Discover the latest industry news and audio post production.
We explore the topic of work/life balance in audio post, avoiding burnout, and how many hours a week should we work for optimum results.
July 26, 2022
Audio post-production is a fast-paced business. Building a successful career requires putting in countless hours plying your trade and completing projects.
When you are a student and making your first steps into the world of professional audio, it's easy to become so focused on landing that first gig or job that you don't stop and think about what it's like on the other side.
As you move higher up through the food chain and work on major projects the job can easily become quite gruelling, with very tight deadlines, and fast turnarounds all adding to the pressure. Being busy seems like a dream come true until you get there and realise that it isn't.
In this article we explore the topic of work/life balance in audio post, avoiding burnout, and how many hours a week should we work for optimum results?
We must maintain a positive work-life balance as we move through our careers. If we become too work-focused our relationships and personal lives will be strained, or our health can suffer. We need adequate rest time to perform at our best and maximise our potential.
One of the things to consider early on is whether you want to work for an established audio post studio or to go solo and work for yourself, as this will greatly impact the style of work/life balance you can achieve.
Working for an established studio is great in many ways as your main responsibility is to complete your project tasks, and you don't have to deal with any of the client, management or scheduling side of things, and the stresses that come with this.
The main drawback of working in an established studio is that you have less say in the hours you work or the projects that you work on. You may also be asked to do extra hours during crunch time, so hopefully, you have a manager who is considerate of your wellbeing during busy periods.
If possible try and speak with some of the employees about their experience before agreeing to a job position.
You will generally have more things to take care of when working for yourself, as now you have to do all of the client relations, financial and marketing tasks in addition to your audio work.
The flip side of this though is that you can decide your own hours and fit this around your schedule. Maybe you want to start your workday at 1 pm and save the mornings for exercise, reading etc. Working for yourself gives you this freedom, just make sure that you are disciplined with yourself.
The most important thing for work/life balance when you work for yourself is setting boundaries so that your work doesn't bleed into your personal life too much.
As creative professionals performing a cognitively demanding job, we expend a lot of creative energy that needs to be recovered. This can only be done with time away from the studio.- Walking/hiking in nature.- Going to the cinema, museum or gallery.
Another thing that can help you stave off burnout is to understand yourself, your motivations and your relationship to your work. With this knowledge, you can structure things in a way that plays to your strengths.
I love my job as a sound designer but I don't enjoy being indoors sitting at a computer all day. I find that the day drags when I am doing hours of SFX editing, particularly on consecutive days. I feel tired when the weekend comes and my creative energy is low. Working like this is functional, I meet my deadlines and projects are done on time, but I wouldn't say that it's the best work I am capable of.
Another thing to think about when it comes to preventing burnout is our listening level. Every studio will have a slightly different listening level depending on how its system is calibrated, and this will differ again if you are working with headphones.
Our ears can only handle so much so if you are going to be working long hours then consider the level you are listening at and drop it down to reduce ear fatigue.
When it comes to deciding how many hours to work per week, it really comes down to you as an individual and what your goal is.
We have two recommendations below based on whether you want to prioritise your lifestyle or your work performance:
30 hours - Lifestyle Focus
2 x 3-hour work sessions per day, Mon-Fri.
This option is perfect for the audio professional who wants to leave plenty of time for hobbies and socialising/ family time. A 6-hour workday is still enough to get some quality work done, and shouldn't be too fatiguing over the course of each week.
A weekly structure such as this is the best option for someone who wants to make a living from their passion for sound, whilst also keeping space open for other things.
40 hours per week - Performance Focus
9-5, Mon-Fri.
your focus is purely on work performance then we recommend a maximum of 40 hours per week. This is pretty much the standard hours of 9-5 Monday thru Friday and will work well for someone who is used to this kind of routine from previous jobs.
We don't recommend going over 40 hours as this is likely to have diminishing returns on your work output. It's all about delivering quality work and anything over 8 hours per workday will lead to a drop-off in quality.
We hope you enjoyed checking out this article!
Here are some tips and characteristics to keep in mind as you fit sound effects into your next video.
