As a producer, I listen to music of all genres, of course,
and voraciously watch movies.
Movies allow me to hear how the sound traverses the screen and paints a
scene with sonic colors. Darks and
lights, treble and bass, ominous and angelic are all created with sound
profiles and choices, and mix placement.
This all relates to how sound without visual should be handled, if not
even more so. Music and film
intertwine not only because of their hand-in-hand soundtrack connection but
also because movie sound is educative for producers, musicians and anyone in
the business of creating and mixing sound for affect and emotion.
Ever watch a movie with the sound off? It’s not nearly as thrilling as when you
see those visuals with their accompanying soundtrack. You may watch the killer
creep, but his/her intentions are confirmed and the emotional connection is
heightened with sound. Artists
would be wise to purposefully study filmic sound to better mix, master and
heighten their own unique works for even greater connection between lyric,
melody, mix and emotion.
Here are some of my favorite movies for sound design and
editing:
1.
Transformers
(franchise)
2. The Matrix
3. Star Wars
4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
5. Inception
6.
Lord of
the Rings (trilogy)
7. Aliens
8. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
9. Titanic
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
11. Drive
12. WALL-E
Not coincidentally, several of the above movies reflect the work
of Oscar winning sound editor Mike
Hopkins who died in a flash flood rafting accident in New Zealand on Dec.
30. As a sound editor, Mike, along
with partner Ethan Van der Ryn, was
responsible for the mind-blowing sound of various blockbusters including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, Transformers, etc. Mike’s death leaves a void in the craft of sound
design. Whether you are a music or
film aficionado, we have lost one of the industry’s best.
