Session 25/04/2013

In this session, we recorded samples of various sounds, such as a large vocal sound being made in a stairwell. We gained this from different perspectives - from next to the microphone, as well as from the sound coming from the flight of stairs below it. We then used logic to turn these into notes and form a piece of music. You can make a sound so that it plays when a particular key is pressed on the midi keyboard. This allows different sounds to be overlaid and replayed to a rhythm on a loop.

  Also during this session, I was able to gain some more foley for my work. Sounds I recorded that I plan to use in my film, include the sound of a bell, which will be the one from the door in the very opening. 

Workstation Sound Studio

  Because our prior work in the Protools Studio was deleted, myself and Alex booked out the workstation for 24/04, to record our foley once again. Because the studio used before was no longer available to book out, we headed to the workstation, which was a task in itself as we needed to take with us a trolly and the trays of materials all the way from Harmer Level 3.

  I really enjoyed this recording session, as I think that me and Alex work well with each other and were very focused on getting the right sounds recorded well and efficiently.

  I recorded sounds for pretty much every piece of movement in my film, from footsteps to the rustling of paper. Below is a list of the sounds in the film, and how I created them:

• Sharpening knives - A key scraping across a metal slab
• Breathing - Alex
• Rustling paper sounds - Same action
• Wrapping tape around newspaper on body = Same action
• Pulling sections of paper off wall - Same action
• Running finger across knife - Ran it across the edge of metal slab
• Footsteps down stairs - Alex's footsteps on a wooden surface - his feet wrapped in paper
• Emptying bins - Dropped a number of objects on the ground as well as throwing a bin bag to the floor
• Sound of bin being dragged across floor - Pushing a trolly around the workstation studio (filled with a carpet found in the space to make is as realistic as possible.

  I am pleased with the amount of foley I have recorded myself for this project. When doing so, I ensured that the levels on the Marantz 661 did not exceed 12. It was hard not to have peaking levels for the creation of sounds such as dropping the bin bag, as it was hard to test the levels because it is such a fast sound. 

  Overall, I am very happy with the way this recording session went. It was nice to have the sound booth to record sounds in, as no distractions were around, such as air conditioning units. Having the large empty space of the workstation also allowed us to run the trolly freely around the space, over different surfaces in order to add more depth.

Protools Studio

  I booked out the protools stdio for 22/04 in order to record my list of sounds. Alex paired up with me to do this and we helped each other create the required noises. The studio was fully functioning, and meant that we could record straight into soundtrack pro. We used a rhode mic to gain some interesting sounds. To get footsteps, we walked through trays filled with various materials. For example, Alex's piece had a scene where they walk through rubbish, and so we re-created this in the studio and I walked through it for him, whilst he ensured that all of the levels were correct.

  Because I have experience and a background in singing, I sang a copy of the song 'O Solitude, in this session. I played the music through headphones while I sang to help me. Other particular sounds that I gained from this were vocal reactions to add to my piece. I recorded Alex breathing worryingly, saying 'ah' for when the cigarette is put in the dustbin.. as well as a large inhale and exhale for the section when the character places the paper bag on his head.

  We soon had a major problem once we had recorded most of our sounds. The mouse on the computer began to stop working, and soon did the keyboard also. Because it was around 8pm by this time, there were no tutors or technicians from stores to help us. We finally managed to get it to work but then it crashed when we tried to save the work. This was incredibly annoying as it meant that we had wasted around 4 hours in the studio. I have learnt from this to save your work more regularly. Not only this, but I also now have experience in working within the fully functioning studio, and feel confident in recording sounds in this way.

  

Soundtrack Idea

In order to give the piece depth, I have decided to add a soundtrack. I have found a classical song on Freemusicarchive.org, and plan to use this at the very opening of the film. As the door opens, I plan to alter the perspective from being non diegetic to diegetic and make it sound as though it is playing from the radio in the butchers. I think that this will be interesting and allow the audience to be drawn into the scene. Having this music also means that there will be something else to identify the butcher with, as the male character listens through the air vent. Reverb on this track when the camera tracks through the pipes, will be another nice effect to add to the visuals.

