Editing Sound

Ideas for manipulating sound:

reverse reverb (gives a distant feel)
layering audio
echo and delay

Try this: paste a copy of the dialog on a second audio track and reverse it (so it plays backwards). Add a delay and a reverb to it (delay first, then reverb so that the delayed audio reverberates as well). Then add reverb to the primary dialog.

Day of filming

We have recorded the majority of sound for this project on the day of filming. Having collected nature/park atmos' (stereo), dialogue and sound effects-footsteps, water, phone beeping, etc (mono)

Drama Project - Initial Ideas cont

possible ideas:
emotional journey-loss of a loved one, grieving process/relationships/friendships/family
Kidnapping-psycho
sci-fi-abduction (being transported to another place)
everyday routine journey-work/school/shopping
life experiences
stages in life-aging, education
life-changing event-births, marriages, moving countries etc


We wanted to portray an emotional journey rather than a physical one. we bounced ideas off each other within the group, sharing ideas we would like to carry out for our drama piece, having decided on the theme of romance gone wrong, we looked into this further, considering how the plot can be developed further.

Character development

Ali completed the following character development profile on how we wanted our character to be:


CHARACTER NAME: Simon Green
AGE: 22
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Clumsy, well-meaning Simon can’t seem to find the right girl for him, but is it something to do with his overenthusiastic romantic gestures?

What do you know about this character now that s/he doesn’t yet know? Hattie, who he thinks is his girlfriend, and who he plans to propose to, isn’t his girlfriend at all.
What is this character’s greatest flaw? Serial hopeless romantic. Freaks girls out with what comes across as weird, obsessive behaviour.
What do you know about this character that s/he would never admit? Believes every girl he meets is “the one”, but forgets as soon as he meets another girl.
What is this character’s greatest asset? Affectionate and caring to those around him.
If this character could choose a different identity, who would s/he be? He kind of wishes he was James Bond, but in reality he’d be far too scared to do such a dangerous job.
What music does this character sing to when no one else is around? The soundtracks from the Shrek movies are the most played songs on his iTunes.
In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith? Cookie Crisp cereal.
What is this character’s favourite movie? It’s a tie between Love Actually and The Notebook, but if his mates ask, it’s Saving Private Ryan.
Does this character have a favourite article of clothing? Favourite shoes? He very rarely takes off his hat.
Does this character have a vice? Name it. He drinks far too much coffee, so most of the time he’s buzzing with energy.
Name this character’s favourite person (living or dead). Brian Badonde.
What is this character’s secret wish? That he was shorter.
What is this character’s proudest achievement? Finding all the golden eggs on Angry Birds.
Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment. When he was 16, he called his headteacher “mum” during an awards ceremony in front of the whole school.
What is this character’s deepest regret? He wishes he’d taken History A Level instead of French. He hated French, but his form tutor convinced him to study it.
What is this character’s greatest fear? Pigeons.
Describe this character’s most devastating moment. All the moments in which girls have rejected his advances. He soon becomes distracted by another girl though.
What is this character’s greatest achievement? So far, none of the girls who have been the focus of his obsessive affection have ever slapped him.
What is this character’s greatest hope? That his parents will get on – but he knows it won’t happen.
Does this character have an obsession? Name it. Girls. Usually girls who don’t like him back.
What is this character’s greatest disappointment? His cooking ability. The first thing he tried to cook in his new flat was instant noodles, and he burnt them.
What is this character’s worst nightmare? Being dumped by a girl in front of all his mates.
Whom does this character most wish to please? Why? The majority of the attractive female population, so he can find a pretty girl to show off to the world.
Describe this character’s mother. Fiery-tempered, she spends a lot of time shouting at her husband. She runs her house like an angry tornado, but it’s always spotless.
Describe this character’s father. A quiet, repressed, short man who tries to stay out of his wife’s way, he doesn’t talk to Simon often, just to ask him to pass the ketchup.
If s/he had to choose, with whom would this character prefer to live? He lives on his own currently, and he likes it that way (although he wouldn’t say no to some company).
Where does this character fall in birth order? What effect does this have? He is an only child, conceived out of wedlock, and the cause of his parents’ marriage. He serves as a constant reminder of their loveless marriage so they avoid him the majority of the time.
Describe this character’s siblings or other close relatives. Simon’s best friend is his cousin, Alex. Alex is very shy though, so they usually just play Halo 3 together on his xbox while Simon’s auntie knocks on the door every five seconds to offer them more orange squash.
Describe this character’s bedroom. Include three cherished items. He has a shoebox under his bed filled with romantic mementoes (like phone numbers scribbled on napkins and forgotten underpants) which he adds to frequently, a goldfish called Kevin who lives on his bedside table, and all the Desperate Housewives box sets (hidden in the bottom of his wardrobe).
What is this character’s birth date? 3rd June 1989.
If this character had to live in seclusion for six months, what six items would s/he bring? If you asked him, he would tell you “five girls and an 8th”, but in reality he really wouldn’t know what to do with five girls: he’d smoke the 8th, then sit in a corner and cry.
Why is this character angry? His 32-inch flat screen TV blew up and he can’t afford a new one.
What calms this character? Weed, and raspberry jelly.
Describe a recurring dream or nightmare this character might have. He has a nightmare where he is an ice-cream man in a world where everyone is fatally allergic to ice-cream.
List the choices (not circumstances) that led this character to his/her current predicament. He met Hattie at a party, and has been obsessing about her ever since.
List the circumstances over which this character has no control. He hopes his landlord won’t find out he has Kevin the goldfish living in his flat.
What wakes this character in the middle of the night? His next-door neighbours having extremely loud sexual intercourse to Barry White.
How would a stranger describe this character? Full of energy, looks younger than he is, outgoing and friendly.
What does this character resolve to do differently every morning? His hair, but he always ends up wearing his hat.
Who depends on this character? Why? His neighbour from across the hall, Dave, is always borrowing his milk. Simon is sceptical as to whether Dave ever actually buys any milk.
If this character knew s/he had exactly one month to live, what would s/he do? He’d like to think that he’d go clubbing every night to try and pick up as many girls as he can, but he’d probably spend most of it getting high in his room and watching nature documentaries.
How would a dear friend or relative describe this character? What is this character’s most noticeable physical attribute? His cheeky smile, which never leaves his face.
What is this character hiding from him/herself? He is secretly scared that he will never find the right girl to settle down with.
Write one additional thing about your character. His favourite animal is a shark.

