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Q&A: Veronica Li takes us on a Behind the Scenes Journey into the work of a film and TV Sound Designer 

6/27/2016

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PictureUSC alums Veronica Li and Peter Bawiec attended the 2015 MPSE Golden Reel Awards in Los Angeles.




























​There’s many industrious, creative forces that converge in spearheading the stalwart efforts required to create motion pictures and television. Writers lay the foundation, directors command the creative execution, producers marshal together order needed for filming and actors transpose into alternate personas to carry out the visual storytelling medium. 



And that’s merely the scratching the surface. 


Uniting to form a well-oiled machine are many indispensable professionals who specialize in imperative filmmaking processes and functionality. From stunt performers, to hair, make-up and wardrobe, to dialect coaches, set designers, editors, composers, cinematographers and many more, there exists a faction of exceptional professionals who pump to life the heartbeat of any given production. 


It’s in this capacity where standout sound designer Veronica Li excels and has positioned herself in elite status. Li, from Changchun, China, is an intuitive talent and the owner of a catalog of venerable achievements. While audiences behold the front facing performances of actors, it’s the sound that indirectly, but inherently serves as the connective tissue tying together the viewing experience. 


Li has been instrumental in award-winning sound design behind the Bubba McLean-directed short film, “Bicycle and a Way of Life” and writer-director Melanie D’Andrea’s documentary,  “Stand.” Her filmography includes many impressive titles such as the Student Academy Award-winning documentary — “Looking at the Stars” — that tells the inspiring story of a Brazilian ballet school for the blind. Li’s list of achievements in sound are present with other film titles including director Guan Xi’s award-winning “Mandala,” as well as Michael Bay’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” (Paramount Pictures) and Columbia’s recently released “The Shallows” that stars Blake Lively, which debuted with a $17 million opening weekend at the box office. 


Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Li for an exclusive question and answer session where she gave us the scoop on her methods, artistry and experiences. We invite you to enjoy our behind the scenes look into the work of one of today’s premier sound designers. 


How would you summarize your role and responsibilities as a sound designer for film and TV? 


VL: During pre-production, a sound designer can start making design ideas for a project's signature sounds. During production, the sound designer sometimes works with the production sound team to collect production sounds for later use, like certain unique environment sounds, rare prop sounds and so on. And also, we sometimes start to pull sound effects based on the script, building the sound library for picture editors or even working on some scenes for their assembly or rough cut to use to make the picture more presentable. A sound designer's main duty starts in post-production. Oftentimes the sound designer title is for lead sound effects editor in charge of creating sound effects for the movie or part of the movie if there're multiple sound designers. Working closely with the picture department, we fulfill the sound design works for each version of the picture cut and we often work on the project until the end of the re-recording mix. 


When did it all get started for you? What were some of your early projects and inception into the business? 


VL:  I always had passion for filmmaking since I was little. I did my undergrad as a film study major. It wasn’t about sound at first, but in my senior year in college when Randy Thom was giving a sound design tutorial at the first Beijing Film Festival, I realized how important and amazing sound design could be. Later I came to USC where they had one of the best sound departments among film schools, and I really started to focus on learning the craft and decided to make it my career. 


You received your masters degree in film from USC, an institution that’s home to an enormous list of filmmaking figures and legends such as George Lucas and Brian Grazer. What did your time at USC mean to your professional career?


VL: It meant a lot to me. It was at USC that I started learning sound design and fell in love with it. I started from zero and USC equipped me with the skills that I could start to work professionally. All the professors at USC are so knowledgable and helpful. And the students I’ve worked with at school are very inspiring and we are still working on projects together after school. 


Who are some influences and favorite filmmakers?


VL: I always like David Lynch’s films. Alan Splet and Ann Kroeber’s sound works on those films are always inspiring. 


What are the traits a great sound designer must possess? 


VL: I think sound design is like any other elements involved in moviemaking — they’re all powerful tools to tell stories. So I think just like for every filmmaker, it’s important for sound designers to understand and feel the story of their projects. And of course, besides that, it’s important to have good sensibilities of sound too. and be curious about life, cause oftentimes inspiration comes from sound from everyday life. 


How do you inject those qualities into your sound designs?


VL: I always start thinking about my sound design from the story of the project, and when I explore for a while or get stuck at some point, I would always go back to the story and that usually gives me the answer. 


In filmmaking, there seems to be many stories of how certain sounds are creatively recorded, produced and made for use on screen, for example the igniting and clash of lightsabers in “Star Wars.” Has there been an instance where you designed a unique sound that tested your creativity?


VL: There was a sound design class at USC. A lot of the class exercises were about creating unique sounds with normal everyday objects. I remember I created a whole sound story about an old castle that haunted by this women/cat monster with my vocal. There’re so many plug-ins and modification software that you can use that you’ll be surprised about what you can do with just one normal sound. 


What’s the biggest challenge that you’ve faced on any one production and how did you overcome it?


VL: There are no easy movies. It could be as complicated as the buoy or shark sounds in “The Shallows” or sometimes it could just be simple footsteps approaching. In “Mandala,” when the main character is walking towards this old lady who is supposed to be the love of her previous life, we spent a lot of time in foley recording, in editorial and mixing. We tried to make those footsteps work for the story and emotion. 


What is one thing audiences would never expect that is present within the work that goes into sound design?


VL:  I guess background sound is one of them. They are ambience sounds that will make the location feel more real and sometime helping to convey a certain mood. They’re supposed to be unnoticeable and only to let the audience feel. 


What’s that collaborative process like? How do you work closely with the other creatives who champion the movies you’ve been a part of?


