Evaluation - Shaun of the Dead. tbc

The most successful element of my soundtrack is how well my foley sounds replaced the original, syncing the image and the music at the right time. Creating the foley sounds was challenging in terms of finding the right sound so it matched what object was on the screen and how it could be fitted at what time, making it flow.

Creating the ADR for the clip I think was the least unsuccessful element to my soundtrack, as it is suppose to fit in with what you see on the screen. The video that I took from YouTube jumps, which made it difficult to put the recording in exactly the right timings without it pausing. I didn't want it to either be too ahead of itself or too behind.

What I would do next time to change and make it better is to have more foley sounds added to give it more depth, possibly have more ambiance and less of a background noise. Although the original clip has music, it only needs to bring the actors to life and get the audience to feel the adrenaline rush when they start throwing objects at the zombies. This music is similar to the soundtrack that follows throughout the film.

Looking and listening to my soundtrack in terms of a professional standard is probably not as high as I would like. If it was possible to do another clip to recreate the foley and ADR for then it wouldn't be a problem. As this is the best scene to record over, I didn't feel as positive about this as I do for my Woman in Black opening scene. Comparing them both you can see that I quite enjoyed the Woman in Black than I do Shaun of the Dead -it's suppose to be easy but simple is more which is why my focus was on my other piece.

Although, it does reflect professional standards as the ADR and the foley have replaced the original and are in the correct place as the clip -just not as well as the original. The two music sequences i chose are two completely different set ups, in terms of tempo, the pitch of the sound and also the type of instrument. The original has two sequences but they come together whereas mine doesn't.

What I would do next time if I were to recreate the sound, I wouldn't leave the ADR until the last minute, I would also match up the two music sequences so they were slightly similar in a way but not the exact same sound. I would create more foley sounds so it sounded more like the object on the screen and have ADR for the next part of the clip.

EVALUATION - Woman In Black Opening.

The most successful part of my soundtrack I think is how well the music and the foley sounds come together. When deciding on a video to recreate some of the sounds I didn't think mine would turn out as well as it has. The successful elements to my soundtrack has to be when the three girls are about to jump out the window. Having a heartbeat, someone heavily breathing and the music change to a creepy "ring-a-ring-a-roses" nursery rhyme, it gives my soundtrack an edge of suspense and fear to whoever is listening/watching. When the girls go to jump out the window, the music becomes quieter and then a shrieking deranged woman screams unexpectedly. That's when I like to see everyone's last reaction.

I don't believe there is anything that was unsuccessful, I recreated all the foley I wanted to achieve with no difficulty. If I did have to choose, I would say the ambiance; music to set the scene. There are two sounds that play at the same time with some eerie 'appear' sound I found on the stock library. Also, making the sound for the girl that brushes her dolls hair wasn't a problem, it was cutting the sound to the right movement of the video so it is in sync perfectly.

Improvement or changes for next time would be just tweaking the small details, for example: clothes rustling and possibly footsteps as they are walking towards the window just to give it more depth, possibly more of the china sounds of the cup and saucer. I would also make the sound of the window creaking a little louder on the recording by getting the microphone more closer to the chair leaning backwards.

Having the sound and the image work together and exactly in time is the most successful element about my soundtrack. It works to a professional level, minus the little odd sounds missing. The original video didn't have any foley going on or any suspense to the music in order to indicate to the audience that something was going to happen. If you were to compare both the soundtracks, I believe mine would win the vote because the feedback that I get from people who have watched the original scene is uplifting.

TREATMENT -Woman in Black opening

Name of Production: Shaun of the Dead

-What feel or mood are you hoping to achieve with the sound for this clip (i.e. how do you want the audience to feel and at which points in the scene?  Describe the music/soundscape are you going to add to the clip  (pace, tone, style, pitch - you can use the musical terms we have discussed in class) and what response you hope to elicit in a listener.   

The Woman in Black film is a thriller, instead of it having a lot of gore and blood; it intends to make the audience jumpy and not want to turn there heads but really pull them in. I want to create tension within the opening of this scene because i want the atmosphere to build up to the girls walking towards the window and jumping out the window.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As this is a horror I want to create tension and suspense with this scene but keeping it too a minimal as this is a comedy film. I wan to create tension when the two zombie are approaching the window and as Simon Pegg chucks the boxes on the ground and they turn around to face the two actors. I want to be able to set the tone and pitch so that the audience gets a feel of the ambience of what is going.

Where will you get your music from? (pre-recorded music; public domain, licensed, own) and what considerations do you need to be aware of when using music/sounds?

I will produce my own sound effects for the scene using different objects to duplicate the sound that is already being played. I have to make sure that the microphone is picking up the sound without the levels being too high.

-What foley sounds are you going to record in the studio, add to the clip and what will they add to the scene:

I am going to recreate the sound of the box dropping at the beginning of the clip, as they throw different objects I’ll use a coat hanger and swipe it through the air so it emphasizes their arms, the objects when they’re hitting the zombies or the wall.

I also want to create ambiance by putting in some birds singing to create a real sense of feeling and have music running in the background of the clip to create tension in the scene.

-Do you need to record any sounds out on location, if so which?

No, I recorded the foley sounds in the studio at college.