Roles

Myself and Peter-sound 
Poppy-camera person
Ali-director
Jonny-producer
Hannah-ediitor

Drama Project-research

I have been listening to the sound of existing films of the similar genre of romance. I like the change of pace in this short film, how it slows down when he loses faith, and speeds, getting louder at the same time when things look like they are progressing for the character. There are some parts where it sounds almost like a skipping heartbeat, which is appropriate given the genre of it.

Drama-sound

In terms of sound for this project I would like to experiment quite a bit with different effects, for example creating a 'in the characters head' experience when we have the scene where Simon is daydreaming. Me and Peter have decided to both share the roles of capturing the sound and editing the sound as we believe this will develop our skills overall with sound more.

Drama-development

During the development of our storyline we considered the following points to get a more precise plan:

What is the reason for the character taking this journey?

What time of day would suit the storyline? Day, night, evening,

What weather would be aadd to the mood of the story?Sunny, rainy, stormy etc

How is the journey is linked to the character? There journey?

How long does the journey take to complete-minutes, hours, days, weeks?

How many characters will be introduced?

How much of the film will be narration/dialogue?

Drama Project - Initial Ideas

To begin the brainstorming process, we set up a Facebook group and posted some of our ideas to give each other feedback. .


Idea/Theme Brainstorm:

The brief for this project is to create a 5 minute film which conveys the notion of “JOURNEY”.

JOURNEY:

A travelling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time; trip
A distance, course, or area travelled or suitable for travelling
A period of travel
Passage or progress from one stage to another


Other themes/ideas linked to JOURNEY:

Kidnapping/abduction (being transported to another place)
Alien abduction
Abduction by psycho/sociopath
What appears to be kidnapping but is in fact totally innocent
Travelling, “gap years”
Emotional journeys
Loss of a loved one
Emotional changes through a relationship with another
Romantic relationship
Friendship
Family relationships (parents, siblings)
Acceptance of a life-changing event
Births, deaths, marriages etc
Journeys taken every day-To work, school, the supermarket
Detailed depiction of a seemingly simple journey
Life experiences
Stages in life
Life events
Moving house
Starting a new job
Starting school
Moving to university
Taking a familiar journey for the last time
Last day at work/school/university
Travelling somewhere new for the first time
A new experience

Our Documentary-brief overview of roles

Editing  Decisions:

Myself and Joe took on the role as editor. As it was heavily interview based we included a range of stills and created a couple of montage style moments as well as general cutaways to give the viewer a break from the talking.

