Latest news with #Yocum
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Secret Level' sound editor Matt Yocum on using the ‘punchy aesthetic' of video game audio for new animated series
'One of my favorite parts of my job is the variety,' says Matt Yocum about the diversity of projects on which he has served as sound editor. An Emmy Award winner for The Last of Us, he has worked on both television and film, from live action to animation. 'Animation really does stand out amongst the herd of other possible choices,' says the designer, because 'you're not necessarily tied to any 'natural conventions.' You're able to bend things and go further and manipulate sounds in different ways and be more exaggerate.' Yocum has brought that approach to the Prime Video animated series Secret Level and discussed the show as part of our Meet the Experts: TV sound panel. A self-professed gamer, Yocum delighted in taking part of Secret Level, which he describes as 'an immense undertaking.' He explains, 'Although they're all animated, each episode is in its own genre and has its own world with its own rules and set of logic and creative approach.' The first season of the show features 15 episodes inspired by 15 different games, ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to Pac-Man and beyond. More from GoldDerby 'Have I said too much?' David Chase and Alex Gibney on revisiting 'The Sopranos' for 'Wise Guy' doc - and, yes, that finale Every Disney live-action remake, ranked from worst to first (updated) All the 'Mission: Impossible' movies, ranked (updated) Even though Yocum brought a unique approach to each episode of Secret Level, he introduced cohesiveness across the entire season by drawing upon principles of video game sound. He explains, 'Game audio has, in a lot of cases, this specific, punchy aesthetic. There's something hyper-real about things and impactful.' The sound editor aimed to 'bring that punch and that largeness and that impact and the visceral nature of things' to all 15 installments. SEE 'Secret Level' creator Tim Miller explains how he gets writers to create short stories based on video and role-playing games One of the standout episodes of the season from a sound perspective is 'Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear.' This entry was a massive undertaking for Yocum because, in his words, 'The edict from the director, Dave [Wilson], on day one of Warhammer was, 'Nothing in the Warhammer universe is small, so everything needs to be huge.' These are huge titanic marines and they're flying in big ships and they're shooting huge guns and they're carrying big swords.' From his perspective, the challenge of executing something so humongous in sound design is, 'If everything is a 10, then nothing is a 10.' 'The trick on something as loud and as big and as rambunctious as Warhammer is to create pockets in order to create contrast, because the way you achieve something feeling 10 is by perceiving it and following it with moments of fives or sixes or sevens,' describes Yocum of his approach to adding variety to the massiveness of the fifth episode. He adopted this method 'so that the loud stuff feels loud,' punctuated with 'moments of soft.' Warhammer is also unique because of its overall lack of dialogue, save for some introductory narration and a line or two throughout. Director Wilson came into production with 'this whole sweeping, flowing backstory' that the audience might not understand, but which Yocum found tremendously helpful. 'I actually love knowing that stuff," observes the supervising sound editor, continuing, "It gives me the why behind every sound, so in those pockets of quietness, I can pull from those ideas and create things.' This article and video are presented by Prime Video. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' TV sound editors roundtable: 'Adolescence' and 'Secret Level' 'The dialogue is king': 'Adolescence' sound editor James Drake on the 'chaotic and intense' first episode Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV sound editors roundtable: ‘Adolescence' and ‘Secret Level'
As Adolescence supervising sound editor James Drake and Secret Level supervising sound editor Matt Yocum tell it during our Meet the Experts: TV Sound panel, their work might be intrinsic to what we experience on screen, but they have a confession. 'It's not a very glamorous job,' says Drake. (Watch the full panel above. Click each person's name to see their individual discussion.) The BAFTA nominee for Boiling Point elaborates, 'A lot of people don't realize that so much of what they hear is done by people alone in little studios, hidden away in the dark.' Even if the everyday realities of a sound editor's career are not as ritzy as other Hollywood roles, he shares, 'There are a lot of people who do the job who care intrinsically about the sound' and 'use sound to engage the audience and help tell the story.' More from GoldDerby 'The Last of Us' director Kate Herron on bringing the Ellie and Dina relationship to the show: 'It was a privilege' 'Sunset Boulevard': Will Andrew Lloyd Webber break a 30-year Tony drought? How Zoe Saldaña helped shape Pixar's upcoming film 'Elio' Yocum emphasizes that many viewers don't realize that sound editors do more than incorporate production sounds from principal photography into the final edit. Rather, they often must 'come up with sounds for sometimes these fantastical things and other times things that are more based in reality.' The Emmy winner for The Last of Us provides an example of the popular club scenes in TV shows and film to reveal, 'There was no sound during any of that, just the two main characters talking,' meaning the music, ambient noise from the bar, and beyond were all created and added after the fact. Both sound editors have worked on dozens of film and television projects and say that they tremendously enjoy getting to revisit series after some time away. 