THE SECRET TO YOUR MOVIE

The Secret to Sound Excellence for Your Picture

As a post-production mixer, I know good sound begins by anticipating the outcome well in advance. I encourage DA’s and Production supervisors to communicate early, and often with a mixer or sound director in pre-production. In many parts of the world this is a de facto requirement, but in Hong Kong where sound is the last priority and dubbing the seemingly panacea for all sound issues, the loss of revenue is dramatic and one big reason is the lack of care and/or knowledge about sound.

As a mixer I can predict potential problems ahead of time. In the end, it's cost effective. Just a short meeting or coordination with the director or AD at the pre-production stage can make the difference between the film making it or not.

I've encountered a funny thing in Hong Kong. A few times the Director wouldn't even meet nor communicate with the sound team, because he was apparently "above" a "mere" sound guy. All I can say is please witness those Directors didn't box office.

Then take someone like Ang Lee who insists on preserving the original production sound to retain the quality of performances in the takes he called cut and print. Witness his world-wide success and reflect on what he does differently.

From my American and European experience as a sound mixer, supervising sound editor and re-recording mixer I collaborate frequently with the Director and other decision makers, just as they would with an editor, composer, DP or writer.

I help them enrich their "vision" through sound images. I find out what problems and solutions exist and present them as such to ensure maximum return with the end product.

Whether a Director is aware of this or not, as a sound professional I am aware that you, the film maker depend on us to create and protect your original sound tracks during production.

I help you understand how good sound can be recorded on the set. I want to help you make the best film possible. I take the necessary and reasonable measures, which are anticipated and endorsed by you both in pre-production and during production. This is after all, the age of digital sound. Theaters have wonderful DTS, THX, Dolby Digital and SDDS with 5.1 and 7.1 surround. Home audio is often better than many theaters as a sophisticated audience demands DVDs and Blu-Ray with 24-bit audio. Yet, today's sound at its source on set in Hong Kong is suffering like never before. For very little financial extras, but with good planning, knowledge and experience, this can change!

Production and Post supervisors are aware that extra ADR adds financial burden to your budget, but the consequences are much greater than that. Looping is only an answer for situations where all else fails! It's not a quick fix later if the original set problems could have easily been rectified with just a little time, knowledge or communication. Looping means that you are also making a huge artistic compromise that damages the film in many other ways in which you may not be so aware.

You probably realize that the actor's performance is always better in production than in an ADR booth. The voice of a great actor totally in character, moving and interacting with other actors in a three-dimensional space is a treasure. It breathes life into the film. Today, it is up to you to demand better sound for your picture. This can be easily instilled on the first day of pre-production.

Why not try it and change the course of current Hong Kong film making and start making movies that stand up to the International competition!