We didn't want it to be as simple as having one solid block of interview shown for a long duration of time, on a specific question, so we decided to mix our interviewee's answers and block them together in terms of subject rather than the order of the people talking. We also wanted to hide the documentary makers presence by not including our director (Emma) asking the questions, and instead having the interviewee frame the question within their answer.

Most of the way through we used the music/soundtrack to fit around our footage clips, however during the montages we tried to edit them in sync with the beat of the Beatles music.

Camera Decisions:


Maz was our camera person, filming mainly with the aid of a tripod, but also handheld in some parts. She included many pans, location shooting, long takes, etc to conform to the conventions of typical documentaries

Sound Decisions:


Our sound person (Olivia) recorded the majority of our sound separately, mainly using a boom. We also got Joe's friend to perform their version of Beatles songs which we used as a soundtrack in some parts. We had some difficulty in lip syncing during the edit, this could have been prevented by making a distinct clap sound on both the camera and for recording the sound, this would then have enabled us to accurately match up the sound with the footage easier/quicker.

Producer/Director Decisions


Hannah our producer enabled everything ran smoothly on the day, and arranged the interviews in the Cavern Club.

Emma, our director had a very clear plan of what kind of structure she would like our documentary to follow, guiding us all throughout. She translated all the interviews into a script, and from this we were able to get a clearer structure.

'let it be' documentary-editing part 2

• • to add authenticity and provide further information we included many stills which the viewer may be unable to obtain themselves
    
    
    • we didnt want the pace of the edit to be too snappy/fast as generally documentaries of this type don't appear to race through information, we allowed it to have enough time on screen to sink into the audiences mind
    • we.
      
      
      during editing of the sound we cut out any unnecessary pauses between the interviewees answers, for example there were many 'umms' and 'errms' that werent necessary as we wanted them to seem as though they know what they were talking about 
      
      
      • when cutting the some of the pans we cut them in once they'd already started moving as we found this made the film look as if it flowed more from scene to scene, 

        it allows the motion to continue
      • and didnt let the audiences eye rest on the set/scene for too long

'Let it be' doc-mise-en-scene

the mise en scene was very important within our film as sertain streets, for example Matthew Street are associated with the Beatles as its where they use to perform. So it was important for us to revisit these locations to film in. We also included many props, for example the gift shop merchandise, this showed how the Beatles are still influenceing todays modern world


Realism:
to encode realism within our documentary, we interviewed real people (not actors) that had been experts within the field for many years, we also stuck with naturalistic lighting and avoided artificial sound (foley) 

'Let it be' documentary-Sound

we wanted to include non diegetic as well as diegetic sound in our project-got joes friend to record his acoustic versions of Beatles songs. using this as a soundtrack allowed us to bridge the gaps inbetween scenes, producing a more flowing film, as well as this its also very relevant to the topic

Documentary Editing

http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/documentary-editing-tips/

This link initially help me think about which road we wanted our documentary to go down...and how this can be accomplished in the edit.


We decided against having a narrator voiceover, and instead had interview sound bites, combined with cutaways to relevant images/footage, to tell the story.

Our aim has been to create a positive outlook on liverpool itself as well as the impact of the beatles

Some parts consist entirely as the interview used as a voiceover, combined with other footage  of beatles/liverpool related things...this was due to the fact watching an entire interview with one person for a long duration of time can get very dull, no matter how interesting the story.

