Sound designer Scott Benson Explains How to Mix a Movie in 72 Hours, and How Sound Designers can work with Animators at Bucks

Bucks sound design student Scott Benson just recently finished mixing and editing the sound on a feature film  - all done within 72 hours. We asked him how he managed to pull of what looks like an insurmountable task, and also how our animators can get the best out of collaborating with sound designers to make great films here at Bucks.

The Confusion of Tongues

Bucks: You just recently finished mixing and editing the sound on an entire feature film - tell us about it!

Scott: yeah I have literally just finished! It's been one of the most demanding yet satisfying projects I've worked on to date, The idea behind it was that a whole feature film could be shot and edited within 72 hours. And, having personally stayed up for 60 or more of those hours, I'm proud to say that it's not impossible!

The Crew

I personally mixed the whole feature film as well as cleaning up all the audio and placing appropriate sound design where needed. The film was shown in the Imax cinema in Birmingham the same day it was finished, which was the most scariest thing ever, because i hadn't heard the sound after it had been rendered to picture. To my great relief it all went perfectly in my eyes; there were a few bits and bobs out of place here and there, but that is to be expected!

Sound Designer at work at Bucks

Bucks: What software did you use?

Scott: The software that I used was completely Pro Tools (Warren Bassett, my lecturer, would be proud of me!) Before starting at Bucks I had never used Pro Tools or even really wanted too, as I much preferred Logic, But when it comes to audio post production, in my eyes, nothing can hold a candle up against Pro Tools.

Bucks: How big a challenge is it to mix an entire feature film?
Scott: Mixing a whole feature film under normal circumstances is a huge undertaking in its own right, usually calling for a team of mixers each having their own jobs, but doing it with in 72 hours, that's crazy. But, as they say, pressure creates diamonds, and that couldn't be more true for this project. I really surprised myself at how well I worked and how fast! Even though it was constant non-stop mixing, I'd do it again in a heart beat!


Bucks: What should animators at Bucks do if they are hoping to collaborate with a sound designer?
 
Scott: When looking for a sound designer, there are a few main things to look for I think, and they are: 1. keenness and contactability. Now, it's all fine and dandy having the best sound designer in the world, but if they're not going to keep in contact with you then what's the point? Having someone who is keen will help to ensure the project's smooth running and completion on time.

The second would be, obviously - skill. Most sound designers will have worked on a sort of show reel, even if if its just muting their favourite films scenes and playing around with them. That's what I did; I didn't have much of a show reel when I started Uni, so I made one!

And finally, ask around, being on an animation course I'm sure plenty of your peers will have worked with sound designers and they'll know which sound designers collaborate well!

Scott Benson

Bucks: What is the single most important thing to know about sound design?

Scott: The single most important thing to know about sound design....this is a tough one, because I could go on for hours about technical specs of certain methods of additive synthesis. But, at the end of the day, knowing that won't get you a job, yes granted it'll help, but if you don't apply yourself you wont get anywhere, you can have all the knowledge and graduate with a 2:1 but if you haven't made contacts and built up your people politics you'll fall flat on your face. It's as simple as that, I can see it on my course, there are so many gifted students who could do so much, but they're not always applying themselves.

So, in my opinion the single most important thing to know about sound design is to know how to find work and make contacts who will last and grow alongside you, because without that, there is no sound design!

For more about the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK. Find out why we're giving free laptops to all our students, and why we give all our students free access to videos at Lynda.com. Also, see what financial assistance might be available to you. Learn which is better for animation, a PC or a Mac? Get hold of a copy of a map so you can find your way around campus, and learn about motion capture at Bucks. And find out about how our online video tutorials work 

Bucks Lecturer Allen Stroud introduces Lave Revolution

Lave Revolution by Allen Stroud

Bucks lecturer Allen Stroud is a man of many talents. Among his many duties at Bucks, he teaches our first year animators Flash, the 2D animation software that can be used to create excellent animated films. He also has a number of media projects in development, including Lave Revolution, based on the pioneering early 1980s video game. We asked Allen to talk about his work inside and out of the university.

