scieee Science in your language
[en] (orig)

Sound Speeding: Tactics of Noise and Silence in Moving Picture Production - The Horse Bride - A Case Study

Read accessible full text

Sound Speeding: Tactics of Noise and Silence in Moving Picture Production - The Horse Bride - A Case Study

Author: Rui Manuel Ferreira de Sousa e Silva
Year: 2012
DOI: 10.34626/4ksn-rw93
Source: https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/64877/2/26186.pdf
FACULDADE DE ENGENHARIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
MESTRADO EM MULTIMÉDIA RAMO DE MÚSICA INTERACTIVA E SOUND DESIGN
SOUND SPEEDING
TACTICS OF NOISE AND SILENCE IN MOVING PICTURE PRODUCTION
THE HORSE BRIDE – A CASE STUDY
P esiden e de jú i: Dou o An ónio Fe nando Vasconcelos Cunha Cas o Coelho (Uni e sidade do Po o)
A guen e: Mes e Ma co Paulo Ba bosa Conceição (Escola Supe io de Música, A es e Espec áculo)
O ien ado : Dou o Ca los Albe o Ba bosa da Cunha Mendonça Guedes (Escola Supe io de Música,
A es e Espec áculo)
RUI MANUEL FERREIRA DE SOUSA E SILVA
mm10050
VISITING RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
ui.sousa.sil [email p o ec ed]p.p
uisousaesil a@aus in.u exas.edu
uisil [email protected]
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
2
TO NI-ANN COLOMA
MAHAL NA MAHAL KITA
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
3
THANK YOU
Mãmã, Papá, Ped o, Susana, Zé, So ia. Apple, Lemmy.
Vó Paula e Bú Fe ei a.
S e ie.
M . A nold & M s. Lele Coloma, Shekinah. Molly, Oli e, Rocke .
Diogo, Daniel, Sé gio & Sé gio.
Ca los Guedes, Andy Ga ison, Sha on S o e .
Don Howa d, Ka Candle , E ic F iend, Tom Hammond, Susan Fi z-Simon, Edua do Magalhães.
Ka en Gus a son and Home Sanchez.
Simon Qui oz and Na haniel E s a ion.
PTM C ew (“a ua ida começa aqui…”)
Huy Fong’s S i acha and Fai Jow’s Ming’s.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
4
KEYWORDS
Audio, Sound Design, Film
ABSTRACT
A deep imme sion on he way ilm s uden s om one o he op Uni e si ies in he Uni ed S a es o
Ame ica wo k on hei p ojec s u ned ou o be a li ing es amen o how sound is o e looked and
misunde s ood, be i on se (p oduc ion) o in pos p oduc ion, ega dless o he s uden - ilmmake ’s desi e
o ha e a good, comple e, inal ilm.
Taking on he challenge o being in cha ge o sound in a numbe o s uden p ojec s as a way o expanding
one’s skillse as a “sound pe son” o ilm, again, be i in p oduc ion o pos , i was p oposed ha his
p ojec would se e as a on he ield/hands on expe imen on he eali ies o “sound o ilm”.
Suppo ed by a b ie heo e ical s a ing poin , his documen in oduces he audio p oduc ion wo k low
lea ned and implemen ed in a se ies o sho ilms by he s uden s o he Mas e s in Fine A s in Film &
Media P oduc ion p og am a he Uni e si y o Texas a Aus in, om he eco ding o sound on se , o he
inal s age o mixing o s e eo and su ound sound, o public sc eening.
This documen epo s on all he ele an small p ojec s ha we e aken in he scope o he bigge p ojec ,
as well as on he conclusions ha could be in e p e ed om each o i s ou comes.
As a case s udy, he ocus is se on a speci ic sho ilm, The Ho se B ide, which is an example o a
comple e and ex ensi e sound endea o , om p e o pos p oduc ion.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
5
PALAVRAS CHAVE
Áudio, Sound Design, Cinema
RESUMO
Uma p o unda ime são na o ma como os es udan es de cinema de uma das Uni e sidades de opo nos
Es ados Unidos da Amé ica enca am os seus p ojec os, e elou-se uma p o a i a de como o a p odução
áudio e o “som” po si só são pa âme os negligenciados e incomp eendidos, que no se (du an e a
p odução) como na ase de pós-p odução, independen emen e da on ade do es udan e- ealizado em e
um bom e comple o “p odu o inal”.
Acei ando o desa io de es a enca egue de udo o que es i esse elacionado com o som num núme o de
p ojec os desses es udan es, como o ma de expandi o skillse de uma “pessoa do som” pa a cinema, mais
uma ez, que seja em p odução como em pós-p odução, oi p opos o que es e p ojec o se isse como
expe iência no e eno/p á ica ace ca das ealidades daquilo que é o “som pa a cinema”.
Supo ado po um b e e pon o de pa ida eó ico, es e documen in oduz um mé odo de abalho de
p odução áudio, ap endido e implemen ado nessa sé ie de ilmes ealizados po es udan es do Mes ado em
Cinema & P odução de Mídia da Uni e sidade do Texas em Aus in, desde a g a ação de “som di ec o”
(“on se ”), a é à ase inal de mis u a pa a s e eo e som su ound, pa a ap esen ação pública.
Es e documen o epo a sob e odos os pequenos p ojec os que se o na am ele an es no con ex o do
p ojec o aglome ado , assim como sob e as conclusões dele e i adas.
Como caso de es udo, é dado en oque a uma cu a me agem em pa icula , The Ho se B ide, que é um
exemplo de um comple o e ex ensi e es o ço, desde a p é à pós p odução do som num ilme.

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
6
“The eye solici ed alone makes he ea impa ien , he ea solici ed
alone makes he eye impa ien .
Use hese impa iences.
Powe o he cinema og aphe who appeals o he wo senses in a
go e nable way.
AGAINST THE TACTICS OF speed, OF noise, SET
TACTICS OF slowness, OF silence.”
