SOUND CONSTRUCTION
By Sara Avramovska (SA)
My sound research can be found on: http://saramonishaella.blogspot.co.uk/p/research_11.html
For this task, I have listed all of the sound effects in terms of non-dietetic and dietetic sound which we desire to incorporate within our short film with examples including such as wind, heartbeat sounds, tap water/ water dripping, footsteps,dialogue, doors opening and closing (door creeks) etc. For some of our sound effects such as footsteps we will be useing the art of Foley in order to sync the sound to the visual imagine displayed within our frame (scene) and enhance our audio quality within our post production in order to accomplish a sense of realism. Where as for sounds such as jump cuts , intro and ending of the film sound we may possibly use audio found on the internet available for public usage. (copy-right free)
DIGATIC SOUND CONSTRUCTION - (SA)
1. Dialogue between the counselor and our Protagonist
Dialogue has replaced the silent cards previously used within silent film era and it serves a fundamental function in cinematography today. We have chosen to use dialogue as it delivers the portrayal of our character and the depths of her being (her mental state) setting the plot and moving the story forward while allowing a form of bond to be created between characters. I believe that the dialogue we have used within our script navigates and creates a sympathetic relationship between our protagonist and her dialogue partner (the counselor) as well as the off-screen audiences who are able to witness the reveal of her self-revelations towards her counselor . Furthermore the dialogue identifies the dietetic world, it communicates the everyday casualty of our life as off-screen audiences who desire and do indeed interact with others on the daily basis, furthermore creating a sense of realism within our film as a strong manipulation of sympathy along with the non -diagetic background sound to enhance this experience (I have furthermore addressed the use of background sound on this page).This sense of realism allows the audience to understand and sympathies with Hayle's character psychological complications and decisions allowing them to understand the weight of her actions. For example our protagonists first interacts with her counselor ''What do you want to know? You know my parents are forcing me to be here Mrs Audrey'' at first appears disrespectful however later on she apologizes and as the story progresses into the flashback sequence vividly explaining her complex mental state through the off-screen commentary, the audience are able to understand why Hayle's reaction was disrespectful at first and rather sympathies with her throughout our short film which is a strong promotional method is cinematography (sympathy and connection between characters on screen and off-screen audiences)
(More on my Dialogue/Script and its purpose analysis can be found on this page)
Moreover the dialogue within our movie appears at the begging and at the ending of our film and we have deliberately chosen to present it in this particular order in order to ensure that our audiences feel present within the plot/story line of our film which would be rather difficult to understand without the presence of dialogue due to our flashback sequence (differentiation of time frame- present and past).
Furthermore I believe that is its best to capture/record our Dietetic Dialogue Sound by using a boom pool microphone. The process requires exact precision as it involves many variables that our boom operator needs to be aware of such as:
- the placement of the microphone which requires to be as close as possible to our characters (Hayle and The Counselor) therefore we can achieve a crisp, clear sound, the further away the microphone placement the greater the background noise and echo which we must avoid. (room reverberation)
- The placement of the boom pole microphone will need to positioned according to the camera frame therefore it does not appear in any of our scenes. For this the group member filming and the boom operator will need to cooperate through effective communication therefore this problem can be avoided.
-According to the source of lighting and direction. We must avoid any unwanted shadows therefore the boom operator, the lighting source operator and the group member filming will also need to cooperate through effective communication in order to adjust our equipment and camera angles slightly avoiding unwanted shadows as having the shadow of the boom pole microphone within our scene is a sign of poor film-making. (example of this can be found in Rudy Ray Moore's film ''Dolemite'')
-Reflections can also be a massive problem which we may need to avoid according to our location.
BOOM MICROPHONE LOCATION TECHNIQUES - (Continued by SA)
For recording the non-diagetic dialogue I believe it is best if we use the Overhead Booming or the Booming from Underneath technique, however as a group we have not yet discussed which technique we prefer to use. Due to this below I have constructed both of these techniques:
- Overhead Booming technique (place above the actors head) technique allows the dietetic dialogue sound to dominate, emphasize the voices of the actors within the scene resulting in greater presence due to its close placement while furthermore providing a natural dialogue sound favorable withing cinematography. This particular location only requires a single boom pole microphone we will be using, however the boom operator (anyone of our group members) will need to be truthfully familiarized with our script as they will need to tilt or move the microphone towards/according to the character speaking and as close as physically possible in the direction of their lips without being apart of the camera frame hence avoiding shadows. We will also need to get rid of any environmental noises competing with our dialogue sound including the sound of electronics and any possible footsteps created by our group or the boom operator ,we must avoid any movement as much as we possibly can as well as any reflections.
