This is an executive summary to demonstrate the extent of my work with Barton Fink and the methods that I used to create a full sound design for the clip.Through blog posts I have periodically documented my progress to show my thoughts, experimentation and final results. This includes a detailed step by step guide as to how I worked on the project.
In the first few weeks I plan out the way I am going to attempt the clip. I watched the clip several times and gained knowledge and information from classes on ways in which to approach it, which I detail in my blog. From here I made a short treatment that summed up the general ideas and sound I was wanting to convey in the soundscape. As well as this I went through the clip in Pro Tools and using markers set where I wanted the sounds to be. I exported this information and aligned it in a cue sheet which I used to collect my sounds at the recording stage. These documents can be found in my blogs.
After this I went on to begin the recording stage. I would book out mics and the studio for Foley sessions and spot sound recordings. I documented my progress incrementally in the blog stating what I had achieved in each session. This allowed me to keep track of where I was and what needed to be done next as well as provided a reason for why I was recording things in a particular way. As well as this it allowed me to go back later and check for my thought process at the mixing stage. I recorded everything in a few sessions and updated my cue sheet to tick off all of the sounds I had. I then posted this document to trello and linked it into my blogs.
When all the sounds were recorded I edited and mixed the audio for the clip. I split this into separate sessions to make this easier to concentrate on the one method at a time. The session were split into; footsteps, movement, bell, clock, tap drip, vocals, radio, outside ambience and music, hallway wind and ambience, bed springs, typewriter, worldizing and final mixing and mastering. These are all documented as individual blogs. Once all of the mix was balanced and mastered I bounced the clip to the appropriate file format to submit.
In conclusion I feel that the mix and soundscape works the way I planned. The soundtrack is simplistic and mostly ambient drawing focus to the main character. I feel I managed to create that sense of unease but not have it over the top to meet my original aims.
Monday, 27 April 2015
Barton Fink Final Mixing and Mastering
Throughout the mix I EQ'd certain elements like the footsteps to boost frequencies that really make the human hearing system feel irritated. I boosted below 50Hz, 1kHz-3kHz and above 8kHz. This removed warmth and inviting qualities and made the hotel cold and noticeably sharp and noisy. This gives the hotel and negative feeling as it sounds like it would feel uncomfortable.
I balanced all the levels to get the mix that I desired that accentuated many of Barton's movements and interactions with the hotel. Many of the objects in the hotel were made quieter to add depth to the mix and again focus on Barton. I wanted to make him seem like he had dragged all his problems into this place and everything and everyone in the hotel was aware of it. As well the subtlety in the ambient sounds with the EQ helps to make everything uncomfortable, but not enough for it to be completely obvious and thus achieving that feeling of not liking a location just because you get a funny feeling that I was trying to get.
After all the mixing was done I put maxim on the master fader and boosted it to give the mix more headroom and limit the level of the audio volume stopping distortion or peaking.
I balanced all the levels to get the mix that I desired that accentuated many of Barton's movements and interactions with the hotel. Many of the objects in the hotel were made quieter to add depth to the mix and again focus on Barton. I wanted to make him seem like he had dragged all his problems into this place and everything and everyone in the hotel was aware of it. As well the subtlety in the ambient sounds with the EQ helps to make everything uncomfortable, but not enough for it to be completely obvious and thus achieving that feeling of not liking a location just because you get a funny feeling that I was trying to get.
After all the mixing was done I put maxim on the master fader and boosted it to give the mix more headroom and limit the level of the audio volume stopping distortion or peaking.
Barton Fink Worldising - Mixing and Effects
I gave each area its own reverb. I took into account the main properties of the rooms such as the dimensions and surfaces. For the foyer I looked at creating a room reverb that incorporated the height of the room but also the counteracting surfaces of carpet, curtains and fabric chairs. There was still more reflective surfaces like wood though. I opted to create a bigger sounding reverb as the bell ringing out would be a little more justifiable if the room had the qualities to cause this.
The hallway needed a long sounding reverb so I used a hallway reverb even thought the it was carpeted as well. I wanted the sounds to seem like they were coming from far away deep in teh maze of the hotel and a longer reverb suited this better.
For the bedroom I wanted a more intimate sound and the bathroom reverb to seep into it. I put a small room reverb on to make it boxy quite flat sounding.
The bathrooms was tiled and highly reverberant to make it seem like it would amplify everything in there making the tap drip so prominent.
For the outside reverb I wanted the hotel to be near the beach to have all of the people and other sound effects. Due to this I went for a small ambient reverb to add some warmth to the tonal qualities of the waves and beach to make the weather outside seem inviting and a contrast to the cold reverbs of the hotel.
The hallway needed a long sounding reverb so I used a hallway reverb even thought the it was carpeted as well. I wanted the sounds to seem like they were coming from far away deep in teh maze of the hotel and a longer reverb suited this better.
For the bedroom I wanted a more intimate sound and the bathroom reverb to seep into it. I put a small room reverb on to make it boxy quite flat sounding.
The bathrooms was tiled and highly reverberant to make it seem like it would amplify everything in there making the tap drip so prominent.
For the outside reverb I wanted the hotel to be near the beach to have all of the people and other sound effects. Due to this I went for a small ambient reverb to add some warmth to the tonal qualities of the waves and beach to make the weather outside seem inviting and a contrast to the cold reverbs of the hotel.
Barton Fink Typewriter Editing and Mixing
The typewriter is a form of comfort for Barton. He is struggling with it just now it is why he fumbles badly with the case and the latch. He is worried about opening it. He isn't sure about whether he likes it or not at the moment due to the troubles he is experiencing. Loud clicks and and heavy fumbles show the slow release and desperation of the man and not much comfort in it until the lid comes off. A deep breath as he looks at it shows his one moment of relief in comforts form outside of the hotel but nothing about his new environment sounds that promising.
I blended the caress sound with that of a coarse one like the typewriter is giving him negative feedback. I did this to show the two side of Barton's thoughts on writing. You can tell he longs to write but the machine will not provide him with his relief yet as he doesn't have the material to write yet.I made the press of the space bar some what lacking as well to show that his writing ability is weak and the buttons are lifeless and have no energy.
I blended the caress sound with that of a coarse one like the typewriter is giving him negative feedback. I did this to show the two side of Barton's thoughts on writing. You can tell he longs to write but the machine will not provide him with his relief yet as he doesn't have the material to write yet.I made the press of the space bar some what lacking as well to show that his writing ability is weak and the buttons are lifeless and have no energy.
Barton Fink Bed Springs Editing and Mixing
For the bed I wanted it to fit the visuals of how weak the bed springs seemed. To do this I have EQ'd the springs to remove all body. This helps to give the impression of no comfort in the room. I also boosted the high frequencies of 2kHz and above 8kHz. This makes it sounds squeaky and irritating like it would keep you up all night and also give the idea that they couldn't support a human being. I wanted to convey that Barton wouldn't find any comfort in this hotel. That it would not help him with his writing but instead find ways to distract him and halt his progress further. The idea of bad sleeping conditions can build stresses and irritation and keeps with my theme or annoying frequencies and a place that just doesn't seem quite right.
I made a small repeating loop of a spring and duplicated it several times to get a constant irritating characteristic. I then have the volume slope down slowly making the springs feel like the can barely support anything. Even just putting the case down on the bed it continues for a while. Again this makes the sound loop in an annoying manner to distract Barton and keeps with the aesthetic of sounds continuing on for a prolonged period of time.
I made a small repeating loop of a spring and duplicated it several times to get a constant irritating characteristic. I then have the volume slope down slowly making the springs feel like the can barely support anything. Even just putting the case down on the bed it continues for a while. Again this makes the sound loop in an annoying manner to distract Barton and keeps with the aesthetic of sounds continuing on for a prolonged period of time.
Barton Fink Hallway Wind and Ambience
The hallway needed to seem incredibly long and some what alive. I also wanted it to seem as though there was some sort of an unknown lurking, so I added wind. The wind down the hallway is blowing into cupped hands. This includes in and out of breathing to give the hotel this idea of a life of its own. It sounds wheezey and tight. This is to make the walls of the corridor seem a lot closer and again make it feel uncomfortable and unknown. Just as Barton shuts the room door I have a gust of wind that I edited onto the end of the loop and boosted the volume of. This helps to show how the hotel is waiting just outside with all its noises and strange sounds and that this will eventually seep into Barton's room and distract him from writing.
I still keep the light hum from the foyer as it has the same lighting as there and I wanted to have some form of continuity from there to the hallway. The light hum never stops and combined with the early fade in of the elevator it doesn't feel like the scene just cuts but has a smoother fade to stop that jump to the next scene the video has. I wanted to remove that feeling as I felt it broke the immersion of all the elements that had built up before, especially since the foyer sets the scene of the hotel.
I want the transition into the room to be a relief sonically by having all these droning irritating frequencies build-up and reverberate as Barton walks along it and then remove them all briefly when he enters the bedroom and this will be a moment of peace. Right after this a tap starts dripping and adds irritation back to Barton and the viewer again.
