Evaluation

This Module has been an incredible learning curve for me and I feel that I have learnt a lot not only about sound but about filmmaking as a whole. Over the weeks I think the most important lesson I have learned is how strong a tool sound is in telling a story.

 I have taken the view that sound is collaborator in the world of filmmaking,  powerful tool that when mixed with visuals makes a film more real to an audience. Randy Thom’s (1993) article ‘Designing film for sound states, ‘ We need, obviously, to design the place where [The Character] lives.  Maybe it’s a run-down apartment in the middle of a big city… And if we take sound into account when we do the visual design then we have the potential for hearing through his ears this terrible place he inhabits’ In other words sound is integral to making the film world a believable place. Therefore it is also important as the more you believe the film world, the more believable the characters and their story are. The end result being that the film is a more immersive and enjoyable experience for the audience, in my view making it a better film.

I think one of the key lessons I learned in how sound creates a believable space was in creating perspective. Something that is so important in making a space seem real. Again this is something Thom brings up, ‘The contrast between a sound heard at a distance, and that same sound heard close-up can be a very powerful element.’ For example sound is great for building up tension, the sound of something in the distance, gradually building can create a powerful sense of dread, fear or anticipation. It helps to set the scene, tells a story with sound. The audience are kept alert and entertained through how sound is manipulated to create the story.

As well as understanding sounds role in film better, I have gained a lot of technical knowledge. This has come from both the sessions and reading I have undertaken throughout the module. Something I have always been a little unsure of has been the actual recording of sounds. However throughout the session that we have has on on-set dialogue recording and Atmos recording I feel a lot more confident in my ability. Another great help in this came from Ric Viers  (2008)‘The Sound Design Bible’. I found his explanations simple and easy to digest. One example of this was ‘The Ten Recording Commandments.’ The rules he outlines seemed simple but I feel they are things that could easily be forgotten yet are imperative in creating useable recordings.

I also learned a lot about different software and became more competent in my use of Soundtrack pro. I feel I am now able to create much more intricate pieces that have a much better level of depth and meaning. There were several effects that I had not used before or did not understand fully that I now do. This has aided me in being able to manipulate sounds and make recordings sound clearer.

I had never really used logic or music software before but learning about it has been of great use to me. I feel that it has such a broad spectrum from being able to create tones and single notes that help to create mood to full scores.

The use of tones and designed sounds used in the very low in the mix is another thing that I learned a lot about. Before Sometimes I had the problem of the soundscape sounding ‘thin’ or it not having the powerful effect that I wanted. Now, by using these kinds of low tones it ‘beefs up’ a soundtrack and can make it much moodier. It resonates with the audience creating an emotional response, something which sound is integral to creating.

 

This knowledge and understanding have taken me through to help in creating the Major project.

I chose this clip from The Quay Brothers ‘In Absentia’ because I wanted the opportunity to experiment more in terms of creating a mood and tone and telling the story of a character's internal turmoil through sound. I felt that in the first exercise I had had success in creating foley and spot effects but had failed in creating a mood. Therefore this is something that I wanted to focus on in this project.

Out of context the film seems abstract and at first I found it a little odd. The feeling I got from the film was one of someone been driven to insanity. I felt that it was a dark piece and very foreboding. I did a little research into what it was about in order to inform my ideas. In Absentia (film) (2012). Having discovered it’s story was inspired by Emma Hauck a nineteenth century woman who lived in a mental institution. Having discovered this I began to plan with the intention of creating her internal thoughts and struggle through the soundscape.

I began by creating a mind map of what I wanted from the film. This helped me envision what I wanted to create in the project more easily. I began by thinking about the different elements of the image and what mood that they suggested. I saw an image of madness, the images also seemed dark therefore I wanted to create a sinister tone.

I also wanted the sound to be a representation of her and what she feels. Taking into account the lessons I have learned in letting sound tell the story, to me it was important to make it so the audience understand her plight from her point of view.

I then began thinking about elements that could be used to represent these aspects. I felt that it was important to have something that was constant and nagging in her mind. This is why I chose the clock as I think the idea of it relentlessly ticking creates a sense of gnawing away at her sanity, it is constantly there, cutting into her mind.

The main thing I did for this film was to try and use a lot of designed sounds. I created a few in logic, different synth tones. In Blade Runner ‘…a rhythmic pattern running from the slow, deep noted rhythms of the electronic ‘drones’ to the rapid rhythms of high pitched sounds…’ (Sider, Freeman, Sider 2003) This concept I wanted to incorporate in my work. I needed to have some low bass frequencies to give a real sense of tension in the audiences gut and also have the high frequencies to keep up this idea of having a mad protagonist. I feel the high pitches resonate with ideas of screaming and being highly strung.

Here I combined several ideas to create this. The first I used were the recordings I had taken from my violin.

I used graphic EQ to give the low end a much deeper bassier feel taking out much of the tuning, leaving only a discordant drone

 

 

I also added other effects to create a sense of mood. I added a reverb because I wanted it to feel like it was inside the space of her head and also in this empty void of a room she feels trapped in.

