The struggles of doing audio post work on a Ramadan series:

Every year, Arab filmmakers prepare for the busiest and most stressful season: Ramadan. For decades, it has been a tradition to produce dozens of TV series, mainly consisting of 30-episode shows (though a 15-episode model is becoming more popular), airing one episode per day throughout the month. While there are no official figures, the industry is estimated to be worth over 1 billion Egyptian Pounds.

Let’s face the facts, the industry’s primary focus is financial. This profit-driven approach is achieved by ensuring the series aligns with current trends and generates a significant amount of viewership, resulting in exorbitant prices for ad spots that depend on the number of viewers. These commercials are so lengthy and numerous, they often overshadow the actual content. Perpetuating a system where the true value of storytelling and artistic vision is overshadowed and compromised.

Every single year, production on Ramadan series starts around a couple of months prior Ramadan which makes no sense as Ramadan occurs at a set time of the year. Some figures from the industry hypothesise that it is due to the fact that only pilot episodes are shot prior and actual work on the series starts when a network green-lights the produced pilot and decide to invest money to make it a whole show. A cynic would reckon that this is done on purpose to cut down on production costs since production crews are paid on a weekly basis. Either way, the outcome is the same.

The Ramadan marathon

Since 2016, I have been part of the industry, working on the sound team for up to 4 Ramadan series each year. Working on one Ramadan series is no small task on its own, with tight timelines, especially in post-production. Sometimes production continues until just one day before the finale airs. Audio post-production teams are significantly smaller than those found in standard Hollywood productions, typically consisting of a dialogue editor, sound effects editor/sound designer, re-recording mixer, and sometimes the re- recording mixer also serves as the sound effects editor/sound designer. There is almost never any time or budget for Foley, ADR, or loop groups.

Throughout the years, I have participated in the Ramadan series marathon with different sound teams. The circumstances are consistently challenging. There is limited time, producers rush the process, looming airing dates, poor production dialogue with no time for ADR, and everyone is stressed and sleep-deprived. However, the people you work with can greatly influence the experience. Having been in the industry for a while, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being part of teams that made the Ramadan period a hellish one. Under such circumstances, it is crucial to work with people, especially those in leadership positions, who can handle stress calmly, care about the art, and empower you to do your best within the limited time available. Currently, I am fortunate to work with such a team.

Survival mode kicks in

Every Ramadan, things start relatively slow, like the calm before the storm. But as soon as the crescent moon is spotted in Cairo’s night sky, it’s survival mode. Personally, I’ve never had more than 5-6 episodes delivered before Ramadan begins, but once it starts, the countdown begins. New episodes arrive daily, and we have approximately 24 hours to deliver them in order to maintain a buffer of 5-6 episodes between us and broadcasting. However, there comes a day when no new episode arrives, leaving us with a mix of anxiety and a longing for a much-needed break. At this point, we call the post-producer to inquire about the next episode, only to receive a vague response, “You’ll get the episode after Iftar (sundown).”

This pattern repeats a few more times until we reach the most dreaded stage of a Ramadan series: working on the episode that will air the next day, or as we have come to call it, “working On Air”

Having heard this statement too many times before, it only adds to our anxiety. We decide to get some sleep, leaving our phones on in case the producer contacts us when the episode is ready. Falling asleep around 8PM, we expect a couple of hours of rest. However, we are abruptly awakened by a call from the producer at 4AM, informing us that the episode is ready, and to no surprise, we still need to deliver it within the same timeframe as the previous day. In order to meet the deadline, we start cutting corners and prioritising certain scenes. Over the following week, this pattern repeats a few more times until we reach the most dreaded stage of a Ramadan series: working on the episode that will air the next day, or as we have come to call it, “working On Air.”

At this point, creative integrity is thrown out of the window, and we are solely focused on delivering the episode by any means necessary. Failure to do so would result in penalties for the production house and severe consequences for us. I have been asked by an executive producer, during such critical moments, to make the episode “suitable for broadcast.” This reduction of our job to a mere necessity is disheartening. The workflow becomes simplified, relying on copied ambiences from previous episodes and relying solely on production effects. We add in only what is absolutely necessary, and dialogue editing becomes a matter of muting unused ISOs and cleaning up only significant noise issues.
This continues until we find ourselves on the morning of the 30th day of Ramadan, delivering an episode that will air in about two hours.

Everyone who participates in the Ramadan marathon is well aware of the grueling nature of the process. It has been this way for as long as we can remember, yet we continue to participate because we need the work. We understand that there will probably be very little artistic expression involved and our craft reduced to a technicality, and most of the time, we accept it because the quality of the content we work on is often subpar. It’s the same recycled stories year after year, with poor writing, mediocre acting, and even disastrous directing.

