Finding Inspiration for Sound Design with Richard King

Summary

The speaker discusses the process of sound design in film, emphasizing the importance of early preparation and research. They share anecdotes from working on 'Dunkirk' and 'Interstellar,' highlighting how they sourced and manipulated sounds from various sources, including YouTube, NASA, and on-site recordings. The goal is to create an immersive and authentic audio experience that conveys the essence of each scene, from the intricacies of aircraft sounds to the vastness of space.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The process of sound design begins with reading the script to identify key effects that will be needed for the film.
• 🛩 For 'Dunkirk', extensive aircraft recording was conducted before filming to capture all the sounds a plane could make.
• 🔍 The importance of researching and finding inspiration for sound effects, such as planes or atomic bombs, is highlighted.
• 🌐 YouTube is a valuable resource for sound designers, offering a wide range of real-world sounds that can inspire and be used in films.
• 📱 Sometimes, casual recordings made with smartphones can capture sounds better than professional equipment due to environmental factors and compression.
• 🔊 The story of finding a laser sound online that was superior to a professionally recorded one, emphasizing the unpredictability of sound capture.
• 🚀 NASA recordings, such as those from a shuttle launch, provide authentic and inspiring sounds for films like 'Interstellar'.
• 🌌 Space is depicted as an inhospitable environment for humans and animals, with the shuttle launch recording illustrating the thin atmosphere and the rapidity of space travel.
• 📡 The audio from the NASA shuttle launch video conveys the experience of going from sea level to the upper atmosphere and the disintegration of background noise.
• 💥 The impact of sound design in conveying the harsh realities of space travel and the fragility of Earth's protective atmosphere.
• 🎥 The power of sound in film to enhance the narrative and create a more immersive and realistic experience for the audience.

Q & A

What is the first step the speaker takes when preparing for a film's sound design?

The speaker starts by reading the script and identifying key elements that will require specific sound effects.

Why did the speaker feel the need to record aircraft sounds for the film 'Dunkirk'?

The speaker knew that planes would be an important part of the film's sound design due to their limited range of motion and unique sounds, which are different from other vehicles like cars.

What is the significance of having raw material for sound design?

Having raw material allows the sound designer to have a variety of sounds to work with and manipulate to fit the needs of the film.

How does the speaker approach finding inspiration for sound effects?

The speaker searches on YouTube for random recordings that people have made, which can inspire ideas for sound effects or provide actual sounds to use.

Why does the speaker mention that sometimes an iPhone recording can sound better than a professional one?

The speaker suggests that the compression on an iPhone, along with the chance placement of the device in the right environment, can sometimes result in better sound quality.

What is an example of a sound effect the speaker found online that inspired them?

The speaker found an incredible laser sound online that was recorded by scaling a tick scale or rust off a piece of metal using an industrial tool.

Why did the speaker have to manipulate the recordings of the laser made in Poland?

The original recordings did not match the sound quality and characteristics of the laser sound found on YouTube, so they had to be manipulated to sound closer to the inspiring video.

What role did NASA recordings play in inspiring the speaker for the film 'Interstellar'?

NASA recordings of a shuttle launch provided an authentic and detailed audio experience that helped convey the harsh and alien nature of space in the film.

How does the speaker describe the acoustic changes during a shuttle launch as heard in the NASA recording?

The speaker describes the acoustic changes as the shuttle ascends, with background noise diminishing and the sound becoming more distinct, until the booster breaks away and the environment becomes chaotic.

What is the key takeaway from the NASA recording about space according to the speaker?

The key takeaway is that space is extremely inhospitable, with the thin layer of atmosphere around Earth providing a stark contrast to the vast emptiness of space.

Why does the speaker recommend others to look up the NASA recording?