Film and TV students at Bucks

Bucks: You run the Film & TV course at Bucks – what does that involve?

Allen: We've been a full degree programme since 2008. My role in that is to organise course-related things. So, induction week, module options and stuff that is about the overview of the programme. I also run the course team meetings and am the student's port of call for assignment extension requests. I'm sure there's a few more things on top of that - as it all keeps me busy.

Adobe Flash

Bucks: You also teach Flash to the animation students at Bucks – what is it about Flash that makes it good for animation?

For me, Flash has been more of a design tool than an animation device, but the way in which it emulates a video editor whilst giving you tools that animators need to create their images is a nice touch. The incorporation with more advanced graphic packages, like Adobe Photoshop and more advanced animation suites, like Toon Boom Studio make it a good starting point. The pen and pencil tools also make my rubbish drawings look vaguely recogniseable too!
 

Allen Stroud

Bucks: What projects outside Bucks are you working on?

Allen: I'm a writer and academic researcher. Currently I'm working on a PhD that covers the design of fantasy and science fiction worlds.





I also worked on the forthcoming Elite: Dangerous (http://elite.frontier.co.uk) as a concept writer and the official novelist. The project is based on the early 1980s video game Elite that was made for the 32k BBC computer. It was a classic of its time, and it's very exciting to be helping to revive it. We managed to raise the budget needed to get it started on Kickstarter - which was a great experience. Crowd funding is a very promising way to get new projects off the ground.

Elite Dangerous - production artwork

Right now I am working on Chaos Reborn (http://www.chaos-reborn.com) as the fiction world designer and, again, as the official novelist.

Chaos Reborn

I also review science fiction books for Sfbook.com - (http://sfbook.com/journal-of-the-plague-year.htm) and I am running a variety of different workshops for conventions over the summer whilst working on further novels.

Elite Dangerous - production artwork

Bucks: How can animators get more involved in other areas of film production at Uni?

Allen: Like most things, there is a need for individuals on both courses to see the advantage working together will bring. We have a wide variety of films being produced by our students, with many animation and VFX outputs.

To get in on the Level 6 films, animators need to demonstrate how they can add something to the ideas the Film maker may have. That means getting involved at the planning stage and having some work to show. Ultimately, working relationships among the students come down to trust, quality and reliability. You don't work with people who let you down or do a bad job.

Gateway Building - our media hub at Bucks

Bucks: What are you most proud of here at Bucks?

Allen: I think I am most proud of the fact that Film and TV has proved to be a successful course, and also of course I am proud of the work our students produce. I am continually amazed at the ways in which they are able to create and innovate from the ideas we give them in class. It really is fantastic to see.


Allen Stroud, Course Leader for Film and Television Production, is donating ten per cent of the proceeds from his new sci-fi ebook Elite: Lave Revolution to the charity Ehlers-Danlos Support UK. Allen said: “The book is written under official licence from the creators of, and based in the vast universe of, the space trading computer game Elite: Dangerous. I am hoping to raise as much possible for charity through sales.” Find out more about the book and how to buy it at the Fantastic Books Publishing website. Allen is also co-delivering a presentation with well-known BBC technology reporter Kate Russell at the science fiction and fantasy Nine Worlds Convention in London on Friday 8 August on ‘How to get an idea crowdfunded’.



To see the impressive work done by our students and recent graduates here at Bucks, check out SuperFergy in 3D by Anton Alfy, see the work of Jens Kopke,  Ben Gray's Moonbeam, and the architectural visualisations of Sabah Masood and Anton Alfimenko. Also take a look at the work of Andy Thomas here, see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan. And don't forget to see the simulation work of our students done in RealFlow. To see our student demo reel, click here.

Calling all animators - the Animation Talent Award wants your submissions!

The Animation Talent Award 2013, a short film competition with a focus on combining animation with music, has just launched. It takes place this summer in Halle, Germany, and you have until June 2nd to submit a project "in concept".

