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Sound for a 48-Hour Film Project

A week ago, I joined up with a local team of videographers to take part in the famous 48-hour film project. Barring the fact that I only slept for about 6 hours over the entire weekend, it was still one of the most awesome experiences I’ve had to date, and definitely not for the faint-hearted. In this article I’ll flesh out my experience for you, the highs and lows, and what to keep in mind should you ever want to be the SoundGirl and take part in your local 48-hour film project.

Preparation

See what gear you have available: Because we only get our script on Friday night, it’s hard to know what to expect. You don’t know how many actors there will be, what your location is, or even what kind of sound you will be recording. But there are a few things you can prepare for. The first step was to see what gear our team has on hand – because it is not a paid gig, you tend to work with what you’ve got – and then you formulate how you would go about making the most of that setup.

I had access to a Zoom H4 Recorder, a Rode Go lapel, a Saramonic lapel, and (I think) an ME66 rifle mic. I had to hire a boom pole and stand. My thinking was that we’d probably have two people lav’d up with one boom ready to go where needed. We fed two mics into the H4 and one into the camera itself to have an audio track to sync to in post (essential step!).

Make sure you know exactly how to operate the gear

Watch the tutorial in the week leading up if you must. There’s nothing worse than not knowing how to find the menu button on your field recorder hee-hee)

Have access to a sound library (I used Artlist)

Every piece of music or audio you use has to either be licensed or original, so make sure you don’t grab songs off YouTube or anything like that! On the first evening, start downloading possible SFX you might need to add in case you don’t have time to create them, as well as reference tracks for the music.

Make sure you have enough batteries for your recorder/mics

We ran out of batteries about 8 times and nearly had one of our lavs lose power during a take. Luckily, I had a bag of semi-used batteries we then cycled through throughout the weekend. On that note – also remember to switch all of your inputs ON (sounds simple, but so easy to miss!)

During the Recording:

Don’t Forget your Clapper Board

We started off using a clapper board to note takes and such, however, being in such a rush all the time and surviving on McNab energy shots alone, I must admit I took slack and stopped enforcing it. Huge mistake, as we then struggled to find the correct audio takes for the picture and spent precious time in post trying to align audio waveforms up with mouth movements. This easily added a good 3 hours onto our process which is a lot of time when you only have 48hours.

Make sure you have everything in the correct frame rate

For some reason (who knows what happened) I set the frame rate on one scene to 60fps. Gosh… I am so fortunate that I had elastic audio handy to match the dialogue up to the talent in post, otherwise, I would have been screwed. This also added a good hour or so to my edit time. Not good.

Post-Production

Clean up audio even if you’re not going to use it

I thought it would make more sense to wait for the team to send me the final cut before starting to clean up audio takes of dialogue and such, but this was a big mistake too. The final cut was given to me last minute and I had no time to do any processing on the dialogue (eeeek!). What I should have done was clean up all the audio we shot while the editor was working, regardless of whether it was being used or not, so that when we did make a selection for the final edit, I would have clean and crisp dialogue takes. If you can do this, I highly recommend it, because you may run out of time in the end.

Don’t take anything personally

Sound is almost always the last part of the filmmaking process, and no matter how much you try to convey that this process takes time, it might not always be possible for you to have the time you need to be proud of your work. You must be willing to stand firm in doing your job properly, but you must also just do the best you can with the time you’ve got (because we ALL know you have that genius inside you that can pull rabbits out of hats at the last minute to make a masterpiece). It’s okay to not feel “proud” of the final result of the sound because of mistakes, time constraints, and a misunderstanding of the process of sound by others in general. This is a learning curve for everyone so always look for ways that you can improve your workflow and get better at being awesome, but don’t for a second take anything personally

Make things up even if you don’t have the final cut

The team only gave me the final cut of the video 30 minutes before submission. Yes, you heard me right… 30 minutes… You can imagine my stress levels! But, luckily I had predicted this being a last-minute thing, so what I did, was while the team was shooting the last scenes and editing the picture, I started making up things that I thought might be used – extra foley sounds, SFX, music (with the help of my fellow soundie, Deon), so that when they gave me the final cut, it was more of a “plug-in” process rather than starting from scratch.