'You spend a lot of time over the course of a project getting intimately familiar with the workings of whatever the universe is that you're currently in, and you're a part of shaping the logic and the approach and the sonic character and the emotion,' and 'when you get to come back to something in a repeat sense,' you get to 'expand on those ideas,' describes Yocum. Drake concurs and stresses that sound editors bring their own life experiences and entertainment consumption to these projects, especially shows that unfold over years. He says that when you get to return to a series for a second installment of episodes, 'Your life has changed, and there's new plug-ins around, and you've heard new shows or films and they've given you a little spark of excitement. … You're experiencing new things as you go along.' Watch the full panel above to hear Drake and Yocum discuss the moment in their lives in which they both knew they wanted to become sound editors and their favorite part of the sound editing prep process. This article and video are presented by Netflix and Prime Video. Best of GoldDerby 'The Pitt' star Supriya Ganesh on Mohan 'reworking' her trauma and when she'll realize Abbot is flirting with her Dream Team: 'Étoile' creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino on the secrets of their partnership: 'You want to be jealous of something someone has done' 'Secret Level' sound editor Matt Yocum on using the 'punchy aesthetic' of video game audio for new animated series Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UD students react to election of Pope Leo XIV
Right around lunch time at the University of Dayton, a catholic university, the bells at UD's chapel signaled a historic moment halfway across the world. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A new pope had been elected —Pope Leo XIV. Students at UD had been following the news on live streams, waiting to see who would emerge onto the balcony at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican as the new pontiff. They spoke about the election of the first American-born pope. 'I'm really excited. I think that he'll be a good fit, hopefully. I really haven't heard much about him, but I'm really hopeful, especially because it only took two days to pick him,' Katie Crump said. TRENDING STORIES: High school lacrosse player dies from injury during game 'It might explode;' Woman arrested after leaving suspicious package at restaurant Valedictorian makes school history earning degree before diploma 'I started watching the live stream walking to my final I was getting very excited because this is something, I mean I was super young when the last pope was announced, so it's something I really haven't experienced like this, so I think it's just a very exciting time for everyone,' Addie Hastings said. Dr. Sandra Yocum is a religious studies professor at UD. She spoke about the significance of his first words as pope, 'peace be with all you.' 'He also talked about bridge building. He said several times, Welcome. We welcome all. We want to proclaim what Christ first proclaimed after his resurrection, the greeting of peace,' Yocum said. She noted that one of Pope Leo's first acts was to lead the tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square in a Hail Mary prayer. 'I found that quite beautiful because he addressed the people in his diocese in Peru, and then he led the prayer, the Hail Mary, in Spanish with people, and I think that just signifies that he will invoke Mary's protection and guidance and help and prayers as he goes forth as Leo XIV,' she said. Yocum said that the choice of Leo as his papal name could be a nod to the last pope to take that name, Leo XIII, and his work at metaphorical bridge building and his focus on catholic social teachings could be an indication of the direction Leo XIV wants to take. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RACC and Yocum Institute benefactor James H. Yocum leaves lasting legacy
When Susan Rohn first saw the dilapidated former factory, now home to the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, she wasn't sure what to think. The institute needed a building with more space and room for expansion, and Rohn, executive director of the institute, had gone with James H. Yocum, then president of the board and a longtime benefactor, to check out the building at 3000 Penn Ave. in Spring Township. Seeing the broken windowpanes and holes in the ceilings, Rohn seriously doubted the neglected building was a good fit. She was surprised when Yocum turned to her and said: 'This is perfect. This is exactly what you need.' It was classic Jim, Rohn said. He had a gift for seeing beyond what was, to what could be. James Yocum Yocum died April 8 at the age of 98. The Reading native, Korean War veteran and Harvard-educated businessman was a passionate philanthropist whose legacy lives on at the arts institute that bears his name and Reading Area Community College. Both institutions were transformed by his generosity. As a longtime trustee of RACC, Yocum played an instrumental role in shaping the college and its future. His leadership included serving as vice chairman from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2002, as well as chairman from 1998 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2004. Titles don't begin to capture the breadth of his impact, said Anthony DeMarco, vice president for college advancement and executive director of the Foundation for RACC and Miller Center. 