ROBERT BRESSON, NOTES ON SOUND
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
7
INDEX
ABSTRACT 4
RESUMO 5
INTRODUCTION 9
BRIEF THEORETICAL LOCALIZATION 10
CASE STUDY: THE HORSE BRIDE 12
PRE-PRODUCTION 13
MEETING THE DIRECTOR 13
ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPT 14
SETTING UP GOALS 18
LOCATION AUDITION 19
PRODUCTION 20
CHOOSING GEAR 21
SHOOTING WORKFLOW 24
LEARNING HOW TO MOVE YOUR EARS 24
MICROPHONE PLACEMENTS 24
BEING ON THE CHASE 25
LOGGING AND “NIGHTLIES” 26
POST PRODUCTION 27
ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTION SOUND 28
REVISITING THE “GOALS” 28
“PICK-UPS” 29
LOCATION REVISIT - HEARING THE SILENCE 29
A.D.R. 29
SOUND DESIGN-ING 31
ANALYSIS OF THE OUTCOME & CONCLUSIONS 33
ATTACHMENTS
A: OTHER FILM PROJECTS (THAT ARE PART OF SOUND SPEEDING) 36
TRASH DANCE 37
CLAY CASTLES 41
THE LONGEST SUN 43
ROUTE 22 45
VERY SWEET LONELY PEOPLE/THRU THE EAST 47
HEARTS OF NAPALM 48
JENNY & STEPH 50
B: PERSONAL NOTE FROM DIRECTOR SIMON QUIROZ 52
C: BIBLIOGRAPHY/LITERATURE 53
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
8
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
9
INTRODUCTION
The p ojec “Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e P oduc ion”
was i s hough ou a e a p elimina y h ee-mon h in e nship and s ay in he ci y o Aus in, Texas, in he
Uni ed S a es o Ame ica, while aking pa on he Digi al Media In e nship P og am, a collabo a ion
be ween he Uni e si y o Po o (UP) and he Uni e si y o Texas a Aus in (UT).
Being ha he pu pose o he second yea o he Mas e s in Mul imedia – In e ac i e Music
and Sound Design could ei he be ocused on he de elopmen o a disse a ion o a p o essionalizing
p ojec , his oppo uni y o go ab oad and wo k closely wi h p o essionals and soon- o-be p o essionals in
he a ea o ilm and media p oduc ion, appea ed as he pe ec se ing o conduc a lea ning expe ience ha
could be used o inc ease one’s skillse and also esul in a documen which would bo h epo on he
expe ience i sel , as well as con ibu e a se o p oposed guidelines and ips o whoe e emba ks in a
simila kind o endea o , and inds hem help ul.
A e hose h ee i s mon hs, a pe iod in which only one ole as a sound edi o in a ea u e-
long documen a y (“T ash Dance”) was aken, and used as a s a ing poin , i was clea ha a e u n o he
USA would ex emely bene i he Mas e s’ p ojec in e ms o p o iding i wi h a huge a ie y o
expe iences, all o hem ela ed wi h sound in bo h p oduc ion and pos p oduc ion o ilm.
This documen epo s on ha commi men wi h he Uni e si y o Texas, some o i s Mas e s
in Fine A s (MFA) in Film & Media P oduc ion candida es/s uden s, and wi h my Mas e s in Mul imedia
p og am a FEUP, ocusing in a pa icula sho ilm, he e used as a case s udy and example o all he wo k
de eloped du ing he cou se o his yea – The Ho se B ide, by di ec o Simon Qui oz.
This epo is di ided in ou sec ions:
! One e y b ie heo e ical concep ualiza ion on he Sound Design heme and some
commen o he p ojec s’ in luences and inspi a ions;
! A ho ough examina ion o he p ocess implemen ed in bo h p oduc ion and pos o
he case s udy ilm, The Ho se B ide, by di ec o Simon Qui oz;
! A global analysis o all he o he p ojec s and ilms encompassed in his en u e;
! A se o conclusions and analysis o ou comes o he p ocess as a whole, which can
be used as an ou line o guidelines and ips o his kind o p ojec .
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
16
§ The momen whe e he sc een is occupied by he wedding d ess
a e Al edo passes by i on his way ou o he oom – he i s
hough was o men ion his one o he music compose , so he
could keep i in mind in a scene ha would be well complimen ed
by music;
§ The inging o he phone, aking he audience ou o a nice,
“emo ional” and almos “dea ” momen , and leading i o he
oughness o wha was ye o come – he e he sound o he dial
one would be ough in equency, loud in olume;
§ The oa o he cica io/d ug ca el SUV’s engine u ning on, ye
ano he sound ha would help he audience keep eeling mo e
and mo e “wo ied” – i should be loud;
§ On page 6., he di ec o li e ally w o e “The SOUND o a
HORSE.”, and hen “Al edo u ns a ound bu he e is no hing.” –
his disconnec ion be ween sound and image would allow he
sound o be disp opo iona e and bigge han i should and
sca ie ha i would;
§ “Al edo s eps on wha seems o be pieces o b oken glass and
andom objec s a ound he loo .” - The oo s eps on b oken glass
we e en isioned as “ma ying” he music, and his was no ed as
ano he idea o alk wi h he compose – maybe some pizzica o-
plucked iolins could be used.
§ On page 9., “The woman pushes he baby owa ds he ches , we
slowly hea he baby’s c y ades away.” – The idea ha
anspi es is ha he baby is ne e eally seen, so he in ensi y
and posi ioning o he c y mus compensa e o ha .
§ On page 11, he b eaking o he mi o . – Impo an momen in
e ms o dynamics; he sha e ing sound could be bo de line
unbea able.
§ The ghos whispe s calling Al edo’s name.
! The impo ance o oice o e o he plo
o The e a e wo main undamen al oice o e loca ions in he sc ip :
§ The opening scene, when Al edo eads he le e he’s lea ing

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
17
Ines.
§ The phone call om Dominga, eminiscence while Al edo d i es
om Texas o Mexico.
o The e was also a new idea o he sound design, which would consis in he
eco ding o he same le e eading, bu done by Ines, as i she was eading
i when she ound i . – This ended up wo king eally well and was added o
he “haun ed house” sequence.
o These oiceo e needs made me eel like I should wa n he di ec o o he
e en uali y o Au oma ic Dialog Replacemen (ADR) and oice o e (VO)
sessions in pos p oduc ion.