Lastly, HAVE FUN

There may be times when you feel a lot of pressure, or like things just aren’t working out. Perhaps you get so tired that you start making small mistakes that have a big impact – but remember that at the end of the day, you are doing this for fun. If you can keep that in mind, then everything else seems easier to manage. At the end of it, you will look back and realize that you have made lasting and strong friendships with a team of amazing people and that you did what you thought at times would be impossible. It pushes you to your limit and gets you way out of your comfort zone. It’s SO worth every single sleepless moment.

The screening of our short film will be on the 21st of October 2022, so I can’t give you the link here now, but I can show you the little behind-the-scenes video I took that encapsulates how awesome the weekend was!

Starting a Podcast on a Budget

DIY from one novice to another!

Passion is something that needs to be shared. Well, at least in my experience. And two things I am passionate about, are mental health and music. I also love exploring ideas, having conversations, and getting curious about anything I can get my hands on. I felt so blessed when I got my audio engineering qualification – because it set the ball rolling for me to start my podcast around a topic that ties in with my primary work (mental health and eating disorder/addiction coaching).

Now, for those of you who are seasoned podcasters and engineers, you may read this or listen to my podcast and be able to quickly highlight all the errors I have made along the way, but I am totally okay with that, as I am happy to admit I am still learning!

The purpose of this blog post, however, is to inspire those who might feel as if they don’t have “all the necessary skills/tools” to follow their passion. I am here to say: Start where you are at, and only growth will follow!

So, I will take you through the way I approached starting my podcast called “Curious About Recovery – Diving into Eating Disorders” available on Spotify and Anchor.fm and hopefully it will help you wherever you’re at on your podcast journey.

Finding a theme

This was relatively easy for me as I am already a recovery coach with lived experience of having an eating disorder, so it’s pretty much the topic I know the most about. What I had to decide was how to structure the podcast. I decided to make it three-fold in format.

  1. Interviewing professionals in the mental health and eating disorder community. (Expert episodes)
  2. Sharing my lived experience/insights into my eating disorder recovery. (Solo episodes)
  3. Interviewing people who have their own lived experience in recovery from disordered eating (People episodes)

This way I can learn and expand my reach through others as well as share messages that I might never have thought to share, worldwide! The trick here is to be confident and ask whoever you can, even if you think they might say no – you have nothing to lose!

Recording equipment and software

Audio Interface: Behringer UMC404HD

This nifty little 4 channel audio interface is all I needed! Compatible with the M1 which was super important for me! You will want to work with an AI to get a better quality recording than what is available in your PC/laptop.

Mic: Shure SM58

Okay, condensers are the preferred type of microphone for podcast recording, but hey it does the trick! You want to try to use ANYTHING but your laptop mic or your headphone mic – unless you have a super fancy headset of course. I coupled this mic with a small mobile vocal booth and pop filter just to remove some of the room’s sound (I do everything in my bedroom).

Headphones: Sennheiser HD280 Pro

These are SUCH good closed-back cans for those who are wanting quality audio and are working on a budget. I got mine for around R2200 at the time (about $130). A good set of headphones is important so that you don’t get any sound coming in from your speakers and then back into your mic. It allows for a clean feed from each podcast guest and keeps your audio in check. It also picks up little nuances from the guest’s side so that you can ask them to make any changes before you record.

PC: Mac Mini M1

I just put this here because I got it as a birthday gift from my sister and it makes me tingly all over with joy. But any good laptop will do. (Thanks Louise!)

Where To Record: ZENCASTR

I use Zencastr for recordings. Why? Because of a few things:

  1. It records each user’s audio as a separate track.
  2. It records directly from the source (so it doesn’t matter if your WIFI acts sketchy, you will still get their clean feed.
  3. It’s super easy to use and you can host up to 10 guests for FREE!
  4. There are options to record video and to produce your episode on the site (some costs are involved) but that is if you don’t have any audio editing software.
  5. The audio quality is 10 x better than using something like Zoom.

