Shaun of the Dead Soundtrack (Planning, Process and Evaluation)

Sound effects needed:

• Footsteps (concrete and shop floor) - Simon - THROUGHOUT
• Trip (concrete) - (00:01)
• Footsteps (running) - character - (00:07)
• Coughing - person - (00:14)
• Soft groans from zombies - person - could use panning - (00:11 - 00:17)
• Scratching head - person - (00:19)
• Opening the fridge - fridge (college/home/Tescos) - (00:26)
• Cans wobble - energy drink cans - (00:28)
• Partially closing the fridge - fridge (college/home/Tescos) - (00:33)
• Simon slips - person - (00:35)
• Opening the ice cream fridge - fridge (college/home/Tescos) - (00:39)
• *Grabs cornetto* - object with similar wrapping - (00:41)
• Closing the ice cream fridge - fridge (college/home/Tescos) - (00:42)
• *Sigh* - Person - (00:47)
• Change rattling - copper change - (00:47)
• Cheesy shop music - YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKP-KwdT5B8 - (00:20 - 00:48)

       The only sound fx we can't actually create is the shop music, but apart from that, we should be able to create every sound effect.

       We may have to go into a supermarket (like Tesco) to record sound fx for the cans and fridges etc. which may be difficult due to background noise. If this doesn't work we could use the college's fridges or our home fridges. It's easy enough to buy some energy drinks for the can rattles.

       We plan to make the footstep sound fx last, as it will be the hardest to create (due to timing).
       We can use panning for the zombie noises and the shop music, as Simon moves around the store while it is playing and so, realistically, it will sound louder or quieter depending on where he is in relation to the radio.
       We can also use levels in Final Cut to change the volume of each sound effect to make it more realistic.
       We've decided to get the slipping noise off of the Internet, because when we tried to record it it sounded very unrealistic. Ellie and I have started the project whilst Kayleigh is on holiday. We've done all of the basic sounds, like the sighs and coughing. We've also sorted out the panning and the levels of the shop music. 
       We've also gotten a clearing throat sound effect from the internet (http://soundbible.com/782-Clearing-Throat-Male.html), because we were unable to produce a decent sound ourselves - UPDATE - We're not using said sound effect, because it doesn't fit in with the rest of the FX (we can get away with not using it).
       Tescos has too much background noise for us to be able to get high quality fridge sound fx, so we've got some fx from freeSFX.co.uk. We will still be able to do the can fx though. We've made a sound effect for the opening of the fridge door using the college double doors in our corridor. The fridge humming sound we sourced from YouTube.
       We've decided to try and find some footstep sound fx from the internet, because we're having trouble creating a realistic sounding effect that is in time with the character's movement on the video. The sound fx I've used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D9rcNUASJA - I need to find a similar sound effect for when the character is walking in the shop. I don't want to use the same effect, because walking on concrete makes a different sound to walking on a shop floor. *UPDATE* Unfortunately I was unable to find a suitable footstep sound effect for when the character is in the shop, so I will have to use the concrete one. I will try to adjust it in Final Cut to make it sound a little different.
       We borrowed a can from Ryan and used it to make the can rattles in the fridge. They turned out surprisingly well.
       Now that we've got most of the basic sound fx, I've started looking for ambient sounds such as police sirens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veuhtuNmjOk) and screaming (www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFqHyCoypfM).

FINISHED VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X82pBvvex0I&feature=youtu.be
       
Evaluation:

