production sound is so important. Because you can feel close when they cut to that angle.
oh wow, Maxell
What department is responsible if there is a mistake in the background setting (objects in the scene) in an animated movie, like The Lego Batman Movie?
Again Please can we get that Filmmaking Flow chart as a poster! I need this in my life Badly!
Not entirely correct.
First, it should be mentioned that the production sound team is also responsible for all production communications - walkie-talkies, bull horns, etc. as well as sending a rough sound mix (including headphones and sound distribution) to the director, DP and the video village. Also, the only sound with which the production sound team is concerned is the production dialog and dialog wilds plus capturing room tone. Except for the smallest low/no/mini/micro budget projects all other sounds are created and added during audio post production.
When it comes to audio post the dialog (DX) editor puts together the entire DX track, which includes incorporating the ADR sent by the ADR mixer(s). The Foley team (artists/walkers and mixer) is responsible for all character made sounds such as footsteps, kisses, punches and props handling and sometimes smaller "soft" sound effects. The Foley editor will select the best takes and correct Foley sync, if needed. The sound effects editors are responsible for "hard" effects such as gunshots/explosions, vehicles, ambient sound, creatures and the like, although Foley may enhance sound effects and vice versa. The music editor does just that, edits the score and source music. You also neglected to mention the Supervising Sound Editor, who is responsible for coordinating the entire audio post team, and the Sound Designer, who is responsible for the sonic palette of the film. The Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer can sometimes be the same person. You also neglected the rerecording mixer(s) who combine all of the sonic elements onto a cohesive whole to create a believable sonic world. It is not unusual for the Supervising Sound Editor and/or the Sound Designer to be a member of the rerecording team.
Will you be doing the visual effects (modeling, texturing, animating, lighting, compositing etc. etc.) in film as well? It regularly gets a bad rap by casual movie goers because the only CGI they notice is bad CGI. They don't know how much fantastic visual effects is used in film these days because if realistic visual effects is done correctly, it shouldn't be noticed. Practical is still great and all (and looks better in a lot of cases), but visual effects is also really great these days.
Yep! We sure will!
- Nick J.
Tiaan Engelbrecht
You mean DIGITAL effects.
Practical effects and digital effects both fall under the umbrella term of VISUAL effects.
Doesn't practical effects fall into the "special effects" category? As in, special effects is everything you see in camera while shooting on set, and visual effects is all the digital effects (digital matte paintings, cg objects etc.) that's added in post?
No mention of the foley artists?
Dan Allen I was waiting for that one, too.
"EVERYONE!!!" :)
please make crashcourse audio!!!
Why did y'all reupload?
corrected misspelling of "cardioid"
What Bob said.
- Nick J.
Obviously, the first upload was... unsound.
*rimshot*
- Nick J.
don't say that stupid unnecessary word
I always wondered what cardioid meant! You'd think that after six years of podcasting I would know this kind of thing.
A cardioid microphone is essentially a 50/50 mix of the signals from a coincident omnidirectional and figure-8 microphone, so if those are all you have, you can make your own cardioid (or any of the other patterns) just by using those two.
Surprised you didn't mention VA much, which is useful even in non-animated films
I would be willing to host CrashCourse Music
same dude
8:47 Wilhelm's Ice Cream
I get it...
Can you do a crash course on making an animated film?
Yep, clapping in front of the camera is exactly what we do!
You forgot about Tony Soprano breathing. One of the most important sounds recorded in history.
Once you see the Mamrie/Jennifer Lawrence/Winnie Cooper hybrid, you can't unsee it.
Funnily crash course videos do have a problem with sound sometimes : P
Show us your audio setup!
Anyone notice that either her makeup or the lighting changes about halfway through?
The presenter's voice is very suiting. Keep it up!
What about scoreees
she reminds me so much of safiya nygaard
Lol as I'm working on sound design this pops up.
No mention of the Wilhelm Scream? I am disappoint.
THX 1138
Did somebody say boom?
did anyone notice the person who got shot in the ice cream scene is the only person of color in the scene? hmmmm
I learned about dead cats from Game Grumps!
@0:48 ... No, E.T. phoned home COLLECT. His *folks* paid roaming charges.
Where were you on about half-a-dozen indie productions I engaged with that could have *rilly,rilly* used your help in explaining simple ideas to weird directors?
Is it cold on set or something? your layers are upsetting me
Next one: light productions
clap, slap, slate
sound guy!!? c'mooooon let's push the dial away from the stereotype
She kinda reminds me of an adult version of Winnie from The Wonder Years.
Ha, I noticed the same the first episode. She's got Mamrie Hart mixed with Winnie Cooper down pat.
Hi nick's hand
old scene around
To be honest, I clicked on this purely for the Crash Course John Williams character and was a bit dissapointed that scoring was not something with enough elaboration.
Cathal Dunne, at least they had him conducting!
Stefan Thompson true but still. Composer click bait
#NoNotification detachment.
I still don't understand they didn't they call it SNIPER MIC