I’m taking what feels like a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos next month (it’s actually the third trip for my brother-in-law, so who knows). While there, I’m planning to shoot a lot of professional video. And with that of course comes recording professional sound. I anticipate extraordinary proximity to sea creatures of the kind that’s very unusual, and I want to make the most of it. So I’m gearing up, and one of the things I’ll be packing to listen below the surface is an Acquarian Audio hydrophone. I did a fair bit of research before I made this purchase, and found a lot of options, most of them from companies based in the Northwest.

On the low end (pricewise), there’s a company in Vancouver, BC, called Cold Gold that markets a full line of hydrophones, many of them around $50. Right here in Seattle there’s a company called Cetacean Research Technology that makes hydrophones. But the fact that they neither list prices online nor offer online ordering was a deterrent for me.

I decided to go with the H2a-XLR hydrophone made by an Anacortes firm called Aquarian Audio. I ordered this one despite the fact that it’s nearly $200 (with the extra cable and shipping), not just because of the fantastic info on their website (which includes a slew of real-life recording samples), but also because in my research I found that a sound recordist whose work I respect, Miguel Isaza, uses this brand. He has a post on how to record underwater sounds with a hydrophone that helped inspire me to take one of my own on the trip.

I posted a question on the Acquarian Audio website and not only did Robb, the proprietor, respond personally – he actually called me and left a message that helped me decide on the appropriate length of cable I needed. I was thinking that 20 feet of cable would be about right for dangling off the boat, but he suggested that 30′ is the minimum to get below sounds that originate in the boat, such as generators that are often running on tour boats such as the one we’re chartering. In fact, he suggested 50′ would be best, but I’m going with the 30′ length, which is one of the standard configurations available on the Aquarian Audio website, because of space considerations (I’m already taking too much filmmaking equipment).

I’ll be posting samples as soon as I’m back from the trip. One last thing: here’s the best brief primer I could find on how to make underwater recordings of sea life (includes info on how to rig microphones – good stuff): Taking a Picture of Underwater Sounds (PDF, 66 KB)

I discovered a publication called The Believer recently, which features some of the most interesting and informative writing about filmmaking I’ve ever seen. The 2010 film issue, which was published in April and can be backordered on their site, has thoughtful, well-written interviews with Harmony Korine, Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor (makers of the beautiful shot Montana doc “Sweetgrass”), and Gary Hustwit.

The Believer has a welcome bias toward documentary film in their content, and an edgy editorial approach that allows them to publish hand-drawn comics alongside top-10 culture lists. And to top this issue off, there’s even a DVD of short films from the Yugoslavian Black Wave. Hours of fun.

I’m gearing up to do some serious traveling with my camera gear, and discovered that plastic shipping cases big enough to together hold my tripod and Glidetrack cost nearly as much as the equipment it’s designed to protect. So I did some digging on ebay, and hit gold: these military surplus shipping tubes costs just $34 each.

They’re are a perfect fit for a Glidetrack (with feet removed) and most HD video tripods. With shipping, which is a bit spendy for these oversize items, the total came to just under $60. Compare that to the least expensive Tuffpak case I could find on B&H, which will set you back $249.

I just finished a fantastic 6-week course, Sound Design for Pros, with legendary sound designer David Sonnenshein. What’s cool about this course is that it was taught entirely online, with about a dozen students from places like Amsterdam and Italy logging in to a live workshop in which, in addition to live lectures from David, we took turns broadcasting our own work and getting critical feedback. Today David made the recorded version of the workshop available, for a limited time, at a fraction of the cost. Here’s the trailer and info – if you’re a filmmaker looking to take your sound design to the next level, this is a screamin’ deal. David is an outstanding educator and one of the great minds on the audio side of filmmaking today.

Access your power as a sonic storyteller with the master coach David Sonnenschein, author of "Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema." 

Webinar Recording registration HERE.

“David’s book is legendary, and the interactive webinar which presents and analyzes examples of the theory, truly brings the material to life. His approach gives sound designers a framework for making informed design decisions, to the benefit of their audiences, clients, and the stories they help to tell.”

—  Nathan Moody, NoiseJockey.net

 
For a few days only, the full 12 hours of class recordings are available for you at over 60% off the live webinar cost, normally $250. Now at $95, that’s less than $8/hour for the only online master class available in theoretical and practical sound design.
 
Registrations at this discount rate begin on Wednesday Oct. 20 and go through Monday Oct. 25, at: http://www.instantpresenter.com/PIID=E059DE8982
 
Topics we cover and how they can help your sound design:

1. THE INTELLIGENT EAR – Listening Modes, Sound Qualities and Bipolarities
By deconstructing the listening experience into discrete elements, the grammar of sound design language gives you access for clear and powerful communication.
2. PLUG-IN POWER – Size, Distance, Speed and Non-Physical Reality
Understanding principles of real world acoustics and palette of subjective auditory experiences offers you enlightened use of digital processing tools.
3. RULES OF the BRAIN ROAD – Psychoacoustic Principles and Applications
When the curtain is lifted on how humans process auditory information, you master the art of sonic illusion (creating and hiding) as essential tools in sound editing.
4.  SONIC TIME-SPACE CONTINUUM – Soundscapes and Sound Spheres
Creating an effective cinematic space depends on familiarity with your physical and social environment, and the knowledge of how to psychologically orient yourself through audio.
5. AUDIO BUILDING BLOCKS – Constructing Sound Events and Sound Objects
Mastering techniques of sequencing, layering and mixing will infuse sonic fragments (sound effects, words) with meaningful messages (sound phrases, sentences).
6. PEOPLE, PLOT AND PASSION – Narrative Structure and Sound Mapping
Bottom line, how can sound help tell your story?  By understanding dramatic elements of character and emotion, the map can guide you to creative and impactful decision-making.

“David’s workshops rock! His mastery of the material is clear from the first lesson. What really sets David’s workshops apart, though, is his gift for teaching, and personal interest in student’s work. He invited me to share a commercial film I was making with the class, and as a result I gained insights that helped me win quick approval of the project from my client. In that way, the class paid for itself right away.”  —  Dan McComb, filmmaker, Seattle, WA

Enjoy the webinar! Register here: http://www.instantpresenter.com/PIID=E059DE8982

David Sonnenschein
Author, “Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema”
www.SoundDesignForPros.com

Check this out: a simple shot of a lamp in my back yard, at different apertures on open end of my prized Nikon 35mm 1.4 lens. This is the lens that Nikon made during the 70s using radioactive glass (really) and as a result, today the lens has a very warm cast caused by the decaying isotopes. It’s the perfect lens to warm up those cool cloudy days in Seattle.

But that’s not what caught my eye about this sequence. What I’m blown away by is how very, very different the image looks at each of these apertures. Check out the huge difference between 1.4 and 2.0, for example. All the way open, the background almost looks painterly, like you can see brush strokes. But the detail in the foreground is noticeably less sharp. That cleans up instantly at 2.0. The background strokes are still there – just a hint. This is pretty much the sweet spot of this lens.

Anyway, no reason for sharing this today except that it’s good to remember exactly what your lenses can do, and shooting a series like this really makes it startlingly clear.