 

 

I also wanted to have a pulsing feel, taking inspiration from the music in the opening of Drive (2011). I added a delay to create a sense of a heartbeat but mainly to have a pulsating which I feels adds to the idea of insanity

 

 

 







I also did this with a higher pitch violin tone but I took out the low ends.

In retrospect I think that the low end worked well but the high end was not high and strained enough. I felt like this was lost potential as it could have been much more uncomfortable to listen to, like nails on a blackboard. I feel the picture serves to make the audience feel uncomfortable and the sound should reflect that.

I also used logic to create some different tones. With the bass tone I feel it worked well in parts but maybe it was over used. It sound a little too much like a helicopter when used at too high a volume. This was not the effect I wanted, although in parts the pulsing sound was quite effective in creating the idea of a constant knowing at a mind. In Pi (1998) is a film that establishes this well and it was the idea I was going for.

The high electronic tones I felt much the same about as the high violin, it was not enough, there was not enough to make the audience cringe. I added a little distortion in an attempt to create a more uncomfortable feel, it was not enough though.

 

 





Something I thought worked well was my use of volume to create a sense of dread. I was careful to make the sounds build in intensity to create this growing sense of Madness. I also think the use of complete silence works well after she hits the back of her neck. I think it creates a sense of coming back to reality for a fleeting moment.

 

 

I was keen to have a musical element in the part with the swinging legs to create a slightly sinister vibe. To me this seemed like a flashback or memory. Therefore I put a reverb on it.

 

 

 

 

This I feel created a sense of it being in the past but constantly echoing in her head, which is why I decided to make it come in and out more often throughout. I also wanted it to move it further from the low tones so added a pitch shifter. I feel this made it sound more like more of a memory and less low, guttural and earthly.

 

 

 

 



 

I think that the writing of the pencil was something that let the piece down. It was not in sync which was my intention, however it was too close to being in sync that it looked like a mistake or laziness. I think that for the Audience this distracts from the central idea. This is a failure in the piece as for me the whole point was to create an immersive soundscape to get lost in with the character.

When her hands are close up wanted a sound to represent them. I decided on an electric static to make it feel like they were constantly fidgeting, sparking in a way. In order to do this I took the sound of rain and use high pass filters to take out the low tones.

 



 

 





Something I feel was missing was a sense of movement. I did use panning techniques in the shots where light is moving around the room to try and create a sense of something moving in a three dimensional space.

 

 

However I feel it was not enough and maybe I should have had an actual  physical sound moving around with in the space. I think this would have created a deeper feeling of dread that there is something coming for the character, even if is not something physical.

Overall I think I was successful in this piece of work. I feel that I created a space within the piece. What I wanted to do was take the audience into the characters mind and I feel I did do this to a certain extent. I think that it was not horrid enough. I wanted to create a real sense of unease as well as the madness. I think the madness came off well but there was not enough that I did to create a real sense of dread and discomfort. I think I played a little too safe.

I wanted the building of emotion and narrative to be subtle. I don’t think this was achieved quite right. The Narrative I feel was not strong enough. If I was doing it again, rather than try to create as many different elements I would focus in a few to create a real sense of space and story through the use of sound. If I was to do it again I’d want to create a story of a woman being driven mad by her memories so harking back to letters she writes to her husband and her thinking back to the child like doll. I think this would make the piece stronger as it would have a more focussed point.

I do feel I made good use of what I have learned over the semester, both in my technical development and use if technical skills and my understanding of how sound is used. I also think that with this project I have taken forward the lessons learned from the first exercise to create a piece that is strong enough to carry off the experimental genre. I am happy that I challenged myself and went out of my comfort zone, trying something different in order to learn more.

Drive, 2011, [DVD], Directed by, Nicolas Winding Refn, USA, FilmDistrict

Pi, 1993, [DVD], Directed by Darren Aranofsky, USA, Artisan Entertainment

Blade Runner,1982 [DVD], Directed by Ridley Scott, USA, Warner Bros.

VIERS, Ric, (2008), The Sound effects Bible, Calafornia, Michael Wise Productions.

SIDER, Larry, FREEMAN, Diane, SIDER, Jerry, [2003],Soundscape the school of sound lectures 1998-200, London, Wallflower Press.

THOM, Randy, (1999), Designing a movie for sound, [online], last accessed 20/12/12 at http://filmsound.org/articles/designing_for_sound.htm

 



Howard Shore

Throughout this project I have been intrigued by the marriage of sound effects and music merged together to create a sound scape. Recently I have been listening to the film compositions of Howard Shore. His scores are incredible powerful pieces of music and I think that it is obvious Jackson really cared about how his film sounded. This is something I admire as I think sometimes Directors think about it like an afterthought. I think that as well the music and the sound design are great partners and I think that how they would work together was a well thought out process.

 

I was intrigues how much music could tell a story. Listening to his score from Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' I was struck by how different there moods were. there was a definite sense of great foreboding in 'The Lord of the Rings' it is obvious from the music if taken completely put of context that something big is coming.