I still keep the light hum from the foyer as it has the same lighting as there and I wanted to have some form of continuity from there to the hallway. The light hum never stops and combined with the early fade in of the elevator it doesn't feel like the scene just cuts but has a smoother fade to stop that jump to the next scene the video has. I wanted to remove that feeling as I felt it broke the immersion of all the elements that had built up before, especially since the foyer sets the scene of the hotel.
I want the transition into the room to be a relief sonically by having all these droning irritating frequencies build-up and reverberate as Barton walks along it and then remove them all briefly when he enters the bedroom and this will be a moment of peace. Right after this a tap starts dripping and adds irritation back to Barton and the viewer again.
Barton Fink Outside Ambience and Music
Trying to open the window sounds really difficult like he is really struggling. The hotel doesn't want to provide him with any means of escape and is trying to prevent him from doing so. Heavy scuff and deep breaths as though his is putting almost all of his energy into it but also show that he is a weak and poorly driven man. To start off with you can hear the outside sounds slightly and they are low-pass filtered to give the perspective of the window stopping all the high frequency content.When the window opens I have it roll-off to allow more content through but not full as it's only a small gap. As the sounds filter into Barton's head I roll it off completely giving all the frequency content.As well as this the volume is slowly increase to suggest Barton becoming distracted by everything.
The seaside sounds and happiness show contrast to the excitement and good times that Barton is looking for. He is actually a really troubled man and that window represents a small gateway to a world where everything will be better but he is trapped in the room. That is why the sound slowly filters in as he opens the window and why as he stares at the painting that is a vision of what is just down the road at the sunny Californian beaches. He could just walk out and have that but he is almost a prisoner and cannot take part and enjoy it. The sounds all slowly get louder until the scene end as they further distract his from the thing he feels he should be doing.
I was originally going to have the music just play in like it was a song Barton was remembering but instead I decided to mix it with the outside ambience. I mixed it to sound further away like it was being performed on the street. I added another longer reverb for the song. This gives the qualities of the sound bouncing off the concrete walls but also sounds like it is bouncing in Barton's mind.
I was originally going to have the music just play in like it was a song Barton was remembering but instead I decided to mix it with the outside ambience. I mixed it to sound further away like it was being performed on the street. I added another longer reverb for the song. This gives the qualities of the sound bouncing off the concrete walls but also sounds like it is bouncing in Barton's mind.
reference barbershop quartet - YouTube, (2015). Bye Bye Blues - Barbershop quartet Fourtune - SAMPLE. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiwMofWfc5E [Accessed 27 Apr. 2015].
Barton Fink Radio Editing and Mixing
Radio echoing down the hall with the track that is used in the longing stare at the painting "bye bye blues". This is the original instrumental version. Gives a creepy eerie feel as added a long echo and added to the reverberation of the hall it is almost never ending.
I was going to add lo-fi to make the audio sound more authentic and give it an ominous feel but this took away some of the qualities of the old style recording so I left it with just the reverb.
The song speaks of no longer being blue which I feel is what Barton is searching for but this hotel doesn't solve this it will only add to his problems. using the common human trait of hearing a song somewhere else and then it being stuck in your head. That is the reason why Barton hears it as he stare at the painting. It's a moment of realisation of escapism but he doesn't have any of that.
Bye Bye Blues ref - YouTube, (2015). Leo Reisman and his Orchestra - Bye Bye Blues (1930). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-q-eXEjAI [Accessed 27 Apr. 2015].
I was going to add lo-fi to make the audio sound more authentic and give it an ominous feel but this took away some of the qualities of the old style recording so I left it with just the reverb.
The song speaks of no longer being blue which I feel is what Barton is searching for but this hotel doesn't solve this it will only add to his problems. using the common human trait of hearing a song somewhere else and then it being stuck in your head. That is the reason why Barton hears it as he stare at the painting. It's a moment of realisation of escapism but he doesn't have any of that.
Bye Bye Blues ref - YouTube, (2015). Leo Reisman and his Orchestra - Bye Bye Blues (1930). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-q-eXEjAI [Accessed 27 Apr. 2015].
Barton Fink Vocals Editing and Mixing
Vocally in the clip I have gone for sounds that seem really deflated. Like the people of the hotel have given up. Buscemi when he comes out of the door gives a modest attempt at speaking with Barton and I wanted it to sound as though he has made no effort in even addressing him properly. The man speaking on the phone through the corridor is not getting angry with his wife but instead has heard the same argument again and again therefore making him sound mundane and disconnect with what the woman is saying to him. I am doing this to try and show the hotel is a place people go to give up.
To help aid this I have pitched the vocals down slightly by 1-2 semitones.
I used EQ to remove the high frequency content as the man is in the room through the wall and I wanted the phone call to sound muffled and boomy. I boosted a little at 200Hz to accentuate this effect as the low mids give a slightly muddy presence. This make the whole place seem poorly audible when interacting with the people for the first time. This would show that for someone to make it out of there they would need to give extra effort in an attempt to better themselves, again showing that where Barton is going is not a place that is going to help him.
I kept the panning relative to the camera so the man on the phone is in a room on the right while facing toward Barton coming down the corridor and on the left when it cuts to face the opposite direction. This is to keep with what we would hear from these perspectives and not break immersion. It was a bit too jumpy to start off with so I increase the amount of time it took to pan to make it smoother and less jarring to listen to.
To help aid this I have pitched the vocals down slightly by 1-2 semitones.
I used EQ to remove the high frequency content as the man is in the room through the wall and I wanted the phone call to sound muffled and boomy. I boosted a little at 200Hz to accentuate this effect as the low mids give a slightly muddy presence. This make the whole place seem poorly audible when interacting with the people for the first time. This would show that for someone to make it out of there they would need to give extra effort in an attempt to better themselves, again showing that where Barton is going is not a place that is going to help him.
I kept the panning relative to the camera so the man on the phone is in a room on the right while facing toward Barton coming down the corridor and on the left when it cuts to face the opposite direction. This is to keep with what we would hear from these perspectives and not break immersion. It was a bit too jumpy to start off with so I increase the amount of time it took to pan to make it smoother and less jarring to listen to.
Barton Fink Tap Drip Editing and Mixing
The dripping tap is a sign of the chronic and slowly building problems. Leaking tap would represent not much of a problem but left to get worse and it may break, cause water damage and serious problems. The slow building of volume is Barton's problems slowly building up coming to the forefront of his mind again until he looks at the painting and begins to dream of the escapism.
The dripping also represents a form of water torture slowly grating at a constant rhythm. The volume increases over time as Barton slowly settles into his room. To make it more annoying I start the bedroom scene with silence to fake that there is peace and quiet here but after the pause it starts back up again.
As time goes by the echo gets more as well so it lingers around more and more until it becomes unbearable. The dripping tap begins to flow into the waves crashing. This can signify Barton's mind starting to drift the minute he gets in the room. The tap drip will slowly speed up and flow into the wave sound showing that he has completely drifted off into his mind somewhere he would rather be that isn't where he is at this moment. The dripping is almost too loud and out of place. This brings the question is the dripping actually coming from the bathroom or is it in Barton's head and the worry he has slowly coming to the forefront of his mind.
Sign representing a moment of relief and should fit perfectly in with all other sounds dying out. Shows a moment where he truly thinks he has escaped or been given a moment of peace only for all the irritating sound to build up again.
The dripping also represents a form of water torture slowly grating at a constant rhythm. The volume increases over time as Barton slowly settles into his room. To make it more annoying I start the bedroom scene with silence to fake that there is peace and quiet here but after the pause it starts back up again.
As time goes by the echo gets more as well so it lingers around more and more until it becomes unbearable. The dripping tap begins to flow into the waves crashing. This can signify Barton's mind starting to drift the minute he gets in the room. The tap drip will slowly speed up and flow into the wave sound showing that he has completely drifted off into his mind somewhere he would rather be that isn't where he is at this moment. The dripping is almost too loud and out of place. This brings the question is the dripping actually coming from the bathroom or is it in Barton's head and the worry he has slowly coming to the forefront of his mind.
Sign representing a moment of relief and should fit perfectly in with all other sounds dying out. Shows a moment where he truly thinks he has escaped or been given a moment of peace only for all the irritating sound to build up again.
Barton Fink Clock Editing and Mixing
For the clock ticking I drew out of the ticks to make the length of time Barton was waiting around and even walking to the desk seem a lot longer than it actually was. I also make the hotel seem bigger as it feels like he takes a while to get anywhere or for people to get to him.
When he is walking in and looking around it helped to show Barton really taking in everything but also makes the hotel feel like there is no sense of time.This sticks with the particular old fashioned themes of the hotel as though it is not connected to the world around it and is actually a separate entity altogether.
I wanted to draw particular attention to the tick so I kept the panning central and it doesn't follow the camera/audience perspective around the foyer. This makes the it very direct sounding and is more that the clock is a way of telling the audience that this hotel really doesn't have a concept of time.
As Barton heads further into the hotel the clock gets louder and louder to signify that the deeper you go into this place the more lost in time and the more lost in the hotel you become helping to create the uneasy feeling of the place I am trying to achieve.
