Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Research into Recording Ambient Sounds and Dialouge
Recording Ambient Sound
In film, ambient sound (also known as atmosphere, or background noise) consists of the sounds of a given location or space. It is the opposite of silence.
Every location has distinct and subtle sounds created by its environment, these sound sources mainly include wind, distant traffic, aircraft machinery, wildlife, background music, rain, rustling leaves etc. Basically ambient sound is any sound in the background of a setting that sets the scene. This is very important, as it has the power to provide more of an interesting location through sound.
An example of use of ambient sound, is in my film 'Duke Goes To College', where at the beginning of the sequence, you see Duke walking to the front of the college building. There are many ambient sounds used in this sequence which include: Birds tweeting, the sound of soft wind, and cars passing.
Hard cuts of ambient sound are not preferred; when introducing a new scene or when jumping between two setting, it is ideal to try to introduce the new setting as best as possible. For example in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', there will be many occasions where the setting will jump from the Capitol to the jungle, and before the jungle is shown, you will already be able to hear the ambient sound of flies and bugs, and the swaying of leaves; this really helps the audience to gradually get a feel of the new setting.
When recording ambient sound, you can do one of two things; you can either take ambient sounds from an existing sound library, or go out and record you own ambient recordings; the latter of which is the preferred option, as you can suit the sound specifically to your film.
In 'the Hunger Games: Catching Fire', the sound editor Jeremy Peirson went to Maui and recorded his own ambient sounds for the jungle scenes in the film. These included sounds of the ocean, trees and leaves swaying and the wild life
When compiling the ambient sounds together for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', the sound team used software called 'Atmos'. This software was used in the fog sequence, the baboon sequence and the Jabberjay sequence to ultimately create the desired feelings of ambience to the audience.
This video explains the Sound Design process that was used in Post-Production
of 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
In film, ambient sound (also known as atmosphere, or background noise) consists of the sounds of a given location or space. It is the opposite of silence.
Every location has distinct and subtle sounds created by its environment, these sound sources mainly include wind, distant traffic, aircraft machinery, wildlife, background music, rain, rustling leaves etc. Basically ambient sound is any sound in the background of a setting that sets the scene. This is very important, as it has the power to provide more of an interesting location through sound.
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| This is a picture one of the shots in my edit of 'Duke Goes To College' in which ambient sound occurs. |
Hard cuts of ambient sound are not preferred; when introducing a new scene or when jumping between two setting, it is ideal to try to introduce the new setting as best as possible. For example in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', there will be many occasions where the setting will jump from the Capitol to the jungle, and before the jungle is shown, you will already be able to hear the ambient sound of flies and bugs, and the swaying of leaves; this really helps the audience to gradually get a feel of the new setting.
When recording ambient sound, you can do one of two things; you can either take ambient sounds from an existing sound library, or go out and record you own ambient recordings; the latter of which is the preferred option, as you can suit the sound specifically to your film.
 |
| Jeremy Peirson, the sound designer for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' |
When compiling the ambient sounds together for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', the sound team used software called 'Atmos'. This software was used in the fog sequence, the baboon sequence and the Jabberjay sequence to ultimately create the desired feelings of ambience to the audience.
Recording Dialogue
The dialogue recorded on location, which in most cases is the projects only source of dialogue in post-production, is not always recorded with correct technique, which results in poor audio quality.
Many things must be accounted for when recording dialogue on location; bear in mind what microphone you are using, and consider the possibility that other background noises may interfere with the actors dialogue. Try to use a microphone that is ultra-directional for external locations; these microphones can be aimed at a sound source and will only pick up the required sound. The more directional the microphone, the better it will be at picking up sounds from its front end, and the higher the signal-to-noise ratio will be. Using directional microphones may help to record dialogue easier.
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| Boom microphone |
In order to get the best quality and volume of dialogue possible, you must aim to place the microphone as close to the actor as possible; this can be achieved using a boom pole, to reach angles you may not be able to reach normally, or you could use wireless microphones, hidden in the actors costume.
Having the microphone closest to the actor will ensure audio focus on their dialogue.
Problems may occur in post-prodution of your film; one frequent big problem to do with dialogue is that sometime, the dialogue recordings won't be good enough quality, or will have ambient sound in the background. A good way to solve this problem is by means of 'looping' or ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement). This is hen you call in your actors to a sound studio, and have them dub over the footage, so they are effectively lip-syncing themselves. This gives you fresh audio that doesn't have to be recorded on location. You can easily hide ADR by ensuring there is ambient sound added to the clip.
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| Clint Eastwood as 'the man with no name' in 'the Good the Bad and the Ugly. |
You see this in a lot in foreign films, where the script or language of the dialogue has been changed in post production; a good example of this in in the Clint Eastwood film 'the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'. There are many instances in which you can clearly see that dialogue has been dubbed over the actors in post-production. This would have been due to on location dialogue problems, or changes in the script in post-production.
