I've finished the initial stage of my film's opening sequence and have now shifted my attention to a profound introspection of its creation. This thorough contemplation incorporates comprehensive insights into every aspect of the production, including the different processes necessary to manifest the film's vision. From originating the idea to executing the finished product, I've invested myself wholeheartedly into crafting a thought-provoking storyline. Having concluded this reflective evaluation, I sincerely believe that both it and the opening sequence in question will positively impact those who view it.
This is the final result - the culmination of our efforts in creating this film. Through hard work, dedication, and teamwork, we've finally produced a product that we're proud to call our own. It's been an incredible journey filled with ups and downs, but we've pushed through to create something truly special. As a team, we've worked tirelessly to not only make sure the film was visually stunning, but to also ensure that the actors gave their all in their performances. The editing process was crucial in bringing out the best in the actors and creating a cohesive story. Each member of the team played a vital role in bringing the film to life. From the storyboard artist, the scriptwriter, the cinematographer, and the audio mixer, everyone worked together to create a film that would captivate audiences and leave them wanting more.
My team presented our first draft, and we were told to improve the following items:
- Fix the audio mixing - Add a voice over - Add in more footage - Add sound effects - remove end credits - make film longer - fix volume issuesMy team and I set out to tackle the various issues with the film that we identified during review. The first issue on our list was audio mixing, which we addressed by ensuring the background music did not overpower the actors' dialogue. We also added a voice over to the film to provide necessary context for the viewer and enhance overall quality. To make the film longer, we shot more footage to fully tell the story, ensuring that the audience had enough time to develop a connection to the characters. We also added sound effects to streamline the audio mix and enhance the flow of the story. To also further improve the quality of the film, we removed the end credits, preventing any distractions for the viewer. We also focused on fixing any remaining volume issues that could affect accessibility.
Filming was an enjoyable experience, but it came with challenges. In class, we often had to discuss the details of what we wanted to accomplish, which took up precious time that we could have used for filming. Despite occasional conflicts between our ideas, we always managed to come up with solutions that everyone agreed upon. Our team consisted of a Storyboard Artist, a Planner, and a Filmer, and everyone worked together to ensure the final product met our expectations. While I took care of most of the editing, one of my teammates added music and sound effects to the opening to match the desired theme and genre.
Sound in film is an important part of film-making that promotes to creating an engaging and immersive sensory experience of the audience. It doesn't only enhance the storytelling by providing an emotional grasp and overtone to the dialogue, but also supports the genre, setting, and characters of a movie by creating a specific mood or atmosphere. Sound has the potential to keep viewers fully engaged by manipulating their emotions and maintaining their interest in the story. Overall, Sound plays a critical role in the overall quality and impact of a movie.
Word
Meaning and
example
Sound in film
Audio in the
film
Ex: Background
music
Sound engineer
Audio
professionals who choose or create music, dialogue, and sound effects.
Ex: Andy Nelson
Soundtrack
A selection of sounds
chosen to be featured in a film.
Ex: The Pulp Fiction soundtrack features Samuel
L.Jackson's famous “Ezekiel 25:17” monologue.
Score
Original music
made for a film.
Ex: “Do you want
to build a snowman”, from Frozen.
Incidental Music
Music without
lyrics that connects with the audience creating a sense of suspense or
emotion.
Ex: Sound in a
horror movie creating suspense or unease.
Theme music
A musical composition which is often written
specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films.
Ex: Teen titans go! Intro song from teen
titans go.
Sound effects
A sound recorded and presented to make a
specific storytelling or creative point without the use of dialogue or music.
Ex: Bat shrieking.
Dialogue
A written or spoken
exchange of words between two or more characters.
Ex: “Hello”
Ambient Sound
The background
or surrounding noise present in a scene or
location.
Ex: rain
Voiceover
The non-diegetic
use of a character or omnipresent narrator talking over the visuals of a film
or television show.