July 21, 2022
In the context of video editing, a sound effect is any audio that is recorded, especially to be included in your footage. This can include the sound of a gunshot during a battle scene or rain hitting your windows while listening to some relaxing music.
Throughout the filmmaking process, there will be many occasions you will need to add additional sounds to your footage. A common way to do this would be through what is called Sound Effects Editing which refers to the usage of foreground and background sound effects such as such as birds, wind, traffic etc. There are also various online libraries from which you can license royalty-free stock sound effects.
Sound editing is all about putting your audience in the moment. Viewers who watch a movie with good sound editing are instantly put into the centre of the action and immerse themselves in all the sounds around them.
For example, if you make videos online and want to mimic a scene with an intense shootout in an old Western world, you would want to use plenty of different realistic sounds that a cowboy might encounter during the big battle.
They add realism to your film by reflecting the soundscape of real-life and immersing you in action on screen, creating an authenticity that brings your viewers deeper into the story you are telling.
And finally, the movie-making process involves much more than just filming; sounds are just as important in many cases.
For example, car crashes are pretty common in films, but they aren't always easy to portray on camera; however, if you combine the sounds of screeching brakes and broken glass with a few vocal reactions here and there, you can create an impactful scene even without dramatizing it too much!
Sound effects are often used in movies to add emotion and feeling to a particular shot or scene, so it's not surprising that movie studios will spend much money on royalty-free sounds. But there are plenty of free options available online. Here are a few we found:
There are 30,000+ sound effects available for free courtesy of "the Beeb." If you wish to use them in commercial projects, there is a licensing fee and user requirements.
Video is a powerful tool to get any message across. No matter the message, video can make it come alive - which helps grab attention and motivate people to act. Creating and editing videos can be time-consuming and complex, though. This is where Invideo comes in: with an array of professional video templates, you can create different videos in minutes instead of days. You can find many sound effect templates here.
Simply click here to find a plethora of sounds of every type you can imagine, recorded, edited and designed by our team of Audio Craftsmen.
Freesound offers more than 400,000 sounds or samples. Samples are considered to be individual recordings of a particular sound. These sounds can vary widely, from the sound of an explosion to the sound of the ocean or even a yawn. Whether these samples are allowed in your particular project depends on how you plan to use them, so it's probably best to read up on the license that comes with each sample before using them.
There are some tips and characteristics to keep in mind as you fit sound effects into your next video:
To introduce ambient background effects such as rain or sounds of the city, try fading them in gradually. It will help make your video sound more natural and professional at the same time.
InVideo allows users to enter into a transcript mode that displays the scenes of your motion picture story as if you'd read them like a book. Instead of working with the timeline, consider having your project open on a separate window while typing out your script. Working this way provides an additional plane of depth in adding audio to your work because you can drop the sound file directly onto each image of the video (or, in the case of multiple video files, each frame) that you want it played.
Ambient noise should reflect the state of mind of the characters. For example, if the protagonist has a heart attack, the ambient noise should be replaced with sounds of their heartbeat. Or maybe a jangling noise would be more appropriate for a restaurant scene where two lovers are arguing.
Don't get too hung up on your effects - it's not like you will hurt them physically. They won't get offended if you give them a bit of echo or cut them up to create a choppy effect.
Too many sound effects can be overwhelming and take away from the overall impact of your video. So make sure to use them only where necessary. Keep in mind that they are primarily for enhancing certain moments in the video.
Make sure that the effect you choose fits the context and mood. Too many dark or intense sound effects can ruin a light hearted video.
Sound effects enhance what is essentially an important moment, something viewers should focus on. Keep that in mind when you choose a sound. A well-placed sound effect can make a scene pop.
Pay attention to the level of the audio when you add an effect. You don't want them to be too loud or quiet with the rest of the audio in your video.
Nothing will ruin a video faster than using low-quality, tinny-sounding sound effects. Choose ones that are good and merge well with the audio and video.
It's no secret that sound effects can make or break any video. They can change a video's entire mood, tone, and message. Whether you're trying to create a scary, suspenseful, or comedic effect, choosing the right sound design can make all the difference. By following these tips, you can use sound effects to take your videos to the next level.
