Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Sound project



Completed sound project. Full production report below.

I started the sound project by choosing the “How to cope with Death” animated clip because it looked like something more interesting to create foley for. Before recording any sounds I decided to go over the clip several times and take notes on what types of interesting sounds I could use for the animation. When planning for sounds I also considered what types of sounds I could use that wouldn't be used in a naturalistic or conventional way. The idea was to use sounds that would be used purely as a stylistic choice, like using a sharp, scraping sound for the drawing of a scythe, even if it wouldn’t produce a sound like that in real life.
Recording sounds caused no major issues other than obtaining specific sounds needed that couldn’t be faithfully recreated. This included monster growls and roars needed for the skeletal being/death. Other difficult sounds to replicate were different glass breaking sounds as there were no disposable glass objects present during foley recording. Loud crashing noises were also difficult to recreate due to the low amount of large objects that could be dropped. It was also difficult getting the noise of sparks going off from the broken television just right, as well as the ensuing fire. I was also unsure about whether there was any need for the old woman to have any voice acting in terms of grunts and screeches.
The editing process was slightly complicated, as several of the sound clips needed to be edited to fit with everything else. Some audio clips were too soft or too loud when placed in sequence as certain sounds that needed more emphasis would be drowned out by louder unnecessary sounds. It was also difficult to find a copyright free soundtrack to place in the background that worked well as with the action in terms of beat and rhythm, as even the slightest change from the animation takes away the immersion. Distorting the audio for the skeletal being’s sounds recorded from a friend was the most challenging part, as the audio needed to be timed just right in sync with the animation while also requiring a sense of danger and creepiness. As mentioned earlier, I found that taking liberties with the audio and not following exactly which audio should go with which shot made the video clip more audibly entertaining. For example, using scythe swiping noises instead of the actual recorded jumps makes the jumping shots from the animation clip a lot more entertaining.

In conclusion, the sound project helped widen my view on how recording foley for animations or for any piece of media can be interesting albeit slightly complicated work. Seeing and experiencing all the effort that goes into foley recording allowed me to better appreciate and have a better understanding on the importance of sound in film and how crucial it can be to the point where the smallest error could ruin an entire piece. Editing the sound also helped me gain a better understanding of the sound editing programs that I will be using in the future.

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