Research | Year1

Sound Design Research

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- WALL-E

(2008)

In the intro for Wall-E many different sound techniques can been heard these all help to make the animation more realistic and show of the director’s thoughts and emotions. The clip starts off with only non-diegetic sound as the music is put over the top of what’s seen on screen with no other sound however it then slowly fades into diegetic as the music that can be heard slowly changes the way it sounds until you can hear it is getting played from the robot Wall-E. In between this transition there is some ambient sound and wind noises to help smoothen the transition out. Furthermore the music used is contrapuntal to what is on screen as on the screen there is just a scene of a destroyed ruined planet with no life but the music over the top is happy and joyful this helps enhance the emotions you feel when watching to really wonder what has happened for the world to get to this state which really improves the way the scene comes across . There is no dialog in the scene so all the sound is coming from the diegetic sounds I think this is done to emphasize how dead the world is now with no one but robots. Lastly the sound designer has chosen to really exaggerate the Foley used when Wall-E’s tracks are moving and when he picks up the rubbish, I think this is done to help bring attention to the issues which will then evoke sad emotions. From this scene I have learnt that I really like the way contrapuntal sound is used and how it looks and I will try and use this in my project I have also learnt from this a really clever way of transitioning between non-diegetic and diegetic sound so I will try and use this in my project to help smoothen out sound transitions. I found this clip really useful and the way the sound design was used has helped me learn how much it enhances a scene when done correctly and how it can be used to show your point of view on something and evoke emotions to an audience.

- Terminator 2

(1991)

The intro for Terminator 2 is very effective at evoking a fear of danger to the audience and is good at leaving the audience wondering what could happen next. The scene uses mostly diegetic sound as It starts off with just ambient sound of wind and white noise but then all of a sudden a massive exaggerated bang is used as one of the robots hits the ground this will most likely make the audience jump and gives you a little warning that violence is about to start. The filmmaker uses loads of Foley for example the machines tracks driving against the gravel, all the gunfire and all the sounds of people dyeing and getting frazzled by this being added in it helps make the fighting more engaging as it has sound to go parallel with the violence on screen. There is dialogue in this scene as a narrator is addressing the audience to tell the story of what has happened and why this fight is happening in the first place. This is very effective at giving the audience an insight to how the war started. There is also some non-diegetic sound used through a very subtle soundtrack that is being played in the background that helps to enhance the tension of the fight and goes parallel with what you see on screen. There isn’t really any music used in this scene as all the sound design has been focused in on the fighting and all the gunfire and music would negatively take away from the emersion of the fighting the film has now created. However I did find this clip useful and I will use the way they used a very exaggerated bang to shock the audience as I liked the way this came across and evoked very fearful emotions I will use this to give the same affect that it did in this clip in my project. I have learnt lots of ways to use different Foley to enhance a scene through this clip and how to use dialog to address the audience and break the 4th wall so I will try and use this in my project to make it more professional.

- Jaws

(1975)

This iconic scene in the film Jaws really helps to help you learn how sound can be used to evoke all kinds of emotions. Steven Spielberg uses both non-diegetic and diegetic sound for example the classic jaws soundtrack that is used as the shark approaches is an example of non-diegetic sound as it is added over the top of the film and is used make tension and let you hear that something bad is about to happen. The diegetic sound used is also very effective with lots of Foley to help direct your attention to different things in the clip for example when the kid gets taken under water you can hear him struggling this evokes a sad feeling as you know he will be killed under there but then dialog is used which draws your attention to all the people struggling to get out the water and all the parents worried that there kid is in danger. In addition all the water splashing sounds that are in the clip show all the commotion in the water and the final part of the scene when the mum realises her son hasn’t made it out focuses on the gentle waves as the blood and beach towel gets washed up which give off very violent and sad emotions to make you feel bad for the poor mum who lost her son. This clip was very useful at showing me how sound can be used to draw an audience’s attention to different parts of a scene in a very effective way while still playing on emotions. From this clip I have learnt how effective sound is at getting your attention and will try and experiment this with my project. I have also learnt about how the sound used can evoke emotions like in the final part of the clip and would like to try this with my project as a way of ending my film I will make. There wasn’t any music used in the piece, other then the iconic jaws sound and I think this is a very clever decision to keep the audience’s attention where the director wants to at all times.

