Location and Postproduction Sound for Low Budget Filmmakers

This book covers everything you need to know to master the fundamentals of location sound recording and postproduction sound in a comprehensive one-stop guide.

This user-friendly book provides real world situations to analyze the many kinds of location recording configurations and postproduction scenarios and offers easy-to-adopt, budget-conscious solutions to some of the most common issues that arise when working with sound. Chapters cover the theory of sound, preproduction with a sound emphasis, microphone selection, testing equipment, how to boom and mix on set, synchronization and time code, and editing sound while doing a picture cut in a traditional picture software platform. Additionally, the book discusses bringing a project into a Digital Audio Workstation and explores basic sound design, dialogue editing, Automated Dialogue Replacement, Foley, sound effects, music for film, re-recording the final mix, and outputting sound to finish a project. Accompanying examples allow readers the opportunity to try out the various techniques and drills on location, in postproduction, or both.

Aimed at students, early career and independent filmmakers, as well as those considering a vocation in location and postproduction sound, Location and Postproduction Sound for Low-Budget Filmmakers makes achieving great sound attainable for all, and is an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to better understand the art of film sound.

Michael Tierno is a former Miramax Story analyst and an independent writer/director/editor of feature films. He is author of the best-selling book Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters and has made four feature films including Turn Back Night, a sci-fi comedy. He is Associate Professor of Film Production at East Carolina University.