Role - Sound Operator
For post production, it was my priority to focus on any additional sounds that were required to make this film whole, which meant that I had to work closely with the editor.
After the first week of post production, I met up with the editor to discuss what I had planned to record from the list on my sound spreadsheet. I had hoped that by then there would be at least a few sound clips ready to be imported onto my SD card so that I could begin planning ADR and foley, however it wasn't ready. As a result of this, I decided myself that I would begin the foley recordings with sounds that I knew didn't require visuals for it.
Once I had had these recorded, I gave them to the editor to load up onto the project, with such a time limit I would have expected the editor to look at these the same day that I had provided the sounds for, but this was not the case. A lot of the time I found myself waiting for the editor to have shots together so that I could begin doing sounds for, however this process took way too long which wasted me a lot of valuable time. At times I had to ask the editor when would specific footage be ready for me by, so that I could get on with my job too. During the first week of post production, I pretty much got on with extra sound by myself, whilst liaising with the editor too. I provided slap sounds, water squirt sounds, gun click sounds, and wild track sounds during the first week of post production, and I provided this as soon as possible so that I could hopefully get news back asap from the editor in case anything needed to be re-done.
Also, during the first week of post production, I had to ask the editor when the final rough cut of the film would be complete by so that I could book the dead room in case any ADR was needed from any of the cast. I was told that it wasn't ready and that I had to wait til the end of the week, although this should really have been ready for me.
At one point during post production, the sound logger (who was from the continuity department) on this project hadn't had paper to log sound during production and therefore logged on their phone. The editor needed this and asked me for it, so this meant that I had to chase up that particular person twice and ask for it as soon as possible to get it sent to our editor.
During the end of post production, I had already had all of my sounds recorded, however there was an ongoing issue that happened frequently during this stage. I noticed that last minute the editor would tell me that new sounds were needed that we hadn't discussed or planned originally, and I was always finding out these things last minute. Several times I had to go to university the same day of hearing news like this, to then record new sound footage. I got the job done all the time but waiting on other people's timing proved to be an issue for me, as it simply wasn't fair.
I tried to get footage early enough in this process from the editor so that I could book out rooms for ADR, however I found out quite near the end of the post production process that ADR would be needed for two characters. The editor was not clear on whether he wanted to use the scene, therefore I had to really pressure himt o give me a simple yes or no answer so that I would not be wasting my time or anyone else's time, and the reason the scene got decided to be used was not valid at all, but only because I was asking several times. I found this out way too late during the process, so when I messaged the two actors to schedule a date and book out the dead room, the room was not available. Scheduling was meant to be the producers job however I had no help on sound from anyone throughout the whole process, and I noticed that my emails to the director and producer was ignored by them (on two separate occasions). With this is mind, I got to university and got the ADR footage from the editor, and having watched the scenes before, I realised that this could be done in a quiet room as you couldn't see their mouths moving too much, and within the next few days I had scheduled a time slot for the two actors, booked out equipment and found a quiet room to record in.
On the day of doing this particular ADR scene, I discovered that the footage the editor had provided me ONLY included the sound - there was no video footage at all. I asked the editor when he would be able to get to university to sort this out, however the timings were too late and the actors were already on their way. I got all of this done independently and in my own time, but I worked swiftly to try and make my job easier for myself, and others.
With the footage that I did have, I tried my best with the actors to get their voices to correctly match the timing of the sequence.
Approximately two days before the deadline, towards the end of post production, I had complete everything that was needed sound wise, however I was ready for any mishaps that may happen. In relation to this, I came in to re record a wild track as the previous one was too silent, and re record the slap sounds that I had previously done ages ago as they were apparently too light sounding. Again, this sound had been done ages ago and I should have known about this as soon as the recordings had been done. Upon recording them, I gave the footage to the editor, and was told on that same day that they also want a sound track to cover suitcase sounds. I had only an hour to record this sound and I was told at the very last minute and therefore I hadn't had any items prepared to make that particular sound. Luckily, I had the zoom kit box which sounded like a suitcase, so I just had to be creative with it in order to mimic the footage that I was given. I found this way of working very unprofessional, as I was always waiting when other people were ready, for something that should have been discussed way before. With the little time that I had, I got the sounds done and returned my equipment back just in time and provided the editor with the footage. Considering that this was two days before the deadline I assumed that the editor would have everything almost in place at this point, and that I wouldn't be required.
The next day (the day before the deadline date,) I got a message from the editor saying that I'll need to record the slap sounds again as it was too light, and a following message stating that I would possibly need to do ADR for three characters. Bare in mind it was the day before this was completely unacceptable and unfair. I asked the editor if he is regarding the slap sounds that I had recorded two days ago, and asked why has it only been checked now. Again, this should have been looked at at soon as I provided the sound. The editor then said it's not the volume of the sound but it is the way it sounds. I told him that when I recorded those slap sounds, I was doing it as heavy of a slap it could get without the volume peaking (which it already was doing), so if I do it again it'd just peak even more. I suggested to him that he layers the chosen clip over itself and cuts out the empty sound space (in case it becomes too loud) in order to create a more in depth slap, because I had already recorded the slap sounds twice and if I had tried any louder it would have just sounded like a loud clap.
When I got these last minute requests from the editor, I emailed the producer and director letting them know that I have been providing sound for the editor way in advance however I am only getting feedback days after or on the day that I see him, and that it has happened a few times and that the editor needs to work alongside with me on both of our timings but not just when they have decided to have a look at the sound footage, only to realise that something doesn't work.
When I was also asked to provide ADR for three characters in the afternoon on the day before the deadline, I asked the editor why am I only just hearing about this now, shouldn't a rough cut of the whole film have been done ages ago. It was not doable as there simply wasn't enough time, but the editor then notified me that it was just for a backup solution, and apologised for the inconvenience.