 

One motif I find really effective is the theme for the fellowship, after they begin to split up, you never hear the full score again, I think this really reflects the theme of the film and creates the sense that Middle earth is fractures and dying.

 

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However the sense the audience gets from the Hobbit is different. There is a lighter tone over all, Bilbo is going on an adventure and I feel this again is reflected I the music. There is also the main theme of the Dwarves. This I feel really anchors the idea that they have lost their home, the tone reflects the sense of lament.

 

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I feel for both of the scores there is an inspiration from folk music. I like that because it reflects a real people. I think this is another factor which adds to the sound design in making this fantastical land seeming real to the audience.

 

The songs for example seem heavily influenced by ancient ballads of Love and War. This also helps to create a sense of the different race. The audience really does believe that there are these different cultures that have lived and developed over centuries.

 

 

I also enjoy the marriage of Sound design and music in the films. The Sound design which I have already talked about I feel creates the sense of reality and also help to build the tension. It creates a real sounding army which scares the audience and the music adds to this sense of Drama.

 

I think that these films are a great example of the use of Music, even though it is almost ever present in never feel s that is therefore the sake of it. I think that I can take several lessons from this.

In my project I want to use an element of music as I feel it is something I feel was missing from the last exercise. Obviously I can’t create a full score but the way music is woven into the script is something I think I can take a lesson from.  

Sound and emotional effect

As I have been studying this module, I have learned more and more about the power of sound in films. Sound is a crucial emotive power in the film world .

‘ Telling a film story, like telling any kind of story, is about creating connections between  characters, places, objects, experiences, and ideas’   (Thom 1999)Sound is used to create these, or at the very least enforce them.  I find that in all film, even those that don’t have ‘stand out’ or ‘remarkable sound design’

Throughout my blog so far I have often mention the fact that ‘sound is used to tell the story’. I feel this very strongly and I think that it is often over looked. How something sounds can change the tone of the film or scene completely. It also has a great impact on how the audience views characters.

One such example that springs to mind is the voice of Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’. On top of Cate Blanchet’s deep and powerful voice they have processed it more to make in sound booming and vast. This says a lot about the character. Her voice shows her power and knowledge, cementing her place of authority. This shifts how the audience view her character. As much as it pains me to admit it Women are often viewed in the media as weak and feeble, this sound processing is one of the things that shows the audience that Galadriel is nothing of the sort. The effects of her voice is shocking to the audience, it stands up to the most powerful of any king and I think it is a real driving force to how the audience react to her character with respect and a hint of fear.

Another example of sound creating an emotional reaction is in the Hospital scene in ‘The God father’. There is very little actually shown on screen but the sound in utilised to keep the audience of the edge of their seats throughout. The very low volume drum beat in the background keeps the heart beating and the viewer on edge. There is a physical reaction to these low tomes that the body cannot help. Sound designers use this trick frequently to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. This is a key technique that is used especially in thrillers and horrors.

Music obviously plays a big role in this too. I have previously mentioned my fondness for the ‘requiem for a dream’ soundtrack however I think it is the perfect example to use here. It’s melody pulls at the heart strings of the viewer. It makes the overall emotional experience much more intense.

I think that it is all about gauging a balance between sound track and sound design to create a piece that sticks in the mind. However I do not believe music is an essential and strongly feel that sound design on it’s own can create the same emotional responses as a piece of music. I do think tough music gives a film a different dimension.

 Often I feel sound is overlooked in how effective it is. It is used to create a believable film world thorough Foley and dialogue but it is also a key tool in creating an emotional backdrop to support and enhance the performance and picture.

Major project foley

For this project the amount of foley is less than in the exercise, this is mainly because I am aiming to create what is in the characters head rather than what is on screen. For me this piece is about creating a mood and telling the characters story through her mind rather than creating the soundscape of the outside world. The main foley I recorded on the day was all the paper sounds. I think that the paper and writing is a major part of the film, and the sound of it needs to be prominent in the piece. I spent most of the time in the studio playing with paper. I reorded many diferent ripping sounds. Flipping through a note book, writing on paper and scrathching paper. I had decided to record these particular sounds in accordance with the characters actions in the clips. Also while in the studio I recorded some violin notes. I tried several different things ranging from high pitched squeals to low, discordant drones. In the edit I want to mix these with designed sound to create a sense of building madness and a feeling of entrapment. All in all I think this was a successful session of recording, I got a good range of sounds and am happy that I have what I need to go into the edit.

