"If you're looking for the best source of knowledge and inspiration between two covers, you have only one choice: David Yewdall's 'Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound. Yewdall goes back and forth between step-by-step explanation of every part of the craft and reminisces on his career, all the while never forgetting the end product--the art."
- Larry Blake, Mix Magazine
"Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound" is a must-read for all students of sound, whether in film school, recording school or already working in the craft. More than that, it's a must-read for all students of film, and no doubt, a few directors and producers out there would benefit from a read." - Mix Magazine
"I wish this book had been available when I was starting to make movies: there is probably no producer or director who will not benefit from David Yewdall's lucid and thoroughly practical explanation of creativity with sound, and the technical disciplines necessary to use sound as an art form.

Table of Contents

A Memorial to Excellence, Chapter 1 - The Empowerment of Sound, Chapter 2 - Our Amateur Beginnings, Chapter 3 - The Passing of a Tradition and Coming of Age, Chapter 4 - Success or Failure: Before the Camera Even Rolls, Chapter 5 - The Challenging Battlefield of Production, Chapter 6 - From the Set to the Laboratory, Chapter 7 - Picture Editorial and the Use of the Sound Medium, Chapter 8 - Temp Dubs and Test Screenings: A Critical Objective View, Chapter 9 - Spotting the Picture for Sound and Music, Chapter 10 - Custom Recording Sound Effects: The Real Fun and Adventure, Chapter 11 - The Sound Librarian: The Curator of an Audio Empire, Chapter 12 - Sound Design: Myths and Realities, Chapter 13 - Sound Editorial: Sync-Sync, Chop-Chop, Chapter 14 - Sound Editorial: Ultra Low-Budget Strategies, Chapter 15 - Dialog Editors: Hollywood’s Unsung Heroes, Chapter 16 - ADR and Looping: Getting the Lips to Flap in Sync, Chapter 17 - Foley: The Art of Footsteps, Props, and Cloth Movement, Chapter 18 - The Music Composer: Audio Collaboration or Mud and Destruction, Chapter 19 - The Rerecording Stage: Predubbing and the Final Mix, Chapter 20 - Production Sound: Four Digital Portable Sound Recorders, Chapter 21 - The Venerable Nagra IV-S (Analog), Chapter 22 - Emerging Technologies: Sound Restoration and Colorization, Glossary, Index, DVD and Website Information

About the Author

David Lewis Yewdall, MPSE, is a veteran of over 140 theatrical motion pictures, most of which are listed on IMDB.com, has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1984, has been a member of the Motion Picture Sound Editor’s Society since 1986 and was a member of the faculty of the film school of North Carolina School of the Arts from 2000–2010.

Reviews

"If you're looking for the best source of knowledge and inspiration between two covers, you have only one choice: David Yewdall's 'Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound. Yewdall goes back and forth between step-by-step explanation of every part of the craft and reminisces on his career, all the while never forgetting the end product--the art."
- Larry Blake, Mix Magazine

"Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound" is a must-read for all students of sound, whether in film school, recording school or already working in the craft. More than that, it's a must-read for all students of film, and no doubt, a few directors and producers out there would benefit from a read." - Mix Magazine

"I wish this book had been available when I was starting to make movies: there is probably no producer or director who will not benefit from David Yewdall's lucid and thoroughly practical explanation of creativity with sound, and the technical disciplines necessary to use sound as an art form."
- Roger Corman, Concorde/New Horizons

"The DGA should make this book required reading before their members could go out and work in the industry! This is the first time I have ever seen the subject presented in such a realistic and practical way that is written in a style that everyone can understand."
- Jim Webb, Academy Award-winning Production Mixer and multi-channel expert

"This is a book for ALL filmmakers, whether a budding 'in-the-trenches' sound editor or a producer/director who deigns to touch actual film. This book reveals HOW to achieve the creative soundtrack that the director reams of while actually saving money for the producer--and best of all, it's told in a witty, anecdotal style...A must read for both student filmmakers and the seasoned professional."
- Richard Anderson, M.P.S.E.

"The best book on the subject to date, hands down. Thanks Mr. Yewdall!"
-Ken Trevenna, Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology

"Written for 'everyone interested in sound,' Yewdall, a veteran of over 140 theatrical motion pictures, covers all aspects of motion picture sound engineering, art, and design. The book is full of commonsense advice garnered from years of working in the industry illustrated with entertaining and educational anecdotes and supplemented with stories from and about other professionals in the field. Yewdall's commonsense approach extends from the technical to the artistic aspects of recording and mixing. He describes the craft and explains the roles of professional roles in Hollywood sound design, from the dialog editor to the composer to Foley artists. He covers hardware, software, best practices, and offers cautionary notes. Illustrations help clarify and demonstrate concepts. The included DVD contains over 1,000 sound effect audio files available for license-free use."--SciTech Book News