A different kind of Ramadan series

 
Until you come across a series like the one I was fortunate enough to be a part of this year: “El-Harsha El-Sabaa” or (The Seventh Year Itch). Directed by Karim El-Shennawy, “El- Harsha” is a 15-episode series that delves into the struggles of a couple in their seventh year of marriage, grappling with fatigue, boredom, and the challenges of raising twins. From the very beginning, it was evident that this series stood apart from the majority of productions during Ramadan. The script was beautifully written, and every department executed their roles with precision and excellence. The natural acting performances, stunning cinematography and lighting, and meticulously crafted editing all contributed to its exceptional quality.

This wasn’t my first collaboration with Karim; we had previously worked together on his series “Khally Balak Men Zizi” (Take Care of Zizi) during the 2021 Ramadan season. That series broke new ground by exploring the topic of ADHD, deviating from the recycled narratives commonly presented during Ramadan. Similarly, “El-Harsha” pushed boundaries. With our prior working relationship, we didn’t have to start from scratch. I already had an understanding of Karim’s preferences, dislikes, and his vision for the soundtrack. Our team consisted of myself as a sound designer, Amr Soliman as a dialogue editor, Ahmed Gaber as a re-recording mixer, and Salma Radwan as a sound post-producer.

The audio post workflow

The initial three episodes required the most time as we familiarised ourselves with the project. We built ambiences from scratch for the various locations that would accompany us throughout the series. We tackled dialogue editing challenges and made mixing decisions that would shape the sonic world of the entire series. Ramadan began, and we had delivered about four episodes—not outstanding, but not terrible by Ramadan standards.
Every day, we would receive a brand new 45-minute episode that needed to be delivered within 24 hours. My workflow involved watching the episode as soon as it arrived, taking notes, and then discussing specific scenes with Karim, who was still overwhelmed with shooting and editing upcoming episodes. After our discussion, I would dive into work. Over the years, I had grown accustomed to this pace, gradually improving my time management skills and learning what needed to be prioritised. Episodes 4 to 8 provided enough time to do a decent job given the time constraints. I could incorporate details and generate creative ideas to enhance the storytelling.
However, challenges arose when episode 9 was delayed by over a day. The same situation repeated with episode 10, and we were dangerously close to the dreaded “working On Air” scenario. Finally, at episode 13, we received the episode at 9PM, just one day before its scheduled airing. I didn’t even have enough time to watch it before diving into the work. I simply hit play, copied the ambiences from previous episodes, and painfully watched missed opportunities for the work I could have done. The same rushed procedure applied to episodes 14 and 15.

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The Ramadan curve

 
After completing work on a series, I like to take a few days to clear my mind before rewatching it with fresh eyes. This is the stage where I reflect on the experience and begin critiquing my work, identifying areas that could have been improved. During this process, new ideas emerge that could have better conveyed the mood or enhanced certain story points, ideas that I simply didn’t have the time to explore during the post-production phase. It was during this reflection that I noticed what I’m calling “The Ramadan Curve.”
In the early episodes, there seems to be a minor identity crisis. Although we had a slightly longer period of time to work on those episodes, we hadn’t yet seen how the series would unfold. As a result, the initial episodes may feel slightly disjointed. However, as we progressed into the middle of the series, having been immersed in it for a while, we became more familiar with the characters, locations, and storytelling style.

We gained a better understanding of what worked and what didn’t within the context of this specific series. I would say that the best work we did was between episodes 4 and 12.
However, starting from episode 13, a decline occurred due to the compressed timeline. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a disastrous situation considering we had already completed the bulk of the series. Templates were already in place, and most of the ambiences had been built. Unfortunately, we lost the finer details, the variations in ambiences, and the inventive storytelling through sound.

This wasn’t close to being a worst-case scenario. I’ve worked on shows where we started the first episode with what little time we had for the final three episodes of “El-Harsha”. The Ramadan marathon waits for no one. This is just a tiny fraction of the horrors that working on a Ramadan series entails. The conditions on set are so challenging that one could write an entire book about them.

In the midst of these challenges, I find myself pondering a crucial question: As a new generation of filmmakers emerges in our region, will we passively uphold the traditions of our predecessors, succumbing to the harsh realities dictated by profit-driven motives? Or will we rise together, united in our pursuit of change?

A big thanks to Ahmed Sabbour for sharing the story on what it’s like to work in sound during Ramadan season!

 

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