VL: I really enjoyed my work experience with Melanie D’Andrea, the director of “STAND” and “South Arcadia St.” For all the projects we’ve worked together, all of them were totally creative and fun experiences. Melanie has so many cool ideas and fully trusts me and the power of sound design. For certain elements, we would just talk and bounced ideas back and forth until something came out of it that often times surprised both of us. 


Let’s talk about a few of your projects. You’ve been working on the team at E² Sound Studio, a company that’s delivered sound for the Oscar-winning picture, “Argo,” as well as “13 Hours,” “Transformers” and “Kung Fu Panda.” How do you guys maintain such a high level of success with many of the most recognizable, recent movies coming out of Hollywood?


VL: I’ve joined E² in more recent months. But I’ve already been amazed by how far they’ll push for sound design. I think the trick is to keep digging and exploring until you are convinced that it’s the best you can do. It may sound easy, but given consideration of the intense circumstances and the short time that post can usually get, it’s actually super hard to do. 


What was your experience working on “13 Hours?” 


VL: I recorded part of the group and wild ADR for the project. It was fun and I’ve learned a lot. We recorded a lot of wild ADR on Paramount’s lot with their exterior sets, so we could get the natural reverb between the buildings. And we’ve tested and set up different mics, and different arrangement of recording positions so we could get variations and make sure the recordings will suit the scene properly. 


You mentioned working on “The Shallows” that just opened this past weekend. That’s a new addition to the creature feature genre about Blake Lively’s surfer character who is terrorized by a great white shark just off shore at a deserted beach. It would seem to me that type of isolated survival tale set in the water and absent with common amounts of dialogue would lean heavily on sound design. What stood out to you in working on the film?


VL:  It’s a really hard film when it comes to sound design. The structure of the story is really simple and only includes very limited sound elements in the film, so every single element become very important and needs to be very specific and contain enough variations that won’t bore the audiences. 


How does the sound design enhance the viewing experience for “The Shallows?”


VL:  It enhances the movie a lot. The majority of the film is shot in stage in a tank, so the entire ocean feel is solely created by sound design. 


What was the approach in delivering the sounds associated with the water, waves and the underwater shots?


VL: Water sound is one of the most difficult things for this movie since the entire movie is set in the sea. It’s hard enough to make the waves sound natural and match the visual. There cannot be a single wave that sounds unnatural. It’s even harder when you have to keep the ocean sound real throughout the movie and also try not to bore the audience. 


How does the sound design relative to the shark attack and to the shark itself make the movie especially emotion-stirring?


VL: I think for the shark it’s a balance about when to hold back, play the suspense and when to release its power! Make it really loud and scary. And the team spent a lot of time to explore for shark moves, pass bys and of course shark bite sounds. We wanted it to sound real first because that would be most scary, but also sound powerful enough, especially for the shark bites towards the end. It needs to be believable and have enough impact, and also needs to work with music and cut through all the other sound elements. 


You’ve got a pair of awards on your achievement list. What was your experience in creating the needed sound for “Bicycle and a Way of Life” and “Stand?”


VL: “Bicycle and a Way of Life” includes a lot of chase scenes between police cars and bikes. It was my first experience of cutting for car action scenes and I’ve learned a lot from it — how to edit sound for different parts of the car and what to emphasize to deliver the speed and excitement. 


“Stand” focuses on the specific dance form of krumping, so music and sound is of critical importance to a movie like that. How would you describe your approach for your work on “Stand?”


VL: Yeah, matching the rhythm of the dance moves and work with music. It blurs the boundary between sound design and the score. That was the focus of “STAND.” 


What was your initial reaction upon learning about the story behind “Looking at the Stars?” It sounds like a rather fascinating tale and I can’t think of another film about a ballet school for the blind.


VL: I was so moved by the first rough cut that the director Alex showed me. I’ve never seen a better first cut during my time at USC. Right away I knew that I had to work on this project. 


Inspiring audiences seems to be chief among the motivations of that story. How does that impact your job as sound designer? What’s the approach?


VL:  I guess I tended to design it with a subjective approach, so audience could see the film from the point of view of the dancers. 


How would you pitch the story of “Mandala” and what was your goal in sound designing for this award-winning film?


VL:  It’s a story about Helena, this talented NYC painter, struggling to come to terms with the loss of her lover, Paul. Stuck and drowning in these memories and fragmented images of her past, she meets a mysterious Tibetan monk who shows an interest in her work. His temple will even buy all of her unsold paintings if she partakes in a special ‘commission’ in Tibet.


To contrast and connect the sound environment between NYC and Tibet was always one of mine and Guan Xi’s focuses. When we are in NYC we hear typical, probably a little bit exaggerated city noise: traffic, pedestrians, sirens, etc. And in Tibet, we deliberately emphasize sound from nature: wind, river, animals, etc and Tibetan Buddhism instrument sounds. Luckily, I communicated with the production sound team from early on, so they could help me to collect a lot of ambience sound during production period. And we also got connected to a local Tibetan lama here in Los Angeles and recorded a lot of Tibetan Buddhism instrument sounds to use in the score as well as my sound design. 


In addition to contrasting NYC and Tibet, we also wanted to connect the two worlds, giving a hint of Tibetan element in the NYC environment since Helena is someone who belongs to Tibet, but is currently trapped in the city. For example, we decided to use a very subtle Tibetan music cue whenever we saw Helena’s Tibetan painting. Another example is when she and Lobsang Lama passed by each other on the city street. The passing by car horns gradually changed to Tibetan musical bells, as if Tibetan is calling from inside of Helena. 

What achievement are you most proud of to date specific to your career as sound designer? 