- Jurassic Park

(1993)

In this scene of the Jurassic Park it shows very way of using sound and when you take into account the time this was filmed (1993) it is really good for its time. The director uses non-diegetic sound, for example the music that is put over the top of the clip, at the start, the music is used to create tension and build up the feeling that something bad is going to happen but then it transitions to happier music as the dinosaur comes in to the shot which works to relief the tension and I feel the music used is really good at improving the scene and the way in which tension is created and released. Lastly, I find that the happier music goes parallel with the clip. The director also uses diegetic sound such as the ambient noise at the start to give the scene some life and make it seem real. In addition there is lots of Foley added in, for example the dinosaur roars and the noises of the dinosaurs eating the trees. There is also a very exaggerated stomp as the dinosaur walks which might shock the audience and give the feeling of power and size of that the dinosaur has to the audience. I think this clip was very useful and I learn a lot from it, for example the way they transition between tension building music to happier music which I found really looked good on screen and I would like to experiment with this in my film to build and realise tension. I have also learnt a good way of using the Foley to make a scene seem more professional and realistic just like this chosen clip. I will be experimenting with lots of Foley in my opening scene to see if I can get my Foley to this level.

- Hurricane Bianca

(2018)

The scene I have chosen from the film Hurricane Bianca shows a very basic way of using sound. The sound that has been used has been used in both non-diegetic and diegetic ways. The use of the background music that has been added in helps to focus the attention on the main character as she walks in and is used in a way to assert power to the character and is very parallel to the clip and also bridges between two scenes to help enhance the emersion and the dominantness of Bianca. However diegetic sounds are also used to add some life to the scene. For example the voices of the students in the corridor help to make it realistic and show the directors view of wanting to show everyone as scared of this woman and it evokes a dominant emotion to the audience. Furthermore there is lots of commotion and shouting as Bianca walks In the classroom however followed by a very loud horn that I would argue is both non-diegetic and diegetic travels through the whole school everything stops I feel the director has done this to show this idea of Bianca being very dominant and powerful. I didn’t really find this clip that useful as there wasn’t many sound design techniques featured however, I did like the way the background music bridged between multiple scenes and I will try to use this in my own project. I haven’t learnt much from this but I do think that the way the sound designer used the horn to echo through many different locations was a very clever way of evoking a powerful dominant point of view that Bianca is a strong woman and shouldn’t be looked down on. The music doesn’t really do a lot for the scene but it does keep a sense of tension as Bianca walks through the corridor.

- 500 days of Summer

(2009)

The scene I have chosen from the film 500 days of summer highlights how non-diegetic and diegetic sound can be used in harmony to make a really well put together film with very professional sound design. The director starts with just some ambient sound to make the film realistic and true to life but then quickly adds in a non-diegetic song that is very upbeat and happy which intern goes parallel with what you can see on screen. Then slowly as the scene progresses you can hear how much Foley has been added in with the sounds of the fireworks banging even though you can’t see them the water splashing as the fountains shoot up and even some light dialog has been added in which helps make the scene more immersive and realistic as you can hear the character talking to the extras. There is also lots of slaps as the character high fives all the people who pass him. Then out of nowhere a band comes in (on screen) and even though it is music on top of music it seems to work really well and I feel this has been done to help bring you in more to the scene and to get the audience to feel the happiness . Overall this clip is extremely joyful and upbeat and I feel the music and Foley used does a really good job of going parallel with this and fitting very well with what you can see on screen. I found this clip very useful for my research for the opening scene I will be making. I learnt effective ways of adding in and using Foley to fit with what is going on, on screen and how to show joy in a character through sound like the director has done here. I feel this will really help me when recording Foley as I will know how important the way you use the Foley is to the end film you add it in to and what feelings it gives off. I have also learnt that using both music and Foley together can be very effective depending on the context and what is going on, on the screen. This scene has really inspired me to experiment with as many Foley sounds as possible as I really enjoyed the way this looks and comes across on screen.