Sound Design in 'The Lord of the Rings'

Having seen ‘The Hobbit) last night, I was reminded of the epic scale and brilliance of ‘The Lord of the rings’ sound design. The one thing that really stood out to me and prompted my research was Galadriel’s voice. It is deep and slightly unworldly. I found some videos from the DVD extras which went into great detail on how the soundscape of the film was created. Galadriel needed to sound otherworldly, this was to enhance the dreamlike quality of her scenes in the movie. I always wondered how they did this. A rather simple sounding trick of recording the dialogue slightly faster so that it could be slowed down and still be audible. This technique gives her character that extra level of depth. Especially in the film where there is not that much back story to her. It creates the feeling of how old and wise she is. This great booming voice has an otherworldly depth to it that adds such overwhelming sense of age, grace and knowledge to her character. Another thing that struck me was how creative they had to be. They were in a sense creating the sound of a different world from scratch. Faced with creatures and characters of imagination and fantasy. I found it fascinating how they created these sounds. I like the fact that Director Peter Jackson, would explain what sort of sound he wanted or individual creatures then the sound team would go out and create them. The creativeness and imagination that was required was incredible. I think how they took sounds like walrus roars and processed them to make them sound like mythical creatures. The layering of sounds is also something that is really clever. The Cave Troll for example. His breathing is a combination of a Tiger and Canadian lynx. By doing this I feel that a sound so unlike anything on earth is created. The audience are dawn in and it is believable that this is what this creature really sounds like. The Battle scenes to me seem to be the most complex and difficult to build up. They show how they create the sound of an arrow. I imagined that they would record arrows being shot and layer that up. However it is actually comprised of several different sounds to create a sound that is believable. Something I thought was really incredible was the effort they went to with the mines of Moria sound. To make it sound as if it was in a cavern they took all the sound effects and played then through speakers in concrete tunnels near Wellington, then recorded that. I think that this shows how much they were going to create this world as if it was real. Rather than use the reverb effect which could have sounded fake, they created it themselves with a cave. The main lesson that I have taken away from looking into this is how resourceful a sound designer has to be in creating their sounds. You may be asked to create something from scratch that has little to no bearing in reality. Also again it reinforces the idea that sound is key to making a film believable to the audience.

ADR session

In this session I learned the best ways to do ADR. This was helpful to me as may need to use ADR on my narrative strand work and in future. I think that it is a highly necessary skill to learn as so much of sound is replaced in post-production.

I had feared ADR to a certain extent before but now I have learned that it is in fact quite simple and you have to work with the voice actor to make it work properly.

I had also forgotten the ways that you can clean up location sounds. It was interesting for me to relearn these and learn some more techniques that could help create a better clearer sound for my films.

 

I also learned a lot from looking at the clips. Looking at how ADR are has been used. Also looking at them in context of the major project, seeing how mood and tome can be created. Picking apart the scenes to see how different techniques such as music, tone and sound effects are used. I think that in the session I was given a lot to think about in terms of the project.

Also I feel confident to use ADR on other projects which will create a better soundscape of the overall film. As I have choses a clip with no dialogue there will be no need for me to exercise this now but I want to us it in my Drama project.

Clint Mansell

Before I had even heard of Clint Mansell, the music in the films he has scored stood out to me. As I have previously talked about I am a big fan of Darren Aranofsky and Mansell has scored many of his films. the music that he produces always fits the themes and story of the film. Aswell it is emotive. The music in Reqiem for a dream for example does much to enhance the anguish and struggle the characters are facing. The scores in each of his films are incredibly different. He works well in different medius, for example the soundtrack in Pi is heavily electronic yet in Black Swan he sticks with in the classical orchestra. Again this reflects the film, Pi a fil about number, computers, maths and science, suits the strenuous world of the film. Whereas in 'Black Swan' the musc is dramaticly sweenping, based on the music from 'swan lake' it embodies the ballet. Mansell's music is integeral to the themes and overall aesthetic of the films he has worked on. I think that the composing its self is a work ok art and easy to listen to as a piece of music in it's own right but cupled with the moving image, they give to each other and take on a whole new meaning and level.

Pi (1998) Darren Aranofsky

This is probably the first film that really got me interested in film as an art form and possible career path. Similarly it is probably the first film where I registered the sound design as so important. Looking back on it now I can see so much more. The Sound designer Brian Emrich has had this role in many of Aranofsky’s films. I think that this is very clear when looking at ‘Requiem for a dream’ in the same analytic context. There is something about the whole visual and audio aesthetic that is ‘sickly’. For me this is something that stands out and help to make the film more effective. I find that there is something very tight and claustrophobic about the sound design. I think that this makes it very obvious of the build up that is occurring in Maximillan Cohen’s head. Again this an example of how well the sound and picture work together. I fond that with this film there is a slow gradual build up of paranoia and madness. The sound represents this perfectly. There is a constant build up in the background. While watching the film, you are registering it almost subconsciously but it is building to this great release at the end. With the idea of telling the story through sound, the sound design of ‘Pi’ definitely brings a greater understanding of what is going on inside Cohen’s mind. As his paranoia builds and the strain on his mind intensifies so does the sound. It also help with the pacing of the film, throughout the scenes where numbers are being discusses, it could have got a little bogged down but I find that sound design keeps it moving. For example in the coffee shop scene, there is this constant nagging beat. It keeps the pace of the scene up, driving it along. It also builds the tension, not only in this scene individually but on the film overall. Another stand out point of the sound design to me is when Cohen experiences the intense headaches. The pulsating low tones and the shrill piercing high ends make for somehow enthralling yet difficult listening. Coupled with Sean Gullette’s performance, the torture he is experiencing is so believable. This makes the film so much more powerful. The electronic sounds and designed sounds also help to reflect the mathematic and computer orientated world in which he character lives. Again it makes the world more believable. The sound reflects the picture. I feel this is something ‘Pi’ achieves so well . This film had had a definite impact on how I’m approaching the major Project. Emrich achieves something with ‘Pi’ that I am looking to do on ‘In Absentia.’ The way in which the sound reflects the protagonist’s mental state is something I am creating on my project. I think that the use of designed sound to do this is inspiring and I have taken a lot of inspiration form this. The way he creates this wall of sound that reflects the mental torment is incredible. The story is so believable because of it. I think ‘Pi’ is an all round master piece but the sound design is exquisite. Especially when coupled with the compositions of Clint Mansell.