- Who will be in your recording crew to help you get your sounds and what are their individual roles and responsibilities?

Francesca will help me to recreate the foley sounds of this clip. We’ll share roles of picking up objects and replacing the sound from the clip.

Jaws clip analysis

Amplitude - (Volume of the sound) starts off quiet, then gradually builds up as the scene vreates tension.
Light Motif - (Character theme) Jaws 2 notes

Digetic sound - Source is visable on screen voices of character, sound by objects in story)
Non digetic sound - mood music/can only be heard by audience. Cage-metal,shark roaring, panic from driver, waves/water. Makes it feel more relistic and surreal. - silence; feeling empathy for the character/tension anxiety.
Score- Soundtrack on paper
Disannonce- Music/sound that doesn't go together. Making the viewer feel uneasy.
Parellel sound - Mirrors
_________________________________________________________________________________

In our soundtrack production classes, our tutor asked us to analyze the film clip Hooper in the Cage  from Jaws. I am going to identify and talk in detail about the different variety of techniques they have used and answer as to why they have chosen to do so.

Hooper is locked into a metal cage and lowered into the water, with only a weapon to defend himself against the shark. He then is traumatized when he becomes face-to-face with the great beast, as he bashes his strength again the cage. This is called Dissonance; uneasy chords/melodies or tones. As the shark hits the cage and then the uneasy music starts to play. The affects of this towards the audience creates a fear for Hooper as he's becoming prey.

Seventeen seconds into the clip, we hear a leitmotif demonstrating that Jaws the shark is coming into the scene. The Jaws theme makes the audience aware of what's going to happen, making the purpose of the leitmotif to allow the viewers to feel afraid that the shark is approaching. This is effective because everyone then remembers the tune and knows that whenever they hear those two dominating notes that danger is approaching. The technique is also used for Star Wars; Darth Vader's tune and again it is used in the exact same way.

Foley Recording Plan

Thinking back to what we covered in lesson (and looking back at the PowerPoint my Blog)  when recording your sound effects how will you ensure that you get a good, clear recording? (positioning microphones / recording location / monitoring and controlling of recording levels via UV meters) fundamentals of decibels (dBs) / background noise

We recorded our sounds in the radio studio so we didn’t get any background noise or echos, also because it is completely soundproof. We then made sure to position the microphone close enough to the objects but not so that the sound levels were too high or causes reverb.

What type of microphone will you use and why is this an appropriate microphone to use / how will it help you to get the best recording?

We used a shotgun mic along with a wind muff. We used these because the shotgun is sensitive to sound and to avoid any echos and other background sound during recording, we used the wind muff for coverage.

When recording what issues do you need to be aware of

Not having the mic to close to the object making the sound levels too high – vice versa not having the mic too far away so that the sound strength is weak. Making sure the microphone is secure on a stand so that it doesn’t end up on the floor.

TREATMENT Shaun of the Dead

Name of Production: Shaun of the Dead

-What feel or mood are you hoping to achieve with the sound for this clip (i.e. how do you want the audience to feel and at which points in the scene?  Describe the music/soundscape are you going to add to the clip  (pace, tone, style, pitch - you can use the musical terms we have discussed in class) and what response you hope to elicit in a listener.   

As this is a horror I want to create tension and suspense with this scene but keeping it too a minimal as this is a comedy film. I wan to create tension when the two zombie are approaching the window and as Simon Pegg chucks the boxes on the ground and they turn around to face the two actors. I want to be able to set the tone and pitch so that the audience gets a feel of the ambience of what is going.

Where will you get your music from? (pre-recorded music; public domain, licensed, own) and what considerations do you need to be aware of when using music/sounds?

I will produce my own sound effects for the scene using different objects to duplicate the sound that is already being played. I have to make sure that the microphone is picking up the sound without the levels being too high.

-What foley sounds are you going to record in the studio, add to the clip and what will they add to the scene:

I am going to recreate the sound of the box dropping at the beginning of the clip, as they throw different objects I’ll use a coat hanger and swipe it through the air so it emphasizes their arms, the objects when they’re hitting the zombies or the wall.

I also want to create ambiance by putting in some birds singing to create a real sense of feeling and have music running in the background of the clip to create tension in the scene.

-Do you need to record any sounds out on location, if so which?

No, I recorded the foley sounds in the studio at college.

- Who will be in your recording crew to help you get your sounds and what are their individual roles and responsibilities?

Francesca will help me to recreate the foley sounds of this clip. We’ll share roles of picking up objects and replacing the sound from the clip.

SOUND

Copy and Paste the Correct Term below into the Box on the right next to the description:

	Terms:  Non Diegetic - sounds, music, voice Diegetic - source within the frame/story Bridge - carries the sound from one scene to the next Contrapuntal - giving false ques, putting the audience on edge Parallel Sound - complimenting what we see (happy sounds-happy images)
Sound that goes hand in hand with the image on screen	parallel sound
Sounds that the characters in a film cannot hear (outside of story space)
Sound that contrasts / juxtaposes the image on screen
Sounds that the characters in a film can hear or sounds whose sound source is visible on screen or implied (inside the story space)
When music or sounds continue into the next scene. It creates smooth transitions from scene to scene.