The Animation Talent Award is a short film competition that offers rising animation stars the chance to win a real production budget and create an animated short film. The competition has a distinct focus on music and animation.

Here's how to enter:

1. Register. Registration is now open at www.animationtalentaward.com. Don't delay - there are only 100 slots available.

2. Pick your music. Participants must select the music for their Short Film Project from among five pieces of music of different genres and styles presented on the contest’s website.

3. Start drawing. To, enter the contest, you only need a good concept - not a completed film. The submission deadline is June 2, 2013 - exactly one month from today. Concepts can be submitted in various forms such as sketches, descriptions of ideas, or storyboards

 4. Win money and prizes! (hopefully)
The successful participants will be selected by a jury, and can earn production money via crowdfunding at “startnext” and compete for an additional production budget of €2.500,00 (around £2,300) sponsored by ARTE Creative! Other prizes include a one year ADOBE Creative Cloud membership & a WACOM Inkling.

Any student at Bucks who wants to enter - come and talk to me, and we'll make a plan.

---Alex

PS This kind of project is especially highly recommended for 2nd and 3rd year students, looking to jump-start their careers by entering (and hopefully winning) international competitions. Even if you don't win, what you learn by taking part is almost inevitably a huge benefit in itself.

Cartoon Movie - the place to pitch your animated film ideas

Cartoon Movie, like Cartoon Forum, should be on every animator's radar. It takes place in Lyon every March - in 2014 it will be held from 5-7 March. It is a huge pitch-fest for talent and business to get together and make independent animated feature films, and, like its cousin Cartoon Forum, you don't have to speak French - Cartoon Movie is bilingual and English is the main language spoken.

Cartoon Movie is the place to pitch your animated film idea. If you've got a concept for the next animated smash hit - this is the place to pitch it.

Who goes to Cartoon Movie?
The answer is - anyone in Europe who is serious about making independent animated films. Co-producers go there looking for projects to partner up with; distributors want content for movie theatres, broadcasters want content for their TV schedules, financiers want to make a few Euros, and sales agents want to earn a commission from selling your film. But, in brief, what they are all looking for - is talent.

That is where you come in. Got a great idea for a movie? Here is the place to persuade Business that you have the project that will, with a bit of nurturing, become the Next Big Thing.


Do you need to have a pilot and a finished script?
No. This is the best part of all. At Cartoon Movie, you don't need a completed pilot to sell you project. You can pitch in concept, meaning that you are basically selling an idea. You don't need a script - or even any animation (though it helps). Some slides, some nice visuals, a story outline - this is usually enough. You are throwing out a hook, trying to get people excited and interested.


Why submit? What is it all for?
It all depends on what you need. You might want co-producers, to help you access national development funds, and help to get your film made. You might be looking for financiers, so-called "business angels" who will give you seed capital and take an equity stake in the project. You might want to interest broadcasters (like the BBC) so you have a potential platform to get your series out to an audience. Most of all - you ware trying to learn more about how the process works, about how business gets done and how movies actually get made.


Is it hard to get in?
It isn't easy, but it's not impossible either. There is lots if competition and the requirements are considerable. But, if your project gets selected, you get an unrivalled opportunity to pitch your project to the sort of people who can actually get your project made.

Here's how to submit your film project:

• Check out the Cartoon Movie website
• Register online
• Check out the Project Submission page. Download the Producer File and the Vade-Mecum (how-to toolkit)
• Have a look at the regulations

Contact Details:

CARTOON – European Association of Animation Film (AISBL)
Avenue Huart Hamoir 105 - B-1030 Brussels - Belgium
Tel : +32 2 245 12 00 - Fax : +32 2 245 46 89
info@cartoon-media.eu

 Good luck! The deadline for submission is the end of November 2013. So...plenty of time to think up ideas.

Gateway - our modern media hub at Bucks

Here at Bucks we encourage all our students to develop their own ideas and concepts, to be film-makers and story-tellers. Being an animator is not just about studying motion and learning software. It's about creating your own characters and telling stories that audiences want to hear.

