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.