When he is walking in and looking around it helped to show Barton really taking in everything but also makes the hotel feel like there is no sense of time.This sticks with the particular old fashioned themes of the hotel as though it is not connected to the world around it and is actually a separate entity altogether.
I wanted to draw particular attention to the tick so I kept the panning central and it doesn't follow the camera/audience perspective around the foyer. This makes the it very direct sounding and is more that the clock is a way of telling the audience that this hotel really doesn't have a concept of time.
As Barton heads further into the hotel the clock gets louder and louder to signify that the deeper you go into this place the more lost in time and the more lost in the hotel you become helping to create the uneasy feeling of the place I am trying to achieve.
Links To Documents
I meant to post these earlier but as seen in previous I had worked on a cue sheet and short treatment to help work on the clip. I set up a Trello page where the documents have been uploaded to view fully. This features a complete cue sheet with all the sounds recorded and ticked off which I have been using for the entirety of the recording process and a short treatment of how I wanted the sounds to work in the clip.
Cue sheet - https://trello.com/c/SZjFqqOI/1-cue-sheet
Short treatment - https://trello.com/c/BzH4qWFe/2-short-treatment
Cue sheet - https://trello.com/c/SZjFqqOI/1-cue-sheet
Short treatment - https://trello.com/c/BzH4qWFe/2-short-treatment
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Revision Ideas part 3
Further to looking through notes in the first part I was looking into the music side of sound design. Barton Fink seems to have long periods of time waiting about, in a lot of other movies to pass this time there is some kind of music to help progress through it. In this circumstance I feel like that would take away from the tension and mood I am trying to build.
Without music there is still a tempo to Barton's movement. These include his footsteps, suitcases and breathing. The lack of music helps to draw out the scenes including the journey through the lobby, the wait for the bellhop and the hallway. I will then use other features in the scene to keep a pace. These include; a ticking clock, where the tempo will change up and down, as well as a tap dripping in the bathroom in the bedroom scene.
I want music for the end part of the clip where Barton seems to look longingly at a painting of a woman at the beach. I have looked into the time and popular music that was around just before or through the years the movie was set. There are multiple versions of the music including that of Big Band and even Doo-Wop versions. These fit the aesthetic perfectly of California and the early 1940's. I will check a couple of the different versions to see what I feel fits best and flows with the scene. I am looking for something somewhat relaxing and warmer sounding. It is to show the drifting off of Barton's thoughts so if it can be somewhat whimsical and brighter sounding as he flows off into his thoughts to a better place, that would be best.
Without music there is still a tempo to Barton's movement. These include his footsteps, suitcases and breathing. The lack of music helps to draw out the scenes including the journey through the lobby, the wait for the bellhop and the hallway. I will then use other features in the scene to keep a pace. These include; a ticking clock, where the tempo will change up and down, as well as a tap dripping in the bathroom in the bedroom scene.
I want music for the end part of the clip where Barton seems to look longingly at a painting of a woman at the beach. I have looked into the time and popular music that was around just before or through the years the movie was set. There are multiple versions of the music including that of Big Band and even Doo-Wop versions. These fit the aesthetic perfectly of California and the early 1940's. I will check a couple of the different versions to see what I feel fits best and flows with the scene. I am looking for something somewhat relaxing and warmer sounding. It is to show the drifting off of Barton's thoughts so if it can be somewhat whimsical and brighter sounding as he flows off into his thoughts to a better place, that would be best.
Barton Fink Bell Editing and Mixing
The main feature of the bell was to make it seem as though it was ringing for an unnatural amount of time seamlessly. This was already clearly set up in the movie as Buscemi has to stop it ringing when he gets to it.
Following these guidelines the first part was to get a good loop. I didn't use a bell for this but instead a dense metal bracket to get a resonating tone. I edited the recorded clip until I found the desired loop. This gave it a slightly unnatural sound as it was too harsh at the start of the impact. I had to cut the initial hit out and then fade the sound in. I then blended it with the sound of an actual desk bell being pressed to give it a more natural attack. This worked really well and creates a real sound for the audience just like what Barton seems to experience and then as the sound rings on they get to feel the same confusion as the sound still continues, putting them a little closer to the characters position.
Through reverb and a little echo it sounds like the bell is darting around the hotel. I have reinforced this with a reverb that has a high feedback and makes the bell sound like it has no sign of ever dying away. This gives the hotel that weird and almost unfathomable size and uncertainty I was looking for.
The reverb and volume level of the bell are increased again when Buscemi looks at it for the first time coming out of the floor hatch. His gaze allows Barton and the perspective the viewer gets from the the mix to be focused back onto the bell and this unnaturally long time that it has been going on for. Especially since they followed it around the hotel foyer with Barton prior to the arrival of Buscemi.
Also reference to it down the hallway as the elevator ding. Blended the sound of a real elevator bell with the ring but with the reverb it rings out through the hallway longer than the real one giving that perspective of the bell still resonating through the corridors of the hotel. Again this adds to the mystery of the building.
Following these guidelines the first part was to get a good loop. I didn't use a bell for this but instead a dense metal bracket to get a resonating tone. I edited the recorded clip until I found the desired loop. This gave it a slightly unnatural sound as it was too harsh at the start of the impact. I had to cut the initial hit out and then fade the sound in. I then blended it with the sound of an actual desk bell being pressed to give it a more natural attack. This worked really well and creates a real sound for the audience just like what Barton seems to experience and then as the sound rings on they get to feel the same confusion as the sound still continues, putting them a little closer to the characters position.
Through reverb and a little echo it sounds like the bell is darting around the hotel. I have reinforced this with a reverb that has a high feedback and makes the bell sound like it has no sign of ever dying away. This gives the hotel that weird and almost unfathomable size and uncertainty I was looking for.
The reverb and volume level of the bell are increased again when Buscemi looks at it for the first time coming out of the floor hatch. His gaze allows Barton and the perspective the viewer gets from the the mix to be focused back onto the bell and this unnaturally long time that it has been going on for. Especially since they followed it around the hotel foyer with Barton prior to the arrival of Buscemi.
Also reference to it down the hallway as the elevator ding. Blended the sound of a real elevator bell with the ring but with the reverb it rings out through the hallway longer than the real one giving that perspective of the bell still resonating through the corridors of the hotel. Again this adds to the mystery of the building.
Barton Fink Movement Editing
As well as the footsteps the other main parts of Barton's movement were the suitcase rattle, jacket flapping and breathing. Again there helped to draw emphasis to the fact that the hotel is so quiet.
Done most of the work with Foley to keep everything in time with the video. The cases sit the highest in the mix out of the three. I chose to do this as Barton's typewriter is in one of them. I wanted it to sound like he was lugging around a heavy item that he seemed to feel was weighing him down and I wanted to communicate again the point of the writers block to the audience.
Breathing starts calm and in awe of the hotel. I have made it overly loud as I wanted the audience to connect with Barton's feelings as he moved through the hotel. The breathing would be the only real thing that could be used to connect to that as there isn't enough vocalisations or other characteristic traits, than maybe his awe of the hotel and the way he is looking around.
For the whole thing I kept it mostly in rhythm with the walking and pace of Barton. In the Foyer he is quite slow and looking around so I made the breaths long.
In the hallway they are quite quick as he seems to be moving with some speed trying to his room. As well as this I made it sound like he was out of breath to show how tired he has become down this long hallway walk that, seems to be going for miles.
In the bedroom Barton seems to sigh a lot so I synced up all the breathing around these points where he takes long deep breaths. This shows the character as being fed up in my opinion. I wanted him to seem completely unsatisfied with everything that he encountered in his room.
The jacket then adds to that lower level that backs up the quietness of the hotel. I didn't want it to be too loud as he was moving around as it would seem unrealistic and break the immersion of the rest of the movement soundscape. I found it important to bring in the rustling of the clothes at times where Barton was right in front of the camera, so scenes where he is standing at the desk you can hear it. This gave the soundscape more depth and layers to fill it out and show the realism of the place drawing the audience in to a normal sound when it would be heard.
Done most of the work with Foley to keep everything in time with the video. The cases sit the highest in the mix out of the three. I chose to do this as Barton's typewriter is in one of them. I wanted it to sound like he was lugging around a heavy item that he seemed to feel was weighing him down and I wanted to communicate again the point of the writers block to the audience.
Breathing starts calm and in awe of the hotel. I have made it overly loud as I wanted the audience to connect with Barton's feelings as he moved through the hotel. The breathing would be the only real thing that could be used to connect to that as there isn't enough vocalisations or other characteristic traits, than maybe his awe of the hotel and the way he is looking around.
For the whole thing I kept it mostly in rhythm with the walking and pace of Barton. In the Foyer he is quite slow and looking around so I made the breaths long.
In the hallway they are quite quick as he seems to be moving with some speed trying to his room. As well as this I made it sound like he was out of breath to show how tired he has become down this long hallway walk that, seems to be going for miles.
In the bedroom Barton seems to sigh a lot so I synced up all the breathing around these points where he takes long deep breaths. This shows the character as being fed up in my opinion. I wanted him to seem completely unsatisfied with everything that he encountered in his room.
