What is Production Sound for Film?

Boom Operator Gabby and Sound Mixer Ana Working Closely on Set

When you think about it, the idea of production sound is a bit vague. If you're a filmmaker, or a content creator, you're generally not dealing with the dialogue or music in your videos when you're filming - those parts come later. In this article, we'll explore what exactly production sound is, and we will go through some of the steps that need to be taken to achieve good production sound quality.

What is Production Sound?

First of all, what do we mean by "Production Sound"?

Production sound is the term used for all audio recordings that are made during the production of a film or television program. The crew who handles this vital task is composed of the production sound mixer, their assistants, and boom operators. The production sound crew is responsible for capturing all dialogue and Foley sounds that will be used in the final product.

Good production sound is essential in creating a believable and immersive experience for the viewer. The audio team works tirelessly to make sure that everything sounds just right, whether it’s making sure that the actors’ voices are clear and free of background noise, or recording Foley sounds (such as footsteps or door creaks) to add realism to the scene.

It’s important to note that production sound is different from post-production sound. Production sound refers to all audio recordings that are made during filming, while post-production sound refers to the process of adding audio effects and music in post-production (after filming has wrapped up).

Ana’s Sound Mixer Bag

What are the steps of Production Sound for Film?

The steps of production sound for film can vary depending on the project. However, there are some general steps that most crews will follow. 

1. Pre-Production: This is the planning stage where the sound crew will work with the director and other members of the production team to understand the vision for the project. They will also scout locations and determine what kind of equipment will be needed.

2. Production: This is the stage where the actual filming takes place. The sound crew will be responsible for setting up and operating all of the audio equipment. They will also record any dialogue or other sounds that are needed for the film.

3. Post-Production: Here, we are not referring to the actual task of carrying out the post-production for the film, but we are talking about deliverables for the post-production team. In smaller budget films, there can be overlaps between the production and post-production work, meaning that the same crew is more often than not carrying out work for both stages. But overall, here we will focus on what the tasks are for the production sound crew once the filming is completed and regardless of whether they are the same crew working on the film until the end.

Just like at the beginning of post-production, the production sound crew ensures all audio recordings are prepared to go onto the next stage, labelled properly with the correct metadata including name, scene and making sure all production notes have been double checked and ready to submit to the post-production team. 

Any annotations on potential difficulties [like missing syncing clapperboard, for example, or noisy environments] should be part of the delivery.

The roles in the Production Sound Crew

There are many different types of production sound crews, each with their own unique set of responsibilities. Here are a few examples:

• Location Sound Mixer: The location sound mixer’s role is to capture all of the audio on set. This includes dialog, Foley, and any ambient noise. They mix all of these elements together to create the final soundtrack.

• Boom Operator: The boom operator is responsible for holding and operating the boom microphone. They must be able to position the microphone close to the action without being visible in the shot themselves.

• Audio Engineer: The audio engineer oversees the setting up and maintaining of all of the audio equipment on set. This includes microphones, mixers, and speakers. They also troubleshoot any audio issues that may arise during production.

Where Can I Learn More?

We’ve just published a bonus lesson for our Production Sound for Film class on Skillshare! You can learn more about the different steps involved in film production sound, as well as assembling your sound team, through our Skillshare classes, where we currently have courses on each of the different phases of sound for film.