This video explains the Sound Design process that was used in Post-Production
of 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Use of After Effects in DGTC
One of the main effects in my film is the one where the camera zooms in on Dukes face, we see him blink, then open his eyes, showing that they have changes colour.
This was a pretty simple effect to create; the entirety of the effect was done in Adobe after effects.
The raw footage of the is clip was me just having my eyes open and then blinking slowly. Then it was imported into after effects.
Initially the plan was to create two mask over each of my eyes that would each be a translucent shade of red; I first had to split the clip at the point when my eyes became open again, so that I could let the masks last until the clip had ended. I then had to create an adjustment layer and a null object for each eye; the adjustment layer would be where I would create the masks, and the null object is where I would do the motion tracking.
I tracked each eye in each of the null objects, then created the masks in the adjustment layers.
As you can see from this picture, I have created masks in the adjustment layers. The colour is achieved by opening the curves and bending them to get the desired colour.
I then had two masks that followed my eyes for the duration of the clip. to finish, I then added some feathering to the colour to thin the outline and make them more realistic.
I created a flame in Charlies hand in after effects, this is the effect where Dan opens his hands, and creates a small flame.
I had to watch some tutorials in order to get this effect right, but it looks good in the film.
Basically I had to download a video of a flame on a black background; I imported it into after effects, and changed the blending mode to screen, which made the background disappear.
I then tracked it to Charlies hand, to make it look like it was moving along with his hand.
I then exported the footage out of After effects, and put it in the premiere document.
This was a pretty simple effect to create; the entirety of the effect was done in Adobe after effects.
The raw footage of the is clip was me just having my eyes open and then blinking slowly. Then it was imported into after effects.
Initially the plan was to create two mask over each of my eyes that would each be a translucent shade of red; I first had to split the clip at the point when my eyes became open again, so that I could let the masks last until the clip had ended. I then had to create an adjustment layer and a null object for each eye; the adjustment layer would be where I would create the masks, and the null object is where I would do the motion tracking.
I tracked each eye in each of the null objects, then created the masks in the adjustment layers.
As you can see from this picture, I have created masks in the adjustment layers. The colour is achieved by opening the curves and bending them to get the desired colour.
I then had two masks that followed my eyes for the duration of the clip. to finish, I then added some feathering to the colour to thin the outline and make them more realistic.
I created a flame in Charlies hand in after effects, this is the effect where Dan opens his hands, and creates a small flame.
I had to watch some tutorials in order to get this effect right, but it looks good in the film.
Basically I had to download a video of a flame on a black background; I imported it into after effects, and changed the blending mode to screen, which made the background disappear.
I then tracked it to Charlies hand, to make it look like it was moving along with his hand.
I then exported the footage out of After effects, and put it in the premiere document.
Monday, 10 March 2014
P1 Music Analysis - Submarine Clip
Purpose
The purpose of the music playing over this scene is the show Oliver's thought process. I see the music as reflecting how his brain is working, and thinking about the subject of bullying. the fast tempo shows that he has a fast thought process, and also that his is thinking deeply about the subject. This is shown when he gives the examples of the boy who did the turd in the playground, and the other boy who was stabbed in the back with compasses.
The music i also used in order to mark the transitions between Oliver's examples.
Elements
When Oliver is giving the examples, all of the music in in a high register, and the music tends to change between them. When he talks about the boy who did the turd, legato violins play in a high pitch. Then it changes to staccato flutes.
There are no bass instruments and there is a lack of percussion which gives the scene a soft comfortable setting to watch. The tempo of the music is andante (walking speed) to keep the scene comfortable.
Meaning
The music in this clip from 'Submarine' makes an impact on the audience. I think that it ultimately helps the audience to think hard about what Oliver says during the clip, and to realise that he has a definitive point to make. The calmness and the high register of the music gives your mind some space and time to think about these things.
The purpose of the music playing over this scene is the show Oliver's thought process. I see the music as reflecting how his brain is working, and thinking about the subject of bullying. the fast tempo shows that he has a fast thought process, and also that his is thinking deeply about the subject. This is shown when he gives the examples of the boy who did the turd in the playground, and the other boy who was stabbed in the back with compasses.
The music i also used in order to mark the transitions between Oliver's examples.
Elements
When Oliver is giving the examples, all of the music in in a high register, and the music tends to change between them. When he talks about the boy who did the turd, legato violins play in a high pitch. Then it changes to staccato flutes.
There are no bass instruments and there is a lack of percussion which gives the scene a soft comfortable setting to watch. The tempo of the music is andante (walking speed) to keep the scene comfortable.
Meaning
The music in this clip from 'Submarine' makes an impact on the audience. I think that it ultimately helps the audience to think hard about what Oliver says during the clip, and to realise that he has a definitive point to make. The calmness and the high register of the music gives your mind some space and time to think about these things.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Composing Music for Film
There are five key stages that must be followed when composing music for film:
Stage #1 - Immersing yourself in the film
Watch the film that you are composing the music for; this helps you establish the story, and gives you an idea of the characters (Personality, Attitudes, and General Feel).