Software: Rx Audio Editor Advanced, iZotope Elements, Da Vinci Resolve / Logic:

I am fortunate enough to have the incredible RX9 Advanced Audio Editor (previous versions are not compatible with M1 yet – I think). This does wonders in my ability to clean up my guest’s poorly recorded feed as well as help match EQ, remove reverb and noise, and all the fun things RX allows for. I am a HUGE fan of all my iZotope plugins as well which help me along this process. I use Da Vinci Fairlight (SUPER powerful and FREE) for basic audio and video editing and other times I’ll switch to logic for a more refined approach.

Getting it onto a streaming platform (without a budget):

Now, the first thing I realized when starting my podcast was that to stream it on any platform, you first must upload your show onto a host site (missions, right?). I searched all over for a host site that was affordable for me and was disappointed at every turn. Then I stumbled upon Anchor.fm and man was I impressed.

On this site, you can upload your episode for free (yes, free) and it acts as the host site for automatic streaming onto Spotify. With one or two clicks, your show is live! What a blessing! You also have the option of converting your episode into a blog post directly onto WordPress! The only thing here is that I am not profiting from these episodes YET, which doesn’t mean it’s not possible to do so on this site. I think once the show gains traction I might venture into that avenue, but for now, I am happy with my show simply being a way of spreading the message I am passionate about (again, purpose first, right!)

Here your show will be available on Spotify and Anchor.fm itself. It does not stream to other platforms, so if you are okay with this then no problem!

Challenges and how to overcome them:

Having to keep track of time zones with guests abroad. I use Timanddate.com to make sure all my bookings are accurate.

Setting deadlines is important. Make sure you know how many shows you want to release per month and work consistently over time to make it happen. Communicate with your guests as to when their interview will be, and prep them beforehand with a welcome letter, preparation questions, and a time and date of their episode release so that they can coordinate with their marketing team. Time management is key!

Legalities!!! Believe it or not, there are laws about podcasting. You will need to do some research here but the most important one I have found so far is to get your guests to sign a release form, telling them exactly how you intend to use their recording, what compensation plan you have (if any), and ownership rights. Very important!

Getting your podcast “out there”. If you are doing this solo, it means you will need to make the time and effort to get it out to your audience. Start by creating an Instagram page dedicated solely to the show – look at creating cover art, images, branding that aligns with your personal or professional brand, and your brand voice. Then post to other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or wherever you have people following you. Also, ask friends and family to go give your show a listen and a rating. The more the merrier!

Biggest takeaways:

Remember what the purpose of your podcast is. Are you wanting to make money or share your passion? Whichever it is, you will need to approach it differently. For me, right now it’s about sharing a message, so I have been happy to put in the time and not profit from it yet.

Be consistent. Plan ahead of time. Make sure you always have at least 5 episodes ready to edit/release at any given time, so that you never feel as if you are falling behind on those weeks you decide to take time off or are involved in a time-consuming project.

Have fun! Don’t get too serious about this. The more you strain yourself about getting things perfect, the less enjoyable this process will be. If you have something worth sharing, I promise you the process will feel fluid and free. Keep looking to others for additional support and advice should you need it.

So, there you have it! My novice experience with starting a podcast. I have had SUCH fun and am loving this phase of my life. If you feel like taking a listen, head on over to Spotify by following this link:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1TwaZ2ID4FRQthckqfjR0h

And my Instagram page: @curiousaboutrecovery

If you know anyone struggling with disordered eating or if anyone wants to pick my brain about my podcasting experience thus far (still in the infancy stage), then feel free to reach out to me!

Five Tips for Spicing up your Audio – Music Career

A lot of the time we think that joy and satisfaction need to come from an external source. They need to come to us from something we experience or from something that lands on our laps…

But I think that some of the most rewarding experiences come from the ones we create.

So, you’ve been feeling a bit down? Perhaps stuck in mundane cycles that leave you feeling demotivated and bored?

Why not look at these five tips to help “spice up” your audio career? Trying just one of them with the intention of creating your own bliss, may very well add to your sense of joy, accomplishment, and overall satisfaction.

Collaborate

We get so used to working on our own, stuck behind a laptop in our office or studio. These days it’s even more so with isolation and virtual experiences becoming the norm after Covid-19.

Something that can be super encouraging is to work with others.

Now, it’s a male-dominated industry, which means you will mostly be working with men on collaborative projects.

But what if you were to reach out to women? Perhaps even someone you don’t know?