! And, in his pa icula case, when does he s o y c oss he line be ween “ an asy”
and “ eali y”
o On he 5:15 ma k, when Al edo’s ca akes a u n a e he chase, and he
ghos ly ambience s a s c eeping in, he e’s an unspoken ansi ion ha is
con i med by he appea ance o he ho se. Reali y -> Fan asy
o When Al edo ge s o he house and sees he ho se again, he e’s ano he
b ie ansi ion, p omp ed by he calls o he cica ios. Fan asy -> Reali y ->
Fan asy
o Then he e’s a sequence o imme sion in his onei ic s age, whe e Al edo
li es he haun o Ines’ ghos , and ha ends up by being b oken by he
app oach o he cica ios when Al edo is ying o ge o his ca . Fan asy ->
Reali y
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
18
SETTING UP GOALS
This p ocess o analyzing he sc ip was undamen al o allow he sound eam o alk wi h he
di ec o and pu hem “in he same page”. A e he i s mee ing o acquain ance, and he e e ed sc ip
analysis, ano he mee ing was se up, and, upon ag eeing abou all o he p oposed ideas and anno a ions, a
se o goals was placed, beginning by one ha e ealed i sel o be one o he mos impo an , e en i i ’s
some imes so o e looked:
Deadlines
P oduc ion pe iods and shoo ing schedules we e p omp ly p esen ed by he di ec o ,
a e being es ablished by him in collabo a ion wi h he P oduce . P elimina y
s ages o pos p oduc ion and cu -o da es o he deli e y o ough and ine cu s
we e also se wi h a +5/-5 day ma gin. This commi men p o ed o be one o he
mos impo an ag eemen s se be ween he sound eam and he di ec o o he sho .
Loca ion Scou ing
Da es o loca ion scou ing (e en hough he main loca ion, a anch and ga ed,
secluded communi y, was al eady es ablished) we e p oposed and he sound eam
was o e ed eedom o join and p oceed o ield es s and eco dings.
O e all Objec i es
T ue o he essence o he ho o gen e, he di ec o exp essed his ideas in e ms o
how much he would like o ge he audience glued o he sea s and in a almos
azzle. A g een ligh was gi en o “c eepy” hemes and all he ypes o “sca y s u ”
ha could be added o inc ease he ension du ing he ilm, as i would be p e e ed
ha sounds and exagge a ed ideas could be “ aken ou ” in he las s ages o mixing
ins ead o losing ime “adding mo e” o a mo e sca ce sound design. This was
pa icula ly libe a ing o he sound eam.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
19
LOCATION AUDITION
The sound eam ook on he o e o accompany he Di ec o and he P oduce , as well as
o he elemen s o he c ew such as he G ip/Elec ical and he Di ec o o Pho og aphy (DP), in a
p elimina y isi o he loca ion.
Due o he ac ha his would be a nigh -only shoo , he isi was done du ing he nigh oo,
which helped plan he sho s in e ms o aming, ligh ; and plan he sound in e ms o aking a ic and bug
noise in o conside a ion.
The shoo was o ake place in a e y big, secluded communi y, ga ed inside a big pe ime e
ha was once a anch. The closes egion name is D ipping Sp ings, Texas, and, ue o he ype o sounds
ha ing in ou ea s when he Lone S a s a e is e e ed, he e was a lo o silence – he a ic noise was
i ele an , almos inexis en -, only pe u bed by he cons an “singing” o he cicadas ( he sound ack o
Texas landscapes), a spo adic ai plane he e and he e, and some howling dog and/o coyo e. This all
sounded g ea , and some es eco dings we e made.
The ac ha he shoo was o ake place in he las weeks o Oc obe was he bes
comp omise be ween no being oo cold (e en hough ha nigh showed ha i could ge eally chilly), and
no being oo ho . The Texas wea he can be ha d o unde s and and es ima e, bu he lack o s ong winds
e en du ing he nigh in eally big, ample and open spaces like anches, eally helped o p oduce some
quali y es eco dings.
None heless, when ga he ing opinions and s a egies wi h he o he membe s o he c ew, he
sound depa men was con on ed wi h some hing ha hadn’ occu ed be o e – he ac ha , in o de o
shoo du ing he nigh and eplica e he ypes o hollow and “sca y” ligh ing ha was desi ed, i would be
necessa y o powe an ex ended ligh ing ig wi h he help o wo eally loud gene a o s. This would mean
ha mos , i no all, o he sound ha was o be eco ded du ing he p oduc ion as ambience acks, could be
in dange o becoming useless, e idencing he impo ance o a ca e ul pos p oduc ion wo k, which had
al eady s a ed being planned anyway.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
20
PRODUCTION
The p oduc ion s age is he eal “c unch” ime, when e e yone needs o alk o e e yone and
ge he las de ails s aigh , a he same ime ha no one eally has ime o alk wi h anyone. In his
pa icula college en i onmen , i is p e y usual ha shoo ing pe iods o e lap be ween s uden s, which
means ha i can ge ha d o ge a c ew oge he and main ain i h ough p oduc ion, gi en ha he c ew
membe s a e usually o he s uden s/colleagues, who ha e hei p ojec s going on a he same ime.
Fo The Ho se B ide, o una ely, e e y hing was planned wi h a lo o o e head ime and
esou ces. E en he shoo ing days we e scheduled a lo o ime in ad ance, which mean ha i was no
ha d o assemble a c ew among colleagues, and keep i mo e o less s eady and wi hou changes on he
mos impo an oles.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
21
CHOOSING GEAR
Again, due o he ac ha his p oduc ion was planned wi h a lo o ad ance, he e we e no
majo cons ic ions in e ms o en ing he desi ed equipmen om he UT esou ces.
The sound depa men was able o choose among a sa is ying a ay o op ions, and he mos
i ing pieces o gea we e chosen o be as ollows:
Ha d Disk Reco de – Sound De ices 744T
Sound Mixe – Sound De ices 302
These wo du able, ugged pieces o ha dwa e p o ed o be eady o ake he ha shes
condi ions, while keeping a eliable and s eady pe o mance. Due o he ac ha he ba e ies on he 744T
had had la ge hund eds o cycles a e many yea s o use by coun less s uden s a UT, his machine p o ed
as pa icula ly ha d o keep on. This was ci cum en ed when he sound eam ealized ha wha p obably
consumes he mos ba e y is he ligh on he sc een – gi en ha he ba e y li e inc eased immensely (in he
o de o he 4 o 5 hou s) when he sc een was kep o and he panel consul ed wi h he aid o a lashligh .
This beha io was eplica ed in ollowing shoo s, wi h di e en uni s o he same make and model (744T).

