CONSULTING: SOUND FOR FILM

Lately I’ve been doing some consulting work with filmmakers interested in growing their audio skills. It’s been a lot of fun.

Here I’m working with Amy Scatliff, a film artist who’s been putting together some experimental documentary work related to meditation and her difficulties pursuing it. She’s serious enough about what she’s doing that she’s not afraid to approach it with self-deprecating humor, and she has good instincts with audio that make it enjoyable to push things to the next level.

We’ve gone over some basic ideas about location audio, gain staging, dialog edit, relative levels of voiceover/ nat sound/ music, and some approaches for how to adapt her closet as a VO booth. Pro tip: don’t be afraid to sit under a blanket while you’re performing voiceover! No joke.

Check out some of Amy Scatliff’s work at everydayfuturistic.com/fieldnotes.

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"MOVING FORWARD": NEW PRODUCTION LIBRARY MUSIC ALBUM OUT NOW

Recently released: a new collection of original production music by Mike Hallenbeck, available from Opening Line Music Group and such sub-publishers as BMG. Recent placements inlclude broadcast news and variety programming in the Nehterlands.

Entitled “Moving Forward”, the album proceeds from a rootsy folk-rock approach featuring chunky rhythms that drive strummed acoustic guitar, wistful piano melodies, and chiming pedal steel counterpoint. The tracks call to mind late 70s folk rock and contemporary Americana, with a dash of the Feelies and perhaps “Reckoning”-era R.E.M. sprinkled in.

A few standout tracks here, excerpted from the album’s Dutch outlet:

Reimagined

Moving Forward

Push the Envelope

Reaching Out

With a little luck, you’ll hear these underscoring home improvement shows and life insurance ads before too long! Enjoy.

More production music by Mike Hallenbeck

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MN STAR AWARD!

Congratulations to Walk the Moon Media on winning in the Event Filmmaking (Videography) category at the International Live Events Association’s recent virtual MN Star Awards ceremony! Junior Birdman Audio was pleased to provide music editing, sound design and mix on Walk the Moon’s video content for The One Forum, an annual meeting produced by Be The Match for the bone and marrow transplant community. Way to go, folks! Well deserved.

See/ hear some of the pieces we created here.

More work by Mike Hallenbeck for corporate video

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