Find a fellow lady on one of the SoundGirls pages or another community you are a part of.

It could be someone in your area or even across the globe. See how you might be able to work together and support each other.

Perhaps it won’t take immediate effect, but the next time she is looking for an extra set of hands-on a project or someone she can connect with for support, she’s more likely to reach out to you because you put in the effort to build a relationship.

Make yourself known and be open to simply networking. You never know what projects you may stumble across and what lasting friendships you might be able to build.

Work on passion projects

This can be done alone or with others (it’s more fun when you do it with others!).

You may find yourself feeling frustrated at the fact that your job mostly comprises of removing “um’s and ah’s” from a podcast episode on fitness, or that the bathroom tile advert you worked on felt like a chore rather than something you could enjoy.

So why not get yourself out there to create something that brings you joy? 

Whether it’s working with an artist to record a song or collaborating with a videographer to do a cool short film.

Do something creative, after all, that’s what drew you to this industry in the first place!

If you deny your creative self in this industry you will most definitely find yourself frustrated and questioning why you do what you do.

Learn new stuff

Whether you are doing a course, reading a book, or watching YouTube tutorials, expanding your knowledge and creative abilities can feel super rewarding. If you’re not sure what to learn, try finding something that inspired you.

For example, Blade Runner 2049 had some incredible SFX. If that blew your mind as much as it did mine, why not go teach yourself how to creatively apply yourself in the same way?

Find out what methods were used, how they created what they did, and work on a project where you can apply yourself in a similar way. Achieving things that inspire you will bring a sense of fulfillment, and potentially be a great addition to your portfolio!

Get out of your comfort zone

This one is huge!

You can’t expect to experience new things if you aren’t willing to move away from your routines.

Getting out of your comfort zone could look like taking on a project you’re terrified of, and learning on the job. It could look like changing the space you work in for a day, getting to bed at an earlier hour, or even working with someone you don’t know.

Perhaps it’s a chance for you to expand yourself creatively. Trying new things can only result in two outcomes.

Firstly, failing and learning from your experience.

Second, succeeding and learning from your experience.

Either way, you are moving into an unknown space which increases your chances of new experiences, new people, new ideas, and new learning curves.

Take a break

We can get so bogged down by deadlines, that we forget what life feels like outside of work.

Intentionally creating time and space to remove yourself completely from your workspace is a fundamental element of overall work-life balance and feelings of satiation.

If you don’t make time for rest and recuperation, your mind can become cluttered and fatigued.

Creativity needs space. It needs room to stretch and play. 

If your mind is filled with cobwebs, you are not only diminishing your chances of feeling more joy, but you are also suffocating your creative self.

With these 5 tips in mind, which do you feel resonates with you most? How will you integrate one or more of these into your day, week, or month?

I challenge you to try the one that feels the most daunting to you because you never grow if you don’t try.

Until next time,

Kirsten xoxo

Mental Health – Let’s Get Open

I remember when I was young, playing “Barbie Idols” with my best friend after school. We would dress the dolls up as our favourite artists and sing our hearts out while playing our CDs as loud as our parents would allow. We always imagined we were Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. These women were our idols, and we couldn’t get enough. Fast track a few years ahead and you had the tabloids freaking out about Britney’s public mental breakdown in 2008 when she shaved her head.

I remember it being the most absurd thing I had ever heard a celebrity do – granted, I was still a kid! It just didn’t make any sense to me. I think at the time, the notion of talking openly about mental health was so out of reach for the majority of the world – and even more so for women celebrities. At the time I had no idea that the outbreak Britney was experiencing was because she was really struggling. People joked about her breakdown. They judged her, made memes, and called her crazy. And this showed me one thing…

A broken system

Women in our industry are under so much pressure. Celebrities must face their entire lives being publicized. The whole world judges their every move. They are expected to keep up a certain look to sustain their sexual appeal to the masses (because apparently, this is a valid form of identity – belch!) and when they buckle under the pressure, they are not held. They are not given grace. They are not supported.

I mean if you have watched Amy Winehouse’s documentary “Amy”, you witness a beautifully talented human being go from following a dream to being torn apart. Drugs, addiction, pressure from producers and fans, and her father refusing to support her decision to go to rehab because he claimed she was fine. She was a woman struggling in an environment where the extent to which she was seen and heard, was only at the level of how much she could make the men around her rich.

