rss feedInterview with Filmmaker Tony O’Reilly on Post-Production Audio
Q. Some filmmakers wait until the final hour to begin considering post-production sound. Did you plan ahead regarding sound design and audio sweetening or did you consider the audio aspect early on? Were there any pros or cons related to your timeline of post-production sound?
A. The film I’m making at the moment has no dialogue apart from one word in its 2mins 20secs. Sound is up there with the pictures to tell a story. Not much is needed but it has to be perfect. Morning birdsong, a kettle boiling, a bath running, the sound of a wet fist hitting a wall. What can be recorded live is and I think always should be using the best skill and equipment available, because it’s as important to me as the picture I’m directing. Even if it isn’t used I want to hear it, because if I have to or intend to use something else I want to know what was there really, just so that I know. I’m not into post production on this project yet, we film the last scene this Sunday. Though two thirds of the film have been shot and two thirds of the film’s sound is in place. On days we’re not filming I’m recording birdsong or the sound of tears falling into a bath – at the same location the footage was shot in. How many times must I squeeze a face towel to get the right noise from a single drop of water that sings? Many don’t.
Q. How did you handle audio sweetening, mixing, and mastering? (hired a sound designer, found someone to work for free, did it yourself)
A. I did it myself. This film is me with a camera and two actors + extras. I’m sending it to virgin media shorts in the hope of becoming world famous and rich and all that. I wrote it with no dialogue not in an attempt to use background sound more, but that is what has happened and is part of the process for this film. I wrote it this way because only one word was needed in the script, and that led me to having to focus more on the sound. The film opens with a close up on the face of a sleeping cat, we hear the cat breathing, purring. I’ve been back to that very same cat twice and held different mics at his sometimes annoyed face.
Q. Were there any pros or cons related to your strategy for audio sweetening, mixing, and mastering?
A. I’ll tell you when it’s done if you like but so far we’re ok.
Q. How did you handle securing sound effects to use in your film/s? Did you use a sound effects library (CDs or downloads?), a foley artist, or did you create your own?
A. The reason I’m filling in (I’m in the UK) this questionnaire is because I wrote to the chap who owns the site to comment on one of his samples. A cat purring, that inspired me to go back to the cat in the film and try again. The sample held something I hadn’t heard the first time and I wanted it. But I want it live from that cat in the picture. If the sound I now have doesn’t match the quality of the sound I found on this site then I will buy it from the site.
Q. Did you encounter any difficulties or set-backs with your choice of securing sound effects? (ie “foley artist wasn’t good enough,” “Sfx CDs too expensive”). Or, did you find your choice of securing sound effects perfectly suitable?
A. So far we’re ok with sound.
Q. How did you secure music for your film/s? (Royalty-free or stock music, volunteer musician or composer, paid a professional composer to create a unique score for your film)
A. I want to recreate 13 notes on a violin, the copyright for the 13 notes belongs to Nokia and it’s their popular ringtone. I’m not sure where I stand legally on plucking a tune on my violin that is the world’s most popular ringtone, but the occurrence of the tune (Gran Vals) in the film is key to the story. So I’m writing to them to ask for permission. There is no other music.
Q. Were there any pros or cons to your method of finding music for your film and would you do anything different next time?
A. I’m sure there will be plenty I’ll do different next time. Cons – picking a tune owned by Nokia? Might not be though, we’ll see.
Tony O’Reilly. www.avow.info www.theatom.org
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