How instrumental was technology in charting your career

[soundwiz]

Hi All

 

Hope everyone is doing fine

 

I was having a discussion with Film Students at a workshop recently, when the subject of Technology in charting a career in Sound came up for discussion

 

I would like to hear  your thoughts  in this regard and how technology is going to influence Sound Recording in the future

 

thanks and  regards

 

best

 

Hari

[John Blankenship]

Velcro.

[pindrop]

Velcro.

The most distinctive noise in the known universe?

[old school]

Just like it has in the past. Better tools to solve problems.

CrewC

[Eric Toline]

When I started in this business we waited around for sound to be invented.

Eric

[pkautzsch]

Just like it has in the past. Better tools to solve problems.

CrewC

 

And tools creating new problems.

For example, the Red (fan) or DSLRs (producers wanting them to be primary sound recording devices).

[dominiquegreffard]

Smaller and less power hungry digital machines making so much more than their analog ancestors

[Jay Rose]

No difference. It's about story telling. 

 

Since I made that decision, however, it's been a constant learning experience about new tools. From tubed mag transports (leaking DC on the heads, anyone?) to current processing algorithms, with an awful lot of knowledge thrown out as it becomes obsolete. But that's part of the fun.

[mikewest]

Well said Jay

 

I started off with valves, learned all about optical recording formats, knew the hysterisis curve of Fe3O4,

understood why high frequency bias minimised distortion, knew about blip sync and learned the correct

culture of the use of a slate and how it's perceived in the cutting room.

 

Now I'm using digital recording feeding a guide track by radio and working at times with DSLR's

 

Better put my sound notes in the bin!!

 

mike

[Marc Wielage]

I was having a discussion with Film Students at a workshop recently, when the subject of Technology in charting a career in Sound came up for discussion...

 

I would tell them that the technology is the easy part. It's dealing with people that's tough. At least with machines, you can usually beat on them or give it a reboot, and it'll usually work. Not so much with humans. 

 

I think all technology has done in terms of sound is that it's increased non-technical directors' and producers' expectations in assuming that difficult problems (like noisy cameras, problematic locations, etc.) can be solved with technology. I don't think this is a good thing, because the truth is, no amount of technology can overcome a noisy location, bad costumes, actors who mumble, and similar issues. 

 

Look at it this way: the Avid and Final Cut Pro didn't allow editors to edit better; it allowed them to make more changes, faster. Not the same thing at all. And it's wound up making life more difficult, because it's enabled directors to make dozens and dozens of changes all the way up to the release date... because they can. In the old days, they'd cut the movie on film maybe three or four times, then ship it. Not anymore. 

[old school]

Well said Marc. Always 2 sides to every coin/technology.

CrewC

[studiomprd]

" it's increased non-technical directors' and producers' expectations in assuming that difficult problems (like noisy cameras, problematic locations, etc.) can be solved with technology. "

bravo Marc

[Marc Wielage]

For 20 years, I used to have to get out a sledgehammer to solve some really difficult problem, and it would usually work. My joke then (and now) was, "low-tech solutions for high-tech problems!"

 

There's another T-shirt. 

[mikewest]

Well said Marc

 

With experience and skill established the only way forward is dealing with people.

 

I realised this on Cousteau expeditions living and working 24hours and for 3 month together on a boat

 

mike