       Overall the process of making the soundtrack for Shaun of the dead was quite simple. It only required a few props (change, a can and the corridor doors), which we were able to get a hold of easily. In the end we ended up creating roughly 65% of all our sound fx (11/17). Some of the sound fx we originally planned to do we didn't end up using (such as the cough) because it didn't fit with the sequence.
       We decided to do the easier sound fx first and get them into the sequence. By doing this we managed to finish the project in time, as if we'd tried to do the harder sound fx first (like the footsteps) we may have spent too much time on it and not left enough time for the rest. Originally, myself and Ellie went out to get the first few sound fx (Kayleigh was on holiday). Once Kayleigh was back we'd sorted most of the sound fx, so I started to edit the sequence whilst Ellie and Kayleigh went out to re-record any unusable sound fx/ any sound fx we hadn't done yet. If we'd all gone out to get the extra fx we wouldn't have finished the project in time. Everyone took part in the editing. Ellie and Kayleigh both tried to use key frames to control the panning and we perfected it as a team. I put the general sequence together (made sure the sound fx were in time etc. whilst they finished off other work for the unit).
       I think that we could've made a higher percentage of the sound fx if we'd had more time - we had to source the footsteps from the internet because of the lack of time. It was taking to long to try and record some decent footsteps in a quite environment that we in time with the characters. I don't think I was able to get the footsteps exactly in time with the character's footsteps, because it was hard to tell exactly when he was stepping (for most of the clip you don't see his feet). The footsteps in the sound effect varied in volume so it was hard to hear when they were in time. If we were to do this project again, we would try to make our own sound effect for the footsteps, because we'd be able to get it exactly in time. Originally, we did try to add the silent clip to Dropbox so that we could watch it in a quiet place and walk in time with it. However, the video wouldn't appear in Ellie's Dropbox or her Google Drive and the bluetooth on the iMac wouldn't connect to her phone, so there was no way for us to do that. If the Mac room was quiet enough we would've been able to record it by watching the video on the computer, but everyone else was working in the room and we couldn't ask them to leave.
       In addition, I would only source sound fx from YouTube or http://www.soundsnap.com, because I've found that they supply the best quality sound fx. They also carry a larger range of sound fx, so instead of searching many sites that may require payment etc. or the sound fx don't work, I can just search the two sites - saving time.
       I've learnt a lot about panning in this project and I would definitely use these new skills in future projects in this unit and all of the others.

Analysing Film Clips (Panning and Foley)

Kick Ass - Ending (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8BPNeiwXQ)

       Panning is used towards the beginning of this clip. When the jet pack moves towards the camera you can hear the sound moving from right to left (easier to  pick out using headphones) and it gets louder (as it would if that happened in real life). If panning wasn't used here the clip would seem to be unrealistic.
        As well as the foley sound fx, such as the jet pack whirring, there's a soundtrack playing that matches the emotions of the characters (victory music) - which is non-diegetic.
       The main use of foley sound fx in this clip is that of the jet pack, the wind and the characters footsteps, as the focus in this clip is the non-diegetic music. However, it's important that the clip has these few diegetic sounds, otherwise it would be completely unrealistic. The music is more important in this particular clip, because it's accentuating the victory of the characters.

Rush - Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSzeYv5YfDs)

       There is a lot of panning in this scene, as the race cars are constantly zooming past the camera. This trailer is heavily based on the non-diegetic music, as opposed to foley, but without foley the trailer wouldn't be as appealing. Since there are a lot of cars in this trailer, foley is needed as the audience are expecting to hear the noises from the car engine etc. A particularly important foley sound effect was the sound of the car crash and the fire, which lets the audience know that something bad has happened. The actual soundtrack adds to the suspense and the action within the trailer and it also compliments the slow motion.

Avatar - Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PSNL1qE6VY)

       The only panning used in this clip is the movement of the aircraft and the torpedos across the screen (left to right) and so the audience have a good sense of space and where they are within the diegesis. Without the use of panning here, the audience wouldn't be able to sense where the danger in the scene is - whether it's close or far away, and so they wouldn't know how to feel. If they knew that the danger was closer, there would be more tension within the scene, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats
       There are a variety of sounds within this trailer, most of them being foley sound fx, such as the screeches of the animals and the 'boom' of the weapons. There are also a lot of ambient sounds (like the waterfalls etc.) to reflect how the film is full of nature. Along with the foley sound fx, there is also a soundtrack to amplify the emotions of the audience.

Princess Mononoke Soundtrack Evaluation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTbZZB3Jc8

