Career Challenge

For my first career challenge report I chose to interview my current boos at my internship with “Hedroom Productions”.  Joshua Bjarnarson is the current CEO at Hedroom and I spoke with him on route to our event featuring “Foghat” at the Edgewood valley country club in La grange Illinois.  I began the interview in a casual manner and asked him some basic questions about the company and his past in live sound reinforcement.   Included with the interview are the audio sample of our conversation, which is loud because of the wind inside the truck we where traveling in, and a picture of Joshua.

           

            What was the most troublesome situation you encountered at a live show?

At the show Josh knew the house engineer at the venue enough that he was aloud to go onto the board but then hit a wrong button which caused the show to basically go mute.  This is on of the situations that you need to figure out the problem immediately. Josh grabbed the manual and sped through it until he figured out the problem and corrected it.  This is a classic example of troubleshooting; something that will happen at shows and must be dealt with as a live sound engineer.

           

            What got you into live sound?

Music, the passion for music, entertainment and getting people to have the best show that they can have.

            How did you start up your company?

I was curious if Josh had to take out a loan or something to that effect to start up Hedroom.  Basically he suggested that he had to work very hard and live off of whatever he could to continue the company in the first two years.  He made nothing in the first two years of Hedroom and had to keep pushing himself and booking events until the he got out of the red and into the black.

            What I got back from this interview is that this business is possible if you have the determination and drive to accomplish your goals.  You must believe in yourself and what you know to drive to success.  This business is challenging but with the right mindset you can make a name for yourself in the music world.  The rest of the interview is engaging and hilarious and I encourage everyone to listen in.

Wilhelm Scream

             What is the Wilhelm scream?  

             The Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect that has been used in more than 200 movies, beginning in 1951 for the film Distant Drums.  The film "Distant Drums", is kind of a western epic set in the Florida everglades.  “The enduring legacy of this movie is the earliest known use of the Wilhelm scream sound effect, originally used to vocalize a character being torn to pieces by an alligator.

            

            What makes this sound effect important to discuss?  You have heard it before.  I guaranty that you have heard this clip before.  It is about one second long and the scream is so classic that scores of films will roll past your eyes when you hear it.

            This is a link to a YouTube compilation of different movies and directors all using this wonderful SFX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYsoEasio

             How many movies can you think of that use this sound effect?  From Star Wars to your most recent blockbuster living in the depths of the local theaters, this sound effect has been used and loved by many. But why?

             “The Wilhelm scream's revival came from motion picture sound designer Ben Burtt, who discovered the original recording (which he found as a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator") and incorporated it into a scene in Star Wars.”

             “Over the next decade, Burtt began incorporating the effect in other films he worked on, including most projects involving George Lucas or Steven Spielberg, notably the rest of the subsequent Star Wars films, as well as the Indiana Jones movies.”

             The fact that it became such a cult classic after the use in popular movies is just the beginning of how strange and loved this sound effect is. 

"Distant Drums." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Dec. 2014. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

"The Wilhelm Scream Compilation." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

"Wilhelm Scream." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Sept.            2014.

My Freakin Throat!

             I was recently thinking about a recent blog dealing with the care of one ear.  This week I thought I would guide my attention over to the care of our throats.  What are some good guidelines to proper throat care for voice acting, singing or public speaking?

• Remember that air conditioning and heaters can actively affect the muscles of your throat.   Conditioned heat or cool air over long periods of time can simulate a dehydrating affect.
• Coughing, whispering, or clearing a throat in ridiculous amounts can create excessive damage to the vocal cords
• When recording material steer away from overly frozen or cold beverages, the numbing qualities of cold can over relax the muscles, which could lead to strain or over use of the throat.
• Concentrate on monitoring your own range.  Don’t scream, yell, or over use the vocal chords.
• “Don't speak beyond a natural breath cycle.
• Don't smoke, smoking is the worst thing you can do to your voice.
• Don't demand more from your voice than you do the rest of your body.
• Reduce background noise in daily environments.”
• Generally follow your best intuition.  You understand if you make a mistake, or harm your range.  Follow up on possible damage, consult medical advice, and be mindful of your health and vocal capabilities.
• Avoid public speaking without a microphone.  Understand your limits and try not to over react to situations in which you could easily strain your vocal chords.

