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The Syren Studios Sonic Dictionary: Vol. I
Dead Cat:
- noun -
A deceased feline.
No not really. This is a wind shield made of artificial fur that is placed over the microphone to minimise wind noise when recording audio in outdoor conditions, without harming the acoustic qualities of the recording.
Syren’s Favourite Pro Tools Features
Pro Tools has always been our go to DAW at Syren Studios, for each and every type of project we work on. It has everything we need for film & tv, podcasts, theatre, corporate videos, etc, and has endless features that we are still continuing to discover even after using the software for years. In this blog post, I want to talk about some of our favourite specific features within the software that come in super handy! We'll also touch on a couple of features we wish Pro Tools could improve on that perhaps other DAWs may be excelling in.
Creative vs Technical Sound Design Mindsets
The first item on the checklist for being a good Sound Designer for Film, or any medium for that matter, is being gifted in both the technical and creative departments. At Syren Studios, we're lucky enough to balance each other out, with one of us being more technically driven and one of us being more creatively driven, but we both have the skills to complete projects on our own too. We usually find that each project requires a completely different approach, but it's important to be thinking outside the box all the time to make our work unique and give it something another Sound Designer may not be able to.
…Did you hear that: Horror Sound Design
At Syren Studios, one of our favourite genres to work on is horror. We've carried out post production audio for horror fiction, animation, and even theatre. It's one of those genres where almost every decision is a creative one, including having scenes with no sound at all.
Save Luna: Sound Designing a Choose Your Own Adventure Film
After Netflix’s ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' in 2018, a group of Estonian tech experts pitched an App to investors for a permanent platform for people who want to consume 'choose your own adventure' format productions, where they can watch films by professional filmmakers, but also make their own stories with their smartphones. Myself and Izzy were brought on to Sound Design one of Whatifi's recent films called Save Luna, a story about a young girl called Luna living with a strange condition that gives her powers, in a dystopian world taken over and controlled by a corrupt government.
Working with Film Industry Crew as a Sound Designer
As a Sound Designer in the Film industry, you can sometimes feel a bit distant to everyone else, especially if you work from home or a studio. Even though film production is an incredibly collaborative process, the post-production team are often left out of important conversations about things happening on set, when they do tend to concern us. In this blog, I'm going to lay out the most important connections to make with your fellow film crew, and why talking to them can make your job easier.
Dialogue Editing for Different Mediums
At Syren Studios, we provide audio and Sound Design services for a variety of mediums. As the company's Dialogue Editor, I want to talk about the different approaches I take towards editing for these mediums, including fiction films, documentary, podcasts, and gaming.