Beatles Existing Documentary Short Analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhGLYgdDIMU

zooms out on black and white pictures of the Beatles

interview voiceover kicks in whilst still showing these pictures

picture of each of their faces cut to exact same position from picture to picture (so the eyes are in the same place), almost as if the face is simply changing

Simple 'the Beatles' writing zooms out from bottom of the screen so its readable

it didn't matter that the interview voiceover switched people as this was obvious due to the distinct difference in voices

music loud over pictures but fades quieter (or at times it stops completely) when the voiceover kicks in, then straight after the section of voiceover finishes, a new song kicks in, no pause in-between.

pictures cut to the beat of the song

Documentary Conventions

http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_13/section_5/artc1A.html

Beatles Research

http://www.liverpoolcityportal.co.uk/beatles/beatles_influences.html

^ this link allowed me to find out more about who the Beatles have influenced the most, and what other bands have been inspired by them. It also broadened my knowledge on the Beatles themselves and what inspired the themes within their music.

Synopsis of our documentary

One of the most iconic thing associated with Liverpool are the Beatles, it's something most people think of as soon as they think of Liverpool. They have had such a massive impact on the city, this is why we chose this for our topic, to learn how much of an influence they've had exactly on Liverpool. Before going to Liverpool we did our research on the city itself, to have a better idea of where interesting locations to film would be, such as Matthew Street and inside the Cavern Club. We also looked in depth into the Beatles, and I found the following link useful with this research:

http://www.beatlesstory.com/the-beatles/beatles-liverpool.html

final cut pro shortcuts:

a-arrow

b-blade

i-imput

o-output

p-pen (markers)

c-crop

z-zoom
cmd r-render
cmd j change speed

Post Production

During editing we speeded the majority of the footage up, however it's still feels 'juttery', this is due to there not been enough frames per second (which we could have resolved by taking more picture in less time at the stage of production), however I feel this works as in a lot of experimental films there is a lack of realism, so the fact it's obvious that it's stop motion photography doesn't matter as our aim wasn't to encode a high degree of realism.

Music for experimental

We chose the music ' Claire De Lune' by Claude Debussy as the main soundtrack for our experimental film as we believe this will help us to create the emotional connection that we want to associate with something that is otherwise purely just seen as a object-the teapot. It also adds to the traditional connotations of a teapot. I found the quote 'music isn't the notes, it's the space in-between the notes' (by the same music artist) inspiring, and this song is the perfect example of how the gaps in-between instrumental music can say so much and really trigger the listeners emotions.

We also used some more uplifting songs such as the very popular/familiar 'carousel' song, as we wanted the audience to go through an emotional journal, rather than been a purely sad emotion, especially with this been an experimental film, it adds a randomness to the video. It also works to our advantage as it fits with that part of the narrative.

Shooting Locations

outdoors:
cleethorpes- beach
scunthorpe- in the snow
sheffield- peace gardens


indoors:
set up studio in flats

Stop Motion Photography Film

http://photodoto.com/stop-motion-photography-to-inspire/

I watched the first stop motion video on this website, this was a lot smoother flowing than others i have watched, it was almost as if it was film and not photography. It took things that move in real life, such as traffic, running water, and used many frames per second to create movement. The colours are very bright and contrasting, almost creating a gaming world, as if the audience should be in control of whats happening within the scene.

Photos:

Reflections played a big part in our photographs, we tried to include the teapots reflections and shadows within the photo, as they express the 3D, and show different perspectives and ways of looking at the teapot, all within one single photo. 

We also experimented with depth of field (especially within the cleethorpes photos) to really focus on the main object within the scene...the teapot.

Stop Motion Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Et7UQh1tg&feature=player_embedded#!

I like the pace of the editing, as there is enough frames per second to give the appearance of fairly smooth movement, however you can still tell that it is stop motion rather than film footage, which look quirky.

I like how photos within the photos have been used to tell a story, and create a film. I also like the mise en scene surrounding the main object (the photos), featuring day to day objects such as a jug.

equipment we used in production:

Nikon SLR camera D3100
coloured filters
Tripod
dedo lights
Teapots as the main props

lenses used: 24mm tiltshift

16mm wide angle

180mm

Most of our shots were took in a naturalistic settings , however for the 'romantic' scenes we set up a studion using dedo lights, white sheets, etc.

