Behind the Scenes with the Sound Design Team for Ben Affleck's 'Argo'

We don't often get to see the sound designers of a major Hollywood film execute their craft, but those are exactly the people SoundWorks Collection features in their videos. Over the summer we shared two of their recent videos, the sound design of Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises, and now they've produced a fantastic behind the scenes look at the sound work for Ben Affleck's new film Argo.

First, here's the trailer if you haven't seen it:

It's always impressive to see the sound people go about their duties, because it's usually one of the most under-appreciated aspects of any film. Great sound design can often enhance the visuals, and even though most people think of epic Hollywood films when they think of good sound design, smaller, more reality-based films can also benefit greatly from the added touch of these talented folks.

The realistic and serious nature of Argo definitely lends itself to being recorded in a live environment, as opposed to in a studio. Part of that choice, though, comes down to the wishes of the creative team and also the subject matter of the film itself. I've found in my own work that I like doing additional sound on a real location, just as they've done above, because for me it takes a lot less time to make the sound blend in and feel natural. Good sound typically goes unnoticed, but that's usually the idea -- if you don't notice something in a film, it often means it's doing its job.

What do you guys think? Have you done anything like the Argo team has done above?

Link: SoundWorks Collection: The Sound of Argo