top of page

Sound Design

​

Notes: 

  • Three batteries in back

  • To turn on: hold down home button

  • Tacam 0363.wav - means file on card

  • Erasing a single file:  quick - delete

  • Erasing all files: Menu - Others - System - Quick format - Execute - Yes

  • Rec mode - first thing to check

    • Stereo

      • Two mic

      • Set source to external 1 or 2

    • Mono

      • One mic

      • Set to external in 1

  • Dual mode - records two files instead of one - second file is quieter

  • Plug mic into channel 1

  • Turn EXT IN on

  • Click record once = standby mode

  • Click record twice = red color becomes solid and recording begins

    • File name on bottom

  • Increase input level until a good level is reached

    • Peak around diamond

  • When you stop recording - DO NOT hit record again, HIT HOME

    • If you hit record again instead of home it will pause instead of stopping

  • Change name of file - Menu - Others - File name

  • To hear what has been recorded - use arrows and click play

  • To shut off tascam - hold down home

  • On side - if hold is in hold position - tascam won’t turn on

    • Make sure hold button is off

  • When recording - always record at 1648

    • 16 bit 48k sample rate

    • Menu - Rec Settings - Enter

    • 44.1 k = wrong sample rate

Silent Movie Sound Task

Notes: 

  • Sound crew: 2-3 people

  • Sound mixer - first in command

  • Good sound mixer will try to record as much as possible

  • Wild sound - any added sound

  • Room tone - atmospheric sound in a space filled with silent actors, crew, and set dressing

    • Helps sound editors make it authentic and consistent

  • Boom operator - second in command

    • Holding mic on boom pole

    • Need to know the script and actor’s blocking

  • Lavalier mic - small mic on actors

  • Utility sound technician - third in command

    • Second asst. sound

    • Equipment maintenance

    • Mic placement

    • Cable management

    • Keeping people quiet

    • Operating the second boom  

  • Windscreen - records screen sound

    • used on closed set or soundstage

  • Big mics - dead cats

  • Mic dept. Not only needs good sound but needs to decide what they don’t want to pick up

  • Microphone pattern - shape around a mic where it picks up sound best

    • Omnidirectional

      • Records sound coming at it from every direction

    • Bidirectional

      • Pick up sound directly in front of or behind them - rejecting sound from the sides

      • Interviews or duets

    • Cardioid

      • Pattern shaped like a heart

      • Pick up sound from direction of place it’s being pointed at + a little sound from behind and on the sides

    • Subcardioid

      • Wider than a cardioid pattern. A subcardioid pattern falls somewhere between a cardioid pattern and an omnidirectional pattern.

    • Super - Cardioid and Hyper - Cardioid

      • Even more directional pickup

        • Downside = more sensitivity behind them

        • Pick up sound from crew

    • Lobar

      • Interference tube - goes over boom mic

      • Cancels out unwanted sounds

      • Pick up sounds from further away

  • Post Production Sound

    • Sync sound to camera footage

    • Scene shot and take # are written and called out for mic to hear

    • Timecode sync

    • Guide track

    • Dialogue editors - job is to cut from the best dialogue in production sound

    • Automated dialogue replacement

      • If bad sound, directors will bring actors back

    • Adding music comes at the end of post production

When doing the silent movie sound task, it came to my attention how much goes into a film that we don't even realize. If I had more time, I would have put more detailed sounds in. I learned how difficult it is to sync up sounds with the film itself. If something is even slightly off, it throws off the whole thing. The best sound design is when you aren't thinking about what you're hearing, rather you are feeling it. This is something that I want to start getting better at. I'm going to go back to this film when I have time in class and add in more sounds and clean it up. This is just a rough draft but I think I learned a lot about the process and work of sound production from doing this assignment. 

bottom of page