PRODUCTION REPORT

For my main sound project, I have chosen Solaris out of the other five clips. I feel like all the other clips have less room of creativity because what you see is what you hear. With Solaris, it allows me to design something new and interesting which is futuristic and abstract.

For this clip, I'm taking an abstract approach to it. This is because the film is dealing with themes of love, death and resurrection. These themes are very complex and when it happens in space it adds a different mood to it. It will have low ambient sounds all mixed together with the sounds of the spaceship and the character movements.

I haven't seen this film before or the original film. I have read the script of the scene which I'm designing and it has helped me think of how I could design the sound and what key sounds should be in there.

The highlighted sentence was a key thing for me. Visually when I saw it I didn't think there was a moment like that in there. I thought like he heard an alarm go off and that’s what drew his attention. But the alarm idea confused me because you expect to see lights go off and people running towards it of which that doesn't happen. Here a shot of him in the corridor as he has come down from his room.

Designing the sound to the script works well than designing it to your own understanding. As I continued reading the script it helped think of sounds to record. Like the liquid oxygen, how would it sound like? Is it similar to acid? And how does it react to the surface of the floor. This reminded me of a scene in Alien Resurrection, where Ripley is hit in the face and wipes of the blood which ends up on the floor eating through it. That’s the kind of idea I had for the liquid oxygen.

The other highlighted text 'is she dead', 'resurrection' and 'sexual' helped me think of the sound design. I sort of chose creepy and ghostly ambient sounds because experiencing death and coming back to life over and over again is not a humane thing and certainly not comfortable to watch. For the sexual part, I had a friend of mine do the sound for it as she watched it and it worked well.  

I watched the whole clip about 4 times and came up with a list of the sounds I needed to record. I didn't use any archive sounds because I don’t think I will be able to learn a lot from them. Whereas if I record the sounds myself, I will know what and how I want to use it in the sound design and it helps me improve my sound design skills.

The sounds came from different objects like:

• A ladder and a bin for the steps and faint sound,
• two different jackets, bed sheets and covers for him waking up and his wife shaking on the bed,
• Boiling water and kettle for the liquid oxygen,
• Lemonade for the gas escaping,
• Two different freezers as an atmos for the rooms,
• A big machine humming which I found within the university and used that for the corridor,
• A female voice for the female actor.

I broke down the mixing into three stages. The first stage was designing the atmos sound. I used the sounds of the freezers and humming sound. I layered in the mix with the sounds for the liquid oxygen and a few machines. I added in an EQ and reverb to make it confined.

I kept on reducing the high frequency sounds and took out a bit of the low frequency sounds until I got a sound which is confined within a space.  I added a reverb to the sound to make feel like the sound is bouncing off within the spaceship. I tried panning the sound to make it feel like the sound is coming from a certain direction in the ship but it changed the effect of the entire sound. In the corridor it sounds fine but I got into the rooms it was a matter of perspective.

The second stage was adding the steps and other character movements. The most problem I had in this part was syncing the steps. It was ok in terms of the surface but how pronounced the steps were, was mostly the major issue. Creating a pace for the steps was also challenging as there's a part where he runs and is carrying his wife to the room. I thought of his weight in the different shots and how deep and loud the steps should be.  

As he enters the room you would expect the sound to change because of the surface and this is what I did. I removed a lot of high frequencies to make it sound deep, which takes out the metal clinging sound. I also changed the volume of the steps to create depth. Below is a screen shot of what the volume looked like for the steps. In some instances I had to individually reduce the dB level of the different steps and have it increase or decrease as he moved.

The third stage was designing the music. I used MIDI for composing it and I wanted it to have a different tone and mood as the scenes progressed. At the start of the clip is a haunted effect to create a feeling of something has wrong. I used the low frequencies almost to make it sound almost like a horror but making it not too scary. This was influenced by Aliens as they create mood as you watch of what,s about to happen next. 

Towards the end, I made it more intense as she coming back from the dead which is an unnatural sight. The sounds there were to sort of make you insecure but at the same time connect with her emotionally.

I feel my main weakness in this sound design is the music. I'm happy will all the foley sounds but if I had more time, I would changed the sound of the footsteps in certain areas. This would involve re-recording steps on different surfaces and seeing which works well. 

With the music I don't think it fully brought out the effect I wanted. I had problems trying to find the right sound within the sound bank of Pro Tools, as there are just so many options to choose from and this required more time to experiment with. I tried layering different rhythms together and in some scenes it worked and in others it didn't.

For this scene I layered two rhythms together. One is a low melody and the other is like a haunted house effect. I feel it worked because it introduces the character in a smooth way and not distracting the viewer.

