Unit 17: Soundtrack production for the moving image

Sound effects for the moving image

Background information on moving image production

• Film - Films are mostly created to be released to the general public, either online or in theaters. They are created by filming a series of takes, then selecting the best and editing them (along with dialogue, background noise and any music) in post production.
• Television - creating television programmes follow mostly the same process as films, except that series are produced under a much smaller timeframe than films and are obviously intended for release on television instead.
• Web - Most web content is recorded without the use of expensive audio equipment (i.e. boom microphones). As such, this forgoes having to line up dialogue, but does mean that the recorded audio will be of a lower quality. Since most content is self produced, this means that content producers are able to work at their own pace, meaning the timeframe in which content is made can range from days and weeks to even months.
• Hand-held devices - These work by capturing audio and still images then combining them together into a video file (i.e. MOV or MP4) that can be edited using video editing software.
• Animation - there are many types of animation such as cell (hand drawn), stop motion (taking a large amount of pictures) and CGI (computer generated); however the animation is performed, the film/frames will be edited with music and voiceover via computer software. In order to have the audio line up with the visuals correctly, the voiceover needs to be recorded first, to allow the moving image to be tailored to the audio that has been already recorded.

Audio Components

• Studio and location - A studio is a location desired for optimal sound recording as it lacks background noise due to soundproofing. This works perfectly for productions like news, as it allows for the sound to be heard more clearly, but won't be useful for productions where background ambience is required. In comparison, 'on location' refers to an outside area (usually) that would not be typically used for sound recording. This is useful for capturing ambience, but may mean that post production editing is required in order to get dialogue to come across more cleanly.
• Interviews - these will usually be mic'ed up with small microphones attached to both the interviewer and the interviewee(s). The recorded audio will then be synced up with the video footage later in post-production.
• Presentation - This works pretty similarly to other situations. The presenter will either have a wireless handheld mic or a small clip on mic (as with the interview) that transmits to the sound system (PA), and will have a remote control as to control their presentation slides with in the background. If the presentation has sound also, these levels will have to be balanced with the mic audio, as to not drown it out, or to damage the equipment.
• Voiceover - if a programme or film uses a voiceover - it will be recorded separately in a studio after filming has completed, then laid over the film. The actor recording the dialogue may have the footage visible, as to time their performance correctly.
• Drama dialogue - for a drama production, multiple voices will need to be captured. As such, production crews will use large, handheld mics on poles known as Boom mics. These are held above the shot, at a good balance between capturing all dialogue clearly, as well as remaining out of shot.
• Ambient sound and Sound effects (SFX) - these small, background details act as 'icing on the cake' in terms of a soundtrack, helping to enhance the mood and feel of a film. These are recorded in a process known as Foley (described below).
• Stationary and moving sound sources - These do exactly what they 'say on the tin'; a stationary sound source refers to something being recorded that is not moving, whilst a moving sound source is. As a moving sound source moves closer then further away from you, its pitch and volume will increase then decrease respectively; this is known as the Doppler effect.
• Use of presence - this refers to how sounds are mixed in a soundtrack. A good way to do this is to vary sound levels depending on the perceived distance form the camera; closer objects will be louder whilst distant objects will be quieter. In addition, one may wish to pan sounds based on their location in the set (either to the left or right).

Combing audio and visuals

• Diegetic - Sound where the source is visible on screen, i.e. from characters or from props (sounds characters can hear)
• Non-diegetic - Sound from outside the environment of the film (i.e. the music soundtrack)
• External diegetic - Sound put in outside the shot but can be heard by characters (i.e background noise/foley)
• Mood - Soundtracks will often be used to portray a certain 'mood' that aligns with the footage being shown. For example, a scene in a nightclub would feature music typically played on the dance floor, i.e. rap and drum/bass.
• Meaning - This involves adding deep emotional quality to a scene via the music chosen. For example, a death scene may feature a string quartet playing in a minor key, as to enhance the sadness felt by the characters.
• Illusion - This involves adding certain background noises from objects that are not necessarily on screen to create an atmosphere. For example, an outer shot of a school building may include the sound of the school bell; whilst it won't be in shot, it adds to the feeling that the viewer is at the school.

