Post-Production : Composer relationship with sound designer? by Karl Brunig

Hey, Karl Brunig! I found this really informative site from the UK that has some useful distinguishing definitions for each.

Sound Designer: https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/animation/post-product...

Composer: https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/animation/post-product...

Usually the composer is present during the sound mix to discuss any issues where the SXF and score are competing ... but they hardly ever collaborate beforehand.

I know this is the Post-Production Lounge, but does the Sound Designer start working during Production?

Good question Karl! It depends a bit on what project it is. Sometimes if i am working on a short film I just do the music as a composer(or it could even be that i do both music as well as sound design if the sound design aspect is almost part of the music) I did a horror short last year and the jump scares etc were part of the music so i did a fair amount of the sound design too. They only hired a mixing engineer for the final mix. Every project has a different approach to that.

Karen, usually the sound designer comes in at post production but sometimes if the producer wants the sound designer on set or have him do the booming(I have seen that happen for small shortfilms sometimes). But it often happens that both composer and sound designer come in after production. I am in favour of being involved as earley as possible, that goes the same for sound design. Well that is only my view of course.

Hi Karl, I second what Ruud has said. In my experience (mostly sound design and mixing documentaries), the composer and sound designers have had very little interaction, but it really depends on the type of production, and style of music and sound elements, and the people involved. In a documentary, where the goal of the sound editor is often to fix and enhance the "realism" that is already contained in the shot, the sound effects are generally more utilitarian and less artistic. The opposite is often true with horror or sci-fi where the roles of sound effects and music can overlap quite a lot, and might require a more collaborative process.