studio
LA studio “apt-o” offers sound for non-fiction and experimental filmmakers.
services
services
- sound design
- re-recording mixing
- voiceover recording
- field recording / foley
- 5.1, LCR, stereo, ambisonic
- dialogue editing / restoration
- cross-platform assistance
nimble, expansive
Apt-o is Emile’s 5.1 surround near-field mixing studio. The environment is prepped for live-mix sessions, with projection. A vocal booth is available for voiceover. For postproduction, apt-o offers a wide array of sound libraries, equipment for foley and field recordings, and machines for digitizing archival formats such as tape and VHS.
how it works
Every film’s sound differs, here are five steps in the process of discovery.
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To begin, it helps to hear where you are in your process. On deadline for a festival premiere? Is some of the dialogue garbled? Is the goal a surround mix for theatrical release, or a spatial mix for galleries, or something simple for socials? All three? During the consultation we can devise a plan, a timeline, and a budget that suits your objectives.
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With the plan established, a process of discovery can begin. This may include all sorts of recording situations (e.g. Foley and field recordings). Recording trips are possible. We’ll go through a few rounds of feedback using a section of the film as a testing ground. WIth that resolved I’ll continue working independently until the first mix is ready for feedback.
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Upon completion of the first pass, we begin live mixing. Join me at the apt-o studio in Mid City, Los Angeles, where we can work through the film, massaging the sound into place. Apt-o is a 5.1 surround near-field studio. If outside Los Angeles, we can arrange for a remote review, or I can fly out to mix in a local studio.
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When it sounds great in the studio, it’s time for QC. I’ll run a series of playback tests in different theaters, over headphones, and on computers. You’re welcome to join. I’ve built relationships with a number of theaters for sound checks. These tests result in fine tuning, and assure the film sounds crisp across all spaces.
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With final adjustments, I’ll provide a package of deliverables, adjusted to your needs. This generally includes a series of multi-channel mixdowns (such as 5.1, LCR, Stereo) leveled for theatrical and web; stems for DCP integration; separate mixdowns of music, effects, and dialogue; and a wrapped ProTools project for archiving.
common questions
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A. Rates are based on three factors:
project type (e.g. series, feature, exhibit, short, ad)
client (commercial or independent)
timeframe (quick turnaround or advance notice)
First-time clients and larger projects will be invoiced in three segments (signing, first cut, and delivery).
Note for independent projects: Every project’s different. Budgets vary, it’s normal! Reach out, let’s see what’s possible.
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A. Every project differs. It’s helpful to see your rough cut, and possible to start sound development based on a completed scene.
If you’d like me to begin re-recording mixing, what you send should be “picture locked.” This allows for the least time consuming (and most cost-effective) workflow. In some cases directors need to change smaller elements after mix. That’s OK! There are steps we can take to ensure alterations are simple and efficiently executed. -
A. OMF (Open Media Framework) and AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) wrapped projects are ideal ways for sending your film for mix. Both formats are easy to create in video editing (NLE) programs. Ideally the reference video you send includes a timecode burn-in.
I’m glad to walk you through this process.
Once your OMF or AAF is created, you can send material, via cloud service is fine. If the project is very large, you’re welcome to drop an external drive at the studio, or send it by mail. I’ll return the drive once the mix is complete. -
A. Feedback can be divided into two categories, Big Ideas, and Edits.
Big Ideas: As your sound editor, it’s part of my job to help understand what if the big ideas are working, and where we need to go to reach your sound-based aspirations. After a playback session, we’ll have a short chat, I’ll ask questions.Edits: For fine notes, edits, it’s ideal if these can be left as time-coded notes. Providing time-coded notes ensures I tend to the moment you’re interested in shifting.
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A. In short: Most issues can be resolved. Sometimes an issue offers an opportunity to enhance a film’s formal approach.
At length: Here are some common challenges and sample solutions.
No Recording: In Stephen’s Invention the location’s Autumn ambience played a big role, but hadn’t been recorded during production. I began on the sound in Spring. To make matters worse, there were no sound libraries available for the region.As a solution, I reverse-searched a birdwatching forum, tracking down a dozen birders with ambient recordings made within the vicinity of the film set, and recorded in the same seasonal timeframe.
Noisy Recording: Unwanted sound happens, and it’s possible to remove, or make invisible. It’s common to “paint out” passing cars. Sometimes you need to remove reverb from a voice, or add reverb to an ADR insert. It’s OK if the talent slurred a key word. I can probably swap out the slippery syllable. Squeaky cassette tapes can be de-squeaked and clean recordings can be scuffed up. There is a joy to the mechanics of solving an issue.
Unifying Sound and Concept: In an earlier cut of Lord’s An All-Around Feel Good a sonic gap would occur when an image froze. While fine, it seemed inconsistent with the film’s overall form. A simple solution was to freeze the sound to match the frozen image, melding what occurs visually with its sonic counterpart. It’s a joy to unify the way sound is edited with the functions of the film’s narrative.
Remote Talent: This can be resolved while maintaining quality. Daily news program 7am wanted to record regularly with its print reporters, many of whom reported from remote locations. I built recording kits and show-specific guides for satellite reporters, then training the journalists to record themselves. The solution allowed 7am to record quality episodes within a reasonable budget.
Uncommon Recording Scenarios: Sometimes you need a sound from an inconvenient location. For the series Empire on Blood I snuck a microphone into a maximum security prison. I rigged a supreme court room with microphones so sensitive you could hear a witness cuss out a prosecutor under their breath. Perhaps you need archival recordings from an odd place? I spent a week digitizing cassettes in an evidence locker. Your film may call for sound inaudible to the human ear. I’ve built custom microphones to record the movement in church pews and the hidden noise of electronic impulses.
TL;DR There are solutions.