'Jim was much more than a philanthropist and leader,' DeMarco said. 'He was a friend to faculty, staff and students. We all revered him. His joyous, positive nature lifted the spirits of all around him.' Yocum created the foundation — the philanthropic arm of the college — and served as its first chairman. Thanks to his vision and tireless dedication, DeMarco said, the foundation now holds over $32 million in assets, making it one of the most successful among community colleges in Pennsylvania. Yocum also established and endowed 25 scholarships, believed to be the most created by an individual at a Pennsylvania college. 'Hundreds of RACC students have benefitted from Jim's generosity,' DeMarco said, 'and hundreds of Yocum Scholars will earn college degrees for generations.' Yocum also made a major gift that allowed the college to build its Yocum Library, which serves as the academic heart of the college. In honor of his extraordinary service, DeMarco said, the college renamed its highest recognition for former trustees to the James H. Yocum Trustee Emeritus Award. Fittingly, he said, Yocum was the first recipient. Yocum's legacy at the Yocum Institute, formerly the Wyomissing Institute of Fine Arts, is equally profound. As a longtime board member and past president, Yocum supported the institute for decades, helping it grow into a vital center for creative learning and performance. In 2009, the institute was renamed in his honor. When the organization outgrew its former space, Yocum not only scouted the current location in Spring Township, he also provided the financial support and leadership to make the transition possible, Rohn said. Today, the Yocum Institute serves as a hub of arts education for students of all ages and backgrounds. Its ADA-compliant facilities include a black-box theater, art gallery, six dance studios, music wing and a secure arts-based kindergarten and preschool. Rohn said there are many stories about Yocum, who often approached life with the joy and wonder of a child. He was known for the colorful and often flamboyant suits and vests he wore to the institute's exhibit openings and performances. 'There are no bad cookies,' he'd quip, happily munching at opening receptions, she remembers. As for his favorite artists, Rohn noted, these were the students of the institute's preschool and kindergarten. 'He was a character, and everyone loved him,' said Rohn. 'He was so good to everyone. He was a treasure.' Yocum was predeceased by his parents, George Lehman Yocum and Helen (Jost) Yocum, and a brother, George Yocum. A Mass of Christian burial will be held April 15 at 11 a.m. at St. Margaret Catholic Church, 925 Centre Ave. Friends and associates will be received from 9:30 to 11 a.m. prior to Mass. Burial will be in Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading. A celebration of life for James H. Yocum will be held at the Yocum Institute May 9 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Memorials may be made in his memory to the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., Reading PA 19609 or the Foundation for RACC to support the James H. Yocum Scholarship Fund, Foundation for RACC, 10 S. Second St., Box 1706, Reading PA. 19603.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tucker County newspaper runs spoof stories for April Fools
DAVIS, (WBOY) — 'State officials will be turning off the Blackwater River for cleaning during the month of April' is the lead on an April Fools story by local newspaper the Tucker County Observer. In the tradition of British newspapers, the Observer took a break from their mission of reporting the news and ran several spoof stories in its latest edition. In one, a state agency called the division of Conservation, Restoration, Aspiration, and Procrastination, or CRAP, is heading the effort to stop the flow of the blackwater and clean its rocks with shampoo and conditioner. Along with a Blackwater story, the Observer ran several other full of in-jokes for Tucker County locals, written by reporters 'Laird Fasoploy' and 'Friday LaPools'(anagrams for April Fools' Day). These West Virginia streams are being stocked for Gold Rush in April 2025 Another entitled 'Wriston necktie event canceled' says that an event to help former West Virginia Department of Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston learn how to properly use a necktie has been cancelled. Observer publisher Thomas Yocum told 12 News Wriston was well known in Tucker County both due to his involvement in the construction of Corridor H and his habit of not tying his necktie. 'Hopefully everybody gets a laugh out of it,' Yocum said. 'You know, sometimes we take things a little bit too seriously, including ourselves.' When asked if he was afraid of people not getting the satire, Yocum said, 'I've always been an enemy of the 'no-fun-police…if this does make the 'no-fun-police' unhappy, then I'm very, very glad.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