VL: I guess I’m just happy that I and my clients too are satisfied with all the works I’ve worked on so far. 


How do you spend up your free time when not working on movies?


VL: Reading and watching more movies…and I like traveling too, if I have time. 


What’s next up for you?


VL: I’m about to work on a film called “The Mad Whale,”  a co-production between James Franco’s Elysium Bandini Studios and USC’s School of Cinema Arts. It’s about a women’s mental asylum in 1894 Boston. It will be a fun 
challenge to work on a period piece with an interesting story like this. 
 

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Journalist and Editor Richard Bence is a ‘pioneer of the luxury world’ 

6/27/2016

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PictureJournalist and editor Richard Bence: "True luxury whispers, it doesn’t shout."
It was during the global financial crisis of 2008 that British journalist and editor Richard Bence saw and seized opportunity. 


Financial viability of many industries tumbled down the slippery slope, namely, journalism and media. But some instead viewed the period as a renaissance open with opportunity. This was as such the case with Bence, a cross-platform media virtuoso who specializes in the niche area of luxury and branded journalism. 


“I communicate the core message of the brand without too much adornment,” Bence said. “Ultimately the accomplishment is more than awareness. Whether it’s flights, hotels or fashion, the communicative power has a commercial imperative behind it. After all, with falling ad revenues, e-commerce is a business model that even the mightiest magazines are beginning to emulate.” 


Bence, then in 2008, was co-publisher at Ink Global, a leading British travel media publisher that produces more than 25 magazines for many of the world’s largest airlines, and boasts an annual reach of more than 750 million passengers. 


“Around about the time of the crash in 2008, magazine ad venues fell off a cliff,” said Bence, a Surrey native who moved to London and later, Los Angeles. “We had to re-focus, and chose to push our titles in a more luxury-orientated direction. The Style Issue and the Luxury Issue were born out of that, and boosted our revenues. We did that by collaborating with relevant fashion brands like Samsonite and Tommy Hilfiger in an intelligent and meaningful way. We offered tailor-made editorial-style fashion shoots that followed models frolicking around a city, which helped bring the destination alive too.”


It came as no surprise that Bence’s shifting editorial directive for Ink Global returned results for all extensions, even during the tumultuous financial crisis. Said Bence, whose tenure at Ink Global ran for seven years, “The airline sold more flights, the fashion houses sold more apparel and we sold ads. The economic downturn forced us to become more creative, and in so doing, I left the magazine in better health than when I found it.”


With newspaper roots and magazine affinity, it’s been precisely this variety of enterprise that Bence has embodied to form an exemplary career in arts, culture and lifestyle storytelling. Altogether, his mark in the field is defined by outstanding, sustained international excellence. Throughout his career, Bence has shown a remarkable resiliency and a willingness to reposition himself as many times as necessary to get the job done.


For more than a decade and prior to working with Ink Global, Bence was the lifestyle editor at Attitude, Europe’s top-selling style magazine for gay men. “I began to understand what real luxury meant, the substance underneath the veneer,” said Bence, who currently serves as editor at large for BritWeek Magazine. “I got to experience the very best of the world through journalism: I traveled on the Orient Express to Venice, flew over the African savannas, stayed at a tycoon’s safari lodge, and landed by seaplane in the Maldives.”


Specific to the realm of luxury and branded journalism, Bence has now written for many prestigious publications including b.there! magazine, American Express’ Centurion and Departures, Civilian Global, Conde Nast Traveller, jetStyle, Monocle, Mr & Mrs Smith, United Airlines’ Rhapsody and more.


“E.B. White said the role of the writer is to lift people up and I believe that’s the role of every journalist and creator. In the luxury sector, the journalist takes on the added role of umpire and curator, helping those already in-the-know to feel even more informed and educated, not sold to,” said Bence.


Recognizing Bence’s world-class talent as a journalist and editor is creative director Gary Harvey, who has previously served as creative director for True Religion Jeans and Levi Strauss & Co. “Richard's research and connections allow him to bring new perspectives and new angles into familiar stories,” said Harvey. “He is an incredibly successful fashion, style and lifestyle commentator. One of the things that sets Richard apart is his journalistic voice. Each piece is tailored to a specific audience, be it live radio, print, written word or quick soundbite updates on social media. He has captured the art of connecting imagery to the written and spoken word.”


Harvey saw firsthand how Bence nimbly navigates the work of a journalist who commands a discernible presence from the branding perspective. “Richard is great at the ‘art of the interview.’ When he wrote a profile on me during my time as the creative director for Levi's Europe, he was well-prepared, thoroughly researched and extremely charming. Of all the many pieces written about me and my career this piece was one of the best!” 


Following his time with Ink Global, Bence’s next endeavor saw him man the role of editor in chief for CoutureLab, a widely celebrated luxury e-commerce site. From 2011 to 2012, he spearheaded all web copy, product descriptions, marketing campaigns, newsletters and CoutureLab’s blog, while also commissioning interviews and collectively shaping the site’s editorial content. Bence worked with many renowned companies and designers as CoutureLab’s editor in chief including Jonathan Adler, Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Allegra Hicks and Alexis Mabille, to name a few.


“It was there that I truly got to see the commercial value of content,” he said. “At a magazine, you are removed from your audience — especially inflight — but with e-commerce, you have immediate results on how popular a story is or isn't by monitoring the number of clicks. High-end luxury is by nature a niche audience with a limited supply, but the principle is still the same. My job is to make them fall in love with the story behind the brand, then the ‘click to buy’ happens effortlessly.” 


