Audio post-production is the creation and manipulation of sounds that are synchronised with a moving image. This is specifically during the post-production phase after everything has been filmed. This includes sound designing, the creation of sound effects and automatic dialogue replacement. Within our class we took a look at the evolution of these technological shifts from analogue to digital. With this it has drastically changed the way sound is edited, mixed and produced.
In the early days of film sound, sound effects, dialogue, and music were recorded onto magnetic tapes. Engineers had to manually cut and splice these elements and then and layer them onto a reel-to-reel tape machine, while also editing these clips on analogue mixing desks. This process is physically demanding and time consuming as any edits require precision in cutting physical tape and reassembling it with each splice being irreversible. However even with the significant limitations these vintage machines are still used today for their warm dynamic tone.
In class we looked at the evolution of sound design in cinema by comparing four separate versions of the final scene of King Kong. By doing this I was able to grasp how far sound design technology has come. Starting in 1933 with a completely mono mix with only 3 layers in the audio for foley, dialogue and music. Continuing to 1976 with some of the first uses of stereo surround sound, and then up to the late 2000s with full complete 7:1 setups and dozens of layers of foley.
With the latest version of King Kong using a new technology called Dolby Atmos. It expands upon the existing 5.1 and 7.1 surround-sound set-ups and adds sound channels coming from overhead, engaging the audience in a dome of audio. With atmos you can produce up to 118 simultaneous sound objects, allowing the sound designer to place each individual sound and dialogue in specific points in the sound field rather than directing them to certain channels. These artefacts can be moved around and manipulated and moved around within the space, generating a 3D sound space. (Roberts, 2022)
In conclusion sound design technology has come a long way in the years that have passed. From tape machines to Fantasound to dolby atmos they have reshaped the film and music industry, giving us new opportunities to create art.
Roberts, B. (2022). Dolby Atmos: What is it? How can you get it? [online] whathifi. Available at: https://www.whathifi.com/advice/dolby-atmos-what-it-how-can-you-get-it.