The jacket then adds to that lower level that backs up the quietness of the hotel. I didn't want it to be too loud as he was moving around as it would seem unrealistic and break the immersion of the rest of the movement soundscape. I found it important to bring in the rustling of the clothes at times where Barton was right in front of the camera, so scenes where he is standing at the desk you can hear it. This gave the soundscape more depth and layers to fill it out and show the realism of the place drawing the audience in to a normal sound when it would be heard.
Barton Fink Footsteps Editing and Mixing
I took all of the files that were in the session and began to cut them down. I have been trying to fit the Foley into the same timing as the video. Since most of my footsteps lined up closely to that of the the clip I decided to use the polyphony option on Pro Tools to make rough amendments. This included using the analysis options and warping the files to sync up exactly. Some of the cue points didn't sync up perfectly with how it felt the sound should come across. To keep the flow and the pace it was sometimes better to leave the Foley as it was and make minor adjustments around that. This kept Barton's pace to the rhythm of his walk.
I took out any footsteps that didn't have the full heel/toe motion in them as I wanted every step to be distinct to get that clarity and overly articulate sections to the footfalls. I replaced some of the footsteps with other ones that synced better with the visuals.
Buscemi's footsteps can be heard well in advance and as though they are bellowing from the depths of some underground chamber. Gives a creepy sense of lots of passages under the hotel and the mystery of where was he and what do they do down there. As well these footsteps change over two surfaces, wood and carpet. The change happens out of the view of the camera shot so I had to use my judgement on where it sounded like the right place to change the sound. This was important for me to keep the change realistic and not have the audience feel it was too soon or late and break immersion.
For all of the footsteps I added some automation to the volume as they were too static and loud in the mix at points where Barton wasn't close enough to be heard properly. I wanted to keep this realism as it felt too unnatural and off putting when listening to such intense footsteps breaking the immersion as mentioned before. In the foyer and hallway there are very distinct instances of Barton walking towards the camera and away again. To give the audience the perspective of getting closer and farther away with him I automated the footstep volume and pan as he walked by.
I added an EQ to the footsteps as I wanted to highlight certain frequencies. These included 50Hz, 2kHz and 8kHz as it resonated through the mix making it feel like the footsteps could be heard for a lot longer than they were actually there. This helped when they were run through the reverb for each part of the hotel as well. It also was a creative choice as these can be quite irritating frequencies and are not typical of a footstep. This helped draw particular attention to them and point out that the hotel was particularly quiet and shows the strange ambience of the place I wanted to create.
I also added a little compression to the footsteps to stop any of the forceful ones altering the mix too dynamically.
I took out any footsteps that didn't have the full heel/toe motion in them as I wanted every step to be distinct to get that clarity and overly articulate sections to the footfalls. I replaced some of the footsteps with other ones that synced better with the visuals.
Buscemi's footsteps can be heard well in advance and as though they are bellowing from the depths of some underground chamber. Gives a creepy sense of lots of passages under the hotel and the mystery of where was he and what do they do down there. As well these footsteps change over two surfaces, wood and carpet. The change happens out of the view of the camera shot so I had to use my judgement on where it sounded like the right place to change the sound. This was important for me to keep the change realistic and not have the audience feel it was too soon or late and break immersion.
For all of the footsteps I added some automation to the volume as they were too static and loud in the mix at points where Barton wasn't close enough to be heard properly. I wanted to keep this realism as it felt too unnatural and off putting when listening to such intense footsteps breaking the immersion as mentioned before. In the foyer and hallway there are very distinct instances of Barton walking towards the camera and away again. To give the audience the perspective of getting closer and farther away with him I automated the footstep volume and pan as he walked by.
I added an EQ to the footsteps as I wanted to highlight certain frequencies. These included 50Hz, 2kHz and 8kHz as it resonated through the mix making it feel like the footsteps could be heard for a lot longer than they were actually there. This helped when they were run through the reverb for each part of the hotel as well. It also was a creative choice as these can be quite irritating frequencies and are not typical of a footstep. This helped draw particular attention to them and point out that the hotel was particularly quiet and shows the strange ambience of the place I wanted to create.
I also added a little compression to the footsteps to stop any of the forceful ones altering the mix too dynamically.
Sunday, 12 April 2015
Revision Ideas part 2
Looking through the notes again I found an interesting segment about "spinning a deceit that is both convincing and consistent". The whole point of the sound design is to make the viewer believe that the film they are watching is real. You need to make them form an emotional connection and become invested in what is going on.
I looked into how I could do this in Barton Fink. Creating a consistent soundscape would be important so I had a look over my sound design to see if there was any conflicting components to it. I have that theme I mention in a previous blog about the uncertainty of being somewhere. The feeling that people have when they get an almost instinctive idea that something isn't right and they just don't like it. Where you cannot quite put your finger on the cause but you just don't like the building. I want the audience to know there is something wrong with Hotel Earl and they are experiencing this uncertainty with Barton.
I have thought this way since first looking at the silent clip of Barton Fink. I want to match the mood and feel of the visuals and I feel like this is what the directors were going for. They may have been more obvious or subtle than me but I hope to be creating an accurate representation of what the viewer is watching aurally.
I will need to watch out with features such as extending the clock tick times as moving it too much could result in it sounding obvious and breaking the immersion. As well as that I have already looked at toning down the boominess and prominence of Barton's footsteps. They are still very prominent when he is right in front of the camera but now as he becomes more distant they die out a little and the reverb of the room carries them instead. This creates a better and more effective uneasy feeling as the sound still seems to last when the main component of it is gone.
I will try to set this up early on in the first few seconds so that the audience feel they can sense what is coming next. If I can lure them in and then drag it out to make everything in the Hotel seem like it takes ages it will build the anticipation of the viewer.
I looked into how I could do this in Barton Fink. Creating a consistent soundscape would be important so I had a look over my sound design to see if there was any conflicting components to it. I have that theme I mention in a previous blog about the uncertainty of being somewhere. The feeling that people have when they get an almost instinctive idea that something isn't right and they just don't like it. Where you cannot quite put your finger on the cause but you just don't like the building. I want the audience to know there is something wrong with Hotel Earl and they are experiencing this uncertainty with Barton.
I have thought this way since first looking at the silent clip of Barton Fink. I want to match the mood and feel of the visuals and I feel like this is what the directors were going for. They may have been more obvious or subtle than me but I hope to be creating an accurate representation of what the viewer is watching aurally.
I will need to watch out with features such as extending the clock tick times as moving it too much could result in it sounding obvious and breaking the immersion. As well as that I have already looked at toning down the boominess and prominence of Barton's footsteps. They are still very prominent when he is right in front of the camera but now as he becomes more distant they die out a little and the reverb of the room carries them instead. This creates a better and more effective uneasy feeling as the sound still seems to last when the main component of it is gone.
I will try to set this up early on in the first few seconds so that the audience feel they can sense what is coming next. If I can lure them in and then drag it out to make everything in the Hotel seem like it takes ages it will build the anticipation of the viewer.
Revision Ideas part 1
I have recorded all my sounds for Barton Fink and I was going back through all of my course notes before tackling the clip to ensure I had all of the right ideas, and that I would achieve them correctly through applying professionally accepted techniques. Upon examining the week 1 introduction to the unit I was reminded of some important techniques that may be useful in fleshing out the sound design.
The pitch shifted vocalisations mixed with the lion roar that gave the voice of King Kong is a great technique for making things seem larger than they are. Doing this to features such as the doors, footsteps and button pushes on the typewriter could in fact make everything seem that much more heavy and cumbersome, showing Barton's stresses.
Silence and fear of the dark is why sound was needed originally but I could look to use it to cause a slight unease for the audience. I wil need to look further into the manner in which it can be used as I don't want it to take a horror turn or be so obvious that it breaks the subtlety I'm going for. I don't want the audience to think the hotel is scary I just want them to get that natural human emotion where they feel something isn't right.
Ensuring the realism will be heavily depedent on the old technique of synchronising the sound with the images. This is a must for a natural look and feel. I will be doing this with the footsteps to show that there is nothing untoward with the character of Barton and keeping him very natural. On the other hand some sounds may benefit from being slightly out of time with their surroundings such as a clock ticking or the ring of the bell.
As well as his something as basic as appropriate panning and level boosting and attenuating are key components. I want to emphasise certain features that would not naturally be heard and show that the hotel is a bit off. I want to make Barton's breathing overly loud to show how quiet the hotel is as well as his footsteps echoing down the hallways. I will use the panning to show features in the background moving about or provide localisation in the stereo field. This will help to make the world more believable and bring it to life so that it isn't too out of the ordinary.
The pitch shifted vocalisations mixed with the lion roar that gave the voice of King Kong is a great technique for making things seem larger than they are. Doing this to features such as the doors, footsteps and button pushes on the typewriter could in fact make everything seem that much more heavy and cumbersome, showing Barton's stresses.
Silence and fear of the dark is why sound was needed originally but I could look to use it to cause a slight unease for the audience. I wil need to look further into the manner in which it can be used as I don't want it to take a horror turn or be so obvious that it breaks the subtlety I'm going for. I don't want the audience to think the hotel is scary I just want them to get that natural human emotion where they feel something isn't right.