We caught up with Andrea Bella (supervising sound editor), Kevin Peters (sound designer), and Laura Heinzinger (Foley supervisor) to get their input on the creative process for building the soundtrack of Outer Range.
July 8, 2022
Outer Range is an exciting new look at rural America, with a twist. From the mind of Brian Watkins, this new series features a melting pot of Western backdrops fused with science fiction thriller. The first season of Outer Range is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Crafted at Harbor’s New York studios, the sound world of the show is full of fascinating and effective sonic choices that bring the story to life. We caught up with Andrea Bella (supervising sound editor), Kevin Peters (sound designer), and Laura Heinzinger (Foley supervisor) to get their input on the creative process for building the soundtrack.
It's a pleasure to connect with you all! I'm really enjoying the show and how you've brought to life the world of Wyoming. What was your overall approach to world building with sound for this show?
Andrea Bella: Thanks so much for giving us the opportunity to talk about the show. We are glad you are enjoying it. Working on this show was an incredible experience for the whole team.
This show’s storyline and characters are so rich and complex, there are many layers to unravel and compose. We have the physical world that the people inhabit and the internal world where the characters emotionally live. Our approach was to tackle each one individually. The beautiful Wyoming wilderness, family relationships, life on a ranch, the rodeos and then there was the metaphysical dimension. Each of these layers interact with each other and have a cause and effect. It was important to re-create those spaces as realistically and vividly as possible. This way, when the real world and the metaphysical world interact, we would feel the shift in the environment.
We were lucky to have Clay Lilley, a rodeo expert talk with the FX team and the ADR/Loop Group teams about how a rodeo should sound. The vehicles in the show were also significant, they were an extension of each character’s personality. It was tricky getting the engines to realistically match the vehicle and capture the emotional expression of the moment. It was the same with the guns.
How early did you get involved in the project? Were there opportunities to speak early on with Brian Watkins about the tone that would be set using sound? What was that collaboration like?
AB: I got involved early in the process in April 2021 and talked with Brian about the sound of the show and Wyoming, working through some sketches of the design of the hole before we had any visual effects to look at. Sound editorial started at the end of September, which is when Kevin and the rest of the team started.
Brian was very generous with his time and knowledge of the western landscapes and culture. He grew up out West, so it all came from a personal space. We talked a lot about which birds one would hear, or how the winds sound different depending where you were, on the plains or in the woods. He described how the physical space sounded and how it would affect a person internally. Brian revealed to us how the West was a place full of wonder, and to quote him, “It’s the kind of place where the land is a force, where exteriors inform interiors in very specific ways.” It really helped us to clarify what the show would end up sounding like once sound editorial started.
The development of the hole was fine-tuned together with Larry Trilling, Trevor Baker and the rest of the editorial team. Larry’s approach was bold and dynamic. He was very open to exploration and discussion and gave us a free hand to explore different concepts. It was very exciting and rare.
The West is the kind of place where the land is a force, where exteriors inform interiors in very specific ways.
I can see that the sound work for the series was carefully crafted. How long was the post production sound schedule for the film and how many members of the team were there?
AB: The team started in September. Ailin Gong, our assistant sound editor started first, prepping everything for the crew so we could hit the ground running. The schedule was tight, and we worked on multiple episodes simultaneously. The show has a lot of VFX, so we needed to be nimble and react quickly to any picture changes. That would lead to new turnovers or mix dates and episode deadlines being shifted.
The dialog/ADR team, Marlena Grzaslewicz, Michael Feuser, Josh Berger, and Dan Edelstein started straight away. The plan was to record the ADR and loop group in blocks so Dan Edelstein, our ADR supervisor, had the daunting task of going through all 8 episodes at once, preparing for ADR and loop group recordings before the dialog was finished being cut. Kevin Peters, the sound designer, and I spent the first week preparing the workflow structure and creating different soundscapes. We pulled sounds to create a tailored project sound library to use for certain locations and FX. Laura Heinzinger, our Foley supervisor came on a few weeks later to coordinate with the Foley house, Alchemy Post Sound. We finished mixing the last episode in mid-February.
Were you working in-house at Harbor, remote, or a combination of both? What was that process like?