Now I don’t want to throw feminism down your throat, but what I do want to say is that the more we as women (whether we are in the music industry or not) get open about our mental health struggles, the more we can inspire others to do the same before they reach breaking point. In this way, we can collectively move toward creating an environment that is conducive to healing from, coping with, and managing mental health issues. I am inspired by the number of women musicians in the industry who are beginning to talk more openly about their mental health issues and see this as steps toward a healthier and more “normal” approach to mental health struggles.

Just to name a few, we have Selena Gomez opening up about her bipolar, Lady Gaga getting honest about her PTSD, rape, and anxiety, Demi Levato speaking about an eating disorder.

What women like this show me is this

Even if the world says you need to look, be, or feel a certain way, you do not have to conform to those expectations. It also shows that being honest and open about your struggles humanizes you and allows others to feel more confident in speaking about their issues. Personally – my very open discussion is around the fact that I had bulimia for 15 years. I still manage my eating disorder recovery daily. I also struggle with severe anxiety and ADHD. I experience insecurity and have problems with expressing my anger without internalizing it. I was date raped in my early twenties, abused drugs and alcohol heavily, attempted suicide, and even went to rehab.

But these days, if you were to meet me, you wouldn’t ever think that these things have happened in my life. I have some people call me the “happiest person they’ve ever met”. A colleague once said to me “Your life was probably handed to you on a silver platter because of how optimistic you are about everything.” (haha if only they knew!)

The reason I reached this space was that I got open. I started talking about my struggles and became willing to do something about them without shame. I started reaching out to people who had walked the same path. I sought support, put it into action, and radically changed my life. These days I work as a coach for people who struggle with eating disorders, mental health issues, and addiction and it’s all because I let my fear of being judged aside and said: “Hey, I’m not okay”.

So, I encourage you to think – are you getting open about where you’re at? Are you seeking transformation in your life? Are you willing to put your fears aside and reach out? If not, what are you resisting? What is the underlying fear of speaking up?

No matter how afraid you are, there are ALWAYS people who are willing to listen, guide, and support your journey.

So, speak up. Not only for yourself but to inspire others around you to do the same. Feel free to contact me if you are ever struggling and need direction in your mental health journey.

Learning Curves – Self Reflection is Key

 

It’s almost impossible for me to not think of things philosophically. That’s why when I experienced my first Sound-theory class at Abbey Road Institute, Johannesburg, I was blown away by the concept of sound being something that fluctuates up and down – in cycles.

At times these cycles occur more frequently, at others they seem long and drawn out. This concept inspired my topic for this blog post – The ups and downs of life, and its continuous learning curves.

What I hope to share with you is the learning curves in my audio career over the past month, and what they meant for me. You may relate and be able to apply some of these thoughts to your own experience.

The first thing that stood out for me this month was the concept of taking on too many jobs at once, just to pay the bills. Even work that wasn’t paying me nearly what I should have charged. It left me at times often resenting the work I was doing because I had this internal conflict going on:

Did I compromise the quality of my work because the client couldn’t afford what I was capable of doing? 

Should I have rejected the opportunity of the project completely knowing that it would drain me? 

Should I draw from all my energy resources to deliver a pristine final product at the sacrifice of my mental health?

How could I have approached this all differently?

The second learning curve this month was committing to a project without having any written contract or agreement beforehand. I know this one can be tricky, but I know how important it is to get agreements in writing. Even if I have a half-page document for the client to sign, it would help make things a bit more formal, as I found myself doing work for a client that “needed it done today”, and I didn’t see any financial return initially promised.

This left me feeling resentful as well. This also happened to occur when a client I had a retainer with just randomly decided to drop me, meaning my financial fear for the month sunk in.

The last major learning curve was taking on a project I thought I could perform better on, only to find my efforts less than what the client needed to be delivered. I had to approach the client and let them know that I hadn’t been able to deliver, that I wasn’t going to get paid for the work I had done. Perhaps I could blame the fact that I don’t have the gear that would make my job easier, perhaps I could get discouraged about not feeling skilled enough, but no…that was not the answer.