Ensuring the realism will be heavily depedent on the old technique of synchronising the sound with the images. This is a must for a natural look and feel. I will be doing this with the footsteps to show that there is nothing untoward with the character of Barton and keeping him very natural. On the other hand some sounds may benefit from being slightly out of time with their surroundings such as a clock ticking or the ring of the bell.
As well as his something as basic as appropriate panning and level boosting and attenuating are key components. I want to emphasise certain features that would not naturally be heard and show that the hotel is a bit off. I want to make Barton's breathing overly loud to show how quiet the hotel is as well as his footsteps echoing down the hallways. I will use the panning to show features in the background moving about or provide localisation in the stereo field. This will help to make the world more believable and bring it to life so that it isn't too out of the ordinary.
Friday, 3 April 2015
Final Cue Sheet
I have been going through the whole of my Barton Fink session frame by frame to get a list of memory locations. With the new thoughts on sounds I wanted to add I felt it would be best to go back over what I had already done, to get a more detailed Cue Sheet. Using this method has allowed me to get accurate timing information of all the locations as well as notes and duration for reference in my cue sheet. It made it easier to go through and pin point the exact location for every spot sound in the clip, including individual footsteps and interaction with his environment but getting the exact duration of feature such as ambient room tones, fans and fade in and out points. It has made it easy to work out of the same program the whole time and streamlined my work as I can use the memory locations as spot points when I put the audio into the session.
Pro Tools Memory Locations
Rough Spotting
I have exported them from Pro Tools and pasted them into a word document. This was so that I had a better layout and an easier to follow document from just the basic memory location print out.
Link to Final Cue Sheet - https://trello.com/c/SZjFqqOI/1-cue-sheet
I will now fill it out with the audio files I have already recorded and this will give me a list of the things I still need to get. I will continue to update the cue sheet to keep fully on top of my progress with the Barton Fink clip.
Pro Tools Memory Locations
Rough Spotting
I have exported them from Pro Tools and pasted them into a word document. This was so that I had a better layout and an easier to follow document from just the basic memory location print out.
Link to Final Cue Sheet - https://trello.com/c/SZjFqqOI/1-cue-sheet
I will now fill it out with the audio files I have already recorded and this will give me a list of the things I still need to get. I will continue to update the cue sheet to keep fully on top of my progress with the Barton Fink clip.
Thursday, 2 April 2015
Barton Fink Extra Recordings
Last recordings for Barton Fink. Including the spot sounds and atmosphere. Below is a cue sheet of sounds left to get. I have also added these to my final cue sheet as some were sounds that I had missed in the initial run through of getting sounds for the clip.
Cue Sheet
Recorded sounds 3 times each to get variation. Recorded using playlists to make it easier for editing and mixing. I used an .OMF to get all the session data and information from the new session into the original. This was helpful as it kept all the timeline information and sync points that had already been put in the other session. Now I can easily edit the files in place and apply mixing without having to bother about bouncing all the files form one session into another and having to carry out trial and error to make sure the levels are correct. I will have to rename all of my tracks from the new session as they import nameless, this was the only downside of importing to the original session. It has saved me a lot of time overall though and allowed me to keep everything to the one session where I set up all the markers. Below shows the importing of the .OMF files and how they already line up with the marker after editing in the other session.
Imported Audio
I found that the playlists didn't carry over to the old session and instead .OMF replaces the existing playlists with the one main track. I have had to do the editing of the playlists and choose the parts I want in the new session first and then import that into the original session. I did this to get the best representation from all the takes to match what was on screen. When it sounded right and matched the visuals I would bump it up onto the main track. Below is photo of the playlists and editing to show what is mentioned above.
Playlist Editing
Cue Sheet
Recorded sounds 3 times each to get variation. Recorded using playlists to make it easier for editing and mixing. I used an .OMF to get all the session data and information from the new session into the original. This was helpful as it kept all the timeline information and sync points that had already been put in the other session. Now I can easily edit the files in place and apply mixing without having to bother about bouncing all the files form one session into another and having to carry out trial and error to make sure the levels are correct. I will have to rename all of my tracks from the new session as they import nameless, this was the only downside of importing to the original session. It has saved me a lot of time overall though and allowed me to keep everything to the one session where I set up all the markers. Below shows the importing of the .OMF files and how they already line up with the marker after editing in the other session.
Imported Audio
I found that the playlists didn't carry over to the old session and instead .OMF replaces the existing playlists with the one main track. I have had to do the editing of the playlists and choose the parts I want in the new session first and then import that into the original session. I did this to get the best representation from all the takes to match what was on screen. When it sounded right and matched the visuals I would bump it up onto the main track. Below is photo of the playlists and editing to show what is mentioned above.
Playlist Editing
Sunday, 29 March 2015
2001 A Space Odyssey - Rough Analysis
I have watched through both of the movies a couple of times so far and have been coming to some conclusions about the comparisons and differences between the two.
Music -
Use of classical work made everything seem grandiose and epic. Pieces such as The Blue Danube Waltz, by Johann Strauss II gives some fluidity and motion to the space ship and station as they prepare to dock. It made whole sequences in space seem like a dance with the 3/4 timing of the Waltz. Made space seem very calm, relaxed and mellow at the very start.
Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss. Use of a large symphony with large build ups adding instrumentation made for a very grand opening to the movie and a big close. The music seemed to go full circle. It's like a big reveal and is epic. It sets the movie up initially for its scale and finishes the movie on what seems to be a crescendo.
Requiem (Kyrie section) by Gyorgy Ligeti shows a build-up of tension. It is a lot darker, ominous and mysterious, giving an unsettling feeling for the most part. It helps to show the encounter with the unknown Monolith and provided a very good tension and anticipation for the scene.
Atmospheres by Gyorgy Ligeti used during the StarGate sequence creates this unease and uncertainty of where the astronaut Dave is going to end up.
Aventures in the mysterious bedroom scene where Dave ages before his eyes. It is all distorted and reverberant and quite hard to make out leaving this feeling that everything is very odd and what lies ahead is completely uncertain to the astronaut.
SFX -
Minimal all round for the entire movie but this minimalism was effective in creating some uncomfortable situations where the feelings of stress, loneliness and fear really had the time to become deep rooted. When in the ship it is futuristic, electronic, lots of bleeps and bloops and the rumble of generators. There seems to always be this electrical hiss and/or hum. This seems to set a comfortable tone for the ship to start off with. Everything on the space station initially seems homely and as though it is no different to being on Earth in terms of technology and communication.
The second ship run by HAL sounds a little more scientific and professional/engineering in its environment. It still has all the same features as the above one but there are more gadgets and all the devices seem to sound more heavy duty, such as the pod bay and other machinery.
Space is completely silent. No sound keeps it completely accurate to real life. It almost feels peaceful at some points but mostly in the third part with the journey to Jupiter it feels remote and out of communication with not only the ship but all of civilisation. It makes it seem as though there would be no hope for the characters when they are locked out in space. It makes the atmosphere seem really tense at these moments in the movie.
As well as this though you can hear sounds from the characters perspective such as breathing in the space suits. This was also layered with a constant hiss on the air compressor of the breathing apparatus. One part in particular it becomes uncomfortable as it is the only thing you have heard for 5 mins.
Dialogue -
Very minimal and not fully explanatory at some points. Most of the actors seem very monotone. It seems to no be the main focus of the film as everything else like the sound effects, music and ambience have a much bigger part to play. The point of the movie seems to be conveyed through the experience and not through the conversations.
Small parts of dialogue contribute to the plot such as the astronauts discussions with HAL, the meeting room conversation about the monolith and the dialogue between the astronauts. There was an interesting point where even though dialogue is being used to talk about shutting down HAL having just the lip movement and HAL's perspective of lip reading really showed that the dialogue wasn't the main drive behind showing the audience what was going on.
The computer HAL is even more monotone than the humans. This seems to play an important part in how the computer's AI is portrayed as having emotion. You cannot tell the whole time what it is truly feeling. It seems very inquisitive to start off with and then as it begins to kill the crew it seems tactical, dark and evil. It's only when it begins to be shut down that you really see that it is scared and fearing for its life. It shows very human emotions and I believe from the beginning was scared of what the crew would do. It leaves a sad feeling as well as a note of relief when the computer finally shut down. For the whole third part I believe you are feeling the same as the astronaut. He is scared for his life as well. Tense situation and knows that the computer has to be shut down. When he finally begins doing it you actually feel some sadness and pity for the machine as it seems truly scared and worried about dying.
Music -
Use of classical work made everything seem grandiose and epic. Pieces such as The Blue Danube Waltz, by Johann Strauss II gives some fluidity and motion to the space ship and station as they prepare to dock. It made whole sequences in space seem like a dance with the 3/4 timing of the Waltz. Made space seem very calm, relaxed and mellow at the very start.
Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss. Use of a large symphony with large build ups adding instrumentation made for a very grand opening to the movie and a big close. The music seemed to go full circle. It's like a big reveal and is epic. It sets the movie up initially for its scale and finishes the movie on what seems to be a crescendo.