- Skyfall

(2012)

The clip I have chosen from the film Skyfall shows a very typical film from the James Bond franchise. The focus throughout slowly changes but starts off with the use of the dialogue as both being non-diegetic and diegetic sound as it is played over all scenes and it bridges between scenes that are in the court room but also scenes that are not which I think is a very effective way of keeping the audiences focus on what she is saying. Furthermore there is a heavy use of Foley in the scenes with gunfire, sirens and all kinds of commotion being lightly played in the background of the shots where Bond is running which helps to let you know something bad is about to happen. When the action really starts to begin some subtle background (non-diegetic) music is added in to increase the tension and when the bad guys enter the court room all of a sudden the dialogue stops and the music gets louder than all the Foley of the gunfire and screams begins to change the focus from the dialog to the fighting and what is going on in the court room. I find all the music and Foley used in this clip goes parallel with what is on screen which I find is a very effective way of getting the directors point of view across and works very well at getting the audience to focus in on certain things no matter what’s going on, on the screen. I found this clip very useful and I learnt a lot from it for example the way in which they used sound to focus the audience’s attention on certain things I found very effective and I will try and do this in my opening scene. I find this clip will help me with my opening scene most if I choose to do an action genre film as this clip has all the typical codes and conventions of an action film while still having a heavy focus on sound. The way in which they used the dialog across multiple scenes bridging it across I really liked and it has inspired me to try and experiment with this in my film and I will try and use it in my scene to enhance the tension of it.

- Back To The Future

(1985)

This clip is very traditional of a film of that time period it shows a classic car chase and uses some light background music acting as the non-diegetic sound with lots of Foley layered over the top of the visuals. For example the noises of the DeLorean and the van chasing it with the skidding of the tires and the engine noises which help to make it a realistic scene but are nothing special really. Furthermore the gunfire as the man try’s to shoot the car you can tell has been added over the top however for the time period it does still fit very well and I did really like the noise they used to show the bullets ricochet of the car as you didn’t see it happen but with the use of the sound you could tell that, that was what was happening in the scene. There was also some very light dialogue with the screaming and the guy in the DeLorean worrying he won’t be able to escape in time which helps to give the scene some life as it wouldn’t be as exiting if there was no speaking in it there would just be a few cars chasing each other. I did find this clip useful but I didn’t think it was anything special and the sound design it does have doesn’t really stand out as being anything special to me personally. I would like to experiment with ways to make a bullet ricochet sound though as I thought this was very cool and I will try and use this in my opening scene if I think it will fit with whatever story line I come up with. The music in this scene doesn’t stand out however I think the director wanted this and wanted the audience focus to be on the action more than what music he was using to curate the tension in the background and I feel inspired to do this in my opening scene as I want my audiences focus to be on the Foley sound not the music used in the background.

Video Production putting theory into practise (Book)

I decided to again look at the book “Video production putting theory into practise” to learn more about sound and the different kinds of sound. They spoke about sync and non-sync sound which is what I would call diegetic and non-diegetic sound this helped me understand how some people have different terms for things so I can now familiarise myself with this term so it doesn’t leave me confused at any point. They spoke about how important sound is as well as stating how it can really help set the mood of a scene and evoke different emotions in your audience. In my project I will be planning to use sound to get a more intense high energy reaction out of my audience for my sound design project. Next they went onto say how you should always plan what sounds you want to record before you do it and practise recording it to make sure it fits in with the visuals on screen so I will be experimenting with this in my experimental research below to help me improve with my sound recording and Foley making skills. Another tip they gave is to always monitor what you are recording when you are recording to ensure there are no microphone issues and that your mic is picking up what you want it to so I will take this into account when recording my Foley. Lastly they said not to lose concentration at any point and to always keep an eye on what is going on to ensure everything runs smoothly and to plan, in addition to ensure you don’t forget to record any sounds you need, this will also help my work sound as professional as possible which is the aim. Overall I found this book very useful and from reading it I have learnt a lot but this particle part about sound was very useful in letting me understand how I need to plan out my sounds in detail so I can get the most out of them when making them and using them in my video so I will make sure I do this so my video sounds as professional as I can make it.