Parlaying the experience and deepening his reach into high-end luxury publishing, Bence would go on to serve as managing editor during 2013 and 2014 for Barclays’ Little Book of Wonders, an award-winning, invitation-only website and lifestyle service covering all things luxury for Barclays’ ultra high net worth clients. While overseeing editorial in conjunction with a who’s who list of manufacturers of the finer things, Bence worked with luxury brands including Bentley, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Gucci, Rolex and Tiffany & Co., among many others. 


“In the case of CoutureLab and Little Book of Wonders in particular, the jetset audience travels between their homes in London, Paris and New York,” said Bence. “They already have everything they need and more. For them, luxury is about exclusivity and personal service, as well as products with a story and tradition behind them. My role is to help people discern what matters in the world and steer them away from meaningless homogeneity.” 


Bence described the Little Book of Wonders as little novellas that communicate the story of a brand in 300 words. Encapsulating the needed message brought with it challenges. Journalists were charged the task to deliver writing that had clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity, all at the same time. 


“We strip it down to the basics and get to the very heart and soul of the product,” Bence said. “True luxury whispers, it doesn’t shout. As the conduits between our ultra-informed readership and the highly prestigious brand — whether it be a fashion house or a venerable car maker — we allow one to speak to the other, a bit like an introduction made at an elegant soiree by a courteous host.”


Joanna Steel, content and creative manager for Barclays and the Little Book of Wonders, said, “Richard was an absolute pleasure to collaborate with. Not only did he curate our editorial content, but he also wrote a number of cutting edge articles for the site. He brought fresh insight to the Little Book of Wonders and I was most pleased with his deep understanding and knowledge of the luxury sector we work in. Richard proved to be a great asset to Little Book of Wonders with his expert understanding of the luxury sector as well a branding – a combination which is hard to find.  He is sorely missed!” 


Since 2014, Bence has served as editorial director for Camberwell Consulting, a U.S.-based branding agency focused in the digital spectrum that owns a bi-coastal partnership with Manic Media, a production agency specializing in branded videos. Manic Media is co-founded by Mark Jolly, a 20-year content director and journalist who founded the travel sites, GloboMaestro and globorati. Jolly was a contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler and his work has been published in the New York Times, Times of London, New York magazine and others. 


Of Bence’s expertise, Jolly said, “Throughout his career, he has achieved great success and notoriety earning an esteemed reputation as a pioneer of the luxury world. Richard’s work has always proved extraordinarily creative and critical to the success of the projects he has been involved with. He works  well  to  deadlines  and  to budgets, running a team and championing high-end brands which is why I asked him to be Manic Media's West Coast Head of Development. Creating branded video for lifestyle companies is what Manic Media excels at, and I look forward to watching this bi-coastal partnership with Richard flourish.” 


For more information and to sample some of the latest and greatest from Richard Bence, visit: www.richard-bence.com 



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Q&A with the Preeminent film composer and orchestrator Emily Rice

6/27/2016

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Film composer and orchestrator Emily Rice: "The role of music in film is to enhance the story, or to say what the picture doesn’t or can’t say alone."


Film composer and orchestrator Emily Rice has assembled a career that’s characterized with coveted, outstanding achievements many pursue and few obtain. Rice — born and raised in London — has punctuated her presence in the realm of film and TV, doing so behind the cameras with impactful music that’s integral to cinematic storytelling at its core. 


It’s been a prolific year for Rice that’s included her musical brilliance dispatched to 11 different film and TV titles such as director Kavi Raz’s feature historical drama, “The Black Prince,” that’s produced by the management-production power, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Castille Landon’s feature family adventure, “Albion: The Enchanted Stallion,” starring Jennifer Morrison (“House”), Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Stephen Dorff (“Blade”) and Oscar nominee John Cleese (“Monty Python and the Holy Grail”), the feature drama, “93Days,” from director Steve Gukas and WGN’s historical drama series, “Underground,” starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell (“The Great Debaters”) and Aldis Hodge (“Straight Outta Compton”).  


Throughout her impressive tenure, Rice’s music has been heard in a copious collection of films including “Najmia,” an award-winning bio drama based on Fawziya Abdullah Youssef, for which Rice received a Best Composer nomination at the 2015 Underwire Film Festival (U.K.), as well as in “Lost Girls,” that stars Bar Paly (“Pain & Gain”), Marisol Nichols (“Scream 2”) and Siena Goines (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) and the award-winning animated short, “Cowboys in a Saloon.” 


An alum of the University of Southern California’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program, Rice has recorded and conducted her own original material at both Warner Brothers and Capitol Records. She has collaborated with a who’s who list of talents including the Emmy and Grammy-winning composer, Laura Karpman, and Brian Tyler, who composed for box office sensations such as “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Furious 7” and “Iron Man 3.” 


We recently had the chance to visit with Emily to get an insiders look into her own story that we are proud to present today! 


What was your initial inspiration to pursue a career as a composer and orchestrator for film and TV? 


ER: My initial inspiration was actually the singer-songwriter, Björk! I’d studied her music videos as part of my undergraduate degree and found them to be a really powerful storytelling tool. As soon as I realized that I also enjoyed writing music, music for film and TV became the obvious choice. As a kid I wasn’t that into film though, it was always music, and my parents didn’t watch a lot of movies. My earliest memory of films was watching Star Wars and Disney films at home, and my earliest memory of going to the cinema was probably to see Godzilla when I must have been about 12-years old.


Who are some of your musical influences and favorite composers? 