Requiem (Kyrie section) by Gyorgy Ligeti shows a build-up of tension. It is a lot darker, ominous and mysterious, giving an unsettling feeling for the most part. It helps to show the encounter with the unknown Monolith and provided a very good tension and anticipation for the scene.
Atmospheres by Gyorgy Ligeti used during the StarGate sequence creates this unease and uncertainty of where the astronaut Dave is going to end up.
Aventures in the mysterious bedroom scene where Dave ages before his eyes. It is all distorted and reverberant and quite hard to make out leaving this feeling that everything is very odd and what lies ahead is completely uncertain to the astronaut.
Gayane Ballet Suite (Adagio) by Aram Khachaturian is a piece that uses very few instruments and sounds very mellow. It seems to give the idea of the astronauts loneliness on the ship as they travel to Jupiter.
SFX -
Minimal all round for the entire movie but this minimalism was effective in creating some uncomfortable situations where the feelings of stress, loneliness and fear really had the time to become deep rooted. When in the ship it is futuristic, electronic, lots of bleeps and bloops and the rumble of generators. There seems to always be this electrical hiss and/or hum. This seems to set a comfortable tone for the ship to start off with. Everything on the space station initially seems homely and as though it is no different to being on Earth in terms of technology and communication.
The second ship run by HAL sounds a little more scientific and professional/engineering in its environment. It still has all the same features as the above one but there are more gadgets and all the devices seem to sound more heavy duty, such as the pod bay and other machinery.
Space is completely silent. No sound keeps it completely accurate to real life. It almost feels peaceful at some points but mostly in the third part with the journey to Jupiter it feels remote and out of communication with not only the ship but all of civilisation. It makes it seem as though there would be no hope for the characters when they are locked out in space. It makes the atmosphere seem really tense at these moments in the movie.
As well as this though you can hear sounds from the characters perspective such as breathing in the space suits. This was also layered with a constant hiss on the air compressor of the breathing apparatus. One part in particular it becomes uncomfortable as it is the only thing you have heard for 5 mins.
Dialogue -
Very minimal and not fully explanatory at some points. Most of the actors seem very monotone. It seems to no be the main focus of the film as everything else like the sound effects, music and ambience have a much bigger part to play. The point of the movie seems to be conveyed through the experience and not through the conversations.
Small parts of dialogue contribute to the plot such as the astronauts discussions with HAL, the meeting room conversation about the monolith and the dialogue between the astronauts. There was an interesting point where even though dialogue is being used to talk about shutting down HAL having just the lip movement and HAL's perspective of lip reading really showed that the dialogue wasn't the main drive behind showing the audience what was going on.
The computer HAL is even more monotone than the humans. This seems to play an important part in how the computer's AI is portrayed as having emotion. You cannot tell the whole time what it is truly feeling. It seems very inquisitive to start off with and then as it begins to kill the crew it seems tactical, dark and evil. It's only when it begins to be shut down that you really see that it is scared and fearing for its life. It shows very human emotions and I believe from the beginning was scared of what the crew would do. It leaves a sad feeling as well as a note of relief when the computer finally shut down. For the whole third part I believe you are feeling the same as the astronaut. He is scared for his life as well. Tense situation and knows that the computer has to be shut down. When he finally begins doing it you actually feel some sadness and pity for the machine as it seems truly scared and worried about dying.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Wallace and Gromit Sound Design Ideas
Before doing chase sequences look at classic ones. Its about sustaining motion and action the whole way through. You must do this sonically as well.
Watch "Bullet" and the original "Gone in 60 seconds".
Classic chase elements: Quick (some faster than others. Visual cues happen very quickly.) the tracks Gromit lays down have a sense of rhythm to them. To start off with it isn't quite as intense.
When does the chase sequence start? Import point for when to bring in the music. You need a definite sync point.
What do you do with the music? It is the most important factor here. The rhythm and flow of the animation needs to be complimented by the music. It will need to have the same tempo. Using the music in conjunction with sound effects as though the characters in the world are affecting it or moving in conjunction with it.
Melodic contour? Give each character a certain theme music all so layers come in and out. Music can cut out when the penguin hits the trousers. Gives the focus to the visuals and helps accentuate the punch line.
Take the length the chase happens for, work out the tempo of the piece and that gives the foundations for the music. Divide the time by the beats and with the tempo gives you the bars of music to work from. Eg 10 seconds turned into minutes. Take the number of bars you need and that's how many beats 4 for example is 16 beats. This gives you the tempo.
Other musical sync points can punctuate certain areas with chord stabs etc. You don't need to match everything exactly to everything on screen. Can end up Mickey mousing (a very very high degree of synchronisation). Everything is perfectly in sync with the visuals and gives a very cartoony effect. The clay-nation visual style would not suit this as the world is solid unlike cartoons.
1950's look to everything but never seems to be set in that time period. Set in a kind of fantasy modern day. A very contemporary period and slightly steam- punky. Reference back to the industrial revolution. A clunkiness and quirkiness to the world. Bow do you communicate this through music.
Where is it set? Yorkshire. How do you bring that out, if you want to, in the music. A weird contemporary but traditional Yorkshire.
A player piano style... Like silent movie.
Sfx fine line between exciting and cartoony. How does a slide down a banister sound. I would take a syncresis method with sand paper to over emphasise the action.
Toy train set do you keep it clicky and small or bring out some real world train like qualities. Not to a full train standard more like a smaller motor. How do you stop it being drowned out by the music or over powering it?
Emphasising small points that wouldn't be that loud but used for comedic effect.
Play to the importance of narrative points.
Do you sync with every track placement? No to keep more of a rhythm in it. Sync start and end points though to give continuity.
Always try to sustain engagement.
Watch "Bullet" and the original "Gone in 60 seconds".
Classic chase elements: Quick (some faster than others. Visual cues happen very quickly.) the tracks Gromit lays down have a sense of rhythm to them. To start off with it isn't quite as intense.
When does the chase sequence start? Import point for when to bring in the music. You need a definite sync point.
What do you do with the music? It is the most important factor here. The rhythm and flow of the animation needs to be complimented by the music. It will need to have the same tempo. Using the music in conjunction with sound effects as though the characters in the world are affecting it or moving in conjunction with it.
Melodic contour? Give each character a certain theme music all so layers come in and out. Music can cut out when the penguin hits the trousers. Gives the focus to the visuals and helps accentuate the punch line.
Take the length the chase happens for, work out the tempo of the piece and that gives the foundations for the music. Divide the time by the beats and with the tempo gives you the bars of music to work from. Eg 10 seconds turned into minutes. Take the number of bars you need and that's how many beats 4 for example is 16 beats. This gives you the tempo.
Other musical sync points can punctuate certain areas with chord stabs etc. You don't need to match everything exactly to everything on screen. Can end up Mickey mousing (a very very high degree of synchronisation). Everything is perfectly in sync with the visuals and gives a very cartoony effect. The clay-nation visual style would not suit this as the world is solid unlike cartoons.
1950's look to everything but never seems to be set in that time period. Set in a kind of fantasy modern day. A very contemporary period and slightly steam- punky. Reference back to the industrial revolution. A clunkiness and quirkiness to the world. Bow do you communicate this through music.
Where is it set? Yorkshire. How do you bring that out, if you want to, in the music. A weird contemporary but traditional Yorkshire.
A player piano style... Like silent movie.
Sfx fine line between exciting and cartoony. How does a slide down a banister sound. I would take a syncresis method with sand paper to over emphasise the action.
Toy train set do you keep it clicky and small or bring out some real world train like qualities. Not to a full train standard more like a smaller motor. How do you stop it being drowned out by the music or over powering it?
Emphasising small points that wouldn't be that loud but used for comedic effect.
Play to the importance of narrative points.
Do you sync with every track placement? No to keep more of a rhythm in it. Sync start and end points though to give continuity.
Always try to sustain engagement.
Audio Production Class - Ideas on the use of silence
Use of silence
Its part of the soundtrack. Its used in artistic and production as a choice.
Skyfall - What happens in the soundtrack that causes the suspension of disbelief? Build up and animated sense of emergency. Dramatic rhythm lots of it, orchestral brass and sting stabs. Music in a holding pattern. It represents the action on screen. Once past that it takes the music onto the next scene with a string swell and a release of the holding pattern.
The music is crescendo-ing along with the build up to the shot. After the shot there is silence. The soundtrack fades back in and back out again. Helps tail the scene. Its functional.
The silence is there so you can focus on the visual impact of the scene.
The second silence is about everybodies introspective reflection. Waiting for moneypenny to say "agent down". Silence is used to stretch out that moment. You sit and wait with them.
You then here the river from the next scene but a soft cut so it sounds like the rain on the windows at MI6.
Bond films reference the original John Barry theme during the whole score. Continuity.
Kill bill volume 2 - tarrentino's movies are usually dialogue heavy. There was a slow fade as the dirt gets added more and more.
The sound is mostly killed the minute the box is hammered shut. Not realistic but gives the idea of being trapped on her own.
