The Quiet Hour

A film we worked on premiered at London's Raindance last week and got nominated for best UK feature. Every project requires time and commitment, but this one was pretty intense to say the least! It was one of those you end up pouring your heart and soul into, and I'm so glad I got to work on it.

I've talked before about the intensity of thrillers- they are hugely sound dependent; the balance between silence and "boom" is pivotal. The Quiet Hour is no exception, as it follows a young girl's struggle for survival in isolating surroundings. Director Stephanie and Producer Sean describe it more eloquently here!

I'm away on my travels again at the moment. Looking forward to seeing the reaction to the movie when I get home, and catching up with autumnal Ireland. Apparently it's sunny there at the moment but I don't believe it!

Hope it's a great weekend for all.

 

Happy Weekend and a bit of Brad

How's your weekend coming along? I'm editing away around the clock after my Spain trip. Managed to squeeze in a little time for scrambled eggs and wheaten bread with the family, but that's about it on the social side. I've also been scouring the county trying to find a bull noisy enough for me to record, but calm enough so I don't get trampled. Anyone got any good tips for working with bulls? Send 'em my way please!

 

I heard from fellow soundie Eilam Hoffman this week- he sent me this promo video for the film Fury which we worked on together. Probably the only time you'll see my bald patch, and Brad Pitt in the same bit of footage. Enjoy!

 

 

Hope you're having a great one. Here's some cool stuff to check out...

Spain

I just got back from a recording trip to Spain. It was great to be home (though that's a confusing word these days...)- Spain has so much to offer in terms of sound. From blaring, emotion-brewing traditional trumpets, to street sellers, to the hubbub of it's bars and cafes- which I think sound like nowhere else in the world. There is something about a particularly "Spanish" atmosphere that draws you in and makes you want to sit with friends for hours and drink wine. 

I didn't have time to do that myself, but I did get to record lots of other people doing it- almost as good! I also hit up some of the big sounds you'd expect from a Spanish trip; bull fights, southern music, and even a bit of controversial Gibraltar. (She was interesting to say the least!)

Here's a few photos from my trip. With sound to follow once I've unpacked my bags...

Toro!

Las Ventas, Madrid

Strait of Gibraltar

Hope it's been a good week for everyone. This morning I'm listening to crisp, newly brown, Irish leaves breezing over my garden. The quiet of rural Ireland is such a contrast to hectic Madrid. I love them both.

Crispy

Here's some web stuff to check out...

Farewell Don King

We’re busy recording everything we can lay our ears on this week, over in Spain. It’s pretty scorchio! Hope everyone’s had a great week and has something exciting planned for the weekend. I can’t wait to write about everything I’ve heard here when I get home to NI. Spain, I’ve missed you!

Photo credit to my friend Chabeli

In other news, have you seen the new Super-Softie Windshields from Rycote? I’m planning on trying them out as soon as I can lay my hands on some. I think it’s going to be the end of microphone aesthetics as we know it. The new stuff looks much slicker, but it’d be sad to say goodbye to the fluffy exteriors synonymous with sound for decades now…

My wife thinks most of them look like boxing promoter Don King

But it’s about time for an update. Will try and do a product review on them soon. Has anyone else started using them yet? What do you think?

Super Slick Rick

Super Slick Rick

Hope it’s a great weekend for everyone. Here’s some cool stuff to hit up…

Sound's Big Moment

“There is no terror in the bang. Only in the anticipation of it.”
— Alfred Hitchcok

Following on from last weekend at Frightfest, we’ve been deep in the zone of all things scary. And is there anything scarier than a great suspense moment? I’m definitely with Alfred on this one, that the actual blood-gore isn’t half as impacting as simply feeling the anticipation.

Very few people are aware of sound in a film. Even to Directors and Producers, we as Sound Designers are often given little credit and our input can be seen as ‘necessary’ rather than be viewed as an artistic element in it’s own right. Of course there are amazing directors such as the Cohen brothers, who hold their sound departments in high-esteem, but it’s a sad fact that they are a rarity. Rarer still is an audience that identifies sound as a reason they found something moving.

That is, until, you come across a great suspense scene. Suspense moments are sound’s ‘big money shot’. Of course a subtle sound tapestry may be just as important to a film, but a lead-up to a big boom moment is the sound man’s moment in the spotlight. It may be the only point in a movie that the audience is actually aware of your work at all.

Because of this, I always get a kick out of working on suspense and thriller movies, and I’m going to try and make it a focus of mine to study them in more detail- to try and analyse what makes some work amazingly, and others not so much.

Here are some of my favourite examples of sound putting the fright into a scene…

(Spoiler Alert - if you haven't seen these movies, get on the case!)

 

1. Jurassic Park (1993) is riddled with sound moments. This is probably the most famous one.

2. War of the Worlds (2005) - Alien Probing Basement

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Night Vision

4. No Country for Old Men (2007) - Eagle Hotel Scene. Another sound gem of a movie.

5. The Birds (1963) - Gas Station Explosion. Classic Hitchcock

A big reason as to why sound is so important in these scenes, is because the visuals often become static or slow down. And isn’t that how it is in real life when you panic? What you can see becomes less important, as you’re mentally running other images of possible outcomes through your mind, your other more animalistic senses kick in- namely sound and smell. Like a dog who senses danger, he becomes stationary, his ears prick up and he stands to attention ready to see if it’s fight or flight time. In the anticipation, movement becomes less important and sound is relied upon to judge what is happening. 

 

Do you have a favourite suspense scene? Have you been working on something with a lot of tension in it lately? We recently worked on The Quiet Hour, to which suspense and a sense of waiting is pivotal. It’ll be shown in London’s Soho next month. Congrats Stéphanie & Sean (and all the team) for the Raindance nomination also!

 

Hope you're having a great weekend- here's some cool Sound stuff to check out...