Creating Audio Nature Soundscapes With Wounded Buffalo

Studio manager Jim Jacobs and veteran mixer Ben Peace share insights into their work, highlighting the tech that powers their audio nature soundscapes.

Nestled in the heart of Bristol, England, Wounded Buffalo Sound Studios has carved out a unique niche in the world of audio post production. Known for their exceptional work in natural history documentaries, the studio has become a powerhouse in an industry that demands both precision and creativity.

Navigating Natural History Soundscapes
Working on natural history documentaries presents many unique challenges. “Most things are filmed on very long lenses. So, you can film something from 400 yards away, but you can't easily capture the sound from that distance," Peace explains.
This often means that when the team receives footage, the accompanying audio is sometimes minimal or of poor quality. In the field, audio is rarely a priority, or even available, with shoots often capturing 'first-ever' seen footage in extreme environments.

"We do get some atmospheric sound if we're lucky," Peace continued. "Sometimes they'll leave a remote camera with a built-in mic somewhere, and even though the sound can be pretty terrible, it's really useful. It lets us know what we're supposed to be aiming for."
Natural history content requires incredible attention to detail. The team regularly consults with scientists and episode producers familiar with the footage or landscapes they depict to ensure the authenticity of the sound. "Each layer is pretty fastidiously researched,” Jacobs notes. “The wrong bird at the wrong time of day can ruin the authenticity."
The pressure to maintain accuracy is immense. “We often work with footage that needs the sound to be reconstructed entirely. This means creating a soundscape that is believable yet captivating," Peace explains.

Underwater Adventures and Unique Settings
One of the more surprising aspects of natural history sound work is dealing with underwater audio. Given the important role of clear underwater audio in ocean scenes, the team advises recording teams on how to capture it for best effect – for example, stopping the boat’s engine so that the noise doesn’t interfere with natural sounds.

"Underwater stuff is actually quite tricky," Jacobs explained. "Swimming generally doesn't make much noise, but when you see it, it kind of needs to make a sound to look right. So, if you're underwater and a dolphin swims past the camera and above you, you can follow it with sound."
With so many years of experience in natural history, the team has a fine understanding of how to immerse viewers in brand-new scenarios. For example, Peace recalls editing a children's show. "It was all from the kids' perspective. I used the height speakers for the parents' voices, so when you're watching it, you're in the kids’ shoes and the voices come from above you," Peace says. "It was quite an interesting way of using Atmos."

Wounded Buffalo's facilities now include three dubbing theaters featuring Dolby Atmos technology and six edit suites:
Dubbing Theatre A (Dolby Atmos®)*: Avid Pro Tools HDX system with S6 M40 console, and wall-to-wall speakers.
Dubbing Theatre B: Avid S6 control surface and Pro Tools.
Dubbing Theatre C: Two Avid S1 modules and Avid Dock.
Sound Editing Suites: Pro Tools with various plugins including iZotope RX, a powerful noise reduction software package.

Embracing Avid's S6 Control Surface
The turning point for Wounded Buffalo came with the integration of Avid’s S6 control surface, marking a significant upgrade. "When the S6 came along, we jumped ship and went to Avid," Peace explains. "It's very versatile. It's good at keeping your eggs in one basket with integration."
Jacobs echoes this sentiment, highlighting the efficiency brought by the S6. This integration has been particularly crucial for their work on complex projects. "Everything is in one place. The integration is seamless, and it brings forward everything we need for a session," he says.

The Future of Audio Post Production
Looking ahead, Wounded Buffalo aims to diversify beyond natural history, adapting to the evolving demands of the industry. "We're seeing a bit of an upturn in theatrical work," Jacobs says. “The technology used to shoot natural history is so amazing that people want to see it on the big screen. We're now quoting for theatrical audio more frequently."

Immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos have also become a significant part of their work as the industry changes. With natural history films lending themselves so well to large theaters, Wounded Buffalo is up to the task and thinking about audio at scale for every project.

From Humble Beginnings to Audio Excellence
Jacobs' path to Wounded Buffalo was anything but straightforward. His career saw him upgrading and expanding audio departments, designing studios, writing music for TV, and even restoring pianos before the pandemic brought him back to audio post production in Bristol. "I started as a runner in post production, worked my way up to being a post manager in London, and then specialized in audio," Jacobs recalls.

Peace's story is equally compelling. Joining Wounded Buffalo in 1997, Peace has seen the studio evolve from using primitive audio files to the sophisticated digital tools of today. "I started messing around with DJing raves back in the 90s," he says.

As they look to the future, the team at Wounded Buffalo is excited about the possibilities. "We're constantly evolving," Jacobs says. Avid solutions enable the team's creativity and precision, ensuring that their work continues to captivate and immerse audiences around the world.