When the last nail goes in even the music cuts. It amplifies the sounds in the coffin and provides contrast to what is going on outside. Hear breathing and knocking to dragging of coffin and dirt being added. It makes it more horrific and emphasises the futility of her situation but allows you to focus on things you don't normally hear like her breathing. She becomes submissive before the end until it fades to complete silence.
Cop land - Sound track is mostly from Stallone's perspective. When he walks up the road it changes to his view completely. Done through the high pitched whistle. The audience is hearing his deafness. Its symbolism.
Other sfx like the dog are low pass heavily and barely there sound. It sounds weird and shows the audience that something is off.
Gun sounds stay loud as they are the dramatic focus of the scene. Could also be a symbol of the cause of his death.
The slow down helps to show Stallone's perspective in the visuals but the audio is unaffected.
There is a heart beat that even speeds up but stays mostly consistent. And is disjointed from the visuals so helps to show the characters perspective.
Reference to the whole soundtrack at the end where Stallone replies to Keitel with I cant hear you.
Find movies with this silence use as well.
Its part of the soundtrack. Its used in artistic and production as a choice.
Skyfall - What happens in the soundtrack that causes the suspension of disbelief? Build up and animated sense of emergency. Dramatic rhythm lots of it, orchestral brass and sting stabs. Music in a holding pattern. It represents the action on screen. Once past that it takes the music onto the next scene with a string swell and a release of the holding pattern.
The music is crescendo-ing along with the build up to the shot. After the shot there is silence. The soundtrack fades back in and back out again. Helps tail the scene. Its functional.
The silence is there so you can focus on the visual impact of the scene.
The second silence is about everybodies introspective reflection. Waiting for moneypenny to say "agent down". Silence is used to stretch out that moment. You sit and wait with them.
You then here the river from the next scene but a soft cut so it sounds like the rain on the windows at MI6.
Bond films reference the original John Barry theme during the whole score. Continuity.
Kill bill volume 2 - tarrentino's movies are usually dialogue heavy. There was a slow fade as the dirt gets added more and more.
The sound is mostly killed the minute the box is hammered shut. Not realistic but gives the idea of being trapped on her own.
When the last nail goes in even the music cuts. It amplifies the sounds in the coffin and provides contrast to what is going on outside. Hear breathing and knocking to dragging of coffin and dirt being added. It makes it more horrific and emphasises the futility of her situation but allows you to focus on things you don't normally hear like her breathing. She becomes submissive before the end until it fades to complete silence.
Cop land - Sound track is mostly from Stallone's perspective. When he walks up the road it changes to his view completely. Done through the high pitched whistle. The audience is hearing his deafness. Its symbolism.
Other sfx like the dog are low pass heavily and barely there sound. It sounds weird and shows the audience that something is off.
Gun sounds stay loud as they are the dramatic focus of the scene. Could also be a symbol of the cause of his death.
The slow down helps to show Stallone's perspective in the visuals but the audio is unaffected.
There is a heart beat that even speeds up but stays mostly consistent. And is disjointed from the visuals so helps to show the characters perspective.
Reference to the whole soundtrack at the end where Stallone replies to Keitel with I cant hear you.
Find movies with this silence use as well.
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Barton Fink New Ideas
In class we discussed some methods and thoughts on how to tackle the Barton Fink clip. These are some of the points that I wish to follow up on and I have added to to make the sound design better.
Its about both Barton and the hotel.
Begins with the hotel and changes to him through the camera perspective.
Emphasise on the elements in the room like fans lights and room tone. After
this bring in the footsteps over the top of it more changing the focus of the
viewer. How do you get a warm sound tone? What does warm sound like?
Saturation?? Electrical hum.
Using a different sound for the footsteps. Maybe wooden floor or different shoes to show the weirdness of the hotel when its all meant to be carpet. Particular focus on tempo and pace. I feel the footsteps should be very heel/toe and over emphasise this flow, pace and uncertainty…..
The clip starts from a standstill this provides the reference level for the rest of the sound. This could be a simple base there and probably would be the lights hum or hiss. Draw particular attention to it at certain points where the visuals are on screen but it should always be subtly in the mix.
The scene needs a clock but the even though there is nothing on screen to back up this. It can be used to slow down the pace and make this movement to the desk or even the wait on the bell hop even longer.
The bell rings the whole time which is unusual, think about drawing out the weirdness. Finding a reverb feedback loop that builds you would create a slow rising tension. I could gently bring the reverb into the mix through automation.
Steve Buscemi's footsteps are sock on wood and shoe on wood. He is holding the other. Make a point of this.
When the elevator bell rings it can have the same base layer
sound as the desk bell to keep a common theme. Keep the unusually long sound reference
as well. As though the bell is echoing down the hallway.
Long corridor and how can that be communicated. Does windy suit it? The same undertones as before with hum from the lights. Wouldn't suit the warm tone any more. People in some of the other rooms would add to the fact the hotel actually does have guests. Maybe an old timey radio or tv echoing through the hall with a big reverb to give an idea of how long it truly is.
Make the hotel room seem dank and dingy. Outside when the window is opened have some gulls? How can the room be made more miserable? Drip of water from the tap in the bathroom? The hiss and hum from the lights stops.
How do you make the space bar seem more significant? Amplification of sound as before. Its and affectionate touch. Intimacy that is layered with the sound of a skin on skin caress to signify the connection. The painting on the wall would be the big flow of music beginning to fade in. SFX of the sea and idealised beach scene. Music is of the period both in style and piece to give reference to the 1940’s. If I was considering more music does it really need it? What does it bring?
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Catch-up Blog - Cue Sheets, Pro Tools Markers and Video Synchronisation
I had a class in which we had to make a cue sheet and do a sound design for a 19 second ATAT Walker clip. During the process of creating a cue sheet I remembered a feature in Pro Tools which allows you to output timeline information through markers Fig.1. I did some research for this feature and found it to be part of the Pro Tools 10.3.1. This allows me to export session info as text, and in doing so I can select markers and the timeline format I want to export in. It has dramatically reduced the time taken to construct a cue sheet and allows me to work fully inside Pro Tools to the video with data as accurate as a sub-frame. With this in place I have been using spot mode and the previously made cue sheet when I am syncing audio with the video. This makes it simple to quickly align audio and then make fine tuning using nudges and slip mode.
Fig. 1
For the clip I tried to achieve sound that really justified the size of the ATAT. To do this I used drums, including a low tom and kick. These were then pitch shifted down so as to get that low end rumble and stomp of the Walker. I layered these with the previously non-pitch shifted drums to get a full range.
I used the sound of a Nerf Gun reload pitched down and time stretch to get the Walker mechanical movements. I also added some lo-fi to get a slightly more distorted sound which worked to make it seem more screeching and metallic instead of plastic. To get the sound of the leg coming off the ground I reversed the sound creating a smooth, seamless loop.
I had some lasers pitched down but the big problem with this was the target was off screen behind the camera. For this reason I had to try and judge the timings of the explosions going first of all with a rough idea of when it should trigger. When the clip was roughly in place I nudged it back and forth while loop playing the section of the video until I found just the right spot. I then took the timing of the shot being fired to when the explosion was triggered and then used this as the guide for the rest of the laser fire and explosions. Again both of these wounds were pitched down to give a better representation of the scale and power of the ATAT's.
In the background I had an ambient layer of wind to reflect the environment that the ATAT's were walking though. As well as this I put two crackling fires panned left and right to show that the destruction the Walkers were causing was spreading. To accompany all of that I had the sound of people screaming which was in sync with the explosions. My main point was to keep continuity off the camera so as to make the viewer believe this was truly going on behind it. Another method I used to sonically give perspective was EQ's and Filters. This gave the perspective that some things were farther away or behind the viewer by rolling off some of the high-frequency content as would happen as sound travelled through a real space.
To finish all this off I mixed the elements on and off screen to reflect their distances and positions and give a more balanced mix.
Finished Mix -
I was given feedback on the audio where the footsteps were still lacking some low end and some of the screams became rather repetitive due to it being the same people. This was helpful as knowing I can take the footsteps down another octave to give really low end content which will help to create more immersion in the sound.
All of this has helped to give me better ideas for Barton Fink. Thinking about the short clip from the movie it has elements that flow on and off screen, as well as some quick cuts. It also has longer static camera shots witch many of the features in the ATAT clip. I will need to set up an ambience for the hotel and the surroundings and this clip has helped me to think about my application of spot sounds both in front of and behind the camera.
Fig. 1
For the clip I tried to achieve sound that really justified the size of the ATAT. To do this I used drums, including a low tom and kick. These were then pitch shifted down so as to get that low end rumble and stomp of the Walker. I layered these with the previously non-pitch shifted drums to get a full range.
I used the sound of a Nerf Gun reload pitched down and time stretch to get the Walker mechanical movements. I also added some lo-fi to get a slightly more distorted sound which worked to make it seem more screeching and metallic instead of plastic. To get the sound of the leg coming off the ground I reversed the sound creating a smooth, seamless loop.
I had some lasers pitched down but the big problem with this was the target was off screen behind the camera. For this reason I had to try and judge the timings of the explosions going first of all with a rough idea of when it should trigger. When the clip was roughly in place I nudged it back and forth while loop playing the section of the video until I found just the right spot. I then took the timing of the shot being fired to when the explosion was triggered and then used this as the guide for the rest of the laser fire and explosions. Again both of these wounds were pitched down to give a better representation of the scale and power of the ATAT's.
