Sound FAQs

 
Q: When it comes to sound, what aspects can you take care of for a film?
A: All aspects! We work with you directly to prioritize your needs based on your budget.

Q: Do you do location sound?
A: No, but we have a catalogue of professionals to choose from and helpful tips that will enable you to collect good audio in the field, which will save you time and money in audio post.

Q: What formats can you mix in?
A: We can mix in stereo and 5.1 surround. We can import OMF files from FCP, AVID and Adobe Premier(Pro CS4 versions only). We can deliver Dolby Digital audio for DVD/HDcam or walk you through the process all the way to 35mm printing.

Q: Do you score or do music for film?
A: We don't score films at the studio, but composers who do score films are a part of our extended creative team. So, if you need to have a film scored, let us know, and we can pair you up with the appropriate composer. We also have a large recording space to accommodate a small orchestra or session musicians.

Q: Why would I need to worry about sound design or Foley? Can't I just do it myself?
A: Well, you could, but do you really want to? You have to ask yourself a few questions, such as: Do I understand how to create emotion from the sound of simple footsteps to build suspense and drama? Do I know how to compress audio so it doesn't clip but still delivers that necessary punch? Do I understand final broadcast specs? Can I mix in 5.1 surround? If the answer to these questions is no, then you need a professional audio post mixer. In the end, you’ll save yourself time, money, and unnecessary headaches.

Q: Why is audio post and sound polishing so expensive? Do you offer any discounts or deals?
A: There is a misconception about audio post for visual mediums. We are always trying to educate people about the benefits and importance of audio and sound polishing but it is expensive when you are working on a shoestring budget. All we ask is to make it part of the budget from the beginning, so you do have options when it comes to quality audio. We can help prioritize your needs based on the type of film or video you are producing. Another reason it's expensive is the tools. It takes a very specific tool set to accomplish some of the things your audience is used to hearing in a sound track and we want to stay up on the technology train! We do offer project rates for larger projects. If you have questions, please contact us for a personal consultation and we can discuss your needs/budget.

Q: Can you work remotely? It seems a lot of things are being transferred and completed via the internet.
A: Yes, we often work with clients in other regions. The client can deliver us the appropriate files, we can do the work, have Skype or phone meetings to ensure strong communication and deliver the final mixes and stems via a secure FTP server.

Q: What about ADR or a VO? I have a friend who is doing the VO but they are in Alaska. Can you dothis?
A: Yes, we can work remotely with voice talent/actors via an ISDN line. This is a live streaming, full bandwidth signal that can be recorded on both ends, from anywhere in the world. Remote ADR can work this way as well, by syncing the video and audio in realtime to capture the takes.

Q: Why should I hire you to promote my film when I can use the Internet myself?
A: You could promote your film . . . if you had time to devote to it every day; if you could write articles regularly about the production of your film and post those articles on multiple film-related and other relevant social media sites; if you had the ability to step away from your project to write about it objectively. These are things we do . . . regularly. We know which sites your info should be featured on. We know how to create effective, customized websites and social spaces. We know who to contact to get press releases distributed. It's what we do, and not only can we can take a tremendous amount of pressure off of you by doing it, but we'll also be able to spread the message about your film into places that you probably never would have thought of.