Post-Prod Phase 2: Sound & Music
We have moved past the "rough cut" stage and, while we're not quite at the fabled "picture lock", we're close enough to start working on sound.
Which, in my opinion, is when a movie goes from "awkward, random crap" to an actual movie. It's said often, but does need to be repeated even more often: sound is 50% of the information your audience is receiving. In my experience, it's also the more important 50%.
Somewhere in Leeds, there's a dude who looks just like this.
Most audiences are more than willing to overlook subpar lighting or camerawork (sorry DPs, but it's true), but if your sound is off, they are thrown right out of the movie. I don't mean you have to wow anyone with your mad sound skillz, I simply mean that the overall sound mix, and particularly transitions between scenes, need to feel natural. Much like good picture editing, that sound mix needs to mostly be invisible. A weird bit of ambient tone or an oddly mixed sound effect just murders suspension of disbelief. It's as primal as jumping at loud noises.
Thankfully, we're very lucky to have some very talented people making sure the sound and music kick as much ass as our performers.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Birmingham, they're recording music.