Existing Experimental Film:

Wavelength

Directed by Michael Snow 

1967

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzPwuP6AmCk&feature=player_embedded

An important aspect within this film ‘Wavelength’ is the director’s choice of soundtrack. While the shrieking starts off quite quiet, and reminiscent almost of a kettle, as the film progresses the sounds get higher pitched and much louder, almost as if it wants to give the audience an ‘on edge’ feel, like they are waiting for something unexpected to happen, which is also exaggerated through the singular long shot of a room: it is as if the camera is placed there, waiting, for something or somebody to come into the room. The camera also gradual zooms up into the door, so much so that the audience forget what it was, as its appearance as a door is unrecognisable. In my opinion, it is a very jumpy film, which could either indicate unprofessionalism, or the director is trying to give the film and the feel of it, a certain ‘edge’. At various points there is also a 'scratched tape' effect, which is a common occurance among experimental films. The lighting changes the movie progresses through give it a time lapse feel, showing the passing of time, emphasising the long drawn out wait for something to happen.

Research

Book:

A.L. Reese - A history of experimental film and video

Experimental Film

common characteristics of experimental films:

radical filmmaking techniques
non diegetic (no storyline/linear structure)
blatant disregard for the cinematic status quo
random-doesn't necessarily make sense to the audience, however generally sticks to a theme
contrast within the image/sound
rules are made up by the filmmaker, don't conform to standard mainstream film conventions
rapid editing
minimal dialogue
choppy editing
irrational, non-contextual arrangement of images
out of focus
non diegetic/no music/instrumental

black and white/old fashioned looking
rhythmic-timing is important-sound fits in with image
repetitive
abstract shapes-also timed according to the music
mirrored images/shadows
very loud non diegetic sound e.g. annoying piano (sets the audience in a trance like state)
limited/no dialogue

Existing Experimental Film:

L'Age d'or is a collaborative film by Salvador Dali and Bunuel (1930).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbwv9ZXPEM&feature=player_embedded

This clip taken from the film, uses an interesting choice of camera angles. the first long shot appears at the beginning, and the camera almost closes in on the subject as the narrative progresses, of a young couple fooling around. It is obvious when this particular scene reaches its climax (no pun intended ) because the camera is extremely close up to the man and woman , as they caress each other, albeit in a strange and maybe unnatural way. This could possibly question what kind of acts and fetishes people are into behind closed doors or in private

Existing Experimental Films

Meshes of the Afternoon

Directed by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid 

1943

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGBFLPCaDE&feature=player_embedded  

On first viewing of this video, it is apparent that the director has been experimental with both subject matter and the way it is portrayed....the slight jagged nature of the camera hints that, unlike the carefully still hollywood cameras, this is possibly hand held adding to it  more natural movement to the action, like we are viewing through our own eyes and that we are moving along with the woman. The repetition of images is particularly interesting... creating almost a loop to the video, which at first is not apparent. It is not clear why this happens, but to me, it is an act against the conformity of structured Hollywood films, and it also gives it an eerie gloomy feel, portraying that the subject matter may possibly be losing their mind, while we too, begin to question our sanity as we are forced with image upon image which is the same.

Creating sound

Garageband

movie ---> create

 software instrument

window ---> keyboard

sound effects possibly suitable for our experimental film:

synth pads- angelic organ 

                       aquatic sunbeam

the idea was to create a kind of 'controlled accident' in terms of the location of the teapot, we wanted to make the audience become a active viewer by creating a rather weird movie that would make the audience question why a teapot would be in such locations and what this could possibly signify. Our aim was to have a rather spontaneous feel to the video, with no set linear structure and little focus on continuity. We juxtaposed long shots of the teapot in a location, with close up shots of the same location to show different perspectives

Ideas Developed:

zoom up on parts of the mise en scene up to the point of them becoming grainy, blurs of colour or blobs of light?
negitive images?
under/over exposure photos
extreme tilts of the camera
rapid camera movemnts=blur

Stop Motion Videos

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/31/50-incredible-stop-motion-videos/

We have decided to use stop motion photography to create a film. We plan on taking an object, such as a teapot and moving it slightly between individuall y photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. There were plenty of stop motion videos on the website above that inspired me.

Initial idea

Our original idea was to base our experimental film around the poem 'if' by Rudyard Kipling. We were going to use contrasting footage combined with narration of the poem's words. However we decided against this due to the lack of a strong direction this would take us in. We would also be required to have a much deeper understanding of the poem.