ER: I grew up playing the cello in orchestras and my parents always humored my musical interests when I was young. So I’m definitely influenced by orchestral music and I love composers like Beethoven, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Prokoviev, etc. As I got older, I started mixing that up with a lot of Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Björk, 90s pop music, and as my interest in music and film grew, I started adding John Powell, John Williams and Alexandre Desplat to my list of favourites. The list really is endless though!


How did your assimilation into film and TV begin? What were some of your early projects? 


ER: My very first projects were student films, and before I even started doing those, I remember contacting an animator I’d found online to ask if I could download some of his work and score it as ‘practice’! In addition to starting on student films, I also got on board with the film composer, Frank Ilfman, very early on, and was lucky to assist him on a number of his projects, including the Saturn Award and multiple Israeli Film Academy award-winning, “Big Bad Wolves.” I was so fortunate to get this kind of ‘real life’ insight very early on in my career. 


What are some of the go-to ingredients that make up a most effective score and how do you go about implementing those into your approach? 


ER: I think that the best go-to ingredients aren’t actually anything to do with music, but rather attitude. Because each project is so different and every film has its own very specific set of needs, my approach is always to first spend time with the film and talking to the filmmakers, figuring out what they want from the music. From there, it can be a different process every time. Creatively speaking, I do try and mix up live audio with samples if I’m not recording everything live, and I try and bring a unique element to every score.


Music is the essential auditory complement to what’s seen on screen. How do you go about building up and enhancing what audiences see? 


ER: My approach is always specific to the individual film. Spotting, which is deciding where music should start and stop, is an important part of the process and dictates how successful a film score can be. Music also needs to be attached to meaning, sometimes to a character, but not always. For example, in “Star Wars” I always think of Yoda as being a vehicle for wisdom and goodness – so his musical theme is not about him as such, but rather about the ideas that he embodies. So it’s a combination of enhancing what the audience does and doesn’t see.


What’s the key in matching compositions to storytelling conventions such as tone? 


ER: There is no one answer or formula. I think one must spend time with the film and get an understanding of it – you need to understand the tone before you attempt to tackle it. This is where an in-depth understanding of music and orchestration really do become helpful and one of my composition teachers once said to me: ‘There are no mistakes in music until you establish your intention.’ I definitely use orchestration to help define my intentions and match a films’ tone. A feeling of chaos can come from developing ideas too quickly as well, and the pace of a story is another important element to match musically.


It’s said often in film and television production that locations can serve as characters themselves, places like the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining” and the mystifying island in “Lost.” Can film music take on a similar capacity and life of its own?  


ER: Absolutely. I think that some of the best film music we have does exactly that; it has its own identity and so it brings a stronger identity to the film overall. Having said that, the role of music in film is to enhance the story, or to say what the picture doesn’t or can’t say alone. It shouldn’t be overbearing and so the music taking on a life of its own isn’t necessarily the right approach for every film.


There’s music from composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri that is so recognizable, iconic and synonymous with dozens of great movies. What’s it about their quality and sensibility that resonates with audiences so well and pushes a movie into the classic threshold? 


ER: Each of these composers have a very unique musical voice and have their own strengths which, in my opinion, they apply to their films in a very sophisticated way. John Williams is known for writing wonderful themes and has a traditional sound, whereas Zimmer has always been an innovator when it comes to creating new sound worlds. The point is that they are each extremely good at the thing that makes them unique. Movies are also always a team effort and for a film to be considered a ‘classic,’ every element of the filmmaking process must come together successfully.


You’ve mentored and trained under talents such as Frank Ilfman, Bruce Broughton, Christopher Young, Garry Schyman and Jack Smalley. What’s your takeaway from working with them and seeing their methods up close? 


ER: The greatest thing is that I’ve learnt something different from each of them and have seen and heard the different ways that they all think about and approach writing music. Having said that, the one thing that I’ve seen consistently from them all is the integrity of their work and their motivation to create the absolute best work they can, no matter what the project is. And take great joy in doing so!


How did the scoring program at USC help shape your composing approach? 


ER: USC was such a wonderful all-round experience. I was able to take away some very practical things like specific writing techniques, learning to conduct and run a recording session, as well as try new ideas like creating a concept for a score.


What’s your experience been working with Laura Karpman and Brian Tyler? 


ER: Both Laura and Brian have been working in the industry for more than 15 years and so my experience with them both has been very enriching. It’s also been hugely varied as they each work on different types of projects and both work in different ways. They are both very creative musically and so it’s been a pleasure to witness them work and be part of their teams. I’m star struck by both of them on a daily basis basically!


Share with us a little bit about “Najmia.” What was the premise of the film? 


ER: The idea behind “Najmia" was to highlight some of the difficult conditions child brides experience, especially when faced with pregnancy at very young ages. The aim of the film wasn’t to pass judgment on other cultures, but rather to help raise awareness about the need to improve sanitary conditions and midwife training in regions where these situations are common.


What was your approach in composing “Najmia” and what came together well that led to your award nomination? 


ER: My initial concept for the score was for it to be predominantly strings. This was primarily because the film had moments of great intimacy, loneliness…stillness, but also reaches a pretty intense climax. As a cellist, strings have always been so emotional and expressive to me, and so I felt that they could convey everything that the film needed the music to be. We did add some piano, synths and a touch of brass for some additional colour later in the process. I think that the award nomination was a result of several factors, not least that the film was beautifully made and the story was told very effectively; I was very excited when I first saw the cut. The entire central cue was written around a repeating bass line, which I think helped the emotional content of the film feel very relentless and thus had a more powerful affect on the audience.


“Albion: The Enchanted Stallion” has a superb cast. What did your job as orchestrator entail for this variety of a fantastical family adventure? 