2. - Reading a book/Turing pages
The sound has been recorded on set simply by using the built in microphone with our filming camera.
3. Tap Water
We will need to record the sound of the tap water running within the scene where out protagonist gets ready for bed. I believe that for this it is best to ether try and capture the sound using the built in microphone on our camera at first however if this does not work the I believe it is reasonable to use a boom pole microphone,
NONE DIAGETIC SOUND CONSTRUCTION - (SA)
1. Non-Diagetic Sound - TITLE SEQUENCE THEME MUSIC (Brief Research (History) and Construction)
DIGATIC SOUND CONSTRUCTION - (SA)
1. Dialogue between the counselor and our Protagonist
Dialogue has replaced the silent cards previously used within silent film era and it serves a fundamental function in cinematography today. We have chosen to use dialogue as it delivers the portrayal of our character and the depths of her being (her mental state) setting the plot and moving the story forward while allowing a form of bond to be created between characters. I believe that the dialogue we have used within our script navigates and creates a sympathetic relationship between our protagonist and her dialogue partner (the counselor) as well as the off-screen audiences who are able to witness the reveal of her self-revelations towards her counselor . Furthermore the dialogue identifies the dietetic world, it communicates the everyday casualty of our life as off-screen audiences who desire and do indeed interact with others on the daily basis, furthermore creating a sense of realism within our film as a strong manipulation of sympathy along with the non -diagetic background sound to enhance this experience (I have furthermore addressed the use of background sound on this page).This sense of realism allows the audience to understand and sympathies with Hayle's character psychological complications and decisions allowing them to understand the weight of her actions. For example our protagonists first interacts with her counselor ''What do you want to know? You know my parents are forcing me to be here Mrs Audrey'' at first appears disrespectful however later on she apologizes and as the story progresses into the flashback sequence vividly explaining her complex mental state through the off-screen commentary, the audience are able to understand why Hayle's reaction was disrespectful at first and rather sympathies with her throughout our short film which is a strong promotional method is cinematography (sympathy and connection between characters on screen and off-screen audiences)
(More on my Dialogue/Script and its purpose analysis can be found on this page)
Moreover the dialogue within our movie appears at the begging and at the ending of our film and we have deliberately chosen to present it in this particular order in order to ensure that our audiences feel present within the plot/story line of our film which would be rather difficult to understand without the presence of dialogue due to our flashback sequence (differentiation of time frame- present and past).
(More on my Dialogue/Script and its purpose analysis can be found on this page)
Furthermore I believe that is its best to capture/record our Dietetic Dialogue Sound by using a boom pool microphone. The process requires exact precision as it involves many variables that our boom operator needs to be aware of such as:
- the placement of the microphone which requires to be as close as possible to our characters (Hayle and The Counselor) therefore we can achieve a crisp, clear sound, the further away the microphone placement the greater the background noise and echo which we must avoid. (room reverberation)
- The placement of the boom pole microphone will need to positioned according to the camera frame therefore it does not appear in any of our scenes. For this the group member filming and the boom operator will need to cooperate through effective communication therefore this problem can be avoided.
-According to the source of lighting and direction. We must avoid any unwanted shadows therefore the boom operator, the lighting source operator and the group member filming will also need to cooperate through effective communication in order to adjust our equipment and camera angles slightly avoiding unwanted shadows as having the shadow of the boom pole microphone within our scene is a sign of poor film-making. (example of this can be found in Rudy Ray Moore's film ''Dolemite'')
-Reflections can also be a massive problem which we may need to avoid according to our location.
-Reflections can also be a massive problem which we may need to avoid according to our location.
BOOM MICROPHONE LOCATION TECHNIQUES - (Continued by SA)
For recording the non-diagetic dialogue I believe it is best if we use the Overhead Booming or the Booming from Underneath technique, however as a group we have not yet discussed which technique we prefer to use. Due to this below I have constructed both of these techniques:
- Overhead Booming technique (place above the actors head) technique allows the dietetic dialogue sound to dominate, emphasize the voices of the actors within the scene resulting in greater presence due to its close placement while furthermore providing a natural dialogue sound favorable withing cinematography. This particular location only requires a single boom pole microphone we will be using, however the boom operator (anyone of our group members) will need to be truthfully familiarized with our script as they will need to tilt or move the microphone towards/according to the character speaking and as close as physically possible in the direction of their lips without being apart of the camera frame hence avoiding shadows. We will also need to get rid of any environmental noises competing with our dialogue sound including the sound of electronics and any possible footsteps created by our group or the boom operator ,we must avoid any movement as much as we possibly can as well as any reflections.
2. - Reading a book/Turing pages
The sound has been recorded on set simply by using the built in microphone with our filming camera.