Joe Townsend and Martin Green

When looking for musical inspiration for the major project I looked to the experimatal approach of Joe Townsend and Martin Green. I first came across there work on a BBC folk awards album a few years ago. When I first watched the clip from 'In Absentia' It was the first thing that came to my mind. Pulse The discordiant strings and erratic rhythums create a definate mood. For me it represents a spiral of something. When I watch 'In Absentia' with it in mind, it for created a sense of madness and a decent to that horris place the character's mind is it. It feels tormented and wound up. The mood it creates is something I want to incorporate in my work on 'In Absestia'. I want it to feel like a down ward spiral. There needs to be a building tension that represents the inside of the characters head, her mindset. It seems to me that the story the images are telling are of her state and I want to enhance thins through the sound. I have taken inspiration from this track and have recorded my violin. In order to create discordiant and strang sounds I left the bottom two strings untuned. Therefore the sounds they created were harsh and odd. I intend to manipulate these and create a soundtract to the piece that will help to tell the story of this woman's tortured mind. It also gives me chance to experiment with music in a way I haven't before which I think will work well with this piece. In my mind at least it is a chance to really go to town on creating sounds to fabricate a tone of maddness and repitition that inhabit this woman's life.

Session 6/12/12 Logic and major project

I found the two sections in this session really helpful and I learned a lot. In the first section we talked about the different clip choices. It helped me break down the clips in order to think about their sound design. I have chosen ‘In Absentia’ and I found that this breakdown fuelled my ideas as well as give me some new ones. Also I found that it helped me think slightly differently about how to design the sound. I think that the idea of not spotting all the effects exactly and building up a general tone and mood through movement in the sound is something I will go for. I definitely want to create a real sense of madness and the mindset of the character in the film. The second section on manipulating and creating sounds in logic was also useful for thinking about how I will create the design for ‘In Absentia’. I feel I learned a lot about what tools are available and how they can be used to manipulate clips in order change and create sounds that will enhance the mood of the clip. Also using tools such as the sampler and the M-Tron it is possible to design original sounds to use in the piece. I found this lesson really useful as designed sound was something lacking in my previous piece and I think it will be an important element of the work I do on ‘In Absentia’. What I learnt in this session has definitely informed my plans and ideas for my major project and I’ve definitely got a broader view on it now.

