Acting Without the Drama

March 30, 2009.  So, after what’s been just over a week of helping my wife recover from her surgery and the complications that followed, I was back to it today.  There were some initial nerves going in…have I completely forgotten everything I once knew about sound editing?  But then, after a brief struggle with the computer (who was cranky that I’d left him to his own devices for a week), I was in futzing around with sound.

And loving it.  I actually lost track of time and ended up getting stuck in the worst part of rush hour because I was just trying to get one more sound effect in.

Layers and layers of sound.  Each one adding depth and dimension to the project.  Some are almost imperceptible, but take them away and it feels like something’s missing.

The last few podcasts have been about vocal training, and I realized that the layers of vocal training are very similar to the tracks of sound that you lay down for a film.  You start with the foundation…ambient sound for the film, breathing for the voice…and then build up from there.  Line upon line, track upon track, we gain richness and weight.

There is something about both that is immensely satisfying.

I’m not sure how much time I’m going to spend on the sound for this film.  I’m also not sure how many podcasts I’m going to dedicate to vocal training.  Each time I lay down an additional layer of sound or record another set of exercises, I realize how much more there is to include.

With the film, there is a deadline.  With the podcasts, there is not.  But deadline or no deadline, I plan on enjoying the process while enriching the project (or the students ).

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