ER: For me, orchestrating for other composers is such a joy as you get the opportunity to see the nuts and bolts of their writing and how they put their music together. The role, when doing it for someone else, can be any number of things from filling out harmony and instrumentation, to formalizing a sketch or mock-up that is already very detailed and near complete. I don’t view orchestrating for other composers as a form of self-expression. The opposite is true though when I orchestrate my own work. On “Albion,” my role was to take George Kallis’ music and expand it for the full orchestral and vocal forces that we had available, making sure I fulfilled his musical intentions. At times, this meant taking an adventure-like cue and filling out the brass section, or in a more fantasy based passage, making sure that the orchestra was being used to demonstrate its full range of colours.


You’ve also been working on historical dramas like “The Black Prince” and “Underground.” What’s the goal in crafting music for those productions and what do you think serves as the best music for titles that are rooted in history-based storytelling? 


ER: You know, even though these two projects share the historical drama umbrella, they are so different to one another that it’s difficult to draw parallels. But this is also the beauty of composing for film and TV; that no two projects are the same. However, the goal in writing music is always the same for every project — serving the story. But at the same time, it’s how you serve the story that changes from production to production. 


For “The Black Prince,” my role was orchestrator and the challenge was to maintain a classical feel in the score to reflect the time period. I also wrote some additional music, and as an additional music composer, ones’ role is to reflect the lead composers’ style and blend your writing with his or hers. This might mean doing an arrangement of a theme, for example. 


“Underground” was a completely different type of project – it was a TV show rather than a film and had a contemporary approach in that it mixes modern songs with original underscore and slave songs from the time. I think one should at least hint towards the time period in historical dramas as this is a strong part of the story’s identity and perspective, helping tell us where we are and when. It also helps marry the score specifically to the film or show and gives it its own identity.


Your music for “Cowboys in a Saloon” sounds very interesting with its live performance by the Helix Collective at the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival. How would you describe the score and its ensuing performance with the screening where it went on to win Best Picture? 


ER: “Cowboys in a Saloon” is such a charming little film. In my experience, I have found animations often need a lot of music because the mood/tone is changing at a faster pace than in live action. On top of that, “Cowboys” had very little dialogue and sound effects to add to my challenge! It gave me great freedom though, and meant that the score really was at the forefront from start to finish. I was quite nervous of the screening as the film wasn’t actually finished for the festival and I wasn’t sure how the audience would react. The Helix Collective performed the score perfectly with the best outcome we could have hoped for!


You composed for the dramatic thriller, “Lost Girls.” What’s the film about and how did you go about crafting music that serves the suspense and drama? 
ER: “Lost Girls” is about a young girl (Marisol Nichols) who is kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking. We follow Marisol and the woman who helps kidnap her (Kara, played by Bar Paly). The film’s content is obviously serious and dark, so I started writing with these tones in mind. “Lost Girls” actually became two films — “Lost Girls” and “Lost Girls: Marisol” — each one told from the perspective of one of the two main characters. “Lost Girls” is Kara’s journey and we learn about her history and what led her to position she finds herself in. So there is an added sadness in parts of the score, whereas Marisol’s tale hints at hope.


Share with us a little on your composing for the short film, “FIrefly” that recently screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival. What’s the film centered on and what qualities encompass its score?


ER: “Firefly” is centered around a young girl who is determined to catch the ‘monster’ that goes bump in the night. When she finally discovers her ‘monster,’ she realizes that things aren’t always as scary as they seem. I wrote the score from Maya’s perspective as we spend the whole film inside her imagination. The instrumentation I chose and the way I orchestrated helped convey to the audience that we were very much in a child’s world; it was vital to get the tone right!


What are some of your hobbies when not working on film music? 


ER: Haha! Well music started out as my hobby and I still view it this way – playing music, going to concerts or writing. And I feel the same about watching films and playing video games, though I’m a little rusty on the latter having left my Playstation back in England! I love the beach so I try and jump down there for walks as much as possible – we’re spoilt for choice in California and I wish I had more time to explore the state.


What’s next up for you? 


ER: Up next I’ll be working on a feature-length documentary called “100 Faces of Survival” about Armenian identity today against the backdrop of the 1915 Armenian genocide. Season 2 of “Underground” was recently given the green light and I’m looking forward to working with Brian Tyler on his upcoming projects.  I’m in discussions about a few other things of my own which I can’t mention yet! 


Out of all of your achievements to date, what’s the most proud mark you’ve made in your career as a composer and orchestrator? 


ER: It’s difficult to choose one specific project, and really I’m just proud to be doing a job that I love. I very much enjoy the process of moving from one project to another that is completely new and different, and I’m especially happy when I get to work with live players. I’m also very proud to be supported by BAFTA LA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles), including receiving a BAFTA scholarship. As a Brit, being recognized and supported by such an organization is very meaningful to me! 

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Sound Designer Xiao Hou Details the Creation behind a ‘sonic sculpture that’s multidimensional’

6/24/2016

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PictureSound designer Xiao Hou: "Audiences walk out of the the theater cheering about the film, but nobody will dance about how realistic the airplane sound is.”

​Within film production, there exists a behind-the-cameras position of chief importance and in several ways, it’s a lot like fishing. 


“We capture the “fish” from the field, bring it back and cut it, then cook it,” said sound designer Xiao Hou. “We communicate with customers, who usually will be directors. They will tell us how they want the fish to be cooked.” 

It’s a clever interpretation from one of today’s foremost sound practitioners for film. Hou hails from Zhengzhou, China. He specializes in creating immersive soundscapes that place audiences in the best intended position to consume a cinematic story. 