In the background I had an ambient layer of wind to reflect the environment that the ATAT's were walking though. As well as this I put two crackling fires panned left and right to show that the destruction the Walkers were causing was spreading. To accompany all of that I had the sound of people screaming which was in sync with the explosions. My main point was to keep continuity off the camera so as to make the viewer believe this was truly going on behind it. Another method I used to sonically give perspective was EQ's and Filters. This gave the perspective that some things were farther away or behind the viewer by rolling off some of the high-frequency content as would happen as sound travelled through a real space.
To finish all this off I mixed the elements on and off screen to reflect their distances and positions and give a more balanced mix.
Finished Mix -
I was given feedback on the audio where the footsteps were still lacking some low end and some of the screams became rather repetitive due to it being the same people. This was helpful as knowing I can take the footsteps down another octave to give really low end content which will help to create more immersion in the sound.
All of this has helped to give me better ideas for Barton Fink. Thinking about the short clip from the movie it has elements that flow on and off screen, as well as some quick cuts. It also has longer static camera shots witch many of the features in the ATAT clip. I will need to set up an ambience for the hotel and the surroundings and this clip has helped me to think about my application of spot sounds both in front of and behind the camera.
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Ambience and Setting Ideas
http://filmsound.org/
Using the above site I decided to go back through some of the techniques used in the film sound. I wanted to find some good features to make the sound of the Barton Fink clip work. I feel like a lot of what the sound will be in the clip is ambience. Nothing much happens on screen but I feel there is a need to fill out this hotel in an eerie way. Ambience is a better and more subtle way of playing about the psychological nature of the audience. Without any music I feel this would be the best and most subtle way of making this clip seem like it should, of a man in a new and uncertain location. I'm not wanting it to sound like a horror movie though. It needs to be very real and natural and just the basic human nature of uncertainty in a new place. This character is meant to have chosen the hotel due to not wanting to be "Hollywood" so I want to convey how far away from that it truly is. I feel that a more down played darker and subdued ambience would be a big change to the excitement and noise of all the happy people typically in Hollywood.
All of the sound that is heard by the viewer I feel should be Diegetic sound as they should experience the eerie nature of the hotel at the same time as the main character. Everything that is a first for him should be a first for the audience.
I want to add a couple in one of the rooms that the character walks past arguing. I feel that would add a certain tension if done right, and make the scene of a man moving to a new place and living it what seems to be a pretty eerie hotel even more uncomfortable. It would need to be a very muffled argument but one that seems quite one sided to also convey the whole uncomfortable look of the main character. This would help to reinforce the point I mentioned above about the people being less happy here compared to everywhere else in Hollywood.
This is an idea in its early stages and if I implement it and feel it doesn't work with the tone I may remove it. I am still going for an eerie and uncomfortable feel and possibly minimalism and more subtle ambience might suit the mood better.
Using the above site I decided to go back through some of the techniques used in the film sound. I wanted to find some good features to make the sound of the Barton Fink clip work. I feel like a lot of what the sound will be in the clip is ambience. Nothing much happens on screen but I feel there is a need to fill out this hotel in an eerie way. Ambience is a better and more subtle way of playing about the psychological nature of the audience. Without any music I feel this would be the best and most subtle way of making this clip seem like it should, of a man in a new and uncertain location. I'm not wanting it to sound like a horror movie though. It needs to be very real and natural and just the basic human nature of uncertainty in a new place. This character is meant to have chosen the hotel due to not wanting to be "Hollywood" so I want to convey how far away from that it truly is. I feel that a more down played darker and subdued ambience would be a big change to the excitement and noise of all the happy people typically in Hollywood.
All of the sound that is heard by the viewer I feel should be Diegetic sound as they should experience the eerie nature of the hotel at the same time as the main character. Everything that is a first for him should be a first for the audience.
I want to add a couple in one of the rooms that the character walks past arguing. I feel that would add a certain tension if done right, and make the scene of a man moving to a new place and living it what seems to be a pretty eerie hotel even more uncomfortable. It would need to be a very muffled argument but one that seems quite one sided to also convey the whole uncomfortable look of the main character. This would help to reinforce the point I mentioned above about the people being less happy here compared to everywhere else in Hollywood.
This is an idea in its early stages and if I implement it and feel it doesn't work with the tone I may remove it. I am still going for an eerie and uncomfortable feel and possibly minimalism and more subtle ambience might suit the mood better.
Thursday, 12 February 2015
Barton Fink Foley Session 2
This week I continued on with Foley for Barton Fink. I have done a little more research into the movie and found out about the location of the the film, setting and time period it was set. This has helped with creating sounds through methods such as worldising. I needed the location to sound believable and recording studio ambiance was not a fitting bottom layer for a film set in California in 1941. For this it needed a warm tone which was preferably humid as well. I used the air conditioning unit in the studio to heat the live room to a warm temperature. In post I will continue this theme, rolling-off a little of the high frequency content of the whole mix to give that effect of a damp sound given by humidity and water droplets in the air obstructing some of this frequency content.
As well as this I read that the hotel seems quite eerie and deserted for its size when Barton first sets foot in it, which is the scenes I am doing for the clip. That has allowed me to get an idea for how many sounds should be put into this. From the visuals alone I already got a minimalist idea for the sound and that there should be emphasis placed on his movements as though he is being really loud in this new environment to him. This will also draw focus to this character for the audience and give you his perspective of being uncomfortable in this unfamiliar situation. For this reason I am layering the sounds with other more annoying and grating ones e.g. footsteps with creaking floor boards; bassy and boomy finger taps on the wood; loud key turning in locks and the rattling of his suitcases. Anything that the character touches will almost seem to be abnormally loud and as though he seems to be creating all this noise and drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention to himself. I feel this goes with the theme of the movie as the bell on the check-in counter seems to have this long ring that is also irritating enough for Steve Buscemi's character to want to stop it before properly addressing the Barton character. This also links with the theme of simple, almost quiet and unnoticeable sounds that are getting Barton's attention, such as a mosquito. This will help to convey the thoughts of a man who has his senses highly tuned to his surrounds and is curiously observing all that is around him.
I also worked my way through getting some of the sounds that take place as the character walks around his hotel room such as the bed, type writer and keys.
I've been looking at a soundtrack for the clip and using the time period to narrow it down. It doesn't seem like the majority of it would need music as the eerie tone and emphasis on his movement through the hotel provides a good overall view of the character and I do not want to muddy that image with music. There is one part that I think would suit it though and that is the scene where he looks at the woman sunbathing on the beach. I feel this looks like he wants to escape to that place and he could truly imagine being there. For this reason I want to put some music that would reflect his view so music of that time period would be good. I looked at popular genres of the time and I felt what best suited the beach scene of California was Doo-wop. I found a song that I think would reflect the scene well called Bye Bye Blues, which is sang by a Barber Shop Quartet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiwMofWfc5E
I feel like the lyrics seem to communicate with his writers block and uncertainty about moving all the way to L.A.
As well as this I read that the hotel seems quite eerie and deserted for its size when Barton first sets foot in it, which is the scenes I am doing for the clip. That has allowed me to get an idea for how many sounds should be put into this. From the visuals alone I already got a minimalist idea for the sound and that there should be emphasis placed on his movements as though he is being really loud in this new environment to him. This will also draw focus to this character for the audience and give you his perspective of being uncomfortable in this unfamiliar situation. For this reason I am layering the sounds with other more annoying and grating ones e.g. footsteps with creaking floor boards; bassy and boomy finger taps on the wood; loud key turning in locks and the rattling of his suitcases. Anything that the character touches will almost seem to be abnormally loud and as though he seems to be creating all this noise and drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention to himself. I feel this goes with the theme of the movie as the bell on the check-in counter seems to have this long ring that is also irritating enough for Steve Buscemi's character to want to stop it before properly addressing the Barton character. This also links with the theme of simple, almost quiet and unnoticeable sounds that are getting Barton's attention, such as a mosquito. This will help to convey the thoughts of a man who has his senses highly tuned to his surrounds and is curiously observing all that is around him.
I also worked my way through getting some of the sounds that take place as the character walks around his hotel room such as the bed, type writer and keys.
I've been looking at a soundtrack for the clip and using the time period to narrow it down. It doesn't seem like the majority of it would need music as the eerie tone and emphasis on his movement through the hotel provides a good overall view of the character and I do not want to muddy that image with music. There is one part that I think would suit it though and that is the scene where he looks at the woman sunbathing on the beach. I feel this looks like he wants to escape to that place and he could truly imagine being there. For this reason I want to put some music that would reflect his view so music of that time period would be good. I looked at popular genres of the time and I felt what best suited the beach scene of California was Doo-wop. I found a song that I think would reflect the scene well called Bye Bye Blues, which is sang by a Barber Shop Quartet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiwMofWfc5E
I feel like the lyrics seem to communicate with his writers block and uncertainty about moving all the way to L.A.
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