Soundtrack Quiz

Copy and Paste the Correct Term below into the Box on the right next to the description:

	Terms: Non Diegetic, Diegetic, Bridge, Contrapuntal, Parallel Sound.
Sound that goes hand in hand with the image on screen	Parallel Sound
Sounds that the characters in a film cannot hear (outside of story space)	Non Diegetic
Sound that contrasts / juxtaposes the image on screen	Contrapuntal sound
Sounds that the characters in a film can hear or sounds whose sound source is visible on screen or implied (inside the story space)	Diegetic
When music or sounds continue into the next scene. It creates smooth transitions from scene to scene.	Bridge

‘Parallel Sound in Jaws’

What Parallel sounds are present in this scene?

When the shark is approaching the man in the cage, the noise is indicating that the shark is a negative character. We know this by the contrast of high and low pitches as well as the volume increasing as the shark gets closer.

What are the Parallel sounds telling us about the scene?

They are emphasizing the danger and the tense atmosphere of the scene. It builds up the tension to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. 

Mood/narrative/nature of character (Jaws) / what is going to happen?

We get the impression the man will get eaten as he has dropped his spear and has no defense against a shark over triple his own body mass. The music also indicates this as the music has built up so much that the music starts to decrease and the tone is lowered to a deep bass noise.

Treatment

Name of Production: Shaun of the Dead

What feel or mood are you hoping to achieve with the sound for this clip (i.e. how do you want the audience to feel and at which points in the scene?  Does the sound have a narrative role?) 

I want to add tension to the clip to give the impression the two main characters are under attack by the two zombies. To create this effect I will use the combination of ADR and music beds.

Describe the music are you going to add to the clip  (pace, tone, style, pitch) and what response you hope to illicit in a listener.  Where will you get your music from? (pre-recorded music; public domain, licensed, own)

I will make my own music using GarageBand, this will give me the flexibility to enhance the mood I have chosen.

What foley sounds are you going to record in the studio and add to this clip and what will they add to the scene:

Smashing plant pots and voice sounds such as growling and talking will be first on the list as they are the main sound in the clip. Other sounds such as when the zombie got hit in the head with the record will need a squelching noise, this will be hard to reenact however I may choose to use a build up of sounds to create this.

Do you need to record any sounds out on location, if so which?

I can produce all the sounds in the studio however if I chose do record background sound’s like birds or cars driving past I may record them from my back garden as it will be a more realistic sound.

 Who will be in your recording crew to help you get your sounds and what are their individual roles and responsibilities?

There will be Kelly and me in my team. Our rolls will be simple as Kelly will be doing the sounds and I will be recording them. This is easier as Kelly will make the noises with all the different objects such as cutlery, broken plates, hitting carpet etc. I will record the sounds as this will make sure the sounds are clear and we don’t hit the mic with any of the objects whilst recording.

Foley Recording Plan

1) Draw at least 3 individual technical diagrams on the attached sheet of how you will set up each of your Foley sounds on the Foley floor.

(See “Foley Spotting Sheet” for the diagram)

2) Whilst making your recordings, please take some photographs to show how you set up your Foley floor.

Me hitting a carpet to imitate a person getting hit

Kelly hitting a carpet to imitate a person getting hit

Me imitating someone throwing something using  a hanger

Me imitating the sound of someone throwing something

Kelly recording me shaking a broken plate. This gives the sound of a plate being smashed

This is all the equipment we used to create the Foley sounds.

Kelly recording me shaking a broken plate. This gives the sound of a plate being smashed.

3) Thinking back to what we covered in lesson (and looking back at the PowerPoint my Blog) when recording your sound effects how will you ensure that you get a good, clear recording? (Positioning for different environments (indoor, outdoor and studio) monitoring and controlling of recording levels via UV meters) fundamentals of decibels (dBs), handling)

I will make sure the recordings are done in a “sound proof” room, this means it will be recorded in a foam walled room. This means the clarity is as high as possible as we are blocking out all background noise and there will be no echo. I must also make sure the VU meter is below 0, ideally between -12 and 0 depending on the loudness of the sound. This is because if the signal goes into the red, the sound will be distorted. If you knock or handle the microphone badly, the mic will pick the sound up which is why we ideally use a wind muff and a shock mount. This will ensure the sounds we are recording are the only sounds in shot.

4) What type of microphone will you use and why is this an appropriate microphone to use?

I will use a shot-gun mic because this will ensure I wont have any surrounding sound in the shot, it will only be the sound that the mic is aimed at. I would also have a wind muff on the mic as this will make sure there are no wind noises in our recording.

5) When recording, what recording issues do you need to be aware of and how will you safeguard against these (i.e. background noise, acoustics)?

I will be in a room that has as little sound as possible or in a sound proofing room like the radio studio. This will ensure I have no background sound and it will also make sure the sound is not echoed. I must also make sure I use a shock mount or a mic stand so I don't accidentally drop, bash, hit or knock it whilst recording.