The sound has been recorded on set simply by using the built in microphone with our filming camera.
3. Tap Water
We will need to record the sound of the tap water running within the scene where out protagonist gets ready for bed. I believe that for this it is best to ether try and capture the sound using the built in microphone on our camera at first however if this does not work the I believe it is reasonable to use a boom pole microphone,
We will need to record the sound of the tap water running within the scene where out protagonist gets ready for bed. I believe that for this it is best to ether try and capture the sound using the built in microphone on our camera at first however if this does not work the I believe it is reasonable to use a boom pole microphone,
NONE DIAGETIC SOUND CONSTRUCTION - (SA)
1. Non-Diagetic Sound - TITLE SEQUENCE THEME MUSIC (Brief Research (History) and Construction)
Examples of Titles (Inspiration I have found for myself and my group members): http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/
The title sequence, ''A title sequence is the method by which films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound.[1] It typically includes (or begins) the text of the opening credits, and helps establish the setting and tone of the program. It may consist of live action, animation, music, still images, and/or graphics.'' (WIKIPEDIA)
(Brief History): Since the invention of cinematography, title sequences have been used within the beginnings and endings of silent films in order to present the production of the film, the title of course,and cast members while also establishing a signal for the off screen audience that the film has started and ended.Inter-titles were created by a lettering artist who collaborated with the director and the script writer of the silent film in order to indicate the narrative continuity (dialogue and plot) therefore the audience were able to follow the story, however in many silent films inter-titles (title cards) were also used for title sequences while accompanied by an instrumental sound (theme music). Saul Bass (May 8th 1920- April 25th 1996) as a film, cooperate logos and film poster creator, however best known for his graphic designs, the inventor of title sequences who has worked along with the most famous filmmakers of the silent era such as Alfred Hitchcook's North by Northwest where he invented kinetic typography (moving text), Martin Scorsese, Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick. Bass's popularity within the media industry was established through the creation of the title sequence for Otto Preminger's ''The Man with the Golden Arm'' in 1995:
WHY ARE TITLE SEQUENCES IMPORTANT?
WHY IS SOUND IMPORTANT WITHIN TITLE SEQUENCES?
portrayal of emotions
audotorial insign of the plot line
determine the genre of the film
initial preconceptions
the speed indications of sound fat pase quick cutting sound action
slow and soft tones love
initial preceptions
The 2 Different types of sound used within title sequences are:
- Synchronous is a term used to define sound within title sequences for example, that appears to be matched to certain movements viable on screen for the off-screen viewers.
- Asynchronous is a term used tt define non existent sound, one that does not occur at the same time as the visual kinetic image.
Title Sequence history: http://www.fromform.nl/a-history-of-the-title-sequence/
is used within radio shows, television and film which is both played during the intro title sequences and within ending credits.
key to sucessful film promotion audio tracks are released prior to the films realease
convention
BEGINNING AND END OF FILM
Examples of Titles (Inspiration I have found for myself and my group members): http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/
WHY ARE TITLE SEQUENCES IMPORTANT?
WHY IS SOUND IMPORTANT WITHIN TITLE SEQUENCES?
portrayal of emotions
audotorial insign of the plot line
determine the genre of the film
initial preconceptions
the speed indications of sound fat pase quick cutting sound action
slow and soft tones love
initial preceptions
The 2 Different types of sound used within title sequences are:
- Synchronous is a term used to define sound within title sequences for example, that appears to be matched to certain movements viable on screen for the off-screen viewers.
- Asynchronous is a term used tt define non existent sound, one that does not occur at the same time as the visual kinetic image.
is used within radio shows, television and film which is both played during the intro title sequences and within ending credits.