Kevin Peters: We primarily worked in-house at Harbor. Our edit rooms were only a few doors away from each other, which was also conveniently right near the mix room. This setup made it much easier to collaborate and share feedback. We did do some edit work from home, but thankfully the tools that make remote work possible, made everything seamless.
AB: The facilities and staff at Harbor are extremely talented and everyone is super communicative and helpful. That is key for having a job run smoothly. At the start, Kevin and I coordinated with Josh Berger, the re-recording mixer, to come up with a game plan to make the editorial/mixing process be more efficient. Kevin and Josh created a Pro Tools template so we could edit in a 7.1/atmos environment. They also created location reverb patches, so we could deliver to the stage the FX and Foleys with reverbs in place. This enabled us to exchange sessions between editorial and the mix stage without losing any of Josh’s mixing. It was very helpful, especially when we had to do go-backs during the mix. For example, we could work in a session that came from the stage and know exactly how the scene was sounding and which fx ended up being used.
The facilities and staff at Harbor are extremely talented and everyone is super communicative and helpful. That is key for having a job run smoothly.
Andrea & Laura, the Foley is very effective in establishing the emptiness of some of the scenes. How did you approach this?
AB: Foleys are so important because they connect the audience directly to the character on the screen. They articulate what is going on emotionally with a character. What makes the team at Alchemy Post Sound so wonderful is that they act a scene, they don’t just walk it. Laura is amazing at getting that to happen and making sure that every nuance is there, no matter how subtle.
Laura Heinzinger: I always think about Foley in terms of the rhythm and cadence of a scene. The dialogue between characters certainly informs how I cue and edit Foley - but equally importantly, if not more importantly, I'm looking for the body language of each character, and how they are communicating with their actions, not necessarily their words.
Outer Range is at its core a western, which immediately brings to mind a whole palette of sounds: boots, wood creaks, leather, horse hooves, reigns jingling, crunchy dirt surfaces - but on top of being a western, it has a mysterious, otherworldly component to the story, much of which was aided by the more silent, empty moments.
One scene that comes to mind is the poker game between Autumn and Royal in episode 104 “The Loss”. There were discussions between Andrea, Kevin, me, and the Foley team at Alchemy Post Sound about making this scene feel like a showdown. Within the silence of this scene, Autumn and Royal challenge each other with their body language. We wanted to achieve a certain attitude in the way they put their cards down, the way they ever so slightly leaned forward in their chair, the way Autumn slams her foot on the table. We also filled the scene with subtle bar glass clinks and boots shuffling around the room to give the sense that they have an audience, and that Royal and Autumn's actions are performative. It's moments like these in Outer Range where there is space to express unspoken communication between characters that allows the Foley to shine.
Foleys are so important because they connect the audience directly to the character on the screen. They articulate what is going on emotionally with a character.
Can you each share an experience that posed a unique challenge, creative or technical, and how you handled it?
AB: Designing the hole was quite challenging, especially because we didn’t have the visual effects for a very long time. It is a very complex space. The hole started in editorial but it was really defined on the stage. Josh Berger, the re-recording mixer, took the sound design elements to literally a whole new level. Because we were mixing in ATMOS, he was able to craft how the sound of the hole behaved in the environment by putting certain tones in the air or placing others outside the sphere of the music. A lot of the elements were tonal in nature and needed to work organically with the music. Placement and pitch were key. Danny’s and Saunder’s score is incredible, very powerful and unique. I felt like it was narrating the story and we needed to play under or around that. During the mix, Josh always paid special attention to the “hand off”. We were always shifting or moving sounds around to make sure it fit nicely in a space that was not occupied by the music.
KP: For me the biggest challenge was in the finale. There is an epic stretch towards the end of the episode where the energy and sound needed to be full throttle, but also still have dynamics. Our approach was to first cover everything and then start doing passes where we pick and choose which elements are featured.
For example there is a car chase/shootout with elements like bullet ricochets, glass breaking, car engines, tires screeches, and an assortment of guns. The challenge was how to make certain moments more impactful than others when they are all just happening in rapid succession, while also keeping the character of whose firing what gun and which car belongs to who. Thankfully we were able to do a pass in the mix room with Josh Berger, the re-recording mixer, Andrea, and myself to really carve out those moments, and also leave space for the wonderful score from the composers.