Reflection on first exercise

All in all I feel happy with how I did on this exercise. I think that for my first major sound designing project I used the skills taught to me in an effective manner and thought out my process thoroughly. The reason I picked the clip from Solaris is because for me I saw a lot of potential. As mentioned earlier in my blog I am fond of the work the BBC radio phonic workshop did on ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ radio series and am interested in the idea of sound design in science fiction. Therefore I chose a clip from a sci-fi film. In hindsight however there was not that much in the clip that out of context would make one think it was in this genre. However I am still happy with the choice I made as it meant that I had chance to practice Foley and spot effects as well as a lot of the sound manipulation skills we have been taught, such as EQ to create a sense of perspective. The project was fun to do and I really enjoyed putting into practice new skills that I have learned. I feel that my use of Foley and spot effects was a strong point of my work. For this I did a lot of the recording, although the library of effects we have access to was also a big help. I also think the perspective I got into the piece was good, I feel I created a believable sense of the space on screen. With the use of EQ and changing volume levels in certain parts for example the opening sequence was effective in making the space seem more three dimensional. I do however see faults with the work and there are obviously some improvements I could make. I think the overall sound could have been ‘beefier’, to me in some pats I feel that it was a little thin. For example I was not entirely happy with the city sequence. I only used one layer of sound which was an atmos from the library. I think that this let me down as I had done a lot of work on layering up the sounds in other sequences. Similarly I think the train sequence was another let down and should have been better done. I could have recorded inside different public transport, such as a bus or a tram and created a sound that was more futuristic but still recognisable. This is because, by the looks of this clip, although set a little way in the future it is still a world that is similar to ours. I think that elements like this are details that I need to focus more on in creating an effective and believable sound design, which creates a believable space for the audience. I think one of the main lessons I have learned about sound is that it is imperative in keeping the audience captivated and believing the story world where the film is set. In terms of the feedback I got at the session, I feel that all the points made were good ones and from them I have been given things to think about and help on improving future work. I enjoyed getting the class feedback as it helped to see what an audience felt of the piece not just the assessors. There were points raised that helped and if I were to re-do this piece, make it better. For example the levels in some parts were a little off. One noticeable part was the rustling of clothes being too loud. It is useful to know this as that is the kind of thing that could draw the audience out of the believable story world. As well in the kitchen scene they were not as well thought out as in the beginning section. The TV for example when in the foreground was quiet compared to the action that was taking place further away. Something else I missed in this scene was the buzzing of the fridge, again details that help so much in creating the believable story world. Another thing that was mentioned was the cutting of audio to picture. I appreciated having two opinions, one thinking that is should cut with the picture and another one thinking that sound should overlap cuts and create bridges. This has really made me think about how important the actual cutting of the sound is. I think that it is dictated by the effect you want to have on the audience. Personally I think that cutting and overlapping sounds creates different effects. It can be jarring cutting sound effects dead on the picture cut, if the two scenes have very different sounds. However this can be an effective thing and help to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. I feel that it is down to your own judgement to decide when is best to cut of fade over. I feel from the feedback generally, my work included of course, that there was a lack of designed sound. Again upon reflection I think I could have really added something to my film if I had used some designed sound. Especially if I had added some sort of low-end tone. This could have helped build the tension in the piece to the point where the men come to his door. I think that is something my piece lacked. The feedback reflected this and I have taken it on board the comments given to me. Overall I think it is a piece of work to be proud of. Obviously there are point that need improvement but I feel that this exercise was a good chance to test the things we have learned throughout the year and good preparation for the major project. The feedback session was also really useful for more that just feedback on your own work. Seeing other’s work also helped. They came up with good ideas that I had missed and I think it was useful and informative hearing everyone’s thoughts and ideas. Also getting feedback like this before the major project really highlights what is being looked for with the final work, so I found that really useful. I really enjoyed this session and I think that it will stand me in good stead for the final project.

Plans

I began planning this project by creating this mind map. I find this is a good way to get down lots of ideas that can them be taken on and refined. I like to see everything in front of me, this way it is easier to pick out individual thinkgs that I can carry forward and develop.


Firstly while watching the clip I jotted down things that occured to me. These are the red sections. To me it seemed that this was clearly a woman driven mad. Immediatey I decided that I wanted to show her mental state and tell the story of what's going on in her head. This is the path my notes tended to go down.

There also seems to be a strong element of time to the film, so again this is something I want to show. I think I will do this with a relentless clock. Tis also ties into the idea of madness, the idea of a relentless ticking clock in the background will be a good way to portray a decaying mental state.

I want to make a definition between the interior and exterior locations. What I got from thr film is that the external shots represent a sort of freedom while the interior shows emtrapment and madness. I aim to portray this by in the interior shots building up an intense loud sound track and on the exterior shots cutting it all away and have a very sibdued breeze and the silk curtains rustline. I think this will create a nice contrast, helping to tell the story.


I think that while portraying er mental state it is important to create a sense of fear and desperation as well as madness.

I aim to use a mixture of foley and designed sound. i think that it is important that the cadence and changing volume is used in a manner which depicts a sens of the characters mind. I want to use some string elements aswell as  think that a string instrument is a great portrayed of emotion. I think that if I record some discordiant groans and such and them manipulate them I can create an effective sound to convet madness. I also want heavy emphasis on the eriting and on the paper as it is clear to me that this is a majorly important part of the film. My main aim is not to create a sense of the place she is in, but what her mental state.

Train Spotting

I have to say I think this is one of my favourite films. I have selected a few clips from youtube and am gong to talk about them indvdualy. In the opening the soundtrack is contepmry to the 80s where the film is set. This immedatley helps to set the scene, anchoring the time period helped defined by the clothes and cars. I find it interesting that the soundtrack does not date the film, I think it's because music has been chosen that will always be listened too. Compare this to another film I have talked about 'clockwork orange' although it is set in the future it is so cobviously seventies, although it is a film that will stand the test of time due to it's brilliance. For the opening of trainspotting I think the music was chosen really well. It sets a pace. The driven bass line mirrors the thud of the characters feet as they run through the streets. It also works well with the narration. The short stacatto voice matches the music and I think that it help to build this exiting and upbeat begginning. This scene is a good example of perspective. In the interview room the voices have been made to echo. This creates an illusion of a large cold empty space. It also help to emphasise that space between the interviewers and spud in the literal world but also it is a metaphor for how faar they are apart interms of income, education and class. It shows that they are two different types of people. The echo also makes the space sound cold, showing the interviewers frosty reception to spud.