convention
BEGINNING AND END OF FILM
BEGINNING AND END OF FILM
2. Non-Diegetic - Background Sound/ UNDERSCORE MUSIC (Taking place at the Beginning and Ending of Film, as well as throughout chosen scenes)
We intend to use background sound to add an emotional impact within the off-screen audience as this type of sound is usually not meant to be noticeable, while it provides a tone and sets the atmosphere created by the film makers and triggered within the spectators. The same theme sound within our title sequence will continue into our first scene taking place in the counselors office however in a lower frequency (lower tonal variation) therefore acting as a background music, playing upon our unconscious mind as a non-intellectual, non-verbal communication method,acting as a hidden persuader towards the off-screen audience's emotions. Because we will be using the same music from our title sequence, I believe it builds a sense of continuity throughout, it holds the film together, however we will adjust the tonal ranges/ frequency between scenes. Within the Title Sequence this sound will be at a louder tonal frequency whilst during the Counselors Office Diagetic Dialogue and Off-Screen Commentary the tonal frequency will be very low volume, acting as a background noise (Tonal silence seems almost unnatural in film) therefore allowing the non-diagetic off-screen commentary and diagetic dialogue to be the center of attention. This sound will fade out as the demon scenes commence and the menacing sound progresses into the non-diagetic jump cut. The background music will once again enter at the ending of the film,
3. Non-Diegetic Voice-over / Our Protagonists Off-Screen Commentary
The Narrators Commentary also known as an off-stage commentary is a production technique key within our film flash back sequence as it reveals our protagonists perspective, inner emotions, manipulating and evoking sympathy within our audience while the sound technique also blends the narrative story-telling within our film. This establishes an improved understanding within our off-screen audience of what has taken place in between our counselor on-screen dialogue and the start of the flashback sequence where Hayle is located in her home. The continuity created through the voice-over is extremely important to our film in order to avoid any possible confusion; if the voice-over was not present, the change in locations on-screen from the counselors office to Hayle's home would have evoked disorientation and bewilderment within our audience acting as a distraction preventing our audiences from being totally emerged within the film. Moreover, We will be using a voice recorder in order to produce a clear and crisp sound along with a quite location, possibly our school's sophisticated sound studio therefore any environmental distractions such as a ticking of a clock, or younger students passing through our school's facilities,doors opening and closing,wind etc. can be successfully avoided.The off-screen commentary of our narrator will be recorded post production. The film will be displayed during this process therefore our protagonist is able to follow the on screen actions, speaking at a effective, carefully timed pace which our group requires. Within the off-screen commentary process itself, we must have our protagonist portray a specific tone (the way feelings are expressed) and mood (the overall atmosphere created) therefore the same emotion is entailed, manipulated in the audience to establish a common ground between the two furthermore evoking sympathy towards our protagonist. Within our non-dietetic dialogue between Mrs Audrey and Hayle, I have personally previously stated within Mrs Audrey's mood board ''She appears to be gentle, calm and relaxed towards the seventeen year old protagonist (Hayle) as she approaches her psychological complications with a soothing tone of voice.'' and this is the tone of voice we wish our protagonist to entail at the start of the voice-over while it progresses into a more frightened, psychologically traumatized tone until she says '' And thats when it started'' (our script quote) and the demon scenes take place.Throughout our off-screen commentary we must be careful and cautious of our protagonists tone of voice as we do not want to switch the tome drastically, but progress as the visual image progresses as well.This way we are enabled to covey the overall mood and tone, signify the emotional state of our character, and enhans ethe emotional response of our spectators/viewers. I believe this task with me extremely difficult to complete perfectly, however I do wish that myself and my group along with our protagonist to try our hardest to succeed.
4. (FOLEY/ Non-Diegetic) Doors Opening and closing/ Door Creeks
For this sound I believe it is best if we simply capture the sound of an old chair or an old door as a controllable non-diegetic door creek sound. For this we will simply use the built in microphone within our camera or a boom microphone.We will display the scene where our protagonist opens and closes the door in order to sync the sound to the visual image displayed.
5. (FOLEY - pleonanstic sound) Footsteps
I have personally researched how to create the sound of footsteps previously on The Art of Foley research page linked above (''In order to create the sound of footsteps using the art of Foley, you must sync the sound created by the surface that the character is walking on such as wood,concrete etc.) as well as the feeling behind it (is it angry, heavy, fast, slow etc) to the sound visible of the screen. Furthermore, to create the sound of footsteps as realistic as possible, we will need to have well worn shoes and select appropriate shoes similar to the ones the character is wearing on the screen . If the sound is recorded outdoors we must place the microphone 3 feet away, where as if the sound is constructed indoors we will place it roughly 10 feet away from the Foley Artist to provide realistic sound for both locations. As characters enter or exist the scene, the sound levels of the footwork will need to be adjusted from heavy to genre (or the other way around) therefore it appears faded. The Foley Artist must must be standing still rather then actually walking and ether one or two feet can be used to sync the sound; stepping from heel to toe will also create the illusion of forward movement and capture the weight shift of the character.'' We will be using this technique to record the sound of footsteps present within our short film (eg. as our protagonist walks down and up the stairs as well as within our counselor scene as she walks in)