Footsteps, creaky
floors, creaky doors, bushes moving in the wind, leaves brushing against the
window, loud noises, heavy breathing, laughing, slashing sounds, and screams
Dialogue
“Run!” “Let’s
get out of here!” “You go first.” “I’m not doing that.” “Don’t just stand
there, run!”
Basketball hitting the ground, the buzzer,
running, panting, someone drinking water, the crowd cheering, the coach
yelling, the ball hitting the backboard, the ball going through the hoop, and
the ball hitting the rim
Dialogue
“Pass it!” “Get the ball!” “You suck!” “Defense!”
“Shoot!” “Out of bounds.”
Cars, bikes,
bike bells, car horns, people greeting each other, birds chirping, dogs
barking, children playing, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, garbage trucks,
construction work, airplanes, garages opening and closing.
Dialogue
“Did you hear
that?” “I don’t feel safe here.” “I’m going to check the basement.” “I’m
calling the police.”
“Help!” “What
was that?” “Did you hear that?” “Somebody help me,
please!”
Reflection
Despite the assumption that sound is merely a tool used for aesthetic enhancement, the reality is that it plays a much deeper role in film-making. Researching the use of film allowed me and my team to learn that it greatly impacts the audiences engagement with the film. The importance of sound, particularly in terms of audience engagement, was reiterated when my team divided the work to produce our own projects. This allowed each team member to contribute their unique skill set to the project. To complete out respective assignments, we referred to various sources, from soundtrack to dialogue. Using this approach, We were abled to mingle lines and sound effects from a fast and furious movie, while one of my teammates drew from an old thriller. we all worked collaboratively to put together a strong assignment. Despite the challenges, we believe that we did a great job.
cite
Gula, D. (2023) Sound effect techniques and Pro-Tips, StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/film-sound-effect-techniques/ (Accessed: 03 April 2024).
In this assignment I had to complete my story board assignment by producing 6 videos. I was an the actor/subject in the shots and i used my laptop and mouse as a props for one of the shots. Me and my teammates agreed to using static, tracking and zooming because it seemed easier for us to manage unlink other options like a boom shot or arc shot. Those shots would have required something similar to a crane or jib which my team don't have access to while the latter had been more difficult form my name since its more challenging to pull off. Random movement, trucking, and push in were added options for something more fun and interesting.
I discovered that camerawork is not simple and is quite difficult when it comes to figuring out the necessary shots and angles. One of my teammates handled drawing the storyboard and creating the YouTube videos/links, but we ran into a slight issue so I had to handle that issue. I was the actor in the shots taken while my other teammate was the cameraman. The cameraman had found it difficult to hold the camera steady when we took the static shot, especially since we don't have a tripod for the footage. We all worked together with research on camera movement and communicated about we can and can't do while making changes to our storyboard to compensate for what we can't do. In all, we believe we did a decent job as a team despite the challenges we faced in the process.
The goal of this project is to develop a storyboard that depicts the camera's movement across a scene. The storyboard should be utilized to assist picture the camera's movement and location regarding to the characters, as well as to assist the director and crew decide what to film. As part of the storyboarding process, research is essential to learn about camera motions and their effects, alongside the use of various sorts of shots and the team's roles and responsibilities. The resources required to perform the job can consist of cameras, lighting equipment, and more filmmaking gear. A storyboard is vital because it gives for a clear knowledge of the desired visual style while ensuring that everyone engaged in the production understands the camera movement and how it affects the overall plot.
Reflection
I learnt that storyboarding is an important element of the filmmaking process since it assists directors and other crew members to envisage a scene before shooting it. It can also help camera operators, actors, and other personnel comprehend the camera's intended movement and the arrangement of materials in a scene. The next step is to include the storyboard into an actual production, so it can serve as a reference for the workers on set and as a planner for the director. The director can revise the storyboard as necessary and utilize it to convey their ideas to others on the team.
Cite
Bedrina, O. (2022) What is a storyboard and how can you make one for your video?, Wave.video Blog: Latest Video Marketing Tips & News. Available at: https://wave.video/blog/what-is-a-storyboard/ (Accessed: 12 February 2024).