These are some simple steps to keep you precious vocal instrument running efficiently.   

"Activity Stream." - Voice Acting Alliance Forums. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

Listen! Better?

              What could be the most important element that any sound designer will use when creating new effects or developing a new character from scratch? Listening techniques.  Why is listening so important for the creator of new effects and technique?  Don’t we listen naturally?  Is there a way to improve our ability to listen so that we can “hear” more?  “Listening is the process that takes the information that we hear and makes meaning from that sound.”  You live in a conscience state for most of a twenty-four hour period, but are there ways to harness a stronger awareness of the sounds around you?  Through training can we learn to interpret these sounds faster and break them down into other possibilities? What are some exercises that anyone can do to improve their ability to not only “hear”, but interpret?  

            As I understand, there are many ways to improve ones hearing capabilities.  Down below are some that have been recommended to me.  They might seem simple and even elementary but don’t be fooled! Through practice and concentration of simple activities, one can begin to break through the casual “normal” everyday patterns and begin to adjust their sense to new levels of interpretation.

Simplify man! 

           Our ears, like everything else working for our bodies, can get tired.  “Listening fatigue” can be a serious, but easily corrected, condition in which our ears are not listening as sharply due to over use, strain, or sudden spikes in volume.  Give those ears a change and a chance.  Turn off or turn down your music.  Take a break and listen to some silence or put yourself in a calm quit environment.  You can leave your headphones on, just turn of the music and listen to nothing. 

Keep note of what you hear. 

           A system such as journal keeping or using your phone to take notes of what you hear and how you hear it can be beneficial to look back on.  I understand that by listening and describing the sound, then coming back to that same spot to reinterpret that sound in the description of acoustics properties can be very beneficial especially to audio students.

Learn to dissect what you listen to.

         Either in movies by listen to the development and structure of the sound design or effect, or by listening to music and breaking down by instrument and technique.  Learning to casually listen and decipher will strengthen the ability of being able to reconstruct a variation later on. 

"5 Ways to Listen Better." Julian Treasure:. Web. 6 Sept. 2014.

Ow! My Freakin Ears!

            Ears can help us escape danger or provide assistance to someone in need. Ears not only let us hear, but they also play a role in maintaining our balance, which is vital to our ability to function in daily life. So don’t ignore them, all right? They help us out every single day, unless we “lose” them; then what are we to do?

Protect your ears!  

            Stay clear, if you can, of loud noises.  Bring earplugs to events that you know are going to overly loud.  Some practicing members of audio study go as far as to bring along a pair of plugs when riding a train or walking around a bust city just to keep them babies safe.

Prevent your ears from danger!  

            Another style of protecting your ears; get a check up once and awhile people! The doctors are not just around in case you have an emergency, they can be a fantastic way of preventing a possible calamity.  Clean those puppies and be careful when doing so

Ear infections are the worst! 

           “Middle-ear infection (known medically as otitis media) is the most common illness in babies and young children” Although! Children aren't the only ones who get ear infections. 

           “When a cold or an allergy is present, the Eustachian tube swells and air is absorbed by the lining of the middle ear, creating a partial vacuum. The eardrum then gets pulled inward, and fluid weeps from the lining of the middle ear. Bacteria or viruses from the nose and throat can travel up the Eustachian tube and infect the stagnant, warm fluid in the middle ear, which provides a perfect environment for them to live and multiply. When this happens, an infection is underway.”

           Bummer!  Take care of those seasonal colds, don’t overly blow your nose by creating a strain on the ears, not smoking and being healthy in general can help, and staying alert to infections and listening to your doctor can be very helpful. 

I already have hearing problems! 

          Damn!  At this point, you may have some hearing loss or damage, but don’t fret just yet.  Go to your doctor and get medically sound advice.  I mean they are doctors yes? They might just have an idea that will help you out.  Earache and Tinnitus can be treated if noticed early on, so don’t worry yourself until you have sought out all possible treatment. 

"HowStuffWorks "How to Care for Your Ears: Tips and Guidelines"" HowStuffWorks.    Web. 6 Sept. 2014.