Now, the reason I am telling you all this is not to sound as if I am complaining or to shed a negative light on the past 30 days, it’s to inspire you.

Hear me out…

Upon reflection on these learning curves, I had to take a look at myself. Where was I getting resentful at others or myself for things that I might have been able to avoid or change?

How could I take responsibility for the decisions I had or had not made? How could I use these learning curves as a means to better my skillset and knowledge, reflect on my resentments, and seek internal personal growth. For there is no use just being upset that things “aren’t going my way”.

What I needed to see, was that there were a few “dips in my soundwave” this month and that I had the choice to recognise the natural upward progression of the wave – I got to choose to gather my thoughts and actions and learn from my errors.

There is never a low point that you cannot move on upward from, that you can’t learn from. Don’t dwell in defeat, anger, frustration. Rather move toward introspection, maturity, and emotional growth.

One tool I use to reflect on things that don’t go well, is to sit with myself, lay out all my thoughts, actions, feelings onto a piece of paper and try to see where I could improve or do things differently next time. And if I get stuck, I go to someone I trust and ask for their guidance.

So today, I encourage you to take a look at the “dips” in your life right now and ask yourself:

“How can I learn?”
“How can I improve?”

“How can I let go?”
“How can I grow?”

Know that when you answer these questions and then follow through with actions in alignment with the things you learn, you will soon see yourself on an upward trend, even if it’s only measurable on an internal basis.

Some Tips From My Last Location Sound Gig

TUGELA SKYE

I have this weird love-hate relationship with location sound. It’s still a relatively new area of expertise for me, but there have been some amazing, and not-so-amazing experiences. I recently went on a trip with a well-known film producer, Timothy Hay from Hellmot productions. It was a last-minute adventure, and I must admit one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. So, I thought I would tell you a bit about the trip, what I learnt and what I might do differently next time.

So, the gig was as follows: Tim was the winner of the My Rode Reel competition the previous year and this year he decided to go all out for his second entry. I was contacted by a friend of a friend of a friend (because we all know that’s the only way to get work in this industry haha!), who asked me if I was free to do a gig in about two weeks.

We were going to hike up to Tugela Falls (the highest waterfall in the world), stay overnight, and capture some truly beautiful footage. Would I be interested in going? My answer was a simple “HELL YES!”

So, I got acquainted with the gear, the nature of the job, and what was required of me and took off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Here are the things I faced, and tips on what you might need to consider for your next location sound excursion:

When doing a location sound recording gig that’s going to be in the middle of the mountains, make sure you take the right camping gear!

I found myself having to share a one-man tent with another girl, we froze through the night and I totally forgot to bring simple things like a coffee cup. Yes, we had to be very careful as to how much weight we were carrying up the mountain (it was hellishly steep), but things like correct hiking boots would have saved my feet a few weeks of blister recovery.

No matter WHAT the film producer says, make sure you take extra cables!

This was a funny one – when working with videographers, or anyone else for that matter, and you haven’t had a chance to check the quality of the cables beforehand, just bring your own in case. We had a faulty cable running into our Zoom recorder and it meant we couldn’t use all the mics we had hoped to use for the film. This made room for error as we were relying on a limited feed for our takes. If something went wrong, we didn’t have backup feeds. So, just tuck them in a pocket if you must but take extra cables with you!

Make sure you are familiar with the gear.

I knew what I was doing but had never used the model that was provided. So, before the gig, I spent some time on YouTube simply making sure I had a good idea of simple things, like where the menu button on the recorder was. Trust me, you don’t want to look like an idiot when you go ask the DOP where to find the menu button on a piece of gear you should be proficient at.

Take as much wind protection as possible.

I’ve never experienced as much wind as I did at the top of that mountain, if it hadn’t been for the wind protection we brought with us, everything would have been ruined. Even if you don’t think it will be windy, take it with you.

Don’t be afraid to tell the DOP that it was a dud take.

The worst thing happened – we were taking a shot for the climax of the film. After a few takes and struggles, we got the take.

Everyone cheered.

I said, “Guys, we have to do it again.”

