The Grudge

Throughout my viewing of the grudge i picked up many different sound effects the creators had used. For example to create tense scenes that would build up to a dramatic and frightening climax the use of a human heartbeat getting faster and faster would be used. The music would also start off slow and get quicker and quicker in pace, as well as higher in pitch. This is so the dramatic tension in different scenes is built up and the audience can almost guess something big is going to happen, yet they still don't expect it when it does.

Reflection

Some of the sounds we recreated were slamming doors, screams, knife, sirens, digging, etc, all these fit well into our horror genre, as previous videos we looked at showed us we were on the right track.

The mics we used-
omni and tie clip (for atmosphere)
and hydro and rifle (for sound effects).

Sounds

I know its important to think about the volume and balance of different sounds and how it can change a scene and the drama or action within it. More thunder could indicate a more glum setting while more songbirds indicates early morning for example.
So for this reason i played around with the volume on this website, to alter the power of different sounds and how much they're noticed within the piece. From this i could take inspiration but by recording my own sounds and not taking ones other people have done, as it lets me explore the use of microphones and capturing sounds as well as playing around with the volume and mood.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1fiFS5/www.soundsleeping.com/drums_small.html/

Sound Awareness

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1YYLa6/gprime.net/flash.php/soundimmersion/
This website to me showed that the positioning of where the sound comes from is important. It starts off by lighting a match in one ear and moving to the other, showing that even though we cant see whats happening our ears know where the action is taking place.

The use of microphones or even extra hardware on the audiences side like headphones can be of a great impact in the effect of music or sound execution.

Simply Noise

http://simplynoise.com/ This is an unusual website I found, and although It doesnt do much, it highlighted to me the fact and idea of the importance of background noise. It highlighted simply noises such as tv static or the rushing wind or rain outside are noises we are familiar with but overlook. These noise can sometimes be incredibly important when setting a scene.

Sound Exploration

On this website i found a pretty cool rhythm composer that let me experiment with sounds, tempos and timings and allowed me to play with how and when the sounds all worked together. It is based on a similar device created in 1984. When experimenting I had to carefully consider the position of each dial and knob and the use of different instruments.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9r8XKj/lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix/

Julian Treasures Video

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2ZmZww/www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us.html/ The video found here is very interesting as the man, Julian Treasure, talks about our own personal relationship with sound in our every day lives.

Possible Idea Inspiration

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2DeDSt/www.youtube.com/watch%253Fv%253DIt-rsXKm5Xo

I came across this relatively short film, and I took from it inspiration, in the way the film has been composed, as I find it interesting and exciting to watch. The main message of the film is explored through the collaboration of existing films, and short film clips snipped from a variety of films of different styles and genres, yet they all relate to each other and explore the human life, changes and what it means to be human.

further sound project idea

the burglary/robbery


smashed glass
hurried footsteps
lock clicking
people going 'shhh'
bell
creaky stairs
rain
music from another room
creaky door
bell/alarm
rubber gloves
boxes/drawers been opened



OR



riot


above ^ +:
muffles shouts/screams
sirens
sound of truncheons on shields

initial ideas for sound project-'sense of space'

kids playground

skipping rope
running
fun, energetic mood
laughing
happy
zip
roundabout
loud, fast sounds
whistle
slide
school bell
swing
kids playing
ball bouncing
weather?


journey

car
horns
traffic lights beeping
bus
shouting
tram/train
bike
traffic
car music/radio


interviews over atmosphere recordings:

opinions on christmas
weather
shopping


morning routine

toast popping up
slamming door
kettle boiling
rain
zip
flushing toilet
brushing teeth
music in another room
traffic


a postmans day

post coming through letterbox
traffic/car door slamming
dog barking
postmans voice narrating vid
rain
birds

Improvements for Edale video:

less time lapse (not a clear purpose for this)
more clues to enforce the actual narrative
some shots could have been left on screenlonger-too quick/sharp cuts
slightly distorted
speed ups too fast
left too long before showing 'clues'
hand held shots slightly too shaky

short films

http://www.thesmalls.com/

Short Films

http://www.oddee.com/item_97044.aspx

I found these 10 short films very unique and interesting. They inspire me to think more creatively.

