At PostWorks, Furedi recently completed audio work on the 2007
theatrical release of The Gates, Antonio Ferrera and Albert Maysles’ documentary, for which PostWorks created the digital intermediate. The Gates world premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.

PostWorks’ midtown New York facility houses five sound-mixing studios, each featuring Digidesign ProTools workstations and a large assortment of other audio-for-video tools.

Q: For HD video shoots, is it always advisable to capture audio separately from the camera's built-in microphone?
A: A separate sound crew is always advisable on any kind of shoot. A good boom operator can be worth literally thousands of dollars in ADR down the road. Plus, a location sound mixer will be paying attention to the quality and levels of the audio, which is something that a cameraperson is likely to be too occupied to focus on while paying attention to all the intricacies and details of the visual shot.

Q: Several surround-sound mics have become available for “5.1 recording.” Are these adequate for capturing true surround sound?
A: For a stationary shot, I would say yes. In audio post, you may find that the visual perspective shifts from cut to cut can make for a disorienting audio environment in surround. It really will depend on the effect you are looking for in the context of the project as to whether capturing 5.1 from the camera's perspective makes sense or not.

Q: When a client comes to you with an audio master for posting, what’s the best way (format) for them to deliver it to you?
A: I prefer to receive an OMF file with adequate handles. Also, whatever kind of information the editor would like to pass along is always appreciated.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge for you in completing surround-sound audio post-production projects? How can clients make your job easier?
A: Nothing is more challenging than a time-crunch. It takes more time to complete a quality surround mix than it does a stereo mix. We have seen many projects that are underbooked. Communication is what makes the job easier, all around. Knowing the director's or producer's expectations of what surround will do for their project is also very important. A documentary film, for example, might find a lot of rear-channel activity distracting. It's always good to have a conversation before you start.

Q: With the proliferation of portable audio devices with small speakers and HDTV sets with major surround-sound speakers, what should a sound designer be thinking about in terms of how the final product will be used? What should studios, networks and filmmakers be most aware of?
A: I think that today's producers should be taking the portable audio world very seriously. People are watching movies and TV shows on tiny iPods and PSPs. They are listening to this content on tiny earbuds and, at best, on computer speakers. With the storage capacities of these portable devices rapidly increasing, maybe it's time to rethink data compression and get the best possible quality audio to the consumers. It's only going to ever be as good as the weakest link in the chain, so maybe let's not make that our link. A lower compression rate would be a good start.

Furthermore, mixing for cinema, a home-theater surround system, stereo for TV, and now for these super-small-format devices all present individual sets of challenges. A sound designer and mixer would approach these presentation avenues very differently, and there is a necessity for different mixes for these different formats.

For more information on PostWorks’ services, visit http://www.pwny.com.