       When planning how we were going to record the foley sounds for Princess Mononoke, we thought that we'd be able to easily produce most of the sounds ourselves. However, this proved to be more difficult than we first thought, as certain sounds we recorded (specifically the horse whinnies) sounded unrealistic and so we decided to use sound fx from online sources such as sounddogs.com. The only sound fx we downloaded were the horse whinnies and some arrow/ bow sounds (we couldn't find an appropriate prop to make a similar noise). Originally, we had a few more sounds that we planned to make (such as armour clinking and ambient birds), but when it came to assembling the video with the sounds, we decided that less is more. We ended up using near enough 20 different sounds, combining certain sounds together (there were 3 or 4 hooves sound fx that are all overlapping).
       When recording the sounds, it was sometimes hard to find a quiet place and so some sounds were unusable due to background noise. However, in some circumstances this couldn't be helped. For example, we needed some hoof noises in the dirt outside. Obviously, we couldn't bring dirt inside to a quiet room, so we just had to hope that no one was outside at the time and that the wind wasn't too strong. Luckily, we succeeded in getting these sounds. Most sounds were pretty simple to record. We mostly used the back stair well to record these as everyone uses the atrium stairs as opposed to the back stairs. We used props such as rings and keys for the clink of the bridle and the swipe of the sword.
       The editing process was the longest, as it took a while to establish what sounds needed to be where and what sounded realistic. We started from the hooves and gradually built the main and ambient sounds, adding things like the screams and the weaponry noises last.
        Overall, I'd say that the quality of our final piece is rather high, considering that we had to use what we had on us at the time as props. We managed to record most of the sounds needed for our piece and any we downloaded were from royalty free sources (sounddogs, pond5 and thesoundbible). We probably could've added more sounds, such as when the pot is knocked over and the man is knocked down, there could've been a louder  thud sound and some yells could've been added in. The quality of some of the downloaded arrow sound fx was poor, but we couldn't find any other fx that were royalty free and suitable for the clip. If we were to do it again, we would try to create all of the sounds ourselves, by bringing in props from home that may be suitable.

Princess Mononoke Soundtrack Plan

Sounds

1. Running horses
2. Horse snorts/ whinnies
3. Swords
4. Screaming
5. Arrows flying
6. Dirt
7. Pierced flesh
8. Plants rustling
9. Bridle/ saddle rattling
10. Footsteps
11. Bow creaking
12. Material flowing (cape, balaclava)
13. Bodies hitting the ground (thud)
14. Armour clinking
15. Ambient - birds
16. Ambient - wind

How and where? Props?

1. Tongue clicking or cups? - Inside, on a table?
2. Voice, nose? - Inside, quiet room
3. Keys scraping against each other? - Inside, quiet room
4. Voices - Quiet area
5. Blowing -  Inside, quiet room
6. Scrape feet in dirt - Outside, non-windy area
7. Mouth/ tongue (squishy sound) - Inside, quiet room
8. Rustle plants - Outside, non-windy area
9. Keys rattling - Inside, quiet room
10. Walk/ run in the dirt - Outside, non-windy area
11. Open door (creaking) - Inside, quiet room
12. Rub clothes - Inside, quiet room
13. 'Thud', bang hand on table, fall - Inside, quiet room
14. Can't create
15. Can't create
16. Blowing - Inside, quiet room

We will get the sounds that we can't create from www.youtube.com, www.sounddogs.com and www.pond5.com

08/08/13

It turns out that we need to download some horse whinny sound effects, simply for the fact that we can't make a realistic enough sound. I downloaded the sound effects from pond5. I've also downloaded some arrow sound effects from http://soundbible.com/tags-bow-and-arrow.html

Foley Sound

       Foley, named after Jack Foley, is the process of recording sound (specifically in post production) to enhance the quality of audio in a film. The sound they record tends to be ambient sounds (e.g. birds chirping) that are difficult to record on set. Recording these sounds separately allows the foley artists to play with the levels (adjust the volume) of these elements so that they aren't too quiet or too loud, meaning they won't distract the audience from the main characters in a scene.

       Jack Foley introduced the art of foley in an attempt to give his hometown of Bishop a new source of income. He knew several newly formed movie businesses in Los Angeles and convinced them that Bishop would be an appropriate place to film westerns. This gave the people of Bishop a chance to earn money through foley. In the end, Jack ended up producing foley sound for multiple films such as: Melody of Love, Show Boat (1929), Dat Ol' Ribber, Spartacus, and Operation Petticoat.

      All foley artists need to produce their sound effects is a microphone and some recording equipment (e.g. Audacity). A sound proofed room is also helpful as it eliminates any and all unwanted noises. Obviously they need the props to make the sound with - it doesn't have to be the exact same as those used in the film as long as it produces the same sound. For example, many foley artists use things like coconuts for horses' hooves.

       Foley is usually recorded in a studio that is specifically for sound recording (this way it's sound proof and not echoey). The foley artists need to be able to see a screen that plays the movie/video so that they can get all of the sound fx in time.
       In the film 'Taken' there is a scene that involves a character falling onto a lorry from a height. The noise of the impact was produced by a foley artist and added in at post production. The artist could have used a number of props, like plastic sheets, to create the same kind of "thud" sound.