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
22
Sennheise MKH 416 - P48 + Ryco e Full Windshield Ki
The Sennheise 416, due o i s build and pola pa e n cha ac e is ics, p o ed o be he mos
hea ily elied-upon mic ophone on his se as well as in he ollowing ones. I s pickup pa e n and
esponsi e gain ange made i a g ea i o he pu poses o his shoo – E en hough mos o he
“ambience” sound became unusable, as I’ll explain ahead, a big pa o he dialog lines on he wide sho s
we e picked up by his mic ophone, inside he Ryco e windshield, and con olled by a boom pole, i
inc edible cla i y, e en in momen s when he aming o he pic u e didn’ allow he mic ophone o be close
o he subjec s/cha ac e s.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
23
Audio Technica 4073A
The sho sho gun ca dioid 4073A is “designed o c i ical long-dis ance pickup in
b oadcas ing, ilm/TV p oduc ion and hea e sound ein o cemen applica ions”, acco ding o he b and’s
websi e, bu , in wha ega ds o his pa icula shoo , he sound eam in a iably p e e ed he Sennheise
416 o ex e io sho s. The 4073A was used mainly in he in e io sho s wi h g ea esul s, ei he as a single
“boom mic”, o in conjunc ion wi h he Sennheise 416.
Sennheise EW100 La alie s
Small, e icien and easy o use, he Sennheise EW100 only c ea ed a li le p oblem due o
he ac ha he adio equency a which he uni s we had a ailable we e con igu ed o ope a e was oo
na ow o a band, which p o oked some leaking and in e e ence be ween hem, which wen unno iced on
he i s couple o akes. As soon as his was disco e ed, he equencies we e quickly changed and he
p oblem was gone. This p oblem was el in he “ ou people alking” scene, wi h Al edo, Gena o, and he
wo “O iciales” keeping wo di e en con e sa ions be ween each pai .
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
24
SHOOTING WORKFLOW
LEARNING HOW TO MOVE YOUR EARS
The sound eam o The Ho se B ide shoo was composed by only one pe son, who was in
cha ge o se ing up, sound mixing, boom ope a ing and logging. I was known om he s a ha he sound
eam didn’ ha e enough expe ience o be conside ed “a p o essional”, bu i had been h ough an in ense
p epa a ion pe iod be o e he p oduc ion pe iod/shoo ing days.
One o he bigges challenges li ed in he ac ha con olling le els, gains, and o e all mix
o he di ec sound on se is a big commi men by i sel , le alone when coupled o he need o do boom
ope a ing. I was hough ha he be e op ion, a e he i s day, would be o ge a dedica ed boom
ope a o , bu he p oduc ion esou ces couldn’ co e i , so he eam had o adap – which ac ually u ned
ou o be a e y good expe ience.
The sound eco ding se up was p e y easy and s aigh o wa d, as p esen ed in he p e ious
chap e , and, e en hough i was a i s ime using hese equipmen s, he sound depa men didn’ ha e any
p oblems unde s anding hem and making hem wo k a he e o lessly. The signal low was as ollows:
! La alie Mic ophones 1 & 2 would un di ec ly in o he 744T inpu s 1 & 2;
! Sennheise 416 on inpu 2 o he 302 mixe , wi h disc e e ou pu o channel 4 (line)
on he 744T;
! AT4073A on he inpu 1 o he 302 mixe , wi h disc e e ou pu o channel 3 (line) on
he 744T;
! La alie Mic 3 & 4 would be disconnec ed mos o he ime, excep o he scene
wi h he ou cha ac e alking, when:
o 416 an s aigh o 744T Inpu 1;
o La alie 1 an s aigh o 744T Inpu 2;
o La alie 2 an o 302 Inpu 1 and disc e e ou pu o 744T Inpu 3; and
o La alie 3 and 4 an o Inpu s 2 and 3 espec i ely on he 302, and i ’s mix
ou o he disc e e ou pu 2, o 744T Inpu 4.
MICROPHONE PLACEMENTS
A e ial and e o , and unde s anding ha he e would p obably no be much clo h us le,
he p e e ed placemen o he la alie mic ophones was hidden inside he alen ’s shi s, on he inside,
ca e ul no o show any wi ing. The mics we e ca e ully clipped on clo h, a e a u n on he wi e had been
made, o educe ib a ion, and a ing o ga e ape was glued o hem, o c ea e an in isible gap be ween
he ac ual body o he mic ophone and he su ounding su aces.
The boom mic would always mo e as close o he image ame as possible, which caused a
bi o discom o on he DP in he i s couple o akes – and which led o discom o in he pa o he
Di ec o , by kinesis. This si ua ion was no b ough up, e en i he sound depa men had hough abou
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
25
b inging i up in case i pe sis ed. Fo una ely, he discom o looks we e quickly e ased, and in he w ap o
he i s nigh o shoo ing, he came a depa men commen ed “how g ea ” i was ha he sound depa men
“was no a aid o looking o he bes places o ge sound”, wi hou in e e ing in hei wo k.
To be no ed, his p oximi y o he mo emen s o he came a mus be exe cised wi h a lo o
ca e, due o he possibili y o c ea ing shadows, which could be seen and caugh on ilm, uining he sho s
and oo age.
The abili y o mo e ca e ully and wi hou causing oo much uss, while holding a i m g ip
on he boom pole is a necessi y. Depending on he scene and i s mo emen , he boom ope a o migh need
o walk o accompany i , o e en un o ca ch i . In hese momen s i ’s an impe a i e ha sensi i e g ip wi h
he hands ( o a oid shockmoun a le) and ca e ul oo posi ioning be p ac iced, o educe he isk o
causing undesi ed noises in he eco ding due o mo emen . The boom ope a o mus emain silen a all
cos s, in o de no o comp omise i s own ade.
Wi h he excep ion o e y speci ic scenes, he e was ne e a need o ha e all he alen
“wi ed” (using La alie mic ophones), bu he sound depa men decided o ha e hem use hem all he
ime, since hey didn’ eally “show” (due o he clo hes he cha ac e s we e using), and because ha would
speed up he wo k low e e y ime he e would be a line ha needed o be eco ded. Also, a lo o sounds
ended up being used, aken om hese seemingly useless mic ophones, such as:
! Wild, non p omp ed/di ec ed lines by he ghos – mainly deep exhales and c ies, used
o make he scenes mo e ealis ic while shoo ing, while he alen did no eally know
he sound was being eco ded oo;
! Na u al and o ganic pan ing and hea y b ea hing sounds om Al edo;
! Cu sing “ aining” in be ween akes by he main d ug ca el cica io, lines ha
seemed mo e na u al han some o he “ac ed” ones.
