A COLLABORATIVE POST BY SAM BUSEKRUS
ASSISTANT EDITOR, BOOM BOX POST
This week, I spoke with sound effects editor, Jessey, to take a look at a magical amulet build she created. You’re definitely going to want to check this one out!
What was your brainstorming process?
With this kind of build I like to start with the very obvious - so what we see onscreen - and then add in more subtle or elements that tie the design either to the episode or theme as a whole or tie the design to some other idea i'm trying to get across. For example, this build has a bone amulet that opens and sucks a monster back to the netherworld. So if we're being obvious, I want to make sure I hear the boney amulet opening but I also want to make sure that we get a sense that there is some demonic transportation happening.
Could you give me the step by step process of what you added first and second, etc?
So I started with the boney amulet, like I mentioned. From there we always have to consider magical builds like this having a rise and a fall, or a power up and then a release. So I built this really ethereal magic power up, which then it goes into how the magic initiates, sustains and then decays (or sucks the monster back to another dimension). In those steps I have added these electrical freak out glitches, various ghost whispers that have been processed and all these different types of magical electrical casts. The amulet then closes again, so we hear that same boney closing of it with an extra high end latch at the end of it. Next, there is a huge power surge with more electrical magic casts, evil growls and an added high end laser shot for color, which then explodes and seals the deal on the ending of build. Lastly, you will also notice a couple places where I put the monster vocals in the build. We want to hear his pain in this instance and they are also used as a final button at the end, as the build dissipates back to reality.
Did you run into any issues/problems/what worked vs what didnt work?
I wouldn't necessarily say there were too many issues constructing this build. But I will say something like this takes time and thought. You can't just throw some generic magic effects at it and hope something sticks.
Any tips on what really made this build cool?
I've built my fair share of dimensional portals and each one has to be specific to what's happening on screen but what is also happening off-screen (theme, characterization, etc.). Builds like this are a designer's dream but there are a lot of things to consider and certainly a lot of moving parts. What you do with all those parts determines how unique your build is.