In the corridor I was able to layer 3 rhythms together. At one point there were too many sounds at the same time as you have the atmos and footsteps but it was a matter of balancing the levels for each sound and giving each sound a time to come in. I also played with the different pitch for each note. The grey bars indicate how strong the pitch is. If its light, its a soft pitch. If its dark then its a high pitch. 

One important thing I noted to be crucial was the difference of mixing with headphones and speakers. In the headphones, the sound was fine and as soon as you play it on the speakers it would change. In some scenes the levels would be too high or too low and if your not aware of this it could change the perspective of the film.

I had problems exporting the video with the sound. I kept on getting this error message but if you changed the sample rate it would work sometimes and sometimes it didn't. I'm sure what really caused this but if it could get sorted out that would be really helpful for future projects.

Overall I have enjoyed this module and learnt a lot from it (mixing, panning, changing levels, recording sounds, which mics to use for different sounds, composing and designing from the script). I wish I would be able to do it again for next semester as I now have more ideas on how to approach sound for different films.

REFERENCE

Alien Resurrection. (1997). [DVD]. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. USA, Twentieth Century Fox.

SOUNDWORKS COLLECTION

http://soundworkscollection.com

Is a website that shows the greatest and upcoming sound minds from around the world. It was created by Director Michael Coleman in November 2009 and they go behind the scenes of feature films, video games and soundtrack composition and show you the sound design process from the start which involves recording and audio post-production.

Below is a list of the different films I saw and influenced me in for creating a sound design for my film. Each film is different in terms of sound design and they give me various ways of how I could approach my sound design.  

Composer Fil Eisler

http://soundworkscollection.com/videos/composer-fil-eisler

Fil Eisler is a music composer and one of the best works his done is for Revenge, ABC's hit drama series. In the video, he briefly talks about how he came to work as a music composer in the film industry and his tips on how to be successful in the industry. What I mostly like about what he says, is how he approaches the drama (Revenge). 

When designing the music he thinks about the themes within the drama and how different musical instruments create different moods for example a cello would be used for a creepy character. He also listens to what the director of the drama wants. Different directors have a certain taste for music and knowing what they want could be beneficial in the music design. And lastly having your own style and designing what you feel is right.  Being able to do what other music composers do is sometimes not enough but if you have your own creative style and taste, that could bring new ideas to a film and make it more interesting to watch. 

At the moment I haven't started thinking about the music for my film I'm working on in this project.. But watching this has influenced me to think how I could use music in the film to create pace and intensity. For my film, I haven't seen it before but I think reading the script might be able to help me think about what the writer/director was thinking about in terms of music design. 

Composer Brian Tyler 

http://soundworkscollection.com/videos/briantyler

Brian Tyler is a composer and has won an award of the best film composer of the year. His work is really amazing and inspiring to hear. He uses Pro Tools for designing his sounds and doesn't use other peoples sounds or sound from the internet because it has already been synthesized and all the rough edges have been polished. He prefers to create his own sounds and uses them as how he see's best. 

This is the same approach I have taken for the sound design for my film. I believe that, I will learn more if I record all the foley sounds rather than downloading sounds from the internet. By recording my own sounds, it allows me to think of ways I could manipulate it in post-production and how I could use it in the different scenes. It will also allow me to know what works and what doesn't and increase my knowledge of foley sounds. 

Veteran ADR Mixer Doc Kane

http://soundworkscollection.com/videos/veteran-adr-mixer-doc-kane-of-walt-disney-studios

Doc Kane is an ADR mixer of Walt Disney Studios. For my sound design, I don't have to worry about ADR because its not part of the task. Even knowing a few things about it wont hurt. Kane explains some tips on how to get the best dialogue when doing ADR.

In the clip i'm doing there is a scene of when Rheya is waking up and i'm thinking of doing some ADR on it. Watching how Kane does his work, has helped me think of ways I could get my actor to do the best sound i would need and how to make them feel comfortable.

The Sound of Transformers: Age of Extinction

http://soundworkscollection.com/videos/the-sound-of-transformers-age-of-extinction

Firstly I love the sound design of all the transformer films. Its the film that got me interested in sound design because of its complexity and interesting sounds it has. 'What you hear is not what you see', this is how they were thinking when they were designing the sounds for this film, it plays well with off-screen sound. Its an interesting way of designing the sound and it catches the attention of the viewer. It has alerted me to my film i'm doing, on how I could do this and where in the clip is the best time to do it and what kind of sound I would need.

In Transformers they use a lot of sounds and they even borrow some sounds from the original cartoon series. My clip Solaris is a remake of the original and watching the original film might help me think about the sound design. Staying true to the original film might be a good thing but I don't think it will allow me to explore a lot of options if i'm trying to do something similar. I want to bring something different and fresh and by not watching the original film I will be able to do this. To help me get an understanding of the sound design, I will read the script to get a sense of what's happening and some of the underlying themes. Knowing the themes will also influence my approach to the clip.