BEING “ON THE CHASE”
One o he ha des pa s, bu also one o he mos exci ing due o he challenge ha i
encompassed, was he eco ding o sound du ing he ca chase scene.
The p oduc ion elied on he help o wo p o essional s un d i e s, who made su e ha all
he sa e y equi emen s we e me and all he sa e y measu es we e aken o insu e ha he membe s o he
c ew who would need o be pa o he scene we e no in any kind o dange .
This way, he sound depa men was basically s uck in he back sea o he big SUV, wi h
wo sea bel s and in a c ouching posi ion ha assu ed bo h sa e y and non-appea ance in he ame.
Due o he high speeds and insane engine noise ha could be el inside he ca , he audio
eco dings we e s ipped o lowe equencies and basically used o ill swe es and high equency
squeaks ha could be hea d in he u ns.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
32
As opposed o wha is usual in o he ypes o p oduc ion, when he ambience is cu igh a e
ame e e y ime he e’s a pe spec i e change on he isuals, he ambiences in The Ho se B ide we e kep
as a way o main aining he eeling o su ounding, and, as Sonneschein pu s i , he eeling o “common
a e and belongingness”, e en hough i ’s a belongingness o some hing ha doesn’ exis in eal Li e and
is, he e o e, ab ica ed. I eels like he en i onmen is, a leas , c edible, because, e en hough i ep esen s
a an asy, i didn’ aise any ques ions ega ding i s pu pose o e ec i eness.
THE SOUNDS OF THE GHOST
The sounds o a ghos a e some hing eally ha d o eplica e, aking in o accoun ha he e’s
ye o be a alid and con i med sou ce o eal Li e ghos sigh ings, much less a eco ding o wha hey
migh sound like. Wi h his in mind, and also knowing ha he gene al ule o humb in ho o mo ies like
his, whe e he e’s a s ong “sca y” in en ion, is o add a lo o e e b, he sounds eco ded in he Ho se
B ide oice o e session we e ca e ully selec ed and sp ead all along he imeline, wi h di e en kinds o
e e bs being sen o di e en channels on he mul ichannel mix, helping c ea e he en i onmen .
One o he mos no able placemen s o a c y is a ound he 6:30 ma k, a momen whe e he
sound o he ghos akes o e he whole ambience (e en he music is d opped down) and keeps going, un il
Al edo ge s in he ba n, and he c y is slowly eplaced by a deep slow b ea h, which p omp s he
esu gence o he ambience acks.
MUSIC
The musical sco e o The Ho se B ide was comple ely w i en and eco ded wi h he aid o
i ual ins umen s by Na haniel E s a ion, who was cu iously also he Di ec o o Pho og aphy o his
ilm.
The inal e sion o he music was p o ided o he sound depa men in s ems, which allowed
a be e g ip and con ol on he way hey we e mixed and, consequen ly, in he way he in e ac wi h he
ilm and igge emo ions in he audience. The placemen o ins umen a ion and i s mix in o he inal
sound ack is ca e ul and akes in o accoun he ac ics o noise and silence, a oiding being oo p esen and
i ing igh when he ambience asks o i .

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
33
ANALYSIS OF THE OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSIONS
The p ojec “Sound Speeding” had he main in en ion o pu ing in o p ac ice all he concep s
and know-how acqui ed du ing he cou se o he i s yea o he Mas e s in Mul imedia - In e ac i e Music
and Sound Design, specially he Sound Design o Digi al Media class.
The bigges shock was when he heo y became p ac ice, and a lo o p ojec s s a ed
appea ing, needing sound ca e, om eco ding on se o edi ing, o ull pos p oduc ion wo k. I was a
shock because i ’s easy o ge o e whelmed when he desi e o p ac ice is as big as he lack o expe ience.
Fo una ely, all o hose mishaps we e ixed as ime wen by, and in he end, looking back,
i ’s solid o conside ha a whole new expe ience has been gained and i makes sense o ake knowledge
om i , knowledge ha can be sha ed in he o m o p oposed guidelines and o e all ips.
The main conclusions ha can be ex ac ed om his yea long p ojec a e as ollows:
I is e y impo an o mee he di ec o be o e hand and go wi h him/he , o e
expec a ions and goals.
The Ho se B ide would ne e wo k ou as well as i did i i wasn' o he close con ac he
di ec o walkways made su e o keep. Se ing up goals oge he allows he sound designe o exceed (and
excel) on his ield, aking he ilm o a whole new le el, while i p e ious planning is no se , he e migh
be disc epancies be ween wha he di ec o is expec ing and wha he sound designe is willing o o e .
I is undamen al o analyze he sc ip and make anno a ions be o e he shoo .
Knowing he sc ip and eeling close o i allows he sound designe o ha e a be e g ip and
a mo e concise inpu in he way he shoo is going o go. Knowing wha o expec in e ms o he na a i e
eally p o ides a be e unde s anding o one's own ole on he se , as well as p epa es you o ask ques ions
abou hings you didn' unde s and, o demand hings ha you need a e necessa y and migh be being
o e looked.
Going o e he sho lis and mee ing wi h he DP can be a huge deal o help.
Feeling com o able wi h you wo kspace on he se can be some hing easily a ained by
ha ing a b ie mee ing and con e sa ion wi h he DP, and elling him/he wha a e you plans, as well as
lis en o his/he own ideas and y o inco po a e hem in you a i ude and wo k low - in he end, you'll be
his/he ea s, and he/she'll be you eyes.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
34
The oppo uni y o check he loca ions o he shoo be o ehand should be eques ed.
Conduc ing ield es s on he loca ions o he shoo is a p e y easy and simple way o making
su e ha you'll ha e he ad an age o knowing how he place sounds be o ehand. And e en hough a ic
changes - o o he mo e simple and less con ollable hings, like he wea he change! -, being eady is he
key, because i will allow you o come up wi h answe s wi hou he p essu e o ha ing o esol e o
p oblem igh he e, igh hen.
Knowing he gea ha 's a ailable is impo an .