Then watch it again, as the second time round you will usually start seeing different things and you will get into the rhythm of the film easier as well.
Then, watch the whole film without any sound. This means without any dialogue or sound fx, just pure visuals; You will get to see some more details or notice other things (If it is very still at points or very fast at others.) The style of filming and the video editing will also stand out more, allowing you to get a better feel of the film. Your brain wont be distracted by sound elements either, which frees your mind to just focus on the images.
Stage #2 - Select Instruments / Atmosphere
Establish the atmosphere of the film, and specific parts in the film, and begin to associate individual characters with certain instruments, to develop their motif. For example the motif for a baddie in an action film will usually have a dark atmosphere so you will want to use instruments that reflect their atmosphere.
Stage #3 - Stick to the rhythm of editing / story of the film
The video editing can be fast or slow; make sure that you can establish the 'beat' of the film as well. It will usually change throughout the film so take that into account when composing.
The music you compose for the film must follow the story. It needs to match the general tone of the film and must accurately describe character, their thoughts, feelings, worries, other emotions and also ambitions. Remember that there are a lot of things that music can do for film, so make sure that you use them to your advantage.
For example, music can give hints to the audience about things that may happen later on in the film. Its like in the 'Star Wars' prequels; Anakin Skywalker's motif has some elements of the imperial march. This indicates that he may have something to do with Darth Vader later on. Using these techniques while composing can make your music choice much more interesting and engaging.
Stage #4 - Do not ask for feedback
Feedback can be a double edged sword. If you are really into the creation process, somebody's feedback can be helpful, or not helpful at all. You really need to be confident about your musical choices, and you need to know well enough where you want to go with it, in terms of intention and emotion, even though you aren't really sure at this point what instruments you may use. You can have people help you with the music, or not. Both can be helpful
Stage #5 - Compose
Begin to put ideas into action by playing and recording your music. Take into account tempo tha
t must match the pace of the film, and also the instruments you want to use.
Watch the film again without sound, but this time, put your music to it and see if it works. It doesn't matter if your choices don't really fit when you put it to the film, as you can always go back and change it later. You can also add elements or change instruments to make the music sound better and more engaging.
Sources from: http://www.wikihow.com/Compose-Music-for-Film
Stage #1 - Immersing yourself in the film
Watch the film that you are composing the music for; this helps you establish the story, and gives you an idea of the characters (Personality, Attitudes, and General Feel).
Then watch it again, as the second time round you will usually start seeing different things and you will get into the rhythm of the film easier as well.
Play the film in the background while you are going about your day. This means that your brain will get used to it more, and you will naturally come up with musical and compositional ideas about music that will fit.
Then, watch the whole film without any sound. This means without any dialogue or sound fx, just pure visuals; You will get to see some more details or notice other things (If it is very still at points or very fast at others.) The style of filming and the video editing will also stand out more, allowing you to get a better feel of the film. Your brain wont be distracted by sound elements either, which frees your mind to just focus on the images.
Stage #2 - Select Instruments / Atmosphere
Establish the atmosphere of the film, and specific parts in the film, and begin to associate individual characters with certain instruments, to develop their motif. For example the motif for a baddie in an action film will usually have a dark atmosphere so you will want to use instruments that reflect their atmosphere.
Stage #3 - Stick to the rhythm of editing / story of the film
The video editing can be fast or slow; make sure that you can establish the 'beat' of the film as well. It will usually change throughout the film so take that into account when composing.
The music you compose for the film must follow the story. It needs to match the general tone of the film and must accurately describe character, their thoughts, feelings, worries, other emotions and also ambitions. Remember that there are a lot of things that music can do for film, so make sure that you use them to your advantage.
For example, music can give hints to the audience about things that may happen later on in the film. Its like in the 'Star Wars' prequels; Anakin Skywalker's motif has some elements of the imperial march. This indicates that he may have something to do with Darth Vader later on. Using these techniques while composing can make your music choice much more interesting and engaging.
Stage #4 - Do not ask for feedback
Feedback can be a double edged sword. If you are really into the creation process, somebody's feedback can be helpful, or not helpful at all. You really need to be confident about your musical choices, and you need to know well enough where you want to go with it, in terms of intention and emotion, even though you aren't really sure at this point what instruments you may use. You can have people help you with the music, or not. Both can be helpful
Stage #5 - Compose
Begin to put ideas into action by playing and recording your music. Take into account tempo tha
t must match the pace of the film, and also the instruments you want to use.
Watch the film again without sound, but this time, put your music to it and see if it works. It doesn't matter if your choices don't really fit when you put it to the film, as you can always go back and change it later. You can also add elements or change instruments to make the music sound better and more engaging.
Sources from: http://www.wikihow.com/Compose-Music-for-Film
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