- The sound of Keys:
SOUND EFFECTS - (SA)
An interesting article I have read on Sound and its effectiveness:
2. Non-Diegetic - Background Sound/ UNDERSCORE MUSIC (Taking place at the Beginning and Ending of Film, as well as throughout chosen scenes)
3. Non-Diegetic Voice-over / Our Protagonists Off-Screen Commentary
The Narrators Commentary also known as an off-stage commentary is a production technique key within our film flash back sequence as it reveals our protagonists perspective, inner emotions, manipulating and evoking sympathy within our audience while the sound technique also blends the narrative story-telling within our film. This establishes an improved understanding within our off-screen audience of what has taken place in between our counselor on-screen dialogue and the start of the flashback sequence where Hayle is located in her home. The continuity created through the voice-over is extremely important to our film in order to avoid any possible confusion; if the voice-over was not present, the change in locations on-screen from the counselors office to Hayle's home would have evoked disorientation and bewilderment within our audience acting as a distraction preventing our audiences from being totally emerged within the film. Moreover, We will be using a voice recorder in order to produce a clear and crisp sound along with a quite location, possibly our school's sophisticated sound studio therefore any environmental distractions such as a ticking of a clock, or younger students passing through our school's facilities,doors opening and closing,wind etc. can be successfully avoided.The off-screen commentary of our narrator will be recorded post production. The film will be displayed during this process therefore our protagonist is able to follow the on screen actions, speaking at a effective, carefully timed pace which our group requires. Within the off-screen commentary process itself, we must have our protagonist portray a specific tone (the way feelings are expressed) and mood (the overall atmosphere created) therefore the same emotion is entailed, manipulated in the audience to establish a common ground between the two furthermore evoking sympathy towards our protagonist. Within our non-dietetic dialogue between Mrs Audrey and Hayle, I have personally previously stated within Mrs Audrey's mood board ''She appears to be gentle, calm and relaxed towards the seventeen year old protagonist (Hayle) as she approaches her psychological complications with a soothing tone of voice.'' and this is the tone of voice we wish our protagonist to entail at the start of the voice-over while it progresses into a more frightened, psychologically traumatized tone until she says '' And thats when it started'' (our script quote) and the demon scenes take place.Throughout our off-screen commentary we must be careful and cautious of our protagonists tone of voice as we do not want to switch the tome drastically, but progress as the visual image progresses as well.This way we are enabled to covey the overall mood and tone, signify the emotional state of our character, and enhans ethe emotional response of our spectators/viewers. I believe this task with me extremely difficult to complete perfectly, however I do wish that myself and my group along with our protagonist to try our hardest to succeed.
4. (FOLEY/ Non-Diegetic) Doors Opening and closing/ Door Creeks
For this sound I believe it is best if we simply capture the sound of an old chair or an old door as a controllable non-diegetic door creek sound. For this we will simply use the built in microphone within our camera or a boom microphone.We will display the scene where our protagonist opens and closes the door in order to sync the sound to the visual image displayed.
5. (FOLEY - pleonanstic sound) Footsteps
I have personally researched how to create the sound of footsteps previously on The Art of Foley research page linked above (''In order to create the sound of footsteps using the art of Foley, you must sync the sound created by the surface that the character is walking on such as wood,concrete etc.) as well as the feeling behind it (is it angry, heavy, fast, slow etc) to the sound visible of the screen. Furthermore, to create the sound of footsteps as realistic as possible, we will need to have well worn shoes and select appropriate shoes similar to the ones the character is wearing on the screen . If the sound is recorded outdoors we must place the microphone 3 feet away, where as if the sound is constructed indoors we will place it roughly 10 feet away from the Foley Artist to provide realistic sound for both locations. As characters enter or exist the scene, the sound levels of the footwork will need to be adjusted from heavy to genre (or the other way around) therefore it appears faded. The Foley Artist must must be standing still rather then actually walking and ether one or two feet can be used to sync the sound; stepping from heel to toe will also create the illusion of forward movement and capture the weight shift of the character.'' We will be using this technique to record the sound of footsteps present within our short film (eg. as our protagonist walks down and up the stairs as well as within our counselor scene as she walks in)
- The sound of Keys:
SOUND EFFECTS - (SA)
An interesting article I have read on Sound and its effectiveness:
The sound of wind and rain/thunder are the most common within Psychological Thrillers to highlight and enhance the feeling of fear and terror. As our brains have evolved to be afraid of non-linear sounds the sound of weather conditions can sometimes cause the viewer a sensible level of anxiety which is rather useful for precautions, audio narrative in cinematography. As the composer of experimental music Michel Chion (Born 1947) says, ''Sound has a precise function, propelling us through the film, giving us the sense of being inside it, wrapped within its timespan'' therefore it conveys the idea that you are inside the mind of our protagonist and you are emotionally able to connect with them and the situation you are facing. For example, within our scene Hayle feels rather unpleasant due to the sounds of wind and rain, she feels as if there is someone outside watching her
The use of sound is important as it supports and reflets upon the visual image displayed
enhanse dense atmosphere
- WIND (Using The Voice Recorder Pro App)
I have used my IPhone 6 along with the app ''Voice Record Pro'' by Dayana Networks Ltd to record the sound of wind. By simply mouthing I have managed to create the sound of wind.