Ge acquain ed wi h he equipmen , and es i be o e going on he ield. Su p ises happen
and hings will s op wo king mid-shoo , bu a leas you'll be a ailable o jump s a hings, and always y
o a oid ha he es o he c ew hangs on because o sound. The sound depa men should always be eady
o go - also because i 's easie o a c ew and cas o unde s and came a p oblems han o eel like hey' e
wai ing "on sound".
The boom pole has go o ge all he way he e.
I you' e o una e enough o be pa o a p oduc ion ha p o ides you wi h you own
moni o , you'll be ine, bu i no (because i p obably won' happen e y o en), he sound designe canno
be "a aid" o asking o a ame e e ence so s/he can know wha 's he limi o his scope. The boom pole
wi h he sho gun mic ophone is supposed o be all he way un il he ame, and he mic ophone i sel can
and should be used o seek o he momen a ily sound sou ce, ins ead o jus lying he e, la .
As a sound pe son, ei he only in p oduc ion o wi h he in en ion o aking he p ojec
o pos , ask o wha you wan .
I migh be a cul u al hing, bu i 's a ac ha no ilm s uden eally ca ed as much abou
sound as hey all like o say hey did. Coun less imes scenes will be olling wi hou sla ing, and mos o he
imes poli e eques s o e en ail-sla e will be igno ed, o , a leas , no unde s ood. I 's clea ha sound is
a ely a main conce n, so i needs o be he sound pe son's conce n o make his easie o i sel . I you' e
doing sound, you will hank you sel , bu ei he way, he di ec o will always end up hanking you, e en i
s/he doesn' unde s and i a i s .
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
35
ATTACHMENTS
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
36
ATTACHMENT A:
OTHER FILM PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE SOUND SPEEDING PROJECT
The yea spen in Aus in, Texas, p o ided a lo mo e oppo uni ies o apply know-how and
gain expe ience. This sec ion akes an o e all look among some o hese p ojec s, in a less ho ough o
analy ic way, as an a achmen o he case s udy ha The Ho se B ide p o ided.
This a achmen is p esen ed as is, as a d a , wi h a less de ined s uc u e and language, so i
should be aken as a e e ence o o he wo ks, and no as a “ epo ”. Access o he inal ideos is es ic ed
due o copy igh issues, bu i can be pe sonally eques ed h ough he email add ess
uisil [email protected] .
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
37
TRASH DANCE
Andy Ga ison
Sound Edi ing, SFX
Some imes inspi a ion can be ound in unexpec ed places. Cho eog aphe Allison O inds beau y
and g ace in ga bage ucks, and in he men and women who pick up ou ash. Filmmake And ew
Ga ison ollows O as she joins ci y sani a ion wo ke s on hei daily ou es o lis en, lea n, and
ul ima ely o con ince hem o collabo a e in a unique dance pe o mance. Ha d wo king, o en ca ying a
second job, hei li es a e al eady ull wi h wo k, amily and d eams o hei own. Bu some s ep o wa d,
and a e mon hs o ehea sal, wo dozen ash collec o s and hei ucks pe o m an ex ao dina y
spec acle. On an abandoned ai po unway, housands o people show up o see how in he wo ld a
ga bage uck can “dance.”
__
Andy Ga ison is a p o esso o digi al p oduc ion and ilm a UT. He is also an inc edible
ilmmake and de ini ely a e e ence when i comes o ilm.!When he decided o documen he p ocess o
accompanying Allison O , an Aus in- based cho eog aphe , in he in en ion o c ea e a dance and a
pe o mance wi h a g oup o Solid Was e Se ices employees, he was no expec ing he massi e
impo ance o his p oduc ion o he ci y o Aus in, he wo ke s, and he communi y in gene al. T ash
Dance documen s he ime ha Allison spen , since she ini ia ed con e sa ions wi h he Solid Was e
Se ices depa men , un il she inally saw a d eam come ue, showing all he de ails o a long p ocess o
cap i a ing he wo ke s’ a en ion and ex uding po en ial ha hey denied ha ing.
T ash Dance is a ilm abou “An unno iced a my mo es a ci y’s ash daily. I ’s a wo ld o di y
wo k nea ly ca ego ized in o i e ca ego ies: T ash; Li e ; Ya d Was e; Bulky; and Dead Animal.
Cho eog aphe Allison O begins a p ojec wi h employees o he Ci y o Aus in’s Dep . o Solid Was e
Se ices o e-imagine hei e e yday wo k as dance and make a public pe o mance. F om sa e y aining
o iding ou wi h c ews, O wa ches, lis ens and ies o ec ui collabo a o s. The ilm ollows employees
and O in he p ocess, ge ing o know indi iduals. A en mon hs in, hey begin ag ag ehea sals. A e
one yea hey moun a pe o mance in he ain on an abandoned ai s ip--16 ucks, 24 dance s, a piano,
iolin, and cello--and o e 2,000 in a endance.”
The wo ld p emie e o he ilm was a he wo ld-acclaimed mul imedia es i al Sou h-By-
Sou hwes 2012 (SXSW’12), in Aus in, TX, on Ma ch 10 h, a he Pa amoun Thea e.

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
38
The ilm has since ecei ed c i ical acclaim by bo h audience and ilm es i als ju ies,
ha ing achie ed he Special Ju y Recogni ion Awa d a SXSW’12, he Audience Awa d a he Full F ame
Documen a y Film Fes i al 2012 (Du ham, No h Ca olina), and he Audience Awa d a he Sil e Docs
Film Fes i al 2012 (Sil e Sp ing, Ma yland).
__
Con ibu ion
I s a ed wo king on he T ash Dance p ojec in Sep embe 2011, igh a e a i ing in Aus in.
A e a b ie ing mee ing wi h Andy and he es o he eam, we we e assigned on ou asks, and I ook
cha ge o s a ing o c ea e he sound e ec s o he T ash Dance ideo game ha would accompany he
DVD elease o he ilm, while wai ing o he new cu o he ilm, o s a edi ing i s sound.
The p ocess o c ea ing sounds o he ideo game – a Kinec -con ol based d i ing game, whe e
he use body and hand mo emen con ols he s ee ing wheel o a ash uck in an amazing g aphic
endi ion o he landing s ip whe e he pe o mance occu ed, wi h Aus in landma ks in he backg ound,
while a oiding obs acles and pe o ming ou ines o ge poin s – was a lo o un. Andy has s ong
connec ions wi h he Solid Was e Se ices, and ha allowed me o in e ac wi h he wo ke s and he
machines and ucks used in he ilm, in a e y in e es ing ield eco ding session.