Hou, known for his auditory work on Lionsgate’s “Compadres,” Xuexue Pan’s “Once” and the award-winning films, “Until the Dust Settles,” “God Save the Queen” and “Welcome to Sugar Town,” describes his artistry further. 

“It’s more like a sonic “visual effect.” For example, we can create a sound environment that brings you to another space, such as New York Grand Central station. We can also create sounds that don’t exist in our world, such as spaceship and alien voice.” 





​It’s a valid point. As stories traverse locations and introduce any form of character, with it comes the need for believable and poignant sound that enhances the total viewing experience. It’s a tried and true practice with filmmaking, from the terror on the high seas that was “Jaws” to the terror in the shower scene in “Psycho” to the galactic battles unfolding in “Star Wars,” each is brought to memorable fruition through the stalwart efforts of talented sound designers. 

Hou grew up an aficionado of technology, audio, cinematography and storytelling. His father is also an audiophile, which gave Hou access to hi-fi audio equipment since childhood. Combining it all together revealed to Hou his passion, something he refers to as the creation of a “sonic sculpture that’s multidimensional.” 

Speaking on some artistic influences, Hou, who received a Master’s Degree in Sound Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.), said, “I believe all the art forms are associated, so my early influences are actually from the concept of Minimalism, which was applied in a lot of oriental arts. Simplicity in sound design could be my early inspiration, along with such artists as Joe Hisaishi and Ryuichi Sakamoto.” 

So where then does it start for a film’s sound designer? 

“It always starts with a pair of good ears. Knowing how to listen is the key to any good sound engineers including sound editors and designers. Also we have to be patient, because sometimes the director will come back and tell us to change all the stuff we just spent days doing. We need to be patient and help them achieve their goals.” 

It’s the subtle details that play a big role in going on to reach the variety of elite achievements that Hou has. “In order to train our ears, we have to listen a lot of works that were done by other great engineers, and absorb as much as possible,” said Hou. “That’s why equipment is important in ear training process, so we can hear the way the work intends to be heard. Talking about being patient, we need to understand this is director’s work, editors and designers, and we shouldn’t be in the way of film creation. Audiences walk out of the the theater cheering about the film, but nobody will dance about how realistic the airplane sound is.” 

Last December, Hou engineered the sound for a Los Angeles Clippers commercial commissioned by Chinese communication kingpin, Tencent, that advertises the streaming availability of NBA shows via smartphones. “It was a pretty challenging environment of recording dialogue from a moving basketball player in the Clippers training center,” he said. “The place is huge and very reverberate. It requires a very directional microphone plus good boom operating skill. I spent time listening and trying to eliminate all the noise sources, and finding the best spot to place the microphone.” 

Showing his versatility, last April, Hou engineered the sound for a DIDI commercial starring Paris Hilton. DIDI is a Chinese transportation company comparable to Uber. “In this commercial, basically by using 360 degree camera, we created a virtual tour with Paris Hilton. She becomes the driver and guides the audience to different famous locations in Los Angeles such as Santa Monica and The Grove. This commercial was shot inside of a Hummer limousine. The huge space will naturally make the dialogue sound roomy. So I had to use both the lavalier microphone and shotgun microphone to capture her voice, in order to get a optimal result.” 

With sound design for film, the ante is upped even further with ongoing barrage of production challenges, differing locations, extended shooting, challenging sequences and more. 

In 2015, Hou served as sound designer for the short film, “Once,” that went on to be selected for screening at the Festival South Film Expo, Three Cities Festival and Conference, the Long Island Film Expo and the HollyShorts Film Festival, among others. 

The film follows the story of an old man who lives in loneliness and numbness and who tries to reach for a blackbird pin that carries the best memories of his life. 

From the sound design perspective, Hou pointed out, “A lot of people wouldn’t notice how many sounds are happening around us everyday, even when then the quietest moment. But when we remove some of those sounds from them, such as air conditioning sound, fridge sound and city low rumble sound, people start feeling there is something missing, even thought they have no idea about what’s missing. My goal for “Once,” was to rebuilt a natural space that has all the sound elements that happen around us all the time, to let people really immerse in the film. They wouldn't notice the sound design exists. They only to watch and feel the film.” 

The profound theory was influenced by the fact that “Once” has no dialogue and limited music. Sound design then takes on a huge role. Hou captured and put into the film seemingly nondescript sounds such as a breath or a bottle rattling that are imperative in matching the memories being experienced by the lead character. 

“For such an intimate, quiet and insular film, his work enhanced the true realism, the loneliness and emotional poignancy of the film, as his creative approach in recording and balancing these sounds provided subtle cues for the audience in relation to our main character,” said Pan. “I am truly thankful for his work throughout this film, and cannot imagine we would have earned the same successes had we sought out the work of another sound designer.” 

For the production of “Compadres” — an action comedy directed by the award-winning Enrique Begne that grossed more than $3 million domestically — Hou manned the role of sound editor, a title in Hollywood that’s synonymous with sound designer.
Versed before in the genres of documentary, drama and horror, “Compadres” represented the first foray into comedy for Hou. “It’s challenging. The sound design has to be more exaggerated,” he said.

The production called for Hou to work with Martin Hernandez, a two-time Oscar nominated supervising sound editor known for his work on recent hit films such as “The Revenant” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and “Birdman” starring Michael Keaton.
“He’s very nice and kind,” Hou said. “He left me a lot of space of doing what I wanted to do for the sound of “Compadres.” It was a great experience!”

Hou’s sound design on the 2013 short drama, “Until the Dust Settles,” was a completely different venture. The film, directed by Alexander Gangi, is set in 1932 and tells the story of a father and his two sons who reconnect while traveling through the heart of the American Dust Bowl. 