A quick guide to recording foley effects (Rode Website)

Next I looked at the rode microphone website due to their background in sound and making microphones I thought this would be a good idea and I found this article regarding how to record sound and what you need to remember. They began by explaining how you should set your own sound stage up with different pits and objects you can have to hand such as blocks of wood and gravel they said to try and hang things around the room to help dampen any unwanted sound and get rid of echoes so I will try and make a little sound stager myself over the next few days to get the best out of making my Foley using my rode videomic pro. They then went on to explain some different techniques you can use to create different sounds. For example to create the noise of fabric rubbing together simply just rub fabric together or to create footsteps just get a pair of shoes and push them against different surfaces like stone, gravel or grass to give off different kinds of footsteps but make sure you are pressing to the amount that your actor will be walking and not pressing to hard or to softly otherwise it will sound weird in the edit, so I will do this to make the footsteps for my video using carpet, pavement and stones. Next they said if you wish to create the noise of a fire just crunch some baking paper together and although I won’t need this for this project it is very useful to keep in mind for any future projects where this would be required to keep my projects looking and sounding professional. Overall I found looking at this article very useful in getting some basic tips on recording Foley what you need to do it and what you can use to do it so I will take all this into account when recording my Foley to ensure I can make it sound as professional as possible and so it fits in with my visuals perfectly like I want it to.

The Importance of Sound in Film (LA Film School Blog)

Lastly, I looked at this blog explaining the importance of sound I looked at is as I thought it would really help me understand the importance of sound even more and apricate why It needs to be done correctly more. They spoke about the three different types of sound voice, sound effects (Foley) and music and how they all need to work together to create a professional piece so for this project I will be trying to have some dialog along with music and lots of Foley to achieve this aim. Next they said about how Foley is really important but so is music, music can even be more important sometimes. For example looking at how famous Star Wars and Jaws are but the part that sticks out the most and is the most memorable about these films is the scores they use, that’s what makes them some such a masterpiece as the music is used to set the audiences mood, build suspense and tension and let you know if what is happening on screen is good or bad and I find this so clever and interesting to see so would like to experiment with it in my project. Lastly, they said to always record your own Foley and never to use pre-recorded stuff as every scene is different and requires different sounds that are not out there or if they are out there won’t be as good as what you can do yourself. I had already planned to record all my own Foley so this just backs up that decision. Overall, I found looking at this article extremely helpful in understanding the importance of music in a project and how it can be used to do so many different things so I plan to now use music in my video to give off a high intensity happy vibe which is what I aiming for.

Sound Design Research

Non-Diegetic sound

This is sound such as music that is layered over the top of a scene and acts to evoke some kind of feeling you can tell that the music has been added over the top normally. This type off sound is basically any sound that is added over the top of a film and what is actually happening on screen. The music over the top of the clip below is an example of non-diegetic sound.

Diegetic sound

This sound is anything that isn’t non-diegetic so effectively it is physical sound that goes with what you see on screen for example any Foley or dialogue basically anything that fits with what’s on screen. The gunfire in the clip below is an example of diegetic sound.

Jack Foley

Before Jack Foley entered the film industry, he studied sound design at college which meant as well as sound he developed multiple skills to use in the film industry so he could help out in many aspects of the industry before he begins to focus just on sound. Before he began to work with sound cameras would be placed in boxes and would have only two microphone inputs limiting what sound could be recorded. Any sound such as dialog or music that was needed would have to be recorded live with what they were shooting as they hadn’t yet developed the skills to record it separately and add it in, in post. But as Jack started to work more in the industry, he started to record the audio separately so the cameras could focus on the visuals on set and any sound effects needed he would make himself this would also help the film director get the exact sound they want to make sure the correct effect is given off from it. He worked heavily around footstep noises and how to evoke different feelings through the use of different footstep types. His work in the industry was very rarely credited though and many people didn’t know how much he had revolutionised the industry as he was the first real sound man in the field this new sound type, he had created got named after him, Foley. He worked on films such as Phantom of The Opera, Spartacus and Melody of Love For his work he was awarded the golden real award as without what he did for the industry sound wouldn’t be the same today.