After the first week of post production, I met up with the editor to discuss what I had planned to record from the list on my sound spreadsheet. I had hoped that by then there would be at least a few sound clips ready to be imported onto my SD card so that I could begin planning ADR and foley, however it wasn't ready. As a result of this, I decided myself that I would begin the foley recordings with sounds that I knew didn't require visuals for it.
Once I had had these recorded, I gave them to the editor to load up onto the project, with such a time limit I would have expected the editor to look at these the same day that I had provided the sounds for, but this was not the case. A lot of the time I found myself waiting for the editor to have shots together so that I could begin doing sounds for, however this process took way too long which wasted me a lot of valuable time. At times I had to ask the editor when would specific footage be ready for me by, so that I could get on with my job too. During the first week of post production, I pretty much got on with extra sound by myself, whilst liaising with the editor too. I provided slap sounds, water squirt sounds, gun click sounds, and wild track sounds during the first week of post production, and I provided this as soon as possible so that I could hopefully get news back asap from the editor in case anything needed to be re-done.
Also, during the first week of post production, I had to ask the editor when the final rough cut of the film would be complete by so that I could book the dead room in case any ADR was needed from any of the cast. I was told that it wasn't ready and that I had to wait til the end of the week, although this should really have been ready for me.
At one point during post production, the sound logger (who was from the continuity department) on this project hadn't had paper to log sound during production and therefore logged on their phone. The editor needed this and asked me for it, so this meant that I had to chase up that particular person twice and ask for it as soon as possible to get it sent to our editor.
During the end of post production, I had already had all of my sounds recorded, however there was an ongoing issue that happened frequently during this stage. I noticed that last minute the editor would tell me that new sounds were needed that we hadn't discussed or planned originally, and I was always finding out these things last minute. Several times I had to go to university the same day of hearing news like this, to then record new sound footage. I got the job done all the time but waiting on other people's timing proved to be an issue for me, as it simply wasn't fair.
I tried to get footage early enough in this process from the editor so that I could book out rooms for ADR, however I found out quite near the end of the post production process that ADR would be needed for two characters. The editor was not clear on whether he wanted to use the scene, therefore I had to really pressure himt o give me a simple yes or no answer so that I would not be wasting my time or anyone else's time, and the reason the scene got decided to be used was not valid at all, but only because I was asking several times. I found this out way too late during the process, so when I messaged the two actors to schedule a date and book out the dead room, the room was not available. Scheduling was meant to be the producers job however I had no help on sound from anyone throughout the whole process, and I noticed that my emails to the director and producer was ignored by them (on two separate occasions). With this is mind, I got to university and got the ADR footage from the editor, and having watched the scenes before, I realised that this could be done in a quiet room as you couldn't see their mouths moving too much, and within the next few days I had scheduled a time slot for the two actors, booked out equipment and found a quiet room to record in.
On the day of doing this particular ADR scene, I discovered that the footage the editor had provided me ONLY included the sound - there was no video footage at all. I asked the editor when he would be able to get to university to sort this out, however the timings were too late and the actors were already on their way. I got all of this done independently and in my own time, but I worked swiftly to try and make my job easier for myself, and others.
With the footage that I did have, I tried my best with the actors to get their voices to correctly match the timing of the sequence.
Approximately two days before the deadline, towards the end of post production, I had complete everything that was needed sound wise, however I was ready for any mishaps that may happen. In relation to this, I came in to re record a wild track as the previous one was too silent, and re record the slap sounds that I had previously done ages ago as they were apparently too light sounding. Again, this sound had been done ages ago and I should have known about this as soon as the recordings had been done. Upon recording them, I gave the footage to the editor, and was told on that same day that they also want a sound track to cover suitcase sounds. I had only an hour to record this sound and I was told at the very last minute and therefore I hadn't had any items prepared to make that particular sound. Luckily, I had the zoom kit box which sounded like a suitcase, so I just had to be creative with it in order to mimic the footage that I was given. I found this way of working very unprofessional, as I was always waiting when other people were ready, for something that should have been discussed way before. With the little time that I had, I got the sounds done and returned my equipment back just in time and provided the editor with the footage. Considering that this was two days before the deadline I assumed that the editor would have everything almost in place at this point, and that I wouldn't be required.
The next day (the day before the deadline date,) I got a message from the editor saying that I'll need to record the slap sounds again as it was too light, and a following message stating that I would possibly need to do ADR for three characters. Bare in mind it was the day before this was completely unacceptable and unfair. I asked the editor if he is regarding the slap sounds that I had recorded two days ago, and asked why has it only been checked now. Again, this should have been looked at at soon as I provided the sound. The editor then said it's not the volume of the sound but it is the way it sounds. I told him that when I recorded those slap sounds, I was doing it as heavy of a slap it could get without the volume peaking (which it already was doing), so if I do it again it'd just peak even more. I suggested to him that he layers the chosen clip over itself and cuts out the empty sound space (in case it becomes too loud) in order to create a more in depth slap, because I had already recorded the slap sounds twice and if I had tried any louder it would have just sounded like a loud clap.
When I got these last minute requests from the editor, I emailed the producer and director letting them know that I have been providing sound for the editor way in advance however I am only getting feedback days after or on the day that I see him, and that it has happened a few times and that the editor needs to work alongside with me on both of our timings but not just when they have decided to have a look at the sound footage, only to realise that something doesn't work.
When I was also asked to provide ADR for three characters in the afternoon on the day before the deadline, I asked the editor why am I only just hearing about this now, shouldn't a rough cut of the whole film have been done ages ago. It was not doable as there simply wasn't enough time, but the editor then notified me that it was just for a backup solution, and apologised for the inconvenience.
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