The Art of Sound: Mixing “Sound of Metal”
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(Editorial by Cirina Catania, Senior Editor, US Times. 2021-04-23, California, USA)
One of my favorite movies of the 2021 Awards Season is, “Sound of Metal,” nominated for SIX ACADEMY AWARDS!
Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
This team went above and beyond the norm and created the realistic and sometimes harrowing experiences of rock drummer, Ruben, as he loses his hearing.
The part is played breathtakingly by Riz Ahmed and directed by the talented Darius Marder in his feature debut.
Everything about this movie is exquisite, it is well written, well directed, well designed…
The kind of film we remember all our lives … an emotional rollercoaster filled with challenges and ultimately triumph.
Watching it, I was mesmerized by the sound design and mix and decided I just had to speak with someone on that team. So, I lassoed, multi-award-winning Jamie Bashkt, the sound re-recordist for an interview.
Jaimie has become one of the most sought-after talents in his field. Despite the fact that he was in the studio working with Lorenzo Vegas on a new film, he was gracious and gave me a few minutes of his time. And, thanks to Lorenzo for taking a break so Jamie and I could talk.
Jaimie has worked with the sound designer on “Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker” for over 14 years. And this project is undoubtedly one of their most challenging.
Jaimie immediately told me the he loves mixing films and that the cinematic emotions are what his work. His ability to create that emotion is very evident in “Sound of Metal.”
And, of course, being a bit of a gearhead myself, we got into a fun discussion about his equipment. Jaimie tells me that for the last three decades, he has sat with an SSL re-recording console by his side and now uses the SSL2, a two-channel audio interface, at the Astro LX, the studio in Mexico, before sending out his work.
Listen in to my interview with Jaimie (see link below). – I think you’ll enjoy hearing how the sound for “Sound of Metal” was created and mixed.