The p ocess o edi ing hese eco dings, as well as wo king wi h sound lib a ies o modi y s ock
sounds and make hem i wi h ou needs, was a as and easy one. The ideo game p og amme , using a
ee amewo k o he Uni y game-engine, designed he whole p og amming o he game, and ook in his
hand he wo k o connec ing all he sound e ec s o his sc ip , as I was s a ing o wo k on he audio edi ing
o he ilm i sel .
This was a longe , mo e ime consuming endea o . Due o my inexpe ience wi h sound o ilm,
and he s anda ds used in sound edi ing o his kind o medium, I had a comp ehensible lea ning cu e,
specially adap ing o P o Tools 9, he new e ision o he so wa e ha was ou by hen (I was s ill using
P o Tools 8, and in a much less cons an way). On he o he hand, and because we had a no so s ic
deadline, I was able o lea n a lo on my own, by ial and e o , and disco e ed my own way o acing he
so wa e, i s sho cu s, and s a ed c ea ing my wo k low, ha I’d be de eloping in he u u e, and s ill am.
Challenges
The oughes challenge I aced was he simple ac ha I was e y inexpe ienced in he a o
se ious sound edi ing, design, and mixing, and I had his inc edible luck o s a ing o wo k in such a big
p ojec . Also, he ac ha I was emo ed om my com o zone, which made me s i e o y o unde s and
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
39
“how hings wo ked” he e in he USA, ook a big chunk o my abili y o be as e and mo e p oduc i e in
he i s couple o weeks. S a ing o mee new people, specially s uden s connec ed o he ilm Mas e s in
Fine A s p og am a UT, helped s a ing o de elop a be e sense o space and o e alua e he challenge in
a be e pe spec i e. I go assigned o wo k wi h Na haniel E s a ion, an MFA candida e, and Sa ah Deuel, a
soon- o-be g adua e wi h a Bachelo ’s Deg ee in Radio- Tele ison-Film, wo people wi h a s ong in e es
in sound and ilm edi ing, and i was h ough hem ha I s a ed knowing whe e o u n when doub s
appea ed.
I am also e y glad ha I was able o come o Aus in in he beginning o he 2012 yea , because
he inal s ages o mixing o he ilm s a ed a ound he beginning o Feb ua y, and so I had he absolu e
pleasu e and hono o assis ing Tom Hammond, he main sound designe in he mos well known and bes
audio pos -p oduc ion acili y in Aus in, he Soundc a e , in mixing he inal p oduc .
Tom Hammond had come o FEUP be o e, o lec u e he Sound Design o Digi al Media class, o
he Mas e s Deg ee in Mul imedia, on sound design, and ilm edi ing and mixing. I had he memo y o
hose lec u es as some o he mos impo an I ha e e e a ended, so wo king wi h Tom and applying his
concep s in p ac ice, helped me a lo , and I eel like I can say ha in he oughly- wo weeks i ook o he
p ojec o be done, I lea ned a lo mo e han in he i s h ee-mon hs ha I s ayed in Aus in by mysel .
I wo ked closely wi h Tom, mos ly pulling sound e ec s om lib a ies and om B- oll
eco dings, illing he imeline wi h he li le de ails ha helped c a he inal sound o his ilm, while he
was mixing i , and making i sound eady o public sc eening.
Ou pu !
I eel ha ha ing T ash Dance as my i s p ojec was bo h a sca y and a e y ewa ding hing. In
he end o he day, I eel like all he challenges and doub s ha I aced, accep ed and sol ed, we e he bes
i s s ep in his wo ld, because hey p epa ed me o wha was coming nex . Wo king wi h g ea and
alen ed people like Andy and Tom was de ini ely my sa e y ne , and i made me ealize ha I shouldn’ be
a aid o wan ing o lea n so eage ly. T ash Dance was mixed in 5.1 su ound sound and down-mixed o
s e eo L R .
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
40
T ash Dance SXSW 2012 p emie e pos e
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
41
CLAY CASTLES
Nina Vizca ondo, MFA Candida e
P oduc ion Sound Reco ding, Sound Edi ing
I me Nina Vizca ondo h ough Simon, who I had me h ough Na han, as hey we e all in he
same class. I was app oached and asked o be a sound eco dis on se , wi h he possibili y o edi ing he
sound and mixing he inal p oduc .!Clay Cas les depic s he an asy wo ld whe e li le Madison li es, and
ies o hide om (o , a leas , gi e ano he meaning o) he eal one, whe e he pa en s a e sepa a ed, and
hings don’ seem o no make much sense. This was a P e-Thesis ilm – he MFA’s second yea p ojec .
__
Con ibu ion!
We sho Clay Cas les in No embe 2011, and I ook pa on se o all o he days as sound
eco dis (boom op + sound mixe ). A e pic u e pos -p oduc ion, i was iden i ied ha he c ew would
need o eassemble and ge mo e oo age (pickups), and so I joined hem again in Ap il 2012.!I ended up no
wo king oo much on audio pos p oduc ion, aside om some edi ing and SFX, because UT hi es
p o essional sound mixe s om Aus in, o wo k wi h he s uden s o a ew hou s, ge ing hei mixes eady
o sc eening. This happened wi h all he s uden s, excep o Simon and Na han, and I always ook hose
oppo uni ies o si in he s udio and lea n om he p os a wo k.!Also, his p o essional mixe si ua ion was
enhanced by he common p essu e ha s uden s eel o inish hei p ojec s, and ha led o he mo ie iles
(pic u e-locked cu s) being deli e ed oo la e – which mean ha I wouldn’ ha e he igh amoun o ime
I’d need o wo k on hem, while a p o essional mixe could be way as e han me. When hese si ua ions
happened, I ied o ne e s and be ween he di ec o s and he hi ed mixe s, p e e ing o s ay on my co ne ,
lea ning om hem, and helping hem howe e I could, since I al eady knew he p ojec s be o ehand.
