Sound is Half the Picture
Sound in film qualifies the information we see, and it can add an emotional depth not possible in the visual alone. The fine EQ, breaths, “moistness” and other small details in the human voice need to be addressed as they can subliminally endear or repel the audience to your subject. Our goal is help you express your vision through sound. Give us a call so we can talk about the ideal soundtrack for your film.
Over the past 17 years our audio work has been heard by millions of viewers on screens ranging from Lincoln Center to Sundance Film Fest, as well as outlets such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, PBS and Discovery Channel. We use top-quality gear from Krell, SLS, B&W, Dolby, Yamaha, Genelec, Sennheiser and Neumann, but it is experienced ears, swift hands and a refined knowledge of all things audio that help us perfect a film mix.
Our Audio Sweet
When acoustician Bob Alach designed our audio suite he did his best to remove as much gear as possible. What remains is a pure soundfield, free of obstructions, fan noise and blinking lights. Our Nuendo high-resolution audio workstation runs at 64-bit floating point resolution (beats Protools). The result is silky smooth audio and an unforgettable sound experience.
Stages in building a perfect sound mix
Dialog Clean up: Anything that may detract from a subject’s message gets addressed. Bits of spit, dropped tees, esses and cut breaths - We will fix these if they are distracting. Undesirable noise gets removed or reduced with our precision restoration tools.
Dialog Mix: One of the most important duties is to comb through your film and get all the voices sounding clear and consistent. Edits should sound natural. Narration, whether it be informative or personal, should always be just right. Interviews should flatter the subject. Synch dialog should sound true to the subject and location, and whether from the camera's perspective or not, dialog should always be legible.
Sound Effects Editing: Environmental sound and foley add dimension to your film. How can we get the most out of the provided synch sound? What should we add from our own SFX library? Does the film have a coherent stereo sound field throughout?
Sound Mix: In an ideal mix the various sound elements all play their parts like a well-crafted symphony. Through a series of client review sessions we narrow in on the mix. After a final mix passes our internal standards we post it for client approval.
Stereo vs. 5.1 Surround Mix: Docs typically stick with stereo sound but a 5.1 surround sound mix can create an immersive experience for documentaries. Additional surround elements are ideally planned for in production and editing. Give us a call to discuss production strategies for surround or Dolby Atmos. 5urround sound mixing can happen in parallel with stereo, or if required, a previously stereo mix session can be revisited to update it for surround.
Technical Excellence: Master deliverables are guaranteed to comply with technical requirements for broadcast or distribution (clients must send us the spec of course). We typically issue sets of masters with levels optimized for cinema, broadcast and online screenings.
Lets Do Remote!
Using CineSync, Vimeo and our low-latency fast connection we’ve had successful remote sessions with clients all over North America. We can also be the recording hub for Boston-based talent, or record voice talent located anywhere on the globe. Special discounted pricing is offered for all remote projects.