In Transformers they are mixing in atmos which allows them to pan the sound from left to right, up or down and front or back. They mix the sound to make you part of the film. For me, I only have the option to pan from right to left or left to right. There are moments in the film where I think it will be best to pan the sound but will experiment with it to see if it works or not.


The Sound of Prometheus

http://soundworkscollection.com/videos/prometheus

In this film, they played with a lot of sounds from different objects and machines to create different sounds which were used in a subtle way. They were selective on where they placed their sounds and all the sound designers constantly referenced the script.

Watching this video make me think about what sounds i'm going to record. I want to use recorded sounds and no online sound tracks. They used cans and printing machines to create subtle sounds. This has me thinking to try different objects and also think about post-production on how I'm going to manipulate that sound. The sound designers mention the script a couple of times and from watching the other videos on the website, they all say the same thing, they read the script. For my film I will read the script of the scene I'm doing and see how it helps me. 

SOLARIS

Solaris is the clip I have chosen to work. It offers more in terms of sound design than the other clips which need a lot of foley. For me as well, it also enables me to be creative in the sounds I choose and how I use them.

Sound Ideas

• I want the sounds to be confined, almost like being trapped in a way in a cube or vacuum. This is because there are no sounds in space and the sounds within a ship are contained and never travel out. So the sound in the spaceship will be different than if it was a room on earth.
• The objects within the spaceship. This includes the people and machines within the film. We have George Clooney who is the main actor and Natascha McElhone the female character. There are also some other characters who then walk in towards the end of the clip. Each person has a different body weight and when they walk their steps sound a bit different. 
• The other objects include the monitors which can be seen on the sides. 
• Off screen space - a space ship has different compartments or sections and knowing where the characters are within the space ship helps create an atmos sound. He could be above or next to the engine room or at the back of the ship where the thrusters are. I believe considering this will help me create an interesting sound. 
• Music - music is used in a lot of films to create meaning or a mood or feeling. Knowing when and where to place the music is crucial and they type of music as well. I could use a fast beat or slow melody to create a different pace. I don't always have to add music to the clip. The clip might work best without music but I will try both ways and see which works well. 

Below are a few snap shots from the film and what the sound ideas of thinking for them.

In George Clooney's room there is a monitor displaying some information. I'm thinking of a futuristic beeping sound with an alarm that indicates there's something going wrong.

He come's down from his room and there are three paths from his current location. This makes me consider off screen space of the different rooms that are below, above and on the sides and where these paths lead. In the script it indicates that something draws his attention which makes him choose a path. 

 This room that he finds his wife. Its a small room which looks like they store something important. there's smoke coming up and a monitor on the top left. There are lights behind Clooney and some lights have a low frequency sound.

His wife lying on the floor and a burning liquid on the side. There are bubbles and a gas rising up. How the liquid reacts to the surface of the floor and how it sounds like in a small room.

 His walking into another room. Some paths have different textures. The steps you hear outside of the room might be different from the steps you hear when his inside the room. And also his carrying someone so his body weight is heavy which affects the sound of the steps. There's also a monitor but looks like nothing is going on it but its on and not off. The atmos within the room as well. Rooms tend to be quieter than passage halls.

 Here we see how big the room is and what's inside of the room. Him placing her on the bed and the monitors as well.

 Later on two people walk into the room.

 Her struggling and cringing on the bed like she's having a spasm attack. The texture of the bed sheets and the type of bed she's lying on. Are the bed sheets/covers made out of silk or a plastic material and how soft the bed is.

 Her scares healing on her face. Is she in pain? Do you hear the skin cells repairing themselves and do you also her in pain?

Clooney pinning her down. Consider the pace of how she's struggling and there seems to be some information being displayed on the screen in the background. I could have music in the background and this a personal moment for him.

These are some of things I'm thinking about as I'm watching the clip. All these sounds will affect how the audience will interpret the film and what's going on. 

MAJOR PROJECT

For my main sound project, I have been given the opportunity to select one film from the five films we have been given to create a new sound design for it. If I don't like the films, I can choose my own but it has to be verified before I can start working on it. The five films are:

1. Delicatessen
2. Oblivion
3. Solaris
4. The Road
5. There Will Be Blood

From watching the clips, I'm interested in 'Solaris' and 'There will be blood'. Solaris gives me the possibility to create a new sound design which is futuristic and out of this world because the events take place in a spaceship. For The will be blood, there is a lot of foley work involved and it doesn't offer its self to much creativity except for the explosion. 

MIDI

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It gives you a wide range of electronic musical instruments and sounds. You get a Keyboard like the one above and connect it to your computer. Open up Pro Tools and create a new track with the settings as stereo - Instrument track. 

