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We had our first day of sound mixing today.

We averaged a minute of film per hour, which I think is pretty standard. We plan on finishing the first pass by tomorrow afternoon at which point we will screen the entire film and make changes if necessary.

We’re mixing at Vision Globale - in one of the biggest mixing studios in the city.

It’s my first time in a mixing studio and I have to say it’s quite remarkable. Sound editors and mixers have the capacity to hear sounds at such high and low frequencies one would think they were supernatural. I love watching them work, watching them create sounds and textures that make the film so much richer.

It’s very difficult every time you enter a new phase of post production. You get so used to the cut of the film after it’s been edited (from watching it over and over again) that you begin to think the film is perfect the way it is. You get accustomed to the temporary sound effects, the silence in certain scenes, the ambiance etc., that when you go into sound design/mixing, every additional noise or change feels wrong (even though a few viewings later you wonder how you ever watched the film without these sounds). It’s like starting from scratch. You have to put yourself in the position of never having seen your own film and you have to watch it like an objective viewer - otherwise you risk hurting the full potential of the project.

We’ve been working on the score for the film for the past three weeks. Eric Fares (Sam Roberts Band), Jason Thomas (who manages The Dears), Matt Forsythe (guitarist and co-story on the film), and Vanessa Russell (a professional cellist who also acted in the film) composed the score together.

This was the first time any of us had composed for a film. The music came together beautifully and very organically. Nothing was pre-written and everyone collaborated fully.

It was interesting to see how, sometimes, the music didn’t seem to work on its own yet felt rich and complex with the imagery.

We constantly consulted with the images to ensure the music remained grounded in the film.

Here’s a short teaser of the film.

For the next two weeks we’re going to be working on sound editing, composing and mixing.

After that, all that’s left is the neg cut, and the colour timing and of course, festival submissions.

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We locked the picture yesterday afternoon. Including credits, the film runs at 12min 57sec.

Most people thought the film could be edited in two to three weeks, considering it’s a short subject. In the end it took us four and a half weeks to cut the picture.

Time is the biggest constraint when making a film. whether it’s more time needed during pre-production, during filming, or during post production. Because our time in the editing room was flexible, we were able to experiment with the film and try different versions of it.

We don’t have the same luxury when it comes to sound editing. We are going to be in and out within a week and a half. I’m not so concerned though because I’m going to be working with sound editor Louis Collin and mixer Luc Boudrias.

I can’t wait to get started on it. I sometimes think sound is more important than the picture. It can make or break your film. It’s too bad sound guys are never given the respect they deserve.