       There are a range of microphones that are appropriate for foley. However, certain microphones are better for specific things, such as the Sennheiser MD421, which will record a gun shot at fairly close range or a surface effect microphones to record sound fx. However, it's a general rule to not record in stereo and to position your microphone as close to the prop as possible (no mic has perfect directivity).
       Foley allows SFX to  be added in post production to enhance the "soundscape" and it also prevents any issues with copyright, as they've recorded their own sounds and so can't be sued for using someone else's.

Diegetic and Non-diegetic Sound

Diegetic sound

       Diegetic sound is sound that exists within the filmic world (the diegesis), but not necessarily in the shot. This includes: voices from characters on the set, sound made from objects/ interactions (e.g. a chair) and sounds made off screen from other characters or elements. So even if I can't see a particular action happening on screen (e.g. a person clapping) the sound made is still diegetic, because it exists within the reality of the film.
       In the film 'When Harry Met Sally' there is a scene in which Harry and Sally are sat across from each other in a cafe talking. Their voices are an example of diegetic sound, as well as the voices of the extras, even though they're not in the shot. Without the diagetic sound in that scene it would seem very unrealistic, because when is a cafe ever completely empty and silent?
       In the following clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcjY-VN8_l4) from the film  'Taken' uses diegetic sound to amplify the emotions of the character and the audience. Because you can hear things smashing and screaming, it's clear that Sam is being kidnapped even though we can't see it happening. The use of this makes us feel as helpless as her father whose listening to this happen through the phone. These diegetic sounds also build tension for when the father speaks to the kidnapper through the phone. If I wanted to create a dramatic effect in one of my projects I would consider using diegetic sound to tell the audience what's happening off screen, because the uncertainty would put the audience on edge.

Non-diegetic sound

       Non-diegetic sound is sound that is added into the film in post production to enhance the mood of the film. This includes: music that is added in the editing process (the score) and any sound added in post production like a narrator's commentary (like a character's thought track). An example of non-diegetic sound is a wild track, which is background noise (e.g. from a party) that is used for multiple shots or a scene.
       In the film 'Kick-Ass' the main character narrates the beginning of the film to catch the audience up on what the film is about. WIthout this narration, the audience would be very confused as to the topic of the film and the motivation of the character, making this non-diegetic sound very important. Also, the director used an adapted version of the soundtrack called "Surface of the Sun" to bring an epic feel to the "Hit Girl rescues Big Daddy" scene. The long violin notes amplify the emotions of the audience, making the scene more emotional. The music also matches the slow motion used in the scene.
       In the following clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USHi4s_rHqQ) from the film 'Wreck it Ralph' the use of a non-diegetic soundtrack amplifies the emotions of the situation. Without the swelling music to accompany Ralph destroying Vanellope the audience wouldn't recognise Vanellope's anguish as well. The music is also in time with her screaming as Ralph destroys her cart, so the mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic is very effective. I could use this technique in one of my future projects, as it would engage the audience in the video and allow them to empathise and identify with the characters. I've always found that the non-diegetic soundtrack is what makes an emotional scene emotional.

Juxtapositions

       Using a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound can create a juxtaposition. A juxtaposition is when two or more different things are paired to create a comic or scary effect. For example, happy music paired with a scene of someone getting murdered and screaming.
       There is a scene in the film 'The Funny Games' that consists of an upper class German family driving to their holiday home. At first they are listening to classical music, but then heavy metal replaces it. The use of this juxtaposition gives the audience a clue as to what's going to happen to the unsuspecting family.
       In the final scenes of The Godfather 3 you see the family attending a baptism service which is accompanied by calm music. Through parallel editing you can see several murders happening at the same time in a different location, but the same calm/ happy music is played over these. This is a juxtaposition as getting murdered isn't a calm or happy experience, it's quite the opposite. I would use this technique in my own work to make certain scenes funny, ironic or foreshadowing, depending on the nature of the project.

Mood and meaning

       Without a non-diegetic soundtrack, certain scenes would lose their mood and meaning. For instance, if the following scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JfjO1PZxXc) from 'Kick Ass' didn't have the non-diegetic soundtrack it wouldn't be perceived as funny, it'd be perceived as a serious action sequence. The pop/punk music reflects Hit Girl's personality as well, giving the audience a further understanding of her. In my projects I would make sure that the scenes that require a non-diegetic soundtrack have the appropriate music to amplify the audience's emotions.