Re-recording mixer, Howard Bargroff, AMPS, was nominated alongside production sound mixer John Mooney for their effort on BBC’s Sherlock. Known for his work on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, amongst others, S&P asked Howard to take us behind the scenes and unlock the mystery of his final mix for the Emmy considered episode, A Scandal in Belgravia.
S&P: Sherlock landed you your first Emmy nomination. Pretty cool, huh?
Bargroff :Very cool. And totally unexpected. I’m still reeling a bit from the news.
S&P: What made you and production sound mixer, John Mooney, decide to submit A Scandal In Belgravia over the other episodes of season 2?
Bargroff :That episode had the most thinking time. And a real conscious effort was made to shape the tone of the piece. It was felt that we would keep sound fairly minimal apart from key moments. Hopefully, that made the big scenes feel more impactful, and helped to sell the shape of the drama.
S&P: Tell us a bit about your workflow.
Bargroff : Dialogue is the backbone to the project. And getting a nice tight dialogue premix really helps all the elements fit together nicely. Although mixing ADR in after the FX does help you bed them in with the minimum of fuss. Plus, I do like having music from the start, even if it’s temp, just to get a feel of where the director and editor are thinking of putting stuff.
S&P: What programs do you mix with?
Bargroff :Mainly in Pro Tools, for its transportability and recut-ability aspects. But if the chance presents itself, I like to premix the dialogues through an AMS desk, either DFC or a Libra. Any chance to use their lovely eq, I will take it.
S&P: The musical cues play an important role in the story whether they are playful to help carry a scene or the opposite. How far do you try to push those levels?
Bargroff :I love mixing in the music. I’m always trying to push it. When the score is as good as Sherlocks, all you can do is keep turning it up! There were a couple of scenes in Scandal where the music shape really bedded in with the drama. We spent a long time in those scenes to make sure the music was as loud as possible and there was still space for dialogue and FX to live.
S&P: When Sherlock starts to do his “thinking” on crime scenes, what is the thought process behind the sound effects? Are they married to the visual sequences or do they derive from another perspective?
Bargroff :They are very much married to the visuals. They really form part of the “thinking” story. In fact, on this series, Charlie Phillips, the picture editor, used the library of sounds from the first series so there was a definitive language to the FX in these sections.
S&P: Sherlock’s phone has a pretty distinct moaning sound when Lara Pulver’s character, Irene Adler, sends a text. It could have been anything. What was the thought process behind giving such an intimate sound effect?
Bargroff :I think it was the productions idea. I was just presented with the ADR. I’m sure the cheeky comedy factor played its part in choosing that particular sound.
S&P: We see the arc of Sherlock’s character expose more emotion than he has in any episode. How did you try and emphasize this through the tracks?
Bargroff :Oh, that’s a tough question. As so much of what we do is instinctive, it is really difficult to think of any particularly deliberate thing we did. You just kind of sympathize with what’s happening on the screen, and hopefully impart your emotions into what you are mixing.
S&P: How involved was director Paul McGuigan in the episode’s final mix?
Bargroff :Paul was away working during the final mix of this episode. We ended up working with Charlie very closely for the entire final mix. When we were close to finishing the mix, we ended up sending Paul a Quicktime file from which he sent notes back to us.
S&P: How long are you given before you have to deliver the show?
Bargroff :I’m given about 1.5 weeks. Which is pretty good for TV, nowadays! But compared to a feature, yes, it’s pretty short. But I like the disciplines that tight TV deadlines make you work to. When I work on features, my efficient mixing from TV has really help me.
S&P: You’ve worked in sound re-recording for the past 15 years. What areas are you still improving on?
Bargroff :All areas. Improvements can be made in everything I do. I’m always striving for better ways to mix. My workflow is a constantly evolving beast. It also keeps you fresh.
S&P: If you were to take the Emmy back home — who would you thank on stage?
Bargroff :I don’t know yet. That’s a good point, I better make a list just in case!
S&P would like to thank Howard for talking to us about his work on Sherlock. You can catch an all new season of the BBC show in 2013. The Creative Arts Emmys will be held September 15th, 2012, at the Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles.
Photos: Colin Hutton/Hartswood Films/BBC