The speaker recommends the recording because it provides an incredible and educational insight into the experience of a shuttle launch, both visually and audibly.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Sound Design Process in Filmmaking

The speaker discusses the initial steps in sound design for films, emphasizing the importance of pre-production sound recording. They share their experience with the film 'Dunkirk,' where they recorded various aircraft sounds to have a rich raw material for the film's soundtrack. The speaker also mentions the significance of identifying key effects early on, such as the atomic bomb for 'Oppenheimer,' and the use of YouTube for inspiration and sound ideas. They highlight the value of even casual recordings, as they can capture unique sounds that professional equipment might miss due to environmental factors. The speaker also talks about the process of manipulating sounds to match the initial inspiration and gives an example of how a YouTube video of a shuttle launch inspired the sound design for 'Interstellar,' conveying the harsh reality of space.

05:02

🚀 Inspiring Sound Design from NASA Recordings

In this paragraph, the speaker continues the discussion on sound design, focusing on the impact of a NASA recording of a shuttle launch. They describe the audio's progression from the initial launch to the booster's separation and the subsequent atmospheric changes, which were used to inspire the sound design for the film 'Interstellar.' The speaker emphasizes the importance of such recordings in evoking the feeling of space's inhospitability and the thin layer of atmosphere that protects life on Earth. They also encourage others to seek out this video for its educational and inspirational value, noting the impressive audio quality despite the recording's origins.

Keywords

💡Script

A script is the written text that serves as the blueprint for a film, television show, or theater production. In the context of the video, the script is the starting point for the sound designer to understand the narrative and prepare for sound recording. The script for 'Dunkirk' is mentioned as an example where the importance of planes was identified early on.

💡Aircraft Recording

Aircraft recording refers to the process of capturing the sounds produced by airplanes, which can include engine noises, propeller sounds, and the overall ambiance of the aircraft in motion. In the video, it is highlighted as a crucial step taken before filming 'Dunkirk' to ensure the authenticity of the plane sounds in the movie.

💡RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)

RPM is a measure of the rotational speed of an engine, indicating how many times the crankshaft makes a full revolution per minute. The video mentions that planes have a narrower RPM range compared to cars, which affects the variety of sounds they can produce and thus the sound design process.

💡Key Effect

A key effect in sound design is a critical sound or set of sounds that significantly contribute to the atmosphere or narrative of a film. The video discusses the importance of identifying and preparing for these key effects, such as the planes in 'Dunkirk' or the atomic bomb in 'Oppenheimer'.

💡YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, share, and view videos. In the context of the video, it is used as a resource for sound designers to find and draw inspiration from various sounds, such as gun shots or animal noises, that can be used or adapted for film sound effects.

💡Compression

Compression in audio refers to the process of reducing the dynamic range of a sound recording, making loud sounds quieter and quiet sounds louder. The video mentions that sometimes an iPhone recording can have better sound due to the compression effect, which can capture the environment more effectively.

💡NASA Recordings

NASA recordings are audio files released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, often capturing the sounds of space missions or other space-related phenomena. The video describes a specific NASA recording of a shuttle launch, which was used for inspiration in the sound design of 'Interstellar'.

💡Atmosphere

In the context of the video, the atmosphere refers to the layer of gases surrounding the Earth, which is depicted as very thin and fragile. The NASA recording mentioned in the script conveys the idea of the atmosphere's thinness and the harshness of space, emphasizing the fragility of life.

💡Sound Manipulation

Sound manipulation involves altering or processing recorded sounds to achieve a desired effect or to match a specific sound that was heard or imagined. The video talks about how they had to manipulate the recordings of a laser to make it sound similar to a YouTube video that inspired them.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration in the context of sound design is the process of finding creative ideas or influences for sound effects from various sources. The video emphasizes the importance of being inspired by different sounds found on platforms like YouTube or from NASA recordings.

💡Space

Space, in the video, is portrayed as an inhospitable environment for humans and animals, with the sound of a shuttle launch illustrating the drastic changes in sound as it ascends through the atmosphere. This is used to convey the theme of space being a foreign and deadly place.

Highlights

Reading the script early to identify key sound effects needed for the film, like planes for Dunkirk.

Recording aircraft sounds extensively before filming to have raw material to work with.

Using YouTube to find and get inspired by random sound recordings for sound design.

Sometimes iPhone recordings can capture better sounds due to compression and environment.

