Sound is a way to add emotions to artwork - CreativeMindClass Blog
Phil Brookes is a music creator and sound designer hailing of Wales. He has worked with TedEd, Greenpeace, Tate, Medium, Passion, Strangebeast and many more. His music and sound design were also featured at major events like Cannes, BFI London, GLAS as well as Giffoni and has won multiple awards for his films.
In this interview the interviewer will discuss how Phil came about becoming a musician and check out his tips for how to start in the world of sound. Also, dive into the details of an acoustic version of an enjoyable Socks project he worked on with Eva Munnich.
Phil Brookes' background
I'm a composer of music and sound designer originally from Wales located in UK.
As far back as I can remember, I've always been attracted to the sounds of music, sound, and even voices. Falling asleep in front of the washing machine when I was an infant, being seduced by its drones (appropriate given the topic I'm about to discuss!) was my first memory of sound.
I started mimicking funny accents and voice.
My dad was an obsessive music lover and would make use of recording equipment to create noises in his voice, and apply effects like reverb and delay to his voice to make it more enjoyable. I used to imitate him and other people such as Jim Carrey and Robin Williams by using a small dictaphone, and duplicate all of the humorous 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 and left his guitar in the car, and, as an adolescent, I used it to teach myself how to begin writing and recording music. I was attempting to make sounds I had heard on albums or on TV and then adding my own sounds in the material already available.
The desire to use any resources I could find to create or recreate sound remains what drives me to keep pushing myself. I enjoy the process of learning as I create and my preferred method of writing is to write on the spot. Improvising, experimenting, jamming.
I taught myself piano and synthesizer to compose the tune to 'But Milk is important'.
My passion for animation led my to The University of South Wales in Cardiff which is where I first met an amazing animator called Eirik Gronmo Bjornsen. The animator returned to Norway and produced a movie together with Anna Mantzaris called 'But Milk Is Important'.
I learned piano for myself and synth to make the soundtrack, and since working on that film, I've taken on sound design roles as well, and I am still creating.
The X-Files Project, aka the "Socks Project"
Recently I worked alongside the incredible visual artist, Eva Munnich for the very first of three Lemonade Insurance projects I've created the music and sound tracks for.
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The Lemonade videos are funny fifteen to thirty seconds of short animated videos that 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 I'll start by creating the sound, since my atmosphere will most likely inspire me musically.
We've also talked to Eva about the process of making animations and visuals for the X-Files project. Check out an interview with Eva.
Voice-wise, Eva liked the voices I had performed in a previous TedEd animation that I created together with Lisa Vertudaches.
In that animation, I had pitched up my vocals dramatically. The animator thought that this could be suitable for the specific sock and requested that I shout "yay" in this voice. When I recorded this "yay" I left the recording in motion and then added "seeya" prior to when the sock had entered the UFO.
Eva enjoyed it, and it stayed in. The other voice-overs were made up in the same way I observed them.
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If the washer were to speak and a voice, the machine would sound low.
In contrast to the heavy tone of the sock's voice, I decreased my voice in the direction of the washing machine; as it is a large object which is quite large, I thought as if if it had an ear, it should have some depth to it. I blended these in together with the foley before mixing to create the perfect sound for music to be added on.
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I was a fan of the X-Files music when I was a kid.
Musically, Eva thought it would be cool to have music that was inspired by The X-Files theme of The X-Files, which I was very happy with as I loved that music as a kid!
Much like the vast majority of work I've done, I work with an animatic (almost similar to a storyboard that moves) which the animator provides me, so I can have a rough idea of timings, etc.
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I listen to sci-fi movies and game soundtracks.
I enjoy a variety diverse kinds of music. it includes sci-fi and game soundtracks, so as well as referencing this particular X Files theme, I was thinking about which instruments would work best in this particular genre.
I mostly used synthesizers, drones, and basses to lay the foundation of my music. The drones were layered to capture the right atmosphere and representing the light that emanates from the ufo to abduct our little sock.
I made an incredibly powerful drum by layering two kick drum samples and adding reverb and delay. I then added a delaying synth that pans from left to right, making the music appear more immersive. The final synth that I played in was the six-note pattern that is repeated all through.
Whistling is a great human element to add to a piece of music.
It was time to take an inspiration from X-Files and include a delayed piano pattern and a whistle. I love to whistle and think it to be a fantastic personal element that can be added to the music. I had originally recorded bass guitar parts too, but I felt it took away from the synthetic sound I was going for.
Piano pattern
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The whistle
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In just 15 seconds can be challenging.
I really loved working with Eva, and this short-form approach is really enjoyable and exciting to work within. While it's fast, it is still a lot of work and has its own difficulties.
Establishing and maintaining an atmosphere within 15 seconds using the music can be a challenge, and composing an arrangement that isn't like it was recorded in a hurry is quite an accomplishment also.
These are challenges I relish however, and, since Eva's video, I've worked on two more really enjoyable Lemonade projects! The process videos for them on my site as well as on Instagram.
Ideas on how to begin adding sound to visuals
If you're interested in putting sound to the visual world, there's now more innovative ways to do it than ever before, and there's really the best time to start doing it now than today.
- If you have a creative drive, follow it to the point where it will lead you. The best way to start with your creations is to design something that you enjoy and then display it to people.
- Contact budding filmmakers that are in the same boat as you,they have always been looking for assistance with sound and it is possible to build a connection.
- The first step is to get started at some point. I was making ambient music before I even thought about the possibilities to pursue a career in film and, luckily, there was an animation department in my university, but before this, I'd made and created enough sound and music that it made sense for me to pursue that path when it presented the opportunity.
- Get to know others in the field; that's how working together is about. If you are fortunate enough to be located in an area that has festival nights, film nights and other activities, you should go to them and meet individuals.
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