Sounds Familiar
Sound designer Joseph Fox takes us through the post production process on the new stories...

What does the post production on a Dark Shadows CD entail?
First I listen to all of the dialogue from the cast recordings and selecting the best takes available. This is one of the most important and time consuming jobs in
the whole process. Once the final dialogue edit for a play has been completed, special effects are added to the voices that require a more otherworldly presence.

With the dialogue tracks completed, it is time to add background sound effects. These range from the ambiences for the locations around Collinwood, to rolling ocean vistas, storm swept hillsides and shadowy realms. Whatever events take place within the story, the sound effects must be focussed and believable. Few people ever realise how many painstaking hours can be spent finessing a 30 second sequence in a 60 minute play!

With the sound effects in place, one vital ingredient is missing. The incidental music is vital to create the tone of the plays and almost acts like a character in its own right. Music is an integral part of modern storytelling and this is the point at which the story really comes to life and feels complete.

How have you approached the incidental music?
Creating the incidental music for the plays has been one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of the project. Following in the path set by Robert Cobert for the original television series, I have approached the music with a heavy reliance on character themes and motifs for the various locations and people. These themes have been carefully woven throughout the plays, paying homage to and integrating with Cobert’s original recordings. One of the most exciting aspects of the music has been working with a broader palette of instruments than was possible during the original series, lending the music the truly operatic feel that Dark Shadows deserves.

Fans also have a new remix of the theme tune to look forward to…
Yes! Updating a classic and beloved theme tune is both a blessing and a curse. The Dark Shadows theme is so strongly identified with the original series that any deviation is likely to provoke fierce debate. Dozens of separate arrangements were created, but at every stage it was vital to retain the pace and feel of the classic version, the original recording of which is truly unique.

So what approach did you settle on?
The tune acts as a signature to the whole series and we’ve taken great care to create a fresh but recognisable new version, utilising original elements from Robert Cobert's recordings, digitally remastered to hi-fi quality. Working with those original elements, I’ve added several new sounds, to create a richer, fuller sound that remains true to the feel of the original series.

What's been the biggest challenge on Dark Shadows so far?
One of the greatest challenges I have faced so far has been integrating an international cast recorded across multiple continents into a final coherent piece. With busy schedules it is not always possible to assemble everyone at one location, so whilst the actors cannot always look each other in the eye I've endeavoured to create a natural and seamless experience. When I can no longer tell which characters were recorded where, I know that we’ve succeeded.

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