Sound: adding the emotion of art - CreativeMindClass Blog
Phil Brookes is a music musician and sound designer who hails from Wales. He was a collaborator alongside TedEd, Greenpeace, Tate, Medium, Passion, Strangebeast, and more. His sound and music were also featured at major festivals such as Cannes, BFI London, GLAS, and Giffoni and has won multiple awards for his films.
In the interview below the interviewer will discuss the story of how Phil began his journey to becoming music and also his tips for how to begin your journey into the world of sound. In addition, take a look at the musical details of an enjoyable Socks project that he created together with Eva Munnich.
Phil Brookes' background
I'm a music composer and sound designer who hails from Wales in the UK.
From the time I recall, I've always been drawn to music, sounds, as well as voices. I remember falling asleep before the washer as young children, and being captivated by its drones (appropriate for the kind of project I'll be talking about!) was my first memory of sound.
I began to mimic funny accents and voices.
My father was an obsessive music lover and would make use of recording equipment to create noises vocally, applying effects like delay and reverb to his voice just for fun. I would mimic him and people like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams by using a small dictaphone, and imitate all the hilarious accents and voices they would create.
Prince
My older brother played guitar, and it was his love for music and specifically the multi-instrumentalist Prince that really rubbed off on me. My brother was moving out and left his guitar in the car, and, as an adolescent, I used it to teach myself to write and recording music. I was attempting to make the sounds that I seen on records or television, and then making my own sound to existing music.
This passion to utilize whatever resources I had to create or recreate sound is what still inspires me to push myself today. I am awestruck by the challenges to learn as I make and my preferred way of writing is on the fly. Improvising, experimenting, jamming.
I learned piano for myself and synth to create the music for the song 'But Milk is Important'.
My passion for animation led my across The University of South Wales in Cardiff, where I met an amazing animator called Eirik Gronmo Bjornsen. He returned to Norway and produced a movie together with Anna Mantzaris called 'But Milk Is Important'.
I learned piano for myself and synth to make the soundtrack while working on that film, I've taken on sound design roles as well, and I continue to create.
The X-Files Project, aka the "Socks Project"
Recently, I was collaborating alongside the incredible visual artist, Eva Munnich for the very first of three Lemonade Insurance projects I've created the music and sound for.
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The Lemonade videos are funny fifteen to thirty seconds of short animated videos that are designed to be looped. Eva's project had a strong sci-fi/extraterrestrial theme to it, and so she had some great ideas about music and sound.
In nine times of 10, it is my intention to make the music first, as the atmosphere I create is likely to inspire me in my music.
We've also had a conversation with Eva about the process of creating visuals and animation for this X-Files project. Check out the full interview with Eva Munnich.
Voice-wise, Eva liked the voices I'd performed in a previous TedEd animation that I created along with Lisa Vertudaches.
In that animation I had pitched my vocals significantly. She thought this would be suitable for the specific sock and requested that I say "yay" using this vocal. While recording the "yay" I left the record in motion, and added "seeya" prior to when the sock had entered the UFO.
Eva loved it and she stayed with it. The remaining voices were created improvised as I saw them.
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If the machine was to talk the volume would be lower.
In contrast to the heavy sound of the sock I lowered my voice for the washing machine. Since it's a huge object, I felt if it were to have a voice, it would be able to convey some depth. I blended these in with the foley , and then mixed the sounds ready for the music to be added on.
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I enjoyed the X-Files songs as a child.
Musically, Eva thought it would be interesting to create music that was inspired by The X-Files theme of The X-Files, which I was very happy with since I loved the music as a kid!
Much like the vast majority of projects I've worked on I use an animatic (almost similar to a storyboard that moves) which the animator provides me so that I can gain a sense of the timing, etc.
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I like sci-fi film soundtracks and soundtracks for games.
I enjoy a variety of different kinds of music. that includes sci-fi movies and soundtracks for games, so as well as reference to this particular X Files theme, I had an idea of what instruments could be suitable for this genre.
I mostly used synthesizers drones, bass, and drones to build the basis of the music. Layering drones was about capturing the perfect atmosphere, and also representing the beam that emits out of the ufo, which is then absorbed by our sock.
I made an impactful drum, layering two kick drum samples and adding reverb and delay. I also added a delaying synth that pans from left to right to make the music seem more immersive. The final synth I played using was the 6-note pattern that is repeated through.
Whistling is a great personal element that can be added to the music.
I decided to draw an inspiration from X-Files and incorporate a delay piano melody and whistle. I am a fan of whistling, and that it's a wonderful personal element that can be added to a piece of music. I originally recorded some bass guitar parts too However, I found that they was not the right sound I was going for.
Piano pattern
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An alarm
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Making an environment in just 15 seconds may be a challenge.
It was a pleasure working with Eva the way she worked, and her short-form approach is really enjoyable and exciting to work within. While it's fast but it's still a lot of work and has its own difficulties.
Making and creating an ambience in 15 seconds with the sounds can be quite difficult and musically fitting in an arrangement that isn't like it was recorded in a hurry is a challenge also.
They are the kinds of challenges that I love, though, and since Eva's animation, I have been working on two additional exciting Lemonade projects! There are the procedure videos for them on my site and on Instagram.
Ideas on how to begin adding sound to visuals
If you want to start putting sound to the visual world, there's currently more creative options to accomplish this than at any time before. there is really an ideal time to begin it than now.
- If you're a person with a creative drive, go with it wherever it leads to. The most effective way to get started creating is to make stuff you like and then show your creation to others.
- Contact budding filmmakers that share the same passion as you,they have always been looking for help with sound, and you might forge a working relationship.
- It is necessary to begin at some point. I was making ambient music prior to the time I thought about the possibilities to pursue a career in film and I was fortunate to find an animation program at my college, but prior to this, I'd made and made enough recordings of music and sound that it made sense for me to pursue that path when it presented it.
- Get to know others who are creative; that's what working together is about. If you are lucky enough to be living in a place that is home to festival nights, film nights and events, then attend them and get to know individuals.
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