Our Edale video

We used a mixture of 'clues' and nature shots to create a story based around a murder. We used the nature shots to give more substance to the narrative and to break it downm making it more slowerpaced. The nature scenes were aimed to create a peaceful, calm atmosphere in contrast to the 'clues' which were to build up tension. Rather than having a continuous pace in editing, we varied it, progressively getting faster in the lead up to revealing the dead body, however still tried to retain some kind of rhythm. I do think we could have been more experimental when it came to composition, to make it more interesting. The shot types were mostly either close ups or medium shots, some POV shots would have added more interest to the story. I do however like the establishing shot that we used at the start to set the scene, and think this sort of shot would have been good to have at various other points thoughout the video to establish the change of scenery. The ambiguity (which may be classed as confusion) within the narrative is intended, as I think it makes the audience more of an active viewer if they are making there own interpretations about what has happened.

Short analysis of 'Cravings'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/oneminutemovies/watch/cravings.shtml

I thought they did a very good job at manipulating the audiences emotions/feelings to make the viewer feel un-easy and tense when watching it. The flickering effect created by quick, sharp cuts involving clear, strong graphics worked very well and told the story clearly. The voiceovers were also very influential and relevant for the video. I also think the effects colour can have, have been considered, for example a lot of red has been used, signifying warning, danger, blood, etc (which fits with this particular films theme)

Useful links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/oneminutemovies/watch/

I watched a few 1 minute movies from this BBC website...

short film analysis

formalist theorists

Sergei Eisenstein
montage-using editing to produce shocks and conflicts
e..g. dark V light
happy V sad
close up V long shot
large V small shot
slow V fast

-through careful structuring of shots in a juxtaposition of opposites the filmmaker can shape the mind and emotions of the viewer.

Rudolf Arnheim
'the things that film can do that reality can't-what makes it an art form'

Realist Quote

"Those directors who put faith in the image and those who put their faith in reality".

genre

• relation between film and audience (expectations, markets)
• similarities and differences between films within a genre
• what defines a genre
• use of conventions and stylistic elements

quick film analysis

Christmas with dad

• actuality-shows that child as he talks about her
• no transitional effects-quite quick, sharp cuts
• music repetition
• lots of close ups showing expressions
• hand held camera
• observational camerawork-fly on the wall

Gasman

• extreme close ups of daily ritual
• kept cutting out diegetic sound
• SRS
• tracking shot of feet running

Love me or leave me alone

• diegetic sound effects heightened (spit, breathing)
• wing mirror shot of car
• quick cuts-match tempo

semiotics

• signs and signifiers
• language of film
• how meaning is constructed (conventions)
• oppositions
• genre codes
• metaphor
• intertextuality

feminism and psychoanalytic film theory

• surrealism
• memory
• the unconscious
• dream V reality
• symbolism
• hidden/underlying meanings
• sexuality
• representations of gender

formalism

• montage/editing
• structure of a film
• relation of form and content
• effects on viewer
• editing/lighting/sound/staging (how they create meaning)

Realism

• representation of time and place
• how subject matter is treated/made realistic
• mise-en-scene
• effects on viewer
• ambiguity
• use of long take, depth of field, etc

Documentary films-Errol Morris

'Gates of heaven'
nature noises in background (birds)
interviews with pet owners-natural setting (outdoors-field, kitchen doorway)
actuality-shows a monochrome photo of their pet (photos placed on grass as the background to stick with naturalistic theme-at which point interview continues as a detached voice over)
slow paced-calm

documentary

Ideas for Edale trip

Planning-Edale filming

Shot types we plan to explore-long shot, medium shot, close ups, SRS, POV, establishing shots (of the most interesting scene that ties in with the narrative), pans, extreme close up (heather, trees, etc), over the shoulder shot, focus pulls

Shot angles: high angle, low angle, birds eye

Equipment-tripod, items of clothing/shoes, white paper (to test exposure settings)

Things we need to take into consideration-continuity (lighting...do all fiming in day), creating steady scenes (tripod NOT ALL handheld), getting eough footage so we don't come stuck when it comes to editing