Sound is a way to add emotion to art - The CreativeMindClass Blog
Phil Brookes is a music composer and sound designer of Wales. He worked with TedEd, Greenpeace, Tate, Medium, Passion, Strangebeast, and more. His music and sound design have also played at festivals like Cannes, BFI London, GLAS as well as Giffoni and has won multiple awards for his films.
In the video below it will be clear what Phil was inspired to become music and also some of the most useful tips to get started in the realm of sounds. In addition, take a look at the musical details of a fun Socks project that he co-created along with Eva Munnich.
Phil Brookes' background
I'm a musician and sound designer originally from Wales located in UK.
Since I remember, I've always been awed by the sounds of music, sound, and even voices. Falling asleep in front of the washer as young children, and being captivated by its drones (appropriate for the kind of project I'll be discussing!) is the first time I've heard a sound.
I began to mimic funny accents and voice.
My father was an obsessive audiophile and used recording equipment to make noises that he would sing, adding effects such as reverb and delay to his voice just for fun. I would imitate him as well as others like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams by using a small dictaphone, and imitate all the hilarious accents and voices they would come up with.
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, he left his guitar behind, and as an adult, I used it to teach myself enough to start writing and recording music. Inspiring myself to produce sounds I had heard on albums or on television and adding my own sounds to the existing material.
This passion to utilize whatever resources I had to create or recreate sound remains what drives me to keep pushing myself. I am awestruck by the challenges of learning while I write and my favorite way of writing is on the fly. Improvising, experimenting, jamming.
I learned piano for myself and synthesizer to compose the tune for 'But Milk is important'.
My passion for animation led me into The University of South Wales in Cardiff which is where I first met an awesome animator named Eirik Gronmo Bjornsen. The animator returned to Norway and created a short film together with Anna Mantzaris called 'But Milk Is Important'.
I learned piano for myself as well as synthesizer to compose the soundtrack as well, and in the time since I started I've been working on the film I've taken on sound design roles too, and haven't stopped creating.
The X-Files Project, aka the "Socks Project"
Recently, I was collaborating with the amazing visual artist Eva Munnich in the creation of the initial of three Lemonade Insurance projects I've created the music and sound tracks for.
Play with sound Your browser does not support the video tag.
The Lemonade videos are funny 15-30 second animations which can be played repeatedly. Eva's project had a strong sci-fi/extraterrestrial theme to it, and so she had some great ideas about music and sound.
9 times out 10 it is my intention to create the sound first as the atmosphere I create will most likely inspire me to create music.
We've also had a conversation with Eva about the process of making animations and visuals for The X-Files project. Check out an interview with Eva.
Vocally, Eva liked the voices I'd done in a prior TedEd animation I made with Lisa Vertudaches.
In the animation, I had pitched up my vocals dramatically. The animator thought that this could fit for the particular sock and wanted me to say "yay" using this vocal. Whilst recording this "yay" I left the recording in motion and then added "seeya" just before the sock entered the UFO.
Eva enjoyed it, and she stayed with it. The rest of the voices were created improvised in the same way I observed them.
Play with sound Your browser does not support the video tag.
If the washer were to speak and a voice, the machine would sound low.
To contrast the high tone of the sock's voice, I toned down my voice to washing machines; since it is a large object, I felt as if if it had some voice, it'd have some depth to it. I mingled these sounds with the foley and mixed to create the perfect sound for music to be added on.
Your browser does not support the audio element. Your browser does not support the audio element. Your browser does not support the audio element.
I was a fan of the X-Files songs as a child.
Musically, Eva thought it would be cool to have music that was inspired by The X-Files theme from The X-Files, which I was very happy with because I was a huge fan of that soundtrack as a kid!
As with the majority of projects I've been involved in I'm working with an animatic (almost similar to a storyboard that moves) which the animator provides me to have a rough idea of timings, etc.
Your browser does not support the audio element.
I listen to sci-fi movies as well as game soundtracks.
I enjoy a variety of kinds of music. that includes sci-fi movies and game soundtracks, so as well as being influenced by the X Files theme, I was thinking about which instruments could be suitable for this genre.
I used mainly synth-based instruments, drones, and basses to build the basis of the sound. Layering drones was about capturing the appropriate atmosphere and capturing the beam that emits out of the ufo, which is then absorbed by our little sock.
Then I created an incredibly powerful drum by mixing two kick drum samples and adding reverb and delay. Then I added a delay synth which pans from left to right to make it seem more engaging. The last synth I used in was the six-note pattern that is repeated all through.
Whistling can be a wonderful personal element that can be added to a piece of music.
The time was right to draw inspiration from the X-Files and include a delayed piano pattern as well as a whistle. I love to whistle and think that it's a wonderful factor to include in the music. I had originally recorded part of the bass guitar however I was of the opinion that it was not the right sound I was going for.
Piano pattern
Your browser does not support the audio element.
An alarm
Your browser does not support the audio element.
In just fifteen seconds isn't easy.
I really loved working with Eva, and this short-form approach is really exciting and fun to create within. While it's fast, it is still an enormous amount of work and presents its own challenges.
Making and creating an ambience in 15 seconds with the sound can be difficult, and musically fitting in an arrangement that isn't like it was recorded in a hurry can be quite a feat too.
They are the kinds of challenges that I love but, in the wake of Eva's animated, I've been working on two additional enjoyable Lemonade projects! You can find the process videos for them on my site as well as on Instagram.
How to begin creating sound for images
If you want to start making sound the visual world, there's today more inventive options to accomplish this than at any time before. there's really no better time to do it than now.
- If you have a creative drive, take it the point where it will lead you. One of the best ways to begin making something is to create things you like and then show the people what you have created.
- Contact budding filmmakers that share the same passion with you.they constantly seek advice on sound. it is possible to build a partnership.
- The first step is to get started at some point. I was making ambient music long before I thought about the possibilities to work in film, and I was fortunate to find an animation department at my school, however prior to that, I had made and made enough recordings of music and sound to make it logical for me to follow the path that presented the opportunity.
- Meet others in the field; that's how collaborating is all about. If you are fortunate enough to live living in a place that is home to film nights, festivals, and other activities, you should attend them and get to know people.
Do you enjoy the interview? Do share it! Join CreativeMindClass on Instagram where we celebrate artistic talent and showcase artists.