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Sound for Storytellers: A filmmakers guide to the power of Audio
Paperback
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Aug 27 2025
Pages: 148
Weight: 0.46
Height: 0.34 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Sound for Storytellers: A Filmmaker's Guide to the Power of Audio
Sound is half the story - but too often, it's the half filmmakers understand the least. Sound for Storytellers is not a tech manual. It's a guide to how filmmakers should think about sound: as dialog, as environment, as music, as emotion, and as storytelling.
Written by Emmy-winning sound editor and mixer Kevin Church, this book pulls from decades in studios, on set production, and post-production to give filmmakers a clear roadmap for working with audio from pre-production through delivery. Whether you're directing your first short film, producing episodic TV, or experimenting with AI-generated content, this book shows you how to collaborate with your sound team, avoid costly mistakes, and use audio as a creative force, not an afterthought.
You'll learn:
How dialog, backgrounds, music, and effects each serve the story - and how they work together.
What to ask for (and what to avoid) when importing AAF/OMF files from picture editorial.
How to prep, cut, and deliver stems so your project is ready for distribution, international versions, and re-mixes.
The role of music supervisors, composers, and music editors - and how to wear those hats yourself when budgets demand it.
Why preparation in pre-production saves you endless headaches in post.
How to navigate AI-generated filmmaking, including getting dialog-only outputs, avoiding baked-in sound, and using modern repair tools when cleanup is unavoidable.
Practical techniques for noise reduction, Foley, and creative polish that bring life to the mix.
From production meetings to spotting sessions, from cutting backgrounds to mixing for emotion, Sound for Storytellers gives you the language, mindset, and workflow to treat sound as the essential storytelling tool it is.
This book is for all filmmakers - directors, producers, editors, and anyone who wants their stories to land with maximum impact. Because when sound works, audiences don't just watch your film. They feel it.
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