Paul Sampson

Producer/Engineer - Orchestral Score
crew_Paul Sampson
Location:
Behind laptop
Film:
The Age of Stupid
Time on the job:
One great South Indian lunch, three days recording bits of orchestra in basement, two weeks lying on the floor of my studio
Jet, jeep, bus or bike:
Bike
Original connection:
Producer of a very young Franny's pop group
Memorable moment:
Listening to my 5.1 mixes on the Curzon cinema's mega system. You can hear everything! Mistakes and all!
Scared of:
Rats
Guilty of:
Considering I'm an atheist I've been quite holy

I have been producing and mixing everything from indie pop to Indian dance to symphony orchestras for more than twenty years. I was the producer of The Playthings' album Consumed (1989), which featured Age of Stupid director Franny on drums, aged 17, and was one of the best things I'd done to that point, but sadly didn't get released as the record company folded.

Age of Stupid was the first time I have ever mixed in 5.1 (instead of mixing into two stereo speakers, you are mixing into 6 speakers for cinema). Which is why we have the ridiculous set-up you see in the pictures - we were trying to mimic a cinema set-up, with 3 speakers in front, two at the back and the bass wherever. It was pretty uncomfortable, but very enlightening. If I get another 5.1 job, I will be investing in some speaker stands and chairs.

 

PICTURES

Makeshift surround sound studio 1: Composer Chris Brierley (sitting) and Sound recordist Paul Sampson (lying down) mixing the orchestral score in Paul's 'studio' in Coventry. This was the first time Chris & Paul worked on a cinema film, which is more

Composer Chris Brierley (sitting) and Sound recordist Paul Sampson (lying down) mixing the orchestral score in Paul's 'studio' in Coventry. This was the first time Chris & Paul worked on a cinema film, which is more complicated than usual because you're mixing for surround sound (or 5:1 as it's known in the business), where you have speakers in front, to the side, and at the back of the cinema and you can choose which sounds should come from which speakers. As they couldn't afford a proper studio (massively expensive) they set up a budget surround sound mixing studio simply by placing various speakers around the room. Which meant had to lie in the middle of the floor to hear the mix properly.

Date: May 2008
Location: Paul's studio in Coventry
Copyright: Spanner Films
Credit: Spanner Films
Restrictions: Free for use in Age of Stupid-related promotion. No resale.

Makeshift surround sound studio 2: The makeshift studio worked brilliantly and the industry professionals who gave the surround sound mix full marks were shocked when they saw these photos of the process. Especially as their studios cost thousands of pounds a day for people to book and Pa

The makeshift studio worked brilliantly and the industry professionals who gave the surround sound mix full marks were shocked when they saw these photos of the process. Especially as their studios cost thousands of pounds a day for people to book and Paul managed to get great results from this simple set up.

Date: May 2008
Location: Paul's studio in Coventry
Copyright: Spanner Films
Credit: Spanner Films
Restrictions: Free for use in Age of Stupid-related promotion. No resale.

 

Makeshift surround sound studio 3: Chris & Paul were sitting in similar positions, in this identical room, about 20 years ago, mixing various bands' albums. Including albums Franny played the drums on back in her rock and roll days. She said the room was exactly the sa

Chris & Paul were sitting in similar positions, in this identical room, about 20 years ago, mixing various bands' albums. Including albums Franny played the drums on back in her rock and roll days. She said the room was exactly the same as the last time she saw it except for nowadays you could actually see the carpet rather than it being covered in cigarettes, beer bottles and other band paraphernalia.

Date: May 2008
Location: Paul's studio in Coventry
Copyright: Spanner Films
Credit: Spanner Films
Restrictions: Free for use in Age of Stupid-related promotion. No resale.

 

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