Preliminary Exercise 13: Introduction to Sound in Film (Be a Sound Engineer)

 Introduction

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. Ex: “I’m Spider-Man.” - Spider-Man (2002)

A Cabin/The Woods (Horror)
Music	Creepy, slow, distorted, unnerving, suspenseful, shocking
	“Right Behind You” by David Robson “Monster In The Field” by David Fesliyan
Sound Effects	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 Game (Teen Drama)
Music	Upbeat, groovy, intense, dramatic, dynamic, fast-paced
	“Survivor” by Destiny’s Child
Sound Effects	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.”

Urban City Scene (Thriller)
Music	Slow-paced, intense, loud, dramatic, suspenseful, mysterious
	“I’m Not What I Thought” by Darren Curtis
Sound Effects	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.”

Car Chase (Action)
Music	Fast-paced, energetic, loud, sudden, dramatic, chaotic
	“BT- Chase Through Los Angeles” from The Fast and The Furious
Sound Effects	Crash, slam, brake screech, tire screech, exhaust, car revving, acceleration, vroom sound, door slam, and windshield breaking
Dialogue	“Look out!” “Coming through!” “Looks like my fuel line’s been shot.” “I’m out of this race,”

Haunted House (Horror)
Music	Eerie, creepy, scary, slow, quiet, high-pitched
	“Lurking in the Shadows” by Pianogeist
Sound Effects	Creaks, wind, falling noises, ghost noises, screams, rustling, footsteps, tapping sounds, knocking, and stair creaking
Dialogue	“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).

Preliminary Exercise 12: Camera Movement Videos

 Introduction

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.

Videos

Video#1: Zoom in

Action Line: Person typing on computer

Shot size: Canted shot

Camera angle: shoulder level

Framing: One shot

Composition: Focus

Tone: Casual

Video #2: Push In

Action line: Camera zooms in on a board

Shot size: Establishing shot

Camera angle: Low angle

Framing: Insert shot

Composition: Shallow focus

Tone: Casual

Video #3: Static

Action line: Someone standing

Shot size: Master shot

Camera angle: Shoulder level

Framing: One shot

Composition: Shallow focus

Tone: Casual

Video #4: Tracking

Action line: Person walking to a car

Shot size: Wide shot

Camera angle: Knee level

Framing: One shot

Composition: Rule of thirds

Tone: Serious

Video #5: Random movement 

Action line: Clock ticking

Shot size: Close up

Camera angle: Canted

Framing: One shot

Composition: Shallow focus

Tone: Energetic

Video #4: Trucking

https://youtu.be/4lOeh1NFaZA?si=5wnhYl5DxkBaRuA

Action line: Person opening a door

Shot size: Medium close up

Camera angle: Shoulder level

Framing: One shot

Composition: Shallow focus

Tone: Serious

Reflection

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.

Preliminary Exercise 11: Camera Movement Storyboard

 Introduction

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).