ABSTRACT
The Warner Brothers animated short Rhapsody in Rivets (1941) created an analogy between the construction of a building and the performance of a symphony (Figure 9.1). This analogy can be extended to the mixing of a soundtrack as well. The conductor for the mix is the film’s director, responsible for articulating a vision that guides the performance. Sound elements are the individual instruments of the soundtrack. Just as related instruments meet in sectionals to work on timing, balance, and blend, similar elements are combined in a process known as pre-dubbing. Sectionals are followed by a dress rehearsal where all of the instruments are brought together and placed (panned) in their respective string, woodwind, brass, or percussion sections. The dress rehearsal for a film mix is the point in which pre-dubs are combined to create the dialogue, music, and FX stems. During this stage, the director works to balance (level) the individual parts measure by measure (frame by frame). In film mixing, the final concert is performed by the re-recording mixer. Like the concert pianist, the re-recording mixers have a multitude of keys (faders and knobs on a large console) from which they perform with expressive control over individual entrances, dynamics, and articulations (Figure 9.2). Finally, all of the players are assembled in a performance space, and like the concert hall, the mixers select spaces for each of the movements (scenes) in their cinematic symphony. Rhapsody in Rivets https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780240825007/e72035e5-5229-46ce-aac5-05112ab2f039/content/fig9_1_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Mixing Console with Stereo and 5.1 Panners https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780240825007/e72035e5-5229-46ce-aac5-05112ab2f039/content/fig9_2_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
If it sounds good, it is good.
Duke Ellington