Yes, we can absolutely work remotely if you are not local or are unable to stay around for the audio process. With today’s technical capabilities, most clients actually prefer to work with us remotely. It is easy for them to review the sound-to-picture via a web-link right on their own sound system or computer, without leaving the comfort of their environment, city or home! Wanna listen on quality speakers instead of your computer speakers?... We'll send an Aiff or Wav audio file of the mix for your video editor to line up and play through his speaker system along with your latest, up-to-date picture edit. Instant Messenger, FTP (file transfer protocol) and email are all the access we need to work together while not physically being together. Simply provide Ear FX with Mjpeg, DV, Photo Jpeg or DVCproHD 720 50 Quicktime codec file of your movie/video and an OMF type 2 or AAF file (with embedded audio). Then you can simply upload both the video and audio for us to access.

Yes. 15 year post production specialist Shawn Conrad is available for hire as a freelance sound designer / mixer at your facility if you have an available Pro Tools system.

The video editor should make and OMF or AAF of his audio sequence. The less the audio tracks the better as long as their ORGANIZED! What we mean is mono sound effects should remain on their own mono sound effects tracks. Stereo sound effects should remain on stereo sound effects tracks (not to be shared with voice/dialog or music tracks.) Music files follow the same rules as do dialog/bites or VO files. The video editor should create an OMF type 2 or AAF (embedded audio - aiff or wav) with 90 frame handles. The OMF/AAF should be kept to a minimum track count (2 stereo tracks of music, 2 to 4 mono sound effect tracks, 2 to 4 stereo sound effects tracks and dialog tracks that ONLY HAVE DIALOG OR VO ON THEM).

Be consistent with the tape master (is it 29.97 drop or non-drop?). Please let the first frame of program/show begin at the 1 hour mark (01:00:00:00.) Bars & tone, slate and then some black should all be BEFORE that 1 hour mark. In addition to the OMF/AAF, a reference video file should be created in the Mjpeg, DV, Photo Jpeg or DVCproHD 720 50 codec. Once the elements are prepared and ready, you can upload them to the Ear FX server via FTP (such as the FREE http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client), send them via Instant Messenger or yousendit.com... or send the files on a USB or firewire drive.

Ear FX currently has about 122,000 different sound effects! We have everything you can think of! We customarily layer my sound effects to make them sound like my own unique effects which are typically unheard anywhere else in the world.

Ear FX offers "needle-drop" music of all genres and eras for your project. You are also welcome to visit sites like www.videohelper.com and the more expensive but high quality www.extrememusic.com to find music selections on your own if you are not able to find a suitable composer.

A project that already has music placed in and most of the sound effects, requiring stereo mixing of dialog, VO, music and a few additional sounds, can take a full 8 hour day for every 30 minutes of the program. When there are many details to address to get the audio in shape, every 15 minutes of a show or documentary will take one full 8 hour day. This all depends on how intense your sound design (sound effects) needs are and how much clean up work the sound files need for pops, clicks and noise issues. For example, it can easily take 2 full days for every 15 minutes of program for a film that requires very INVOLVED sound effects work. Similarly, a 60 second radio spot can also take a full day depending on the scheduling of voice talent, sound design needs and delivery specifications such as how many different versions are required. However, It can take as little as 3 hours to mix a 30 second television spot. Please keep in mind; time must also be allotted for assembling the elements, versions and out-putting. For an "Audio Book", calculate 1 hour for every 2 pages - which includes the whole recording, editing and mixing process.

Sound-For-Picture work has truly made its way into a file-based world, free of having to work with bulky and expensive tape decks. However, if you still need to lay-back to tape (Digi-Beta, D5, HD Cam, etc), Ear FX will simply post your final mix files to an FTP server for your video editor to layback and make your dub order.