For some of our Sound Effects, as a group we had decided to use a website I have found online, http://soundbible.com/ which is licensed under Creative Commons and Royalty Free and it provides copyright free sound clips for download and usage without having to create an account/login. Due to this reason, I personally find the Sound Bible website favorable and straightforward in terms of usage while it is incredibly beneficial to our short film by virtue of the professional manner of sound I was able to discover within it. We do not intend to use the sound effects from the sound bible to redistribute for profit such as selling them to costumers, we only intend to use them within our short Psychological Thriller as apart of our coursework.
Unfortunately I was unable to screenshot due to my poor laptop conditions, however below is a picture of the http://soundbible.com/ policy:
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- HEARTBEAT and Heavy Breathing- The Sound Bible Sound Effect
The audibility of the our character Hayle will also be involved within our short film through the sound effect of heartbeats and heavy breathing as she wakes up following from the demon sequence scenes to indicate her nervous breakdown. The optical, visual image and audibility sound will be identical/in sync therefore the viewer will be able to experience the situation at the same time as our protagonist developing a sense of realism within our film. The sound of a heartbeat and heavy breathing are automatic bodily functions which we hear only after stressful and traumatizing situations resulting in pulsing blood in our veins indicating the rhythm and speed of our heartbeat to be quicker and louder then usual. Due to this, I believe that the audio of Hayle's heartbeat beginning from viciously rapid heartbeats as she wakes up progressing towards the normal human heart rate will help the audience to experience the situation as she does. As she wakes up she is traumatized, distressed and severe anxiety is experienced due to her psychologically supernatural complications; this mental state of our protagonist is captured through the rapid heart rate along with the heavy breathing sound effect and as she slowly calms down, relaxes the heart rate adjusts to a slower pacing and normal,regular breathing, the audience are able to experience her self-revelations and emotional as well as psychical state which I personally believe it will create a professional outcome as well as manipulating sympathy and a stronger bond in our target audience.
- Movie Freaky Scene - The Sound Bible
-Suspense/ Menacing Music - The Sound Bible
As Alfred Hitchcock has stated, ''There is no fear in the bang, only in the anticipation of it'' and this is exactly what suspense sound creates.
The suspense building audio will take place throughout out flash back sequence and I believe that the suspense, menacing film sound effect will guide our audiences to engage, revel and pay close attention within our film content which is what psychological thrillers aim for.It will guide the atmosphere we would like to create within our audience through manipulating the situation on screen through suspense building sound. As Alfred Hitchcock has stated, ''The dramatic music comes along prior to the important filmic sequence.It becomes the cue for the audience to pay close attention and generates expectancies about what is to occur'' Therefore within our short film we intend to include sound which progresses from a slow to a quicker pace, gradually building up to louder and high pitched frequencies. The long suspenseful tones will be built throughout this progress which will help us as the filmmakers to shock the audience as the demon scene takes place along with the jump cuts camera angles accompanied by menacing sound as well.The suspenseful menacing music will stop just before the jump cuts begin, a moment, rather a second of silence will occur before the jump cut sound begins accompanied by its visual image to hopefully enhance the shock and tension within our audience furthermore, Moreover the sound of our suspense will reinforce the story, its message and the situation taking place on screen therefore it must be instrumental with no lyrics as it will act distraction for our audiences. Most films, especially those apart of the horror and thriller genre are mostly devoted to sound effects especially suspenseful audio, if you turn off the sound of your TV during a film, the horror aspect and emotional as well as psychological aspect is complacently taken away even if the scene consists of supernatural figures such as demons or blood and gore! Therefore it is extremely important that we use the suspense sound correctly and effectively, even if it will be rather difficult, myself along with my group members aim to achieve the best we possibly can however we must be careful we do not overdue particular sounds on the point of creating a problematic situation for our group post-production.
An Example of Suspense Building Sound within Hitchcock's iconic shower scene:
OUR DEMON SEQUENCE SUSPENSE BUILD SOUND
;
- Thunder
- Scary and eeary
LIGHTING CONSTRUCTION
By Sara Avramovska (SA)
FINAL CUT PRO TOOLS RESEARCH - By Sara Avramovska (SA)
(Research) Before we start editing using Final Cut Pro, I believe it is covenient and practical to conduct in-depth research into how FInal Cut Pro tools are used, and used efficiently as none of our group members have used this editing programme previously. Due to this I have personally organised a few YouTube tutorials as well as my own internet research which I then displayed to Monisha Roy (MR) and Ella Ponting (EP) in preparation for editing our scene.