It is important to understand the emotional tone of a scene and how sound design can help underscore that. Be open to ideas and flexible. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Harbor licenses CORE Complete giving you access to the entire Pro Sound Effects library - which is indeed a wealth of content! How did that impact your work on the series?
KP: Having access to CORE Complete was a huge advantage for us. I made good use of The Odyssey Collection for some of the vehicles and really loved the car destruction sounds in the King Collection. Overall the library is vast, and the fact that it follows the UCS naming standard is a huge plus for me. Gen Collection is also very versatile.
What is it that you found unique or helpful in these libraries that you don't see elsewhere?
KP: From a technical standpoint, I love how thorough and consistent the metadata is for each library. I was able to discover some new recordists and because of the rich metadata, track their material across multiple libraries. The libraries are also pristine quality and depending on the content there are often some really great surround recordings or multi-mic setups.
What is your best piece of advice for up and coming sound editors and sound designers around the world on how best to communicate with directors when trying to achieve their sonic vision?
AB: I would say, if possible, get in touch early before sound editorial starts. Take the time to really understand the Director’s vision and try to see the film through their eyes. Read the script before you meet up. During the spotting sessions, ask a lot of questions and try to get a sense of the Director's taste and style. It is important to understand the emotional tone of a scene and how sound design can help underscore that. Be open to ideas and flexible. Don’t be afraid to experiment. But most of all, be kind to yourself and do not worry if your initial design did not work out. Sound design is subjective. Ask why it didn’t land and start again. That’s the fun of it!
KP: Doing a spotting session with the director and the creative team is critical. Establishing a clear understanding of their expectations, as well as what role they see sound playing in the story itself. I think as sound editors we often hear things a certain way, so it’s easy to cut it the way you think it should sound, but more often than not it’s the collaboration that yields much better results.
I’d also recommend trying to go out and do field recording for each project, even if the budget is too low or the schedule is tight. You will likely capture a few good recordings and if anything you’ll gain an appreciation for how masterful these recordists and engineers are who create the material for these sound effect libraries.
Having access to CORE Complete was a huge advantage for us… I love how thorough and consistent the metadata is for each library... The libraries are also pristine quality.
We have worked on a national campaign that celebrates what makes Sheffield a superb student city.
June 29, 2022
Welcome back to the 344 Audio blog. In todays post we are excited to share with you our latest project. A collaboration with Wash Films, The University of Sheffield and Sheffield City Council, celebrating what makes Sheffield a superb student city in their new, national campaign.
In order to craft an authentic soundscape, our team travelled to Sheffield to capture a variety of field recordings from the locations the visuals were shot. Those recordings were then combined with foley to create an immersive experience for the viewer.
We worked hand in hand with Wash Films, through out the project to ensure the video was continually heading in the right direction.
Here at 344 Audio we're northern and we're proud to be part of a production that champions Sheffield.
Be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for this campaign next time your watching TV, online or in the cinema.
We share the brand new mural art work that was recently installed at the 344 Audio headquarters.
June 27, 2022
Welcome back to the 344 Audio blog.In todays post we are delighted to share with you our brand new mural art work that was recently installed at the 344 Audio headquarters. Read on below to discover more!
This mural was designed by Mitko and Kaine at Ventur Agency, who we previously collaborated with on the design of our website earlier this year. This design took several iterations to get right, and it was really important to us that it reflected the visual identity of 344 audio, whilst linking back to our roots and suggesting new things for the future.
Some key aesthetic features of the design include:
The mural was installed onto our staircase wall, as this gave us the biggest surface with which to work with. It stretches up high several feet towards the ceiling, making for a very striking feature when you walk into the main reception area of the building.
After months steadily renovating the Stables into 344 Audio HQ, this mural feels like the final piece of the puzzle, and it is so satisfying for us to see it finished. It really does go a long way into enhancing the creative space and making our headquarters feel more special!
We hope that you like the mural as much as we do, and can use this as a source of design inspiration for your own studio spaces! Thanks for checking out this blog post.