Saul Bass

Before Saul Bass entered the film industry, he was a graphic designer working on company logos, and posters. But during this he discovered that film title sequences where pretty rubbish and corporate like they were static just displaying the title and some copy right information. But once he entered the industry, he started making moving title sequences that would set the mood of the film and establish some story by doing this he revolutionised the industry. He worked for directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Otto Priming’s on films like The Man with The Golden Arm and North by West. He inspired many title makers of today through the way he incorporated moving picture with the titles. Over his 40-year career he actually only made one feature length film as he was focusing on titles for other directors but by the end of his career he teamed up with his wife and went more into short films winning many awards for his work.

Here you can see some of his work on film posters and title sequences I really like the way in the video he cuts to the beat as I feel this really enhances the video and I will try and do this in my own opening sequence obviously you can tell it is old as there isn’t a lot going on in it but due to it being made in the 60’s you can understand why it’s like that and you can still see how good it is for the time.

I have also chosen a title sequence that wasn’t made by him so you can see the difference. I chose a clip that is very similar in terms of what is happening on screen. however you can tell that it is much newer with the more colourful smother image, better transitions and generally more professional look to it. It still cuts to the beat though which I intend to do with my title sequence.

Sound Design Research

Experimental

Baby Driver

Reflection

What was the task?

The task was to use a clip from the film Baby Driver that has had all the sound taken out of it and then to add in sound effects and music that would fit with the scene to improve my skills with Foley sound effects and background music.

What did you learn?

I learnt how to use Foley sound effectively to enhance a film scene. I also learnt how to adjust audio levels and layer lots of audio all in one and have them synced in together. Overall, I think I learned the basic skills off adding in external sound and making it work with the visuals.

Were you happy with your final outcome?

I was happy with my end clip I know it wasn’t the best and I did end up cutting the video down slightly but I feel I tried my best with the time I had and what I did do did work well with the visuals on screen the audio did kinda sync if you use your imagination. However I do feel I should have experimented with audio transitions more as this would have made the audio more professional and not just stop abruptly at points.

What skills could you use in your sound design project?

I can use the way I learnt to adjust the audio levels in my end project with multiple different sounds layered on top off each other which I felt this sounded cool. I could also use the way in which I used the timeline to perfectly sink the audio with the video which will help my end film look more professional and to a higher standard. In my project I will also use audio transitions to make it more professional but I did not do this in this project.

What skills do you still need to learn?

I still need to learn how to record Foley correctly and use all the necessary equipment and to a professional standard also I need to learn what items I can use to produce the intended sound. Lastly, I would also like to learn more audio transitions and fading techniques to make my project look more professional and well thought out.

Sound Design Research

Experimental

Zenom

Reflection

What was the task?

The task was to record a load of Foley sound to use in a clip from the film Venom that has had all the sound taken out of it and the task was to add in the Foley we recorded so we had to think about the sound we were recording before we did so to ensure it fits as well as possible.

What did you learn?

I learnt how to record Foley at a basic level and how to plan for recording Foley. As we used sound sheets it meant I could learn how to properly use and fill out a sound recording sheet and intern then how to record the sound and what things make what noises.

Were you happy with your final outcome?

I wasn’t that happy with my final outcome but that was due to most of the audio we had recorded being unusable as it was full of crackles, talking and horrible noises. However what we did have, what was usable was okay to use and kinda fitted in with the venom clip at least I tried to make it fit in as much as possible.

What skills could you use in your sound design project?

I will use the way we used the sound pit in the Foley room to record banging and crashing in my end project as I liked the way this looked. I will also use the way in which we recorded audio as obviously it is needed to get the end sound recordings (Foley.)

What skills do you still need to learn?

I need to learn how to record Foley properly so there isn’t any background noise or crackling as if we hadn’t had this in our audio, I could have made a more effective better put together edit as I would have had more audio to use. I will most likely use a lot of YouTube to help me learn how to properly record audio at a professional level.