NIGHT TIME-FRAME COLOR SATURATION CONSTRUCTION - By Sara Avramovska (SA)
Clips we need to re-shoot:-
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1. Frame deconstruction and analysisBy Sara Avramovska (SA)Once we have filmed the demon-scene sequence, as a group we had organised the time to re-watch the clips we have established so far in order to organised them in term of shots we prefer to preserve and shots we choose to eliminate. During the filming process, I had personally suggested that using a dimmed spot lighting source would be extremely helpful to enhancing the protagonist facial features and to avoid poor footage quality , however my group members reemphasized the fact that the scene is taking place at night therefore it did not seem logical to use spot lighting, to which I eventually agreed. However during the process of re-watching our clips, we have noticed that some of the footage we have established was flawed, on the computer screen it appeared grainy, too dark (a large amount of noise) and unclear as a result of poor lighting conditions which was unnoticeable on our filming camera. We have attempted to manipulate, fix this problem on Final Cut Pro by adjusting the exposure, contrast and brightness levels as well as color saturation however it only seemed to make matters worse and due to this we have decide to re-film certain scenes. In order to improve our shots, we will need to adjust the lighting exposure to a level where our protagonists facial features such as her 'eyes closing' as she falls asleep, 'eyes shockingly opening'' as the sleep paralysis sequence enters and ''her darting eyes' as she experiences sleep paralysis are prominent within the camera frame. All of the shots I have listed above are as equally important as they all resemble a sense realism. As I have said within my Sleep Paralysis Research PowerPoint,''The helplessness and vulnerability to defend yourself, can truly intensify the sleep paralysis experience above the level of normal and typical dreams. This could explain the reasoning behind why Sleep Paralysis hallucinations by the intruder are incredibly vivid'' and as the eyes are the only feature enabled to move, I believe it is extremely important for the motion to be capturedas clear as possible within our scenes while obtaining the look of a night time-frame in order to intensify the experience within the viewers (our target audience). In order to achieve the sense of realism, we must use a spot light. In our re-shoots we will experiment using: - Side Lightning: in pursuit of accentuating the shape and form of our protagonist however placed at a slightly diagonal angle in order to avoid extremely harsh shadows while still obtaining soft contrast. - Under Lighting: lighting source placed below the protagonist as she is laying down. (typical within the thriller genre.) (research on lighting: http://saramonishaella.blogspot.co.uk/p/research_11.html ) Furthermore, along with adjusting out use of light and its intensity, we will also need to consider adjusting the camera settings to manual and changing the shutter speed ''indicating the amount of time the camera exposes the sensor to light from the scene.'' If the speed shutter setting is off the color within our camera frame can change dis-organizing the continuity within our film. We also need to adjust the metering on the dSLR camera in order to achieve the expose we demand. |
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| 2. Frame deconstruction and analysis |
Ella Ponting (EP)
After watching back the clips from the demon-scene and arranging them in terms of the shots we should keep and the shots we should discard, we discovered that many of the shots appeared too dark and grainy. Due to our protagonist having dark coloured skin we needed to adjust the exposure to make sure that herself and facial features are prominent within the scene. This means, in order for us to obtain a clearer image we need to adjust the camera setting to manual focus, to do this we may also need to change the shutter speed as a higher shutter speed generally equates to sharper images. Whilst we do want to keep the dark, ominous setting we will need to use lighting such as the spotlight lights.
The most effective technique to use to enhance our protagonist's appearance on set, whilst keeping the dark, chilling atmosphere would be to use a Standard Three-Point Lighting system. This would entail setting up three spotlights at different angles, all facing towards our protagonist, which would lessen the contrast and shadows around the protagonist. One of the lights would act as a 'back light' adding to the overall brightness of the room and providing definition and subtle highlights around the subject. The other 'fill light' acts as the secondary light, placed next to the 'key light' which will be a softer light located at more of a distance from the subject. And finally the 'key light' acting as the main, strongest emitting light place on one of the sides of the subject, in this case it (see frame above) it would be positioned slightly off-centre as to avoid blare from the light and to make sure the subject is well lit whilst reinforcing a shadow-effect, which can be seen towards the right wall of the frame. As to avoid making the same mistakes the second time shooting these scenes I have decided to conduct some research into video-making and learning more about how to operate the video-camera we are using, which is the Panasonic Video Camera.
Whilst this frame does succeed in creating a dark, chilling atmosphere we would need the frame to be lighter to portray the sense of daylight and the protagonist awaking after a long sleep. However, we will keep the same angle and shot type as it effectively captured the protagonist's movement of jolting up as if suddenly being brought to life. This captures the protagonist moving out of her episode of sleep paralysis as she regains movement and her breath. We will also make sure to adjust the IRIS setting on our Panasonic Video Camera so that the camera, internally creates a brighter sharper image, thus means we don't have to use the lighting exclusively to create brightness, highlights and shadows. The editing process will also allow us to either brighten or darken the setting to match the tone of the scene and also has a useful effect that can change a bright scene from 'Day to Night' therefore if we re-shoot the scene too brightly then we will be able to adjust it to create a dark, unearthly atmosphere.