“Since it’s based on a story which happened in 1930s, there are some specific sounds that were needed to be designed in a certain way to match the same era, such as the city ambience, wood cabins and horses,” said Hou. “In order to make the most customized sound effects for the action happened on screen, I ended up recording a lot of sound effects in my kitchen and bathtub.” 

Hou’s creativity paid off as “Until the Dust Settles” went on to win the Savannah Film Commission Award at the 2013 Savannah Film Festival. It screened at other festivals including LA Shorts, the Macon Film Festival, Cincinnati Film Festival, Big Bear Lake Film Festival and more. 

Lending directly to the success of “God Save the Queen,” a short news documentary about Colony Collapsed Disorder and the disappearance of honey bees, Hou sound designed the film and edited its dialogue. The project was written and directed by Leah March and won the 2015 Gray's Reef Film Festival Ocean Gold, Emerging Filmmakers award.

With a catalog of achievements in sound showing up in more than a dozen films, Hou is poised to continue his superb track record in productions to come. He will collaborate again with Hernandez on a 2018 film that is to be announced and is being produced with China’s Ningxia Film Group. Hou has also been working on the forthcoming “Wheels for Warriors” TV movie written and directed by Michael Feifer and starring Dean Cain, of “Lois and Clark” fame. Hou is also sound designing the short comedy, “Magical Sunglasses” from writer-director Yucheng Geng. 

For more information and to check out Xiao Hou’s work, visit: www.xdecibel.com 


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From Modeling to Acting, Canadian Celebrity Ashiko Westguard

6/22/2016

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Picture
Canadian Actress and Model Ashiko Westguard shot by Tony McGee

To most audiences, Ashiko Westguard’s transition into acting several years ago appeared to be a relatively natural progression considering that she had spent so much time in front of the camera as a model already. Her performances in the series “Painkiller Jane” and “Kaya,” and the feature film “A Dark Matter" speak leagues to her ability to embody intensely layered characters and effortlessly draw in the audience.

Despite the ease with which she graces the silver screen, in reality Westguard had to make extra efforts to not only forget many of the things that she learned to naturally do as a model, but also to prove the depth of her talent to the many skeptics that at first glance, judged her to be just another pretty face.

While she is well-known for her acting prowess throughout the industry today, Westguard recalls, “For me the transition wasn’t very easy. I think I had to earn respect from casting directors and really earn my place and show them I was not just a pretty face, but a talented one. I grew so much from studying and that really helped me. Studying with renowned Canadian teacher David Rotenberg at Professional Actors Lab really gave me a nice footing, along with Andrew McIlroy in Vancouver.”  
Westguard, who has had continued success as a model for the last decade, can be seen in commercials for Axe Deodorant, Old Spice, Skechers, Honda, Niko, Cafe Royal and Sony, as well as on the covers of Women Magazine, Essentials, Femina, Women’s Fitness, Verve Magazine and other well-known publications.

As the face of national ad campaigns for Revlon, Garnier, L’Oreal, Dita Von Teese, Coca Cola, Mr. Clean, Huggies and more, Westguard has proven to the masses that she’s a master when it comes to the art of expressing different emotions and characters in photographs.

While her confidence and charisma, two qualities needed for any model to reach the rare level of success that Westguard has, have undoubtedly helped her in her acting career as well, there were some aspects of modeling that she had to let go of in order to fully embody her characters on screen.

She explains, “I was an actress as a child but the more I modeled the more aware I became of the outer appearance and physical state, it was hard to be in character…Modeling makes you so aware of your body, but as an actor you want to be natural and not pose.”

Through dedication and constant study, Westguard was able to develop her skills as an actress and she has gone on to play critical characters in a number of projects that have proven her to be a dynamic and diversely talented performer.
 
“I have played everything from a congresswomen to a vampire,” admits Westguard.

While she has a plethora of roles under her belt, there is one to date that sticks out in her mind as the most challenging, but also the most rewarding.

She explains, “Eve in the Canadian feature film ‘A Dark Matter’ was definitely a role that pushed me to grow and made me rise up to the challenge. I was coached by David Rotenberg and learned a lot from the other cast members as well. I worked hard on getting to the core of my character. I learned so much from that project and role.”

Directed by James Naylor “A Dark Matter” is a sci-fi thriller that is so deeply twisted that as a viewer it’s challenging not to question how much we know about our reality after watching the film. The film follows Angus, an artist who finds himself traversing alternate dimensions in search of his missing girlfriend. The deeper he goes the more out of touch with reality he becomes and Westguard’s character Eve serves as the main proponent behind the events within Angus’ traumatic struggle to figure out where he stands in the world.

Anyone who has seen “A Dark Matter” would be hard pressed to think of Westguard as anything but a phenomenal actress. Her riveting and multi-layered performance as Eve endowed the film with a level of intensity that makes it impossible to peel your eyes away from the screen for the simple fact that we want to know what wild trick her character will come up with next.
Besides the inherent challenges that come with making the transition from modeling to acting in terms of technique, there’s an unfortunate backlash that comes along with first becoming known for one’s beauty in the eyes of the public.

Westguard admits, “I feel like I had to and still have to work harder to show people that I’m talented. I think it’s so silly that others judge… I try not to let that get to me. I work hard and I study so I feel like I have a solid foundation to hold my own.”
Although having a successful modeling career first has meant that Ashiko Westguard has had to work even harder to prove her talent as an actress, the impressive collection of work that she’s done to date makes it readily apparent that she’s up for the challenge.
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