Post-Production

In today’s blog, Brad Carpenter (a Post Production Producer with over 20 years’ experience) talks about what a Post Production Supervisor does on a production and Stage 32’s new Post Supervision Certification Courses he’s teaching.

If you have any questions about the Courses or Stage 32 Certification, email our Head of Certification, Sam Sokolow, directly at Certification@Stage32.com.

www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-post-production-supervision-on-yo...

Working on the audio post-production of a feature film is always a challenge—especially when it’s a major production with many actors, multiple locations, and a Pro Tools session with over 30 tracks of raw dialogue only.

But these are the challenges that we, as film sound post-production professionals, love the most!

Unraveling scene by scene and take by take, dissecting the field recordings, finding the clearest sound for each line of dialogue, achieving sonic coherence between the different angles of each shot in a scene, and making sure everything sounds natural—without the audience ever having to consciously notice the sound…

Wow! This is a detail I learned years ago, and it echoes in my mind every time I start a new project.

Beyond the technical aspects, creative decisions come into play. Editing and mixing a film like A Quiet Place, where foley and sound effects are the main protagonists, is not the same as working on a feature film about a family story, where dialogue takes center stage but the image is the primary driving force, and the sound must never distract the audience’s attention.

On this subject, a well-known dialogue editor and virtual friend, Evan Benjamin, once told me: “A scene’s dialogue edit is finished when you can watch and listen to the scene without noticing any details in the sound.” Exactly as a person would experience it in their living room on a Sunday afternoon—or a Tuesday night, for that matter.

In films like "My 7 Grandmas", where I had the honor of being the dialogue editor and foley artist, it was crucial to support the visual narrative with clear yet natural dialogue and an even more organic foley treatment, as it’s a story about family and emotions—not a Marvel action film.

At first, the dialogue work seemed like a chaotic and overwhelming task, but after a few clicks and some track organization, everything started to make sense.

Foley is always more dynamic and even more fun in a way because recording with everyday objects—or even creating new sounds for an object using elements that have nothing to do with it—is always an unforgettable adventure.

After two months of intense, non-stop work, dedicating more than 12 hours a day, the film was ready to move forward in the audio post-production process with the final mix engineer, Micah Touchet, and the film’s composer, Jared DePasquale.

Today, the film is making its way through festivals, earning recognition and awards that give all of us a warm pat on the back—encouraging us to keep going, to stay passionate, and to always give our best in every project.

The greatest George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars," once said that "Sound and music are 50% of a movie."

Another big figure in the industry, David Lynch, also said something very similar: "Cinema is 50% images and 50% sound."

Even the absence of sound in a film plays a fundamental role because silence also conveys a message.

So, why is this crucial stage of film post-production so undervalued?

It's not uncommon to find independent films with poor sound-post work and even "big productions" where the music masks the dialogue or forces us to cover our ears if we're in the theater, or turn down the TV volume at home.

It's also common to find posts from filmmakers looking for the crew for their next production, and they include everything... except a professional audio post-production technician!

On the other hand, with the rise of freelance work platforms like Upwork, Crew-United, StaffMeUp, and even Stage32, it's becoming increasingly common to see post-production sound jobs in exchange for a fee that doesn't even reach 10% of the VALUE that the work represents in the right hands.

I know perfectly well that many independent directors and producers struggle against all odds to complete their productions, even investing their own money. But I've also encountered these types of "job offers" (see screenshot) from clients who aren't under any financial pressure and are simply looking to find someone to do the job for them while saving a significant amount of money.

I'm also aware that those of us who value what we do often overlook these post-productions, waiting for a REAL client who knows what they're talking about when it comes to sound post-production for film.

But it's still a situation that makes us reflect on the tremendous changes the industry has undergone in recent decades, which often make us feel stuck in a quagmire, with an uncertain future ahead.

Be that as it may, challenges were never an impediment to progress; quite the opposite. We'll have to imagine this as a video game where we have to face another boss to advance to the next level.

I enjoyed this interview with Edward J. Douglass, the effects supervisor on THE MONKEY. Have you soon THE MONKEY and, if so, did you enjoy it? https://variety.com/2025/film/news/the-monkey-kills-osgood-perkins-neon-...

Some very cool takeaways in this article - you can heighten the look of your animated work, which can really enhance the audience experinece.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/achieve-bold-cinematic-look-animation-100000152.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADHay0fgFmBG9miJ1mPRbp1DjgmHyNaGtCXFBDEY7lwfdjuZ_4OqzOnBU3uyIWVcrxmHC-osq4JViunxlNIg134mUnHpG2GFA2qQoxqPX_TQZULWBNfH4G1sDfGTT9zk-eLAUmsq_35DTUYQCi1qeFAyiRln3IH12fEEemO3FpeF

Hey Superstars!

Hope you all had a fantastic Oscar weekend! I was truly inspired by the incredible talent being honored and wanted to share some exciting news along with a few valuable lessons from my own journey.

I currently have a feature film set to release this year, and throughout the process, I’ve learned some key lessons that I believe can benefit all filmmakers.

1️⃣ Choose Your Team Wisely – Work with people who genuinely want to see you succeed. Unfortunately, I experienced a major setback when my Director of Photography—someone I considered a friend—stole footage from Days 1-5 out of jealousy, which delayed production by a month and increased costs significantly.

2️⃣ Pre-Production is Everything – The more you prepare before shooting, the smoother things will run on set. While unexpected challenges will arise, thorough planning helps alleviate unnecessary stress.

3️⃣ Always Overbook Extras – If your scene requires extras, always book more than you need. It’s inevitable that some won’t show up, so having a backup ensures you’re never short on talent.

4️⃣ Contracts & NDAs are a Must – No matter how close you are to someone, always have contracts and NDAs in place. A paper trail protects both you and the production if anything goes sideways.

5️⃣ Feature Films Take Time – The average viewer may not realize how much effort and time goes into making a feature. That’s why having a trustworthy filmmaking community is so important—you need a solid support system.

6️⃣ Invest in the Best Crew You Can Afford – Cutting corners on key crew positions can cost you more in the long run. For example, hiring a cheaper sound mixer might mean spending extra in post to fix audio issues. Always aim to hire the best within your budget to ensure quality from the start.

7️⃣ Don’t Rely on ‘Fixing it in Post’ – It’s always better to address issues on set rather than pushing them to post-production. Fixing things in post is often more expensive and time-consuming, and in many cases, avoidable with the right approach on set.

I hope these insights help you navigate your own filmmaking journeys more smoothly! I truly appreciate all the support, and I’m looking forward to inviting you all to the premiere of Back Burner in July. I’ll keep you posted once I have an official date!

Thank you all for being part of this journey with me!