Go to inserts / multi-channel / instrument / Mini Grand or Xpand!2.

Mini grand allows you to compose if you know how to use the keyboard.

Xpand!2 gives you a sound bank and you can choose from a wide range of sounds and play them using the keyboard to create a sound. There are so many sounds and you have to experiment with a lot of them. 

To record a sound, click the record + play at the top and start playing the keyboard. Double click the blue area to get a mini editor, which allows you to manually change the notes. 

EQ

Pro Tools has a big sound bank. You just need to know where to look. In one of the lessons i learnt how to make a sound, sound like its coming out of a radio. You use the EQ to reduce the high frequency sounds and a bit of the low frequency sounds and increase a bit of the mid frequency sounds. 

Another way to do it is to go onto preset, factory default, special effects and transistor radio. It will give you a rough version of what it will sound like and you can do a few tweaks to make it sound better. 

FIELD RECORDINGS

Is the recording of natural sounds (ambient noise) outside of a studio. It is also called phonograph. There are a lot of sound recordist who do this and I have had a privileged to see and hear one of Chris Watson's recordings called 'Inside The Circle of Fire: A Sheffield Sound Map. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1x_wvFmqi8 

Its very interesting watching how he records the sounds and where he does it. Its not just about aiming your microphone at something and hope to get an interesting sound. It involves a thinking process of what kind of sounds you want to capture and why you want to hear them. His work has inspired me to think of what I hear around me all the time. This may be on my way to a friends house or place or in a market or shop. Sound is around us all the time and its mostly the sounds you don't hear very often which can be fascinating. I have learned a great deal from his work, these include:

• to explore different locations that have different sounds,
• to use different sound equipment to capture the sounds. This could be a stereo microphone, mono microphone or a hydrophone,
• try different sub-surfaces ranging from sand, water, grass, wood, metal, fibre, pipes, containers etc.
• to be positive and tune into the world so that I can focus on certain sounds for creativity, 
• and have patience.

Another artist who does a similar thing is Christian Fennesz. His an Austrian guitarist who's active in electronic music. He uses different ways to create sound. He records sounds and uses them in an experimental musical sense (abstract). His work influences me to think of how I could use sound in post-production in terms of manipulation. 

http://www.fennesz.com/downloads/

We did a lesson on how to record sound on a film set. I found it very helpful because i kept having problems trying to sync the sound from the wendt mixer to the camera. It also made me aware of where to stand and how to aim my microphone to get a better sound from the person talking. I am not very tall and usually the actors are taller than me so I find it a bit hard to lift the boom, so standing on a high level really helps than standing at the same level as the characters.

In this image, I was standing on top of a ladder 

Here I was recording from above which is a very good angle.

Reference

FENNESZ, Christian. [online]. Last accessed 27 november 2014. http://www.fennesz.com/downloads/

Museum Sheffield (2013). [online]. Last accessed 27 november 2014. http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/museums/millennium-gallery/exhibitions/past/inside-the-circle-of-fire-a-sheffield-sound-map

MICROPHONES

When recording sounds, there are lot of microphones you can use. Each mic is different in terms of how it captures sound. Below are some different mic's that record sounds differently. I'm not going to fully go into depth in terms of wave length and pressure but will give a brief summary of what each microphone does. 

Omnidirectional Microphone

It responds to sounds coming from all directions. 

Bidirectional Microphone

They equally receive sound from both the front and back of the microphone.

Unidirectional Microphone

These pick up sound from one direction. They are very good to isolate different sounds and reject any background noise.

Cardioid Microphone

They record sounds from the front with a broad angle from the mic. They don't pick up any sounds coming from the back. 

Hyper-cardioid Microphone
Its similar to a cardioid mic but slightly larger. It records more sounds from the front and a small area at the back.


Super-cardioid Microphone
Is similar to a hyper-cardioid, except there is more front pick up and less rear pick up.

Shotgun Microphone

Is a long, tube-shaped microphone with a highly directional pickup pattern. They are less sensitive on the sides and back and are mostly used for film/video dialogue, news gathering and outdoor recording. 

Free-Field Microphone

These mice are mostly used in a free-field that is away form reflective surfaces.

Boundary Microphone

Is designed to be used on surfaces such as floor, wall, table or panel.

Hydrophone/Contact Microphone

Used to record sounds underwater.

Stereo Microphone

It combines two mic capsules in a single housing for a convenient stereo recording (like the mice on a zoom). There are some stereo mics which have one mic capsules but still record in stereo.

Reference

ATKINSON, Don (1995). The sound production handbook, first edition. London, Blueprint.

BARTLETT, Bruce (1991). Stereo nicrophone techniques. London, Focal Press.

BARTLETT, Bruce and Jenny (2013). Practical recording techniques, sixth edition. London, Focal Press