While film and television are both visual experiences, the importance of sound to the experience can often be overlooked but should never be underestimated. 

An untrained audience is often unaware of the amount of post-production undertaken for sound. Not only do you incorporate the sounds and dialogue recorded during filming, new sounds are also added later that enhance the experience, such as music and effects.

When putting together a complete soundtrack, a sound designer will mix these audio elements together and create a balanced whole that emphasises the emotional path and highlights of the visual story. Such as:

• Making the dialogue or human voices as natural and authentic as possible, and ensuring balance with the rest of the sounds;
• Creating and using sound effects, sounds that are synchronised with the action (such as footsteps that match walking feet) and sounds that are off-screen or asynchronous (such as the sound of an ambulance's siren somewhere outside a darkened apartment);
• Composing and bringing music into the sound mix at the right levels, and in the right places. For the best example of a timely and brilliantly mixed use of music, think of the 1977 film Jaws. 

3D audio is an emerging and innovative sound platform that is making waves around the world for the truly immersive experience it delivers to audiences.

Here we take a look at some of the events IOSONO has been integral in creating with it’s global partners.

Sounds & Motion has recently established an exclusive partnership with IOSONO to deliver 3D audio for the Australian market.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, 2013

40,000 people saw the open air production of Bizet's "Carmen" set against the splendid backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

Our 3D Sound lab is coming along nicely. Here we are selecting the speakers and building the test environment.

Over the past few days we've been at REMIX, a masterclass on culture, arts and technology. 

From the Creators of CultureLabel.com, REMIX Summits tackle the big ideas shaping the future of the cultural and creative industries. By brings together leaders from across industries they facilitate the exchange of ideas and insights, fostering dialog and collaboration.

We were inspired by speakers as diverse as Tom Uglow Creative Director of Google's Creative Lab, Louise Herron CEO of Sydney Opera House,  Leigh Carmichael Creative Director, Dark Mofo, MONA’s winter festival and Allegra Burnette Creative Director, Digital Media, MoMA.

Here's a few of our favourite thought starters.

What do Don Draper, Forrest Gump, Tarantino and Daft Punk have in common? 

Check out this clever advert we're loving right now.

We're excited to have recently attended a 2-day workshop on 3D and immersive sound in Germany with IOSONO.
 
Through various presentations and show cases, the IOSONO team demonstrated how you can turn a live-event into an unforgettable experience by creating captivating and engulfing sound environments that transport moods and messages with sound. 

Interesting user stories ranged from award-winning Fresenius’ centennial celebration in Frankfurt to Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

In late 2013 Sounds & Motion did the 5.1 surround mix and mastering of short film The Uneducated. 

Written and directed by former Animal Logic and Disney animator Craig Rutherford and produced by his wife, Pamela Lee Rutherford, The Uneducated is a short film about the unanswerable questions of life as seen through the eyes of two children.

After school, a young boy with an incredible intellect finds solace within a science lab, with something on his mind. His solitude is broken by a curious girl who seeks to understand his strangeness with endless questioning and a wild imagination. He dismisses her childlike outlook on life, but In the end, learns something through her that cannot be taught, only revealed... but at what cost for the girl?

To date the film has picked up a number of festival nominations and screenings including the 2014 Spirit Quest Film Festival and 2014 Green Bay Festival and it won the Long Time award at the 2014 Imago Film Festival.

January is a highlight of the festival calendar in Sydney and there's nothing bigger than the events at the Domain. Des O'Neill, our General Manager, tuned and time aligned the Domain sound system for Coda Audio and was on location to mix both the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for the Sydney Festival and the Opera in the Domain.
 
Sound simple? Over 70 Meyer Sound loud speakers and 121 microphones made up of Schoeps, Neumann, DPA, AKG and Audio-Technica alone is just a little of what goes into making the Symphony in the Domain sound so special.

Here's a few of our favourite moments.

We're proud to have supported the production of 'No Fracking Way' with sound recording in our studios. Congratulations to Leo Sayer and the team. Get involved! 

Sounds & Motion was engaged by producer Tracey Savage to provide all of the sound mixing and sound design for Liv; a short film directed by Pauline Finlay. The film screened at 2013 Flickerfest and 2012 Palm Springs International Shortfest.

Liv is about a young woman being brutalised by cyber bullies, and loathed by her mother. Liv has a chance for change and discovery comes when she enters an art competition and falls in love with Jasper. But can her love for art and tattooing help her to overcome the bullies?

In addition to the sound design, we also provided spot effects and foley which are sound effects that are specifically recorded to fit a particular action or moment in the film.

For example - there is a scene where Liv gets knocked to the ground by a group of girls that are bullying her. The attack happens in a pedestrian tunnel that runs under a railway line. Sounds and Motion went to this location and recorded the sounds of trains, metal against metal sounds created by the train wheels changing tracks, the sound of footsteps and train sounds from inside the tunnel. All of those were then incorporated into the sound design for this particular scene.

For more information about the film
visit www.reddottheshortfilm.com