Audio post production and sound mixing at SPG Studios: An Interview with Sound Engineer Ben Freer of HBO’s McMillion$
Ben Freer, the Primetime Emmy award nominee for the documentary “McMillion$”, opens up about his creative process, how he got into sound design, and his transition into audio post production for television and film.
When HBO's McMillion's aired in early 2020, audiences across the world were on the edge of their seats as the bizarre story unfolded of an ex-cop who rigged the McDonald's Monopoly game and stole over $24 million. SPG Studios sat down with the documentary's audio mixer and editor, Ben Freer, to learn more about the sound post process that went into the binge-worthy drama.
Photo Credit:Foxtel
What inspired you to get into Sound Mixing and Sound Design?
I was born in Manchester, England, which I left after my parents moved to the USA when I was a kid. So, I grew up in San Diego for most of my childhood.
Initially getting into sound I had always loved sound effects. I was inspired by all seven of the “Police Academy” films with Michael Leslie Winslow, also known as “The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects.”
His character, Larvell Jones, would make these realistic sounds using only his voice. When I was a kid, I loved to imitate him — his work was a big influence on me, as well as a fond memory from my childhood.
I later went back to the UK to earn my degree in audio engineering in 2004 from the School of Sound Recording in Manchester city.
What was your creative process for HBO’s “McMillion$”?
“McMillion$” was my first long-form project. Previously, I provided sound mixing for commercials in Los Angeles, so this documentary series challenged me to adapt my workflow. My colleague James Lee Hernandez invited me on, and I applied my experience in sound post production to each episode.
Fiddle Leaf Sound
Ben Freer, Owner and Sound Engineer, Fiddle Leaf Sound
What was your favorite scene to work on?
From a sound design standpoint, my favorite scene to work on was the car accident scene in episode 2 and the beginning of episode 3, when Robin and Jerry were driving to Georgia, and were unfortunately hit by an F-15 truck.
Prior to this scene, especially with a documentary, it’s very dialogue-driven, so we were able to be very creative with the car accident scene to create a contrast in the audio story. This was similar to the scene in episode 3 with the aftermath of the car crash. That was also a fun scene to build as we had to build all of the emergency crew and firetruck audio to make it a sort of dream sequence/ blurred memory, in the perspective of Robin.
The two directors, James and Bryan, wanted to make the scene feel kind of surreal to the viewer. We used big reverbs, echoed sounds out and added reverses to make the scene very shocking and really emphasize the extremity of emotions.
Why SPG Studios?
SPG Studios’ location in Burbank, modern facilities, and helpful staff made it ideal. Their elevated movie-theater feel exemplifies their expertise in entertainment audio post-production.