The days I recorded all the things

As outlined in the previous post, for this first exercise I have needed some foley recordings and I did this in two stages. First I used the studio in the protools room. For the footsteps I used a tray of dirt which had a slab of paving stone layed over it. As I also previously mentioned we couldn't get the television to work so to try and get the footsteps in time, one person sat at the computer and oved their hand in time to the footsteps so the other could step intime to that. This was somewhat successful as the footsteps weren't completley out of time but it needed some youch up in the edit. For the chopping board I used a piece of wood and a piece of metal that I found in the 'box of tricks' in the corner of the studio. I used thesame technique as with the footsteps to try and get them in time but again they were slightly off so needed to be editied. Sounds I also got in the studio were of when The character cuts himself. A variety of exclamations. I also got some breathing for the opening shots. The otherthings that icouldn't get in the studio were either done outside or in my kitchen. I wanted to try the technique of recording atmos with two tie clip mics. I wanted to use this for the shot of walking through the city. Therefore I attacked the mics t the collor of my jacket and walked through sheffeild centre. Unfortunatley for me this didn't work as well as I had hoped. the sound wasn't dense enough to fit with the scene which looks crowded and noise and the recording I got didn't have enough going on in it. For the sound effects that were used in the kitchen I used my kitchen. This is includes the fridge, when he's moving thigs around on the worktop, the tap and walking across the floor. For this I simply recreated the sounds by doing what I saw on the screen. With the help of Stephen who held the mic. I found recording the foley a lot of fun and also I think it was a successful process in term of getting what I needed for the exercise.

Foley and spot effects

Foley-recording and putting in spot effects. During this project, I have had to record quite a bit of foley. I began this process by creating a list of all the sounds I needed. I then split them into two separate list, what I could do in the protools studio and what I would have to do at home. I made these descisions mainly based on available reseources. For example it would be difficult to record the sound of a running tap or the inside of a fridge in the studio. Although I woldn't be able to recreate the silent surroundings of the studio at my house there is certain advice in Ric Viers 'the sound effects Bible.' This has been a great resource for me in creating sound effects. I have to say that on first viewing of the solaris clip I did not realise how many tiny details I would end up taking into account. I enjoyed recording the foley. It was an intresting learning curve. I learnt that you have to be inventive in how you record things. For example the footsteps. Recording these outside on real concrete would not have worked as there would have been too much interfering background noise, rendering the clip unusable. However in the studio there is a slab of paving stone tyle material. I plced this on top of the tray or dirt as i though that this would crate a deeper and more realistic sound than the slab being places straight onto the carpet. I have learned that you have to perceiver until the sound is right or else the sound is not believable meaning the audience is brought out of the story world and doesn't believe the story anymore. One problem I had when recording the foley in the studio was that we could not get the television to play off the USB therefore it was a bit harder to do effects such as the footsteps and the chopping board. his has meant that in the edit putting them in has been a little more time consuming as they don't match well enough. For example when I was putting in the sound of the chopping board be ing sliced on, i had to cut up the clip and mark up that part of the clip in order to place the sounds at the correct moment.

I noticed that I don't have to use many effects on the foley as I had simply recorded the real world sounds as they were. One thing I did was to put EQ on the sound clip of the news. I recorded this on a microphone standing the other side of the room, however it still did not sound right. In order to combat this I used EQ and some reverb. Both of these were to make it sound like it was in a bigger space and being listened to from a distance.

I enjoyed this part of the project aswell as learning from it. there is a lot to recording the sounds and making them believable and it is an incredibly important part of the sound design and the film as a whole as it makes the film a more believable piece.

Session 'working with actors'

This practical session really consolidated what e had learned in the previous session which we shared with cinematography. In stead this time instead of recording onto a camera we recorded into a Marantz with a Wendt mixer. I think it was useful to go over this equipment again and I think it was useful again to work with the cinematography group as a crew more like you would get on a real set in the industry. I think that it is important that we learn like this as it help to be prepared for this set up when when we go out into the 'real world'. It is also helpful for making our shoots for other projects run more smoothly as Sound and camera learn to work better together. This makes us more efficient and understanding what they are doing makes life a lot easier when on set. this session was good experience and consolidated everything that I learned in the previous sync sound workshop. It was good to work in a similar fashion but of a marantz as more and more, DSLRs are being used on shoots and it is not easy to record straight off them with a mic.

Tradition music, synthesisers and melodeons

I was searchig on youtube for the clockwork orange opening scene for some revisio, I stumbled up on this. It's a giggle but an introduction to a more serious point of research for my work, and the direction I would like to go in.In all it's silliness it does give rise to some interesting ideas about the fusing of two ideas. For me this is something really interesting. I was thinking about how people start to develop their own styles and for me I think the idea of mixing old and new is something that I'd love to encourperate into my work. One example of this is Martynn Bennet, a musician who is one of my main inspirations. I love how he merges spoken word, traditional scottish music and electronica. A sadly missed figure of progressive traditional music, Bennet opened my eyes t a different world of sound. I think that in filmic terms this is incredibly interesting, as it can give an edge to what you're making as any sound should do. I think though it carries such a strong themic idea of moving forward from the past and how the world is changing. Along this theme, referencing again the worrk of Daphne Oram and Delia Derbyshire in the early days of Synth Technology, I love the idea of how they worked, getting hands on rather than how we do it all through computers. I love that sound that is so typically seventies but I'd love to try something with that sound. It's so unique and goves a quality so unearthly. I think in film it could do so much and even merging the ideals af some one like Martynn Bennett and Derbyshire or Oram could create something that is so new an unique and would give a film a soundtrack unline anyother.

