THE EPIC SOUND BLOG

Our collection of bite-size, audio related stories from around the web.

How to NOT compose for television


November 7, 2011

Over at Scorecast, Jai Meghan shares his observations on the pitfalls of composing for TV:
 

It is pretty daunting to look at the TV landscape and the people who are already involved with scoring for television and ask yourself: How in the hell am I ever going to get a shot? So many shows are in production, not to mention the fact that television is not just about the “regular season” anymore — it’s about a fragmented “season” that now runs year-round.

The “Big Three” networks are now starting to show the signs of a marathon runner trying desperately to keep up with the young bucks that are also on the course. These “youngins” are starting to become directly responsible for some of the best drama and comedy on television, with second and third-tier premium cable leading the pack with content that cannot be shown in a regular primetime slot.
 
With all of these variables at play in the current TV landscape, and given the fact that most people would still rather recline in the comfort of their own living room than brave cellphones, babies, and teenagers with laser pointers in a theater setting, TV is 2.0 these days.
 
As a film composer, you might be wondering how to tap into this luxurious stream, and how to start looking for TV gigs today in the crowded river of television composers?

 
Read the full feature on telvision composing here.
 





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category music,television sound Tags , , —

Cartoon Composing – scoring an animated series


August 30, 2011


 
I found this great read on composing for an animated series in an old copy of Sound on Sound magazine – and lo and behold, it’s available online as well. Check it out:

 

Television animation has come a long way since the golden age of Bugs and Woody. There has been a recent explosion of production companies and animation studios working around the world, cranking out quality cartoons for a thriving, healthy market. All these cartoons need music and if you’re the composer who gets the call, there are a few things you need to know.

 

Composing for a cartoon series has its own unique set of challenges that differentiate it from live-action scoring. Having just wrapped up scoring 52 episodes of a new series called SuperNormal, I’d like to take you through the process so that you’ll know what to expect and how to avoid the potential pitfalls that are common when writing music for a cartoon.

 
Check out the full article on cartoon composing here.





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category music,television sound Tags , , , , , —

Colin’s exclusive Fringe sound design interview


July 5, 2010

Colin Hart over at Colin Hart’s Sound Kitchen has an excellent, in-depth interview up with Bruce Tanis, sound designer on Fringe.

CH: “Fringe” has a unique library of effects, often dealing with subjects that we would have no knowledge of how they sound, yet the show remains very organic sounding. What is your approach to designing sound for these things?


BT: I usually try to use ordinary sounds and work on them through plugins and other devices to make them sound interesting. I use a lot of animals and natural events like wind and water to build different effects. Dry ice is my friend! At least as a starting point anyway but they don’t stay there long! Some of the effects, like the weapons or devices usually start from various machines but however big or small they start out, I try to keep their final scale appropriate to what we see on the screen so hopefully that makes them sound a bit more organic as well.



Read the full interview with Fringe sound designer Bruce Tanis here.






  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category television sound Tags , , , , , —

The sound for ‘Fringe’


April 8, 2010

Mix Online takes a look at how the sound for the Fox’s ‘Fringe’ series is created:


Parallel universes. Cryonics. Mind control. Clairvoyance. Mutations. Bald-headed Observers. What do these things sound like? Figuring that out and bringing them to life is the weekly challenge for the sound design team behind J.J. Abrams’ hit Fox series Fringe. The show focuses on a trio of FBI-led investigators who explore cases involving so-called “fringe science”—everything from the existence of a parallel universe (and the effects of getting from ours to theirs) to creepy, loathsome creatures (including humans) who attempt to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting.

For the show’s first season, the post-production sound was handled by a different team; for Season 2, Warner Bros. Television, seeking to use the convenience of a remote Pro Tools stage, set up a new team in a new office—upstairs from saucy Hustler Hollywood on the Sunset Strip—along with the writing and other post-production staff.


 

Read the full post on the sound for ‘Fringe’ here.





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category television sound Tags , , , —

Creating the soundscape for ‘Lost’


March 5, 2010

Mix Online has a feature on the creation of the soundscape for the sixth season of ABC Television’s ‘Lost’ – a fine read indeed.





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category television sound Tags , , , , , —

Fun in the snow with Nickelodeon winter idents


February 12, 2010

Going skiing or snowboarding this winter? Check out this Nickelodeon video game spoof we did the sound for, with visuals by Krogh Mortensen Animation. Remember to duck! :)



If the embedded link is not working, please go here to view the video





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category Epic Sound,television sound Tags , , , , —