Interview With Sound Designer Extraordinare Gary Rydstrom

There is a great interview with Gary Rydstrom where he talks about collecting sounds and working with animators to tell stories with your ears, which as a radio person at heart I found very interesting.

Gary has received seven Oscars and 17 Oscar nominations for best sound mixing and editing and an Oscar nomination for directing a short animated film. He received the first Oscars for sound and sound editing in 1992 for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the most recent Oscar nomination for Lincoln in 2013. These awards came while he worked at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound; he directed the 2006 Oscar-nominated short film “Lifted” while working at Pixar.

The reason I think I can be audacious enough to direct is that I use sound to tell a story. I like to articulate the sound and keep it focused on what’s important. The really great directors know how to use sound. Hitchcock knew how to use sound. Steven Spielberg thinks about sound early on. I use the moment in James Cameron’s Titanic when the ship hits the iceberg to show how you can plan ahead. The ship hits the iceberg with a loud sound, then we cut to the bridge and hear only a tiny rattle of the wheel. In steerage, we’re closer to the iceberg, so you hear banging and clanging. In first class, only the tinkling of the chandelier. This is all built into the sequence to provide contrast. But it also tells you the ship is huge.

You can read the rest of this extensive interview here.

Preview Of Mechanisms From HISS and a ROAR

Tim Prebble from HISS and a ROAR is hard at work producing his next sound effects library, called Mechanisms. He has released a teaser video showing some of the mechanisms he is recording to include in this new collection. They include a Mamod stationary steam engine, devices made from Meccano, Kodak cine projector, robot toy, machine cutters, industrial guillotine, clockwork mechanisms, as well as variety of combinations to create a vast array of buzzing, whirring, ticking, and whooshing sounds.

Tibetan Monastery Atomspheric Sounds From Avosound

The ‘Tibetan Monastery Atmospheres’ Sound Archive was collected during a 3 week trip through Tibet and contains recordings from the everyday monastic environment of Tibetan monks. Apart from atmospheric recordings of the monasteries in Sachung, Rebkong, Langmusi and the religious centre in Labrang, ‘Tibetan Monastery Atmospheres’ also contains the chanting of the monks as well as the rattle of prayer wheels and various other devices. There is a very helpful insight into the different facets of life in a Tibetan monastery on the Avosound site.

The collection is available with a combination of stereo, MS, and 5.1 surround tracks recorded at 24bit / 96kHz with a total file size of 17.75GB and the price is normally $110 but at the moment it is available for $88.

Deal On 3 Great Sound Libraries From Tim Nielsen

Don’t forget that we have a great deal on Tim’s three sound effects libraries, Earth Mother Communicator, Ether & Yellowstone as an unique bundle for just £79, which is a saving of 22% on the normal prices on independent sound effects store Sonic Salute.