---Alex

For practical advice on forging a career in animation and digital media, read about what our graduates had to say at the recent Graduate Panel. Check out this post on how to set up an small business. Also learn about your first client project, read out our post on Portfolio Careers, and read this piece on Survival as a Freelancer. Study the nuts and bolts of freelance life by reading our guide to invoicing clients, and our guide to freelancers and taxes.  For more on careers in general, check out our guide to animation careers here, and also take a look at this map of digital studios - a great place to start your search for work in the business. Finally see our article on the jobs page at awn.com

Cool new camera from MoVI - changing the face of cinematography

Here is an awesome new live action camera that gives smooth and steady results even though it is a hand-held device. This will make it even easier for low budget films to get results that traditionally only big budget movies can produce.

The camera is a called a "MōVI" - and is (according to its makers) a "digital 3-axis gyro-stabilized handheld camera gimbal". It is "a completely silent device which weighs under 3.5 pounds and can be operated solo, or with the help of a second gimbal operator with a joystick to pull off some incredible moves."



MōVI BTS from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

---Alex

Motion Capture, Animation and Sports

Bucks Motion Capture Animators hard at work

Here at Bucks we're excited by the huge possibilities for animators to work with other departments, such as graphic design, drama, dance and sound design. In short, collaborations with other film-makers, to create truly excellent projects.

One department that makes heavy use of Motion Capture Technology is Sports, who use MoCap to carry out detailed performance analysis on athletes, gathering data on biomechanical motion which can be used to make better players and performers.

According to Sports Lecturer Ed Burt, players recall "30-40%" of what went on in a match. Performance analysis helps to fill in the gaps and give detailed feedback to athletes on where they went right, and also wrong.

There's an obvious tie-in for animators here, not just for personal film projects but also linking in to the work being done in Steve Partridge's department, carrying out live broadcasts for local sports teams, creating graphics, idents and animation.

All animators are film-makers and, like any film-maker, collaborating with other talented people is a great way to raise our game and do better work.

----Alex

You can also read about our recent visit to Centroid, one of the UK's leading Motion Capture Facilities, here.

Calling All Animators! Bucks Sound Designers Want to Help You With Your Films!

Sound Design Studio

One of the best things about Bucks is how many departments we have specialising in different aspects of Film and TV production. One of the most interesting departments is sound design, where we have talented students working with state-of-the-art facilities to do excellent work.

Sound designers...waiting for animated films...

Best of all from an animators' point of view, they are delighted at the prospect of helping out with sound design on our animated films. Animated film projects tend to be short, so this kind of collaboration works very well from a sound designers' point of view.

And sound design is not the only department which animators can collaborate with. Here's a link to the super-useful Bucks Media Collaborations page on Facebook where you can find all kinds of resources for collaborating on film projects.

Sound Recording Equipment....animators wanted

And the equipment at Bucks is some of the best in the country. The Gateway building cost £60m, is virtually brand-new, and hosts all sorts of film-making resources - Green Screen, Sound Design, Sound Recording Studios, Actor, Dancers. They are all there, waiting for your films.

---Alex

(Editor's note: For more on the Bucks Media Collaborations Page, see this article. To find out more about how to work successfully on group projects, check out this piece. )

How to Make an Animated Film

One of the biggest challenges for an animator is to tackle a short film project. Most working animators don't - they're usually too busy. But at the best animation schools, students usually tackle a group film project in their graduation year. Short films are a ton of work and they present a huge variety of film-making challenges.
The most common problem is excessive ambition - students biting off more than they can chew. We've all been there. Animation is complex and time-consuming and I sometimes think that if we were honest with ourselves about how long it takes we would never actually do it.

But it is vital to know what you're getting into before you try to do it, and hopefully avoid giving up in despair at the size of the task. It took me ages to figure out exactly what goes into making a short film (or indeed a long film), so I recorded a short video setting out the whole of the CG Production pipeline, from concept through to opening night. It runs about fifteen minutes.

----Alex