Finding an incredible laser sound online that inspired the sound design for a project.

Manipulating professional recordings to match the sound quality of an inspiring YouTube video.

Utilizing NASA recordings of shuttle launches for authentic space sounds in Interstellar.

The dramatic change in acoustic sound as the shuttle ascends from sea level to space.

The loud sound of the booster breaking away and tumbling back to Earth.

The importance of capturing the thin layer of atmosphere and the harshness of space.

Inspiring the audience to look up the NASA video for its educational and audio value.

The rapid ascent of rockets and the thin atmosphere's significance in conveying the film's message.

The challenge of finding and recreating unique sounds for films like an atomic bomb in Oppenheimer.

The process of searching for and being inspired by various sounds to inform sound design.

The limitations of working with certain objects like planes and the creative solutions found.

The role of sound in conveying the foreign and deadly nature of space to the audience.

The impact of found sounds and how they can drive home the reality of a film's setting.

Transcripts

generally I start by reading the script

before they start shooting there are

usually things that pop out that I know

I'm going to need if for instance

Dunkirk I knew planes would be important

now there are only so many things you

can do with a plane it's not as if it's

not even like a car it's it's the RPM

range is a lot narrower um and uh so we

did a lot of aircraft recording before

we even started the film and just got it

everything the airplane would do and um

so we got all the the raw material to

use there's usually a like a key effect

in the film that you know you're going

to need now it it's sometimes it's hard

to do that without seeing what the image

is but for instance with the planes it

was fairly straightforward I think of

another instance of that uh there's one

for Oppenheimer but I shouldn't mention

it

uh there an atomic

bomb that's what I started thinking

about really early I got do that is the

atomic bomb and I often search on

YouTube just

random uh things that people shoot and

you can find incredible sounds not to

use but to kind of inspire you and give

you an idea of what maybe it was sound

like it would be interesting I think for

people that hear me say that that

YouTube Just people do shooting videos

of of a gun or a something crazy an

animal can be really interesting and you

know and can really inspire you to and

sometimes an iPhone recording sounds

better than a recording with a proper

recorder and

microphones uh just by the probably the

compression on the phone and also just

they happen to be in the right place at

the right time with the right

environment and it just popped you know

there was a gun sound that we was it a

gun sound no it was a laser sound we

found online that was just incredible

like it was it was scaling a tick scale

or rust off a piece of

metal uh they it's an Industrial

[Music]

Tool we went to all kinds of trouble to

record that very same laser a guy I know

in Poland the Polish military was able

to was willing to let him record it and

it just didn't it didn't anything near

like this YouTube video sounded so we

had to manipulate then the recordings he

did to make them sound closer to you

know with the with the sound that

initially inspired us sounded like which

is fairly lowf but it was it conveyed

the idea there's also a lot of great

NASA recordings that they've released

they put a microphone and a camera on a

booster one of the boosters of one of

the shuttle launches and it is it's like

a 20 minute video with great audio of

the thing blasting

off it slowly gets into

space the acoustic sound starts to sound

completely different like the background

noise goes away and there's just it's

just the sound that is picking up

through the metal of the booster shell

it so conveys just in a few minutes

going from sea level to where the

atmosphere is very thin 50 Mi up and

then eventually the booster breaks away

in a very loud

sound and then slowly starts tumbling

The Horizon starts spinning around

faster and

faster and within about five minutes the

shoot goes off

and everything just goes crazy for a

minute and then it slowly settles down

until it splashes into the

ocean it's an incredible document and

stuff like that really inspired us on

Interstellar just to kind of really

convey that notion of you know that uh

that space is a very unfit for for

People for Animals it's a it's a um it's

instant death it's just completely

foreign to us and to me hearing that

document hearing that short video is

remarkably short how fast the boosters

fall off and fall back down and how they

fast they get into space it really drove

home that notion that this this this uh

this little this little layer of of

atmosphere around us is very shallow

it's very thin very thin and uh Rockets

get out of it in

minutes literally you guys should look

this up cuz it it really is a cool piece

of video I just found it amazing and the

the audio quality is great too I don't

know how they did it