Mix Analysis #1: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead, Season 2, episode 9: Triggerfinger

Scene 1: 0:00-1:00

Time       SFX #1                  SFX #2                   Background             Music             Dialogue       Extra
0:00       AMC Logo
0:09      Clock Ticking                   
0:10                                                                     Thunder, Alarm ringing               
0:20    Zombie Smashes into car
0:21    Zombie growling
0:22    Zombie attacking car to get in
0:40    Clock Ticking returns
0:43                                                                                                      Walking Dead Theme
0:47   Lori Wakes up, screams
0:50   Thud sound to lead in intro, intro music gets louder and takes over, continues after first minute.



Scene 2:  7:09-8:09
Time        SFX #1                  SFX #2                   Background          Dialogue      
7:09                                                                       Creaking of chairs and floor with movement
7:15                                                                                                   (Quietly) Glenn, Hershel, and Rick
7:24         Loud bang from outside
7:25         Gunfire from outside; Panting from characters
7:28                                                                                                    Attackers outside bar, distant
7:33        Gun cock
7:34        Door opens, but slammed shut by Glenn; more panting
7:40                                                                                                    Attackers outside yelling
7:45                                                                                      Attackers outside whispering to themselves
7:50                                                                                      Attackers continue talking



Supervising Sound editor: Jerry Ross
Also has worked on: Billy Madison, The Man who Wasn't There

Re-recording Mixer: Tim Farrel
Also worked on: Southland, Hawaii Five-O

I think the scenes are mixed well, I selected two reasonably quiet, but very tense scenes. Horror films and shows aren't knows for melodic scores sweeping throughout the scenes, or a large amount of background noise and ambiance. They are focused on building tension in the viewer, and silence with a select few things to hear emphasizes that tension. The first scene shows Lori waking up in a toppled car with a zombie attempting to break in, the zombie's growls and it hitting the glass are all that's needed to create the scene, Lori wakes up and starts to scream, but is interrupted by the opening credits. The second scene is  a tense moment when other humans could potentially (and do) start to attack the main characters; they want to stay hidden, but if they can stay out of trouble they want to.