Equipmen Used
In p oduc ion:
- Sound De ices 744T Ha d Disk Reco de ;
- Audio Technic 4073a sho gun mic ophone;
- Sennheise 416 sho gun mic ophone;
- Sound De ices 302 Mixe ;
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
48
__
HEARTS OF NAPALM
And ew I ine, MFA Candida e
P oduc ion Sound Reco ding
“The e a e 3.6 billion o gasms e e y nigh . Ashley is looking o one.”!
Con ibu ions/Challenges
The scenes o his sho we e sho in only one ull day, inside a single bed oom. I was a p e y
in ense shoo , as he inal p oduc can ell, and he bigges challenge ha I was aced wi h, apa om he
hea gene a ed in ha small, small, bed oom, was he ocal ange dynamics o bo h he ac o and he
ac ess.

Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
49
Equipmen Used
In p oduc ion:
- Sound De ices 702 Ha d Disk Reco de ;
- Sennheise 416 sho gun mic ophone;
- Sennheise ew100 la alie mic ophone.
Ou pu
!Hea s o Napalm p emie ed on May 13 h, 2012, a he McCullough Thea e a UT.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
50
JENNY & STEPH
Elizabe h Cha elain, MFA Candida e
P oduc ion Sound Reco ding
“Jenny, a heads ong gi l on he cusp o adolescence, is o ced o g ow up o e he cou se o one
nigh when she mus escue he olde sis e , S eph, om an acciden a a house pa y.”!__
Con ibu ion/Challenges
This sho was sho o e he cou se o 5 days in Cli on, TX, a small own wo hou s ou o Aus in.
The main di icul y wi h sound on his shoo was ela ed o he ac ha he eco ding de ices we e wo
Zoom H4n handheld eco de s, ha can’ be sync’d in p oduc ion, which b ings a lo mo e p oblems in
pos .
Equipmen Used
In p oduc ion:
- 2 x Zoom H4n;
- AT4073a sho gun mic ophone;
- Sennheise ew100 la alie mic ophones. !
Ou pu
! Jenny & S eph is on pos -p oduc ion phase igh now.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
51
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
52
ATTACHMENT B:
PERSONAL NOTE FROM SIMON QUIROZ, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HORSE BRIDE
The e a e no eal wo ds ha can eally make jus ice o he amoun o ha d wo k and dedica ion
ha Rui Sil a b ough o he p ojec o “The Ho se B ide”. This is no only speaking in e ms o me ely eco ding
sound bu he ideas ha he con ibu ed and sha ed as he p ojec de eloped. His wo k uly enhanced he inal p oduc
in ways I would ha e ne e imagined. When I s a ed concep ualizing he p ojec o “The Ho se B ide”, I knew ha in
o de o c ea e he expe ience I wan ed owa ds my audience, he p ojec would ha e o ely on amazing sound and I
was ex emely lucky o mee Rui jus when he had jus a i ed while he was in o Aus in in he exac momen I was
despe a ely looking o a p o essional sound mixe o be on my se . Rui was a p o essional om he e y beginning and
ne e ailed.
Wo king wi h Rui Sil a exceeded my expec a ions om he s a . You can ell someone’s dedica ion
and passion abou hei wo k om he momen hey selec and p epa e hei ools o wo k. When picking up he
equipmen we we e going o need du ing p oduc ion, his command and domain o his ins umen s was eally
imp essi e, his choice o one mic ophone o e ano he du ing a scene and hen a di e en one o ano he depending
on loca ion, among o he hings was one o he hings ha comple ely made me s op wo ying abou he echnical
aspec s o sounds o I knew I was in g ea hands. When on se , he kep on insis ing on g abbing he bes akes o
sound.
Bu he eal challenge wi h his p ojec came du ing pos p oduc ion. This is whe e I can hones ly
say ha he s eng h o he p ojec was uly held in Rui’s hands. I knew om he e y beginning ha his sho ilm
would ely hea ily on sound. I am hank ul o he amoun o dedica ion and a en ion o de ail ha Rui pu on his
p ojec . I had a couple o mee ings wi h Rui o alk abou ideas I had, hen he would spend hou s in he s udio doing
sound design, Foley sound, mixing, e c and e e y ime he would show me some hing new I would come ou ex a
exci ed o li le by li le, he expe ience became mo e and mo e cinema ic.
One idea I had o example is o ha e a ghos whose lamen would sound dis an when he ghos
was close o he subjec . I had no idea i his would e en be possible, and I was uly happy when I hea d ha happen
on he sc een hanks o he magic o Rui. A he beginning I was looking o someone o eco d sound on se , bu I
s uck gold because I go a p o essional on se , an amazing sound designe and sound mixe .
I could go on and on desc ibing di e en momen s, scena ios in which Rui made wha I en isioned
a eali y bu in much be e ways han wha I o iginally had hough o . Bu he impo an hing is ha I am hank ul o
Rui’s dedica ion, passion and de ail o his wo k and especially o sha ing hose ai s o a p o essional wi h my p ojec
and I am hope ul ha as he ge s be e known and much mo e expe ienced he will be willing o wo k wi h me in u u e
p ojec s.
Sound Speeding – Tac ics o Noise and Silence in Mo ing Pic u e – The Ho se B ide (A Case S udy)
Rui Manuel Fe ei a de Sousa e Sil a – mm10050 - Mes ado em Mul imédia – Ramo de Música In e ac i a e Sound Design
53
ATTACHMENT C:
BIBLIOGRAPHY/LITERATURE
- HOLMAN, Tomlinson – “Sound o Film and Tele ision, Thi d Edi ion”, 2010
- LOBRUTTO, Vincen – “Sound-on-Film: In e iews wi h C ea o s o Film !Sound”, 1994
- ROSE, Jay – “Audio Pos p oduc ion o Film and Video, Second Edi ion: A e - ! he-Shoo
Solu ions, P o essional Techniques, and Cookbook Recipes o Make !You P ojec Sound Be e ”, 2008
- ROSE, Jay – “P oducing G ea Sound o Film and Video, Thi d Edi ion”, 2008
- SONNENSCHEIN, Da id – “Sound Design: The Exp essi e Powe o Music, !Voice and Sound
E ec s in Cinema”, 2002
- BRESSON, Robe – “No es on Sound”, !h p:// ilmsound.o g/a icles/b esson.h m (Websi e
isi ed las in July 17 h, 2012)
- MURCH, Wal e – “In he blink o an eye”, Los Angeles, 2001