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CHOOSING THE NAME OF OUR MOVIE - BY SARA AVRAMOVSKA (SA)
(SA) The title of a film is astonishingly important as it provides an essential function in terms of cinematography's promotional methods (central role in sucess), some film writers even use the title of a film as their staring point as the main source of inspiration, however for our personal film we have decided to discover the title post-production. As a group we had decided to discover our film title post production in order to effectively reflect the story/plot-line an the identity of our film to it. As the title provides an insight indication and portrayal to a film's genre in order to seek encouragement within it's target audience, I believe the agony of coming up and discovering our own film title was rather immense. Film titles intent to be unique in order to communicate the film's concepts such as mood and tone while obtaining an ambiance of ambiguity which made this process rather difficult. Below are the titles I have come up with for our film:
- Celestial : ''belonging or relating to heaven.''
- Aura: ''the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.''
- Semblance: ''the outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.''
- Illusion: ''an instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience.''
- Nightmare: ''a frightening or unpleasant dream.''
- Malignant Spirit: '' evil in nature or effect; malevolent.''
- Spirit: '' the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul.
Other considered titlesincuded Delusion, Vision, Preception, Incapable.
Delusion:
The word “Incubus” is also not recognised by many
individuals due to its archaic origination.
I was inspired to choose this title by Henre Fusseli ‘The Nightmare’
painting, year 1781, as it truly resembles the classic depictions of sleep
paralysis perceived by demonic hallucinations/visitations upon an individual. The
archaic noun is unfamiliar to modern audiences. Due to this i believe
that it engages and triggers interest within our audience targeted while providing a mystery that can only be solved if the audience watch our short psychological thriller film. I believe that once an individual witnesses the narrative plot line
they are able to understand the meaning behind incubus and the symbolic
resemblance it provides to our film. I have also chosen to include an archaic
noun as it resembled the fact that psychological conflicts originate from the
past, and in many cases the past has an impact in the individuals future,
suggesting that in many cases the past can trigger sleep paralysis and
determine ones emotional and mental state (Hayle's experiances provide a parallel to this).
(SA) The title of a film is astonishingly important as it provides an essential function in terms of cinematography's promotional methods (central role in sucess), some film writers even use the title of a film as their staring point as the main source of inspiration, however for our personal film we have decided to discover the title post-production. As a group we had decided to discover our film title post production in order to effectively reflect the story/plot-line an the identity of our film to it. As the title provides an insight indication and portrayal to a film's genre in order to seek encouragement within it's target audience, I believe the agony of coming up and discovering our own film title was rather immense. Film titles intent to be unique in order to communicate the film's concepts such as mood and tone while obtaining an ambiance of ambiguity which made this process rather difficult. Below are the titles I have come up with for our film:
- Celestial : ''belonging or relating to heaven.''
- Aura: ''the distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.''
- Semblance: ''the outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.''
- Illusion: ''an instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience.''
- Nightmare: ''a frightening or unpleasant dream.''
- Malignant Spirit: '' evil in nature or effect; malevolent.''
- Spirit: '' the non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul.
Other considered titlesincuded Delusion, Vision, Preception, Incapable.
Delusion: The word “Incubus” is also not recognised by many
individuals due to its archaic origination.
I was inspired to choose this title by Henre Fusseli ‘The Nightmare’
painting, year 1781, as it truly resembles the classic depictions of sleep
paralysis perceived by demonic hallucinations/visitations upon an individual. The
archaic noun is unfamiliar to modern audiences. Due to this i believe
(SA) Furthermore, I believe that for FInal Cur Pro tools we should use:
- Cross Dissolve
Film Review Construction - Ella Ponting (EP)
Prior to starting my Film Review, I have decided to edit several pictures from the outtakes of our film to include alongside the review. Under my Film Review research page I analysed the codes and conventions typically used in film reviews, one of the most regularly occurring features being the use of images. Whilst most of the reviews I delved into consisted of screenshots from the film, we had a substantial amount of footage we didn't manage to use. I thought it may work well to embed stills from unused footage into my review, amongst several other images that were taken from our film. This was done to achieve variety in pictures and to giving the readers an idea about how the film may transpire, without giving away too much of the plot. I primarily used 'Adobe Photoshop CS6' for this which proved difficult having not used it before, however I eventually improved and created a header/introduction for the review, as seen below.
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