Logic Session

This session was very informative and I learnt a lot. Before this session I was uncomfortable using this sort of technology, I have always preffered to create music in reality with instruments. Now however I am much happier using it and I think that it can be a valuable tool in creating the sound design in a project. It is cheaper than an orchestra and it's very versatile. Aswell as the ability to create music easily and edit it as and when without having to organise getting an orchestra back again if there is something not quite right. I am not saying that logic and such technologies should replace orchestral scores in films but for the sort of projects we do at university I think it is an incredibly valuable tool. I also like the fact that it can be used to create tones and drones which can add so much t a project. Putting in a low frequency synth drone can make a project so much more effective. helping to draw the audience in and keep them on the edge of their seats as it gives an extra level of sound and registers in people's minds that there is something not right or just create a very dramatic mood. this was seen clearly in the opening of drive when in the music a single low tone with a few effects of reverberation and delay made the scene so much more dramatic and tense. Music in film is so important because it is a vary effective emotive tool and you can easily provoke an emotional reaction from an audience with music os I found this session incredible informative on how we can do this in our projects.

Samuel Beckett - Embers [1959]

Sound design from a script

Script to screen, thinking about sound design This session was based on how to think about sound design from the script. We came up with a list of things, showing how sound tells the story and how sound effects the perception of what is on screen. • Mood/tone • Genre • Pace • Drama • Locations/atmos • Effects • Music • Designed sound • Style • Period We were then given a script that we had to think about the sound design for. We were given clockwork Orange. We decided to do the first two scenes. This is what we came up with Dialogue: Voiceover Mood: dark/dystopian Location: Milk bar; futuristic/sickly Atmos: people talking; diagetic music, electronic and repetitive, playing along with the conception of what futuristic sound s like. EQ on music to make it sound like it is in a club, maybe layer a few tacks to make it sound like there are to rooms. The voice over should be over the music to make it sound like the Alex is out of the film like he is talking directly to us, making it more creepy. The Tunnel Foley of footsteps, have reverb on them that gets lower ass the characters near the camera. The same with their laughing. The Tramps singing should have some reverb but not too much when we are close to him. This will give perspective. The voice over should have no effects on it again making Alex seem like he is out of the film. The sounds of the tramp being beaten should be very real and maybe eve over exaggerated to high light the mindless violence depicted. This will help to show how the characters are the ‘baddy’s’ even though they are the protagonists. This lesson was great in terms of helping with the projects we are doing at the moment. How to break down a script and be able to think more about the sound before it comes to post production. One problem I have had before it not knowing what the sound design should be before seeing a finished edit. Which then leads to a mad rush. However now I eel I have more knowledge that will help me in this process.

Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aranofsky is renound for the sound design in his films. Requiem for a dream is no exception, I found it incredible. The film itself is brilliant. I really enjoy Aronofsky's work, there is something wonderfully sickly in the aesthetic of the film. The sound helps this. The soundtrack for one, is fabulous, It adds something almost other worldly to the film. This idea helps with the idea that people are fading with their drug addictions. The haunting strings and low wailing voice make it fit so well with the suffering that the characters go through in the film. The minor key just grabs the audience’s attention, you can tell that the film is going to be a downward spiral for the characters. One example of great sound design I want to point out is In Sara’s Kitchen when the fridge ‘talks’ to her there are several loud points in the film and this is one of them. It makes you jump and is shocking, when a lot of the film is, not quiet as such, more subdued. I think this is a good example of sound helping to tell the story. It shows how strongly this is affecting Sara, it makes the fridge seem like an enemy. The sound help turn an inanimate object into an antagonist, this is a great example of how the sound design is so effective in this film. I also liked how the drug scenes seemed really hazy and realistic. The sound when they injected or took drugs seemed real and unaltered but then the sound design became warped. I like the symbolism of this, and think is shows well that the drugs are doing to the character’s body’s. Again it dies in with the idea of a downward spiral. This film is obviously a portrayal of how the drugs are dragging the lives of the characters into the dirt and the sound design follows this. It helps to tell this story, making it more believable and more effectively heartbreaking to watch. The idea of this sickly aesthetic also comes into play here as during the drug sequences this dizziness and strangeness peaks in these parts making the film more odd and scary for the characters. It shows there complete loss of control when thy take something. I really enjoyed the film and I think that the sound design is an integral part of why it’s so effective. Even though it was extremely depressing I would watch it again because it was a great film, I did have t o go and watch Miranda afterwards to cheer myself up though.