Click here to listen to a copy of the song

I was drawn to this particular song because of it's name. Solitude is describing what the audience can see on screen. As well as this, the classical and operatic style to the piece will make the film eerie to watch, and hopefully make the viewer anxious as to what will happen next. 

Logic Pro

After a brief session on Logic Pro, I have gained the following notes:

• To open a new project, select 'Open - New Project', then 'Software Instrument'.
• To import movie, select 'file - open movie'
• To display other tool, hold the command key
• Pencil + click selects the region
• cmd + alt = zoom (+/-)
• Click under 1/0 to change instrument
• Record button also turns on metronome

Written above are some very basic commands for setting up Logic Pro. Once you have done this, you are ready to start playing with the software. You can play either single notes or whole scores on the midi keyboard that is connected to the computer. Once you have done this, there are various effects such as the graphic equaliser that can change an atmos track to be ever changing as opposed to being a loop. This effect has the track ever moving and changing to create depth and something more realistic.

Session 11/04/2013

  In the session on the 11th April, we looked at various examples of film and discussed elements of its sound as a group. As well as this, we were given a quick tutorial on how to use Logic Pro and were able to practice or new skills on this software for the rest of the lesson using midi keyboards. Below is a copy of my notes made:

Film Music and Composition:

What does music bring to a piece?

1. An emotional guide
2. Association
3. A sense of place (e.g. Time, location...)
4. Empathy
5. Anempathetic (The opposite of empathetic sound. E.g. The diegetic sound of formula one on the television in Haneke's Funny Games.
6. Melody and drama = Melodramatic moments

The Last Wave (1997)

Director: Peter Weir

Sound Editor: Greg Bell

Original Music by: Charles Wain

Film Synopsis: "A Sydney lawyer defends five Aborigines in a ritualised taboo murder and in the process learns disturbing things about himself." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076299/)

How we would design the 'drowned world' scene :

Emotional and intellectual needs of the story:

• End scene - Muffled sound underwater
• Radio - Gets distorted/water sound gets louder
• Rain on the cars could get louder as a 'warning' of what is about to come
• Could still hear the rain lightly - Demonstrates that it is happening in his head (however, I think it could be better if the audience doesn't definitely know whether it is fantasy or reality)
• Sound of people gets gradually quieter as if they're getting further away
• The sound changes to make him look

Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet (1986)

Director: David Lynch

Sound Designer: Alan Splet

Original Music by: Angelo Badalamenti

Film Synopsis: "The gruesome discovery of a severed ear he found in a field leads a young man on a dark and dangerous journey into a dark and sinister underworld which exists in his hometown.(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090756/)

About the Sound Design: 

• "Magic happened with Blue Velvet, because a sound was created." - Angelo Badalamenti
• Hyperrealism - Certain sounds are heightened (such as scissors) to create something eerie and form more of an impact on the audience.
• Uses sound as a way of progressing the narrative - Storytelling element.

• The opening scene immediately subjects the audience to images of a 'perfect' suburban street surrounded by white picket fences in beautiful weather. This scenario combined with the tone and style of the soundtrack, forms something that I think is a little eerie. It all seems too perfect, and this is proved right when a male character has some form of 'stroke' when watering his lawn. Just before this happens, the visuals cut to a shot of the tap which is attached to the hose pipe, as we hear an over-exggerated sound of the water pumping through it. The equaliser has been altered, forming a sound that makes you feel the water is running past you. The sound of this particular sequence instantly changes the tone of the piece and creates something that would otherwise not be eerie or tense. The low frequency sounds as the camera moves down into the blades of grass also adds atmosphere, and makes the audience feel anxious as to what will be found there. The intense sound the beetles produce is juxtaposed with the idilic location, making the whole framework quite bizarre.
• Is the sound design a metaphor for what happens beneath the surface?