SoundWorks Collection

This week we spoke with Composer Clint Bajakian who worked on Blizzard studios video game World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor which sold over 3.3 million copies within the first 24 hours of being released. Clint took on the task of working alongside six other composers who were all responsible to breathe life and the danger of war into this epic soundtrack that fans have associated with this incredible gaming experience.

This week we spoke with re-recording Mixer Mike Prestwood smith and re-recording mixer Michael Keller who worked on the film Into the Woods. This film is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tale put to music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Directed by Rob Marshall. The music and sound team did a seamless job mixing and editing the actors musical performances and we explore the meticulous process required to bring this theatrical performance to the big screen.

This week we spoke with sound designer and supervising sound editor erik aadahl and supervising sound editor Eathan Van der Rhyn who worked on the recent reboot of GODZILLA, Directed by Gareth Edwards. For anyone who is a fan of classic monster movies Godzilla is definitely on the top of everyones list. This incredible monster was brought to life by the photo realistic visual effects and dynamic sound work that these creative teams were able to produce. We were really excited to reconnect with Eric and Ethan to talk about this film that came out earlier in the year and dive back in to the stories and experiences these two had to bring to life the monstrous sound of Godzilla.

This week we spoke with Composer Mark Henry Phillips, who is responsible for the music and audio mix for the extremely popular podcast series Serial. Serial is produced by WBEZ Chicago and the shows Host and Executive Producer Sarah Koenig unfolds one nonfiction story, week by week, over the course of a season. We discuss with Mark how he became involved in this project and the incredibly tight production window he has to score and mix each hour long episode the night before it’s posted each week. This is an incredible example of a creative team who know exactly how to pull in an audience and make them listen a little bit closer. So close in fact that you can almost see yourself at the scene of the crime.

This week we spoke with Robert Trujillo, who you might know as the bassist of Metallica and has been producing a music documentary called JACO about legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. We discuss how Robert first became interested in profiling such an iconic player and what it was like producing this film which includes interviews with Herbie Hancock, Flea, Wayne Shorter, Jerry Jemmott, Joni Mitchell, Bootsy Collins and Sting.

This week we talk with Director Mark Levinson about his documentary film Particle Fever. Particle Fever follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation. Mark has an incredible background as a former theoretical physicist with a doctorate from UC-Berkeley and ADR supervisor. We also discussed his collaboration with film editor Walter Murch and how they tackled this incredible story which was shot over seven years.

In 1996, award-winning sound designer James LeBrecht launched Berkeley Sound Artists, a full-service post-production sound company. Since that time, BSA has established itself as the "go-to" audio house for documentary and independent filmmakers. Gaming companies and corporate video and event producers trust us to take care of their audio. Educators have hired us and our team of media and application producers to create leading edge digital materials for their ever-expanding content needs. Berkeley Sound Artists is home to an experienced group of editors, mixers and sound designers. Whether it's the cleanup and polish that your documentary soundtrack needs or the perfect sound design for an independent film, BSA has the talented people and facilities that will give your project creative, pristine sound.

This week we talk with Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer Martin Hernandez about his recent collaboration with Director Alejandro González Iñárritu for his film, Birdman. BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) -- famous for portraying an iconic superhero -- as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. Directed by Alejandro Iñárritu, and also starring Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.

This week we talk with Director James Keach abut his recent collaboration with Glenn Campbell and family for the music doc GLEN CAMPBELL: I’LL BE ME. This portrait of the life and career of American music icon Glen Campbell opens to the viewer the world of the singular talent who created hits like Rhinestone Cowboy, Wichita Lineman and Gentle on My Mind. Winner of the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement award, Glen was the first country music star to cross over to the pop charts. In 2011, when Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, he joined forces with his family to fight the biggest battle of his life. Featuring interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Bill Clinton, The Edge, Paul McCartney, Jay Leno, Vince Gill and Steve Martin, Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me is an epic human story of love, resilience and the power of song.

This week we talk with Studio Director Jeffrey Wood about his work at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. Fantasy Studios is at the Zaentz Media Center, known for its recording of award-winning albums such as Journey's Escape and Green Day's Dookie. Built as a private recording studio for artists on the Fantasy Records label in 1971, it was opened to the public in 1980 for recording, mixing and mastering. Fantasy Studios continues to operate as a full-service recording studio for the music, television, film and gaming industries.