How sound effects are created

Whilst some audio for film (i.e. conversations) are captured during filming, there are some cases where this is impossible. For example, in a sci-fi film, a laser weapon does not yet exist, so no sound can be recorded as the shot has yet to be added via CGI. In cases like this, the sound effects are created in post production (after the film finishes shooting).


Foley artist
A Foley artist's job is to create/recreate sound effects for film. For example, sounds may be needed for weapons (swords/guns etc.), or the film director may not be happy with the audio of a recorded scene, so some sounds (i.e. footsteps) will be recreated and overdubbed onto the footage. Foley artists work in a specialised studio, with recording equipment, a viewing screen and props. The artist is able to watch the film then recreate any needed sounds in real time whilst watching it.


Own FX

With this clip, I began by making 'wind' noises by moving a Shure SM57 across a variety of different surfaces, namely a carpet, a table top and a chair, combining these tracks together and adding a small amount of reverb. The cat sounds were created by myself and then pitch shifted in Cubase to a higher octave. Finally, I added the footprints by moving my feet in a box of rocks, adding a small amount of reverb as well. As a first attempt, I was satisfied with this effort, but I do feel that I could have added extra cat noises (i.e. in the second half of the video) as to better sync up with the footage.

With this clip, all tracks (bar one) were created moving a Shure SM57 across a variety of different surfaces, namely a carpet, a table top and a chair, combining these tracks together and adding a large amount of reverb. A final track was then created by myself blowing into the mic and using reverb and distortion. I held the sound for as long as possible, looping the rest. I was also satisfied with this clip, but I perhaps could add even more automation in future to make my recordings look and sound even more realistic.

Marker Track
When editing sound to film, it may be useful to add markers; these are set time codes that define important points in a video clip, such as scene changes or shot changes. 

Once a film clip is dragged and dropped into a Cubase project, it is possible to add these markers below the film on the timeline. After a marker track is added (Add Track -> Marker), the pencil tool is used to 'draw' in markers at certain points throughout a clip.

Time Warp
Once markers have been added, the BPM must be warped so that gaps between markers either last for 2, 4 or 8 bars. In Cubase, this is performed by selecting the 'Time Warp' tool, then dragging the timeline so that each marker is set accurately. In turn, this also makes any music laid over the film sound more natural, as in real life not all performed music will always be exactly in time.

Sylenth

Synthesizers (such as Sylenth) include many modules and parameters that can affect the overall sound produced:

• Oscillators - these generate the actual sound waves (note) that form the output of the synth. The basic note can be generated using various forms of waves, including sine, triangle and pulse.
• Envelope - this alters the sound being generated in real time in response to the actual sound being played. Envelopes have four main parameters; attack (how long the note takes to reach full volume), decay (time before the note ends), sustain (how long the note lasts for), and release (how quickly the note falls silent).
• Filters - these remove certain frequencies from the sound wave. They have two main parameters; cutoff (point at which frequencies higher than the cutoff should be attenuated) and resonance (amplifies frequencies nearest to the cutoff). Different types of filter include low pass (cuts off higher frequencies), high pass (cuts off lower frequencies), notch (targets specific frequencies) and band (removes a large amount of frequencies from the sound wave).
• LFO (low frequency oscillator) - an electronic signal used to control a variety of effects and parameters, i.e. filter cutoff. Though mostly used in synths, LFOs can be used to control effects for instruments such as guitar: in this example (https:/ /youtu.be/T-i_xRzochI?t=131), an LFO is being used to trigger a low pass filter at such a rate that a 'wah' type effect is being generated.

City by the Sea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo_GDMM9wPE
The above link refers to the first assignment set, in which I created a short 2 minute soundtrack for a timelapse video of the city of Benidorm.

Film Project

In collaboration with the TV and Film BTEC group, we have have produced a short film; a crime drama entitled "Bangers and Mash".

To begin with, we spent a few days working on opening and ending themes for the film.

https://soundcloud.com/user-239608709/sets/credit-music