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Thunder and bullets

Subject: Thunder and bullets
From: Wild Sanctuary <>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 09:48:02 -0700
Didn't work on Open Range, Bill. That's one we missed.

As for gunshots, turns out that most of the ricocheting bullet sounds 
you hear in hundreds of films were done in the late 30s apparently by 
Ben Burtt's dad. Ben Burtt (sound designer for all the Star Wars 
films) is head of sound design for LucasFilm and his dad was one of 
the leading sound efx folks in the Hollywood of the 30s and 40s. 
Exactly the same bullet sound can be heard in movies as far ranging 
as "High Noon" to "Star Wars", many in between and since. A few years 
back, Burtt tried to record new ricochet bullet sounds setting up a 
number of Schoeps 541 in XY stereo systems the full length of a 
firing range. He loaded cartridges with different amts of powder to 
control for velocity, grooved the slugs, and aimed so that the slugs 
would ricochet off the ground at a slight angle just as his dad was 
reported to have done. While he got some effect, none were apparently 
as effective as those recorded back in the 30s. Thus they are still 
the ricochet effects of choice in the industry.

Bernie Krause

>Bernie,
>
>I just got home after seeing the movie "Open Range".  I was just
>wondering if you happened to do any of the sound work for this
>production.  There was a great deal of thunder sounds: distant
>thunder, loud cracking close claps, thunder with heavy rain, light
>rain, and thunder storms as heard from indoors.
>
>Another interesting aspect of the movie track was the gunshot sounds
>during the final shootout. I suspect that gunshots are as difficult
>to record and recreate as thunder and surf.
>
>The motion picture industry has come a long way over the last half
>century in sound realism (if not maybe surrealism).
>
>This one is definitely worth watching (for the scenery), (and
>listening), IMHO.
>
>Bill Mueller
>http://www.experimotion.com
>http://www.wcmsolutions.com
>
>
>--- In  Wild Sanctuary <>
>wrote:
>>  Some of our thunder recordings can be heard
>>  in the movies "Castaway," "Perfect Storm," and "Mosquito Coast,"
>>  along with others which I've long forgotten. Also on our albums
>>  "Distant Thunder" and "Rainstorm in Borneo," the last of which has
>>  the loudest crack I've recorded (132dBA at the input) if one would
>>  like a reference.
>>  Bernie Krause
>>
>>  Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
>>  P. O. Box 536
>>  Glen Ellen, CA 95442
>>  707-996-6677 tel
>>  707-996-0280 fax
>>  http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>>
>
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-- 
Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-6677 tel
707-996-0280 fax
http://www.wildsanctuary.com


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