When they asked me if I was sure, I hesitated. For a moment I was embarrassed that I was the one killing the buzz after that amazing take, but I knew professionally that I needed to do my job, and I needed to do it well. I, very assertively said, “I’m sorry but you’re going to have to do it again, we can’t fix this in post.” And I am so glad I did.

Take in the view

We walked with 20-30kg bags on our backs, shooting in between scaling up cliff faces, and you know what – every time I got a chance, I looked around me and took it in. I was in awe. I couldn’t believe how magnificent the view was, and that I could justify this as “work”. The people, the place, the purpose – all exceeded expectations.

Be realistic with your post-production limitations.

So, because it was all done about a week before we had to submit the film, we had about 3 days to do all the audio post-production editing. I spent those three days doing nothing else. I had to know when to say, “this is the best we can do for this part.” But I also had to not be afraid to say, “I don’t think this will work here”.

Do push-ups.

You may laugh but carrying a boom mic for two days straight can take its toll. Make sure you get your upper body in good condition if you don’t want weeks of residual backache.

After about a week of filming and editing, we did it! And the feeling was SO good. I couldn’t put into enough words how much I enjoyed the experience – the early 4 am starts, the relationships and banter, the late nights editing, and the lasting connections made.

So, next time you go on an exploration-style sound recording gig, keep in mind these things, and good luck with your adventure!

Be Like A Crotchet Rest

The sound industry brings me such reward. There’s nothing else like it. I mean just a month ago I was hiking up to the highest waterfall in the world with 20kgs worth of gear and camping equipment on my back, doing location sound for a short film (we entered the Rode Reel competition for 2021), and the fact that I could call this “work” amazed me. Getting back to the city, I was pressed for time with a three-day deadline to deliver an original composition, post-production audio editing, sound design, and foley. The “rush” of the job had me pulling all-nighters and feeling like I had a purpose.

Then, not surprisingly, I crashed. Exhaustion hit, and along with it came imposter syndrome, frustration, and feeling like I wasn’t good enough because I couldn’t get what I could hear in my head out onto the DAW. Not to mention I was working with the cheapest and most frustrating laptop and software (a major downgrade from what I was used to when I was at Abbey Road). I felt depressed, deprived of sleep, and full of self-doubt.

I quickly realized that I had done it again – getting myself into the “go, go, go, crash” cycle. I had to remind myself of the most important lesson I have learned in my life – to be like a crotchet rest. (I even have one tattooed on my wrist to remind me!).

I like to think of it like this – a crotchet rest is actually a note. What I mean is that it is a part of music where you “play silence”. It’s intentional, and without these written into the music, the piece would just be noise.

In life, you must be intentional about where you insert your stillness, your silence. You must create space for the notes so that they can transform into a complete piece of music.

It’s just like in life. I figure that one must be deliberate about where one fits silence into their existence, and not be freaked out by it (because we tend to believe that when we are still, we aren’t accomplishing anything). I see this intentional rest as a fundamental requirement in my path to success. It’s almost like intentionally “playing the silence” in my life for it to form a whole, “successful” piece of music.

So much of the brain’s energy is taken up on regretting or dwelling on the past or fearing and worrying about the future. And if it’s not spending its energy trapped in some irrational fear, then it’s almost certainly using whatever it can to distract itself from stillness. Things get so chaotic, and we fall into the trap of resisting stillness.

One tends to resist stillness, especially when life gets busy as there seems to be “no time”. But the act of making stillness a priority – of playing the silence – is one of the most valuable things to remember when life gets tough. It requires you to go within, to consistently check in with yourself, to observe without judgment, and to listen deeply so that you can determine whether the thought, action, or feeling you are currently experiencing is harming or helping you. It helps you see if there are things you are giving your time and energy to that are not serving your highest good. It allows you to take ownership and responsibility for where you’re stumbling and to redirect yourself toward a healthier you. This stillness is a space of infinite potential. It gives your mind and spirit a chance to expand, explore, and let go.

That is why, being like a crotchet rest – intentionally playing the silence of life – is one of the best pieces of advice I can give you. So, perhaps in your day today, think about playing the silence in your own life. Where can you make stillness a priority? Where can you stop resisting stillness?  Where can you be intentional about moving into the space of infinite possibility?

Give it a try. Even if it’s just for five minutes and begin to see the ripple effects of its power in your life.

 

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