list of sounds

All sounds were created by us unless otherwise stated. numbers refer to the track number on the maranz
69 Kettle boiling
70 Making cup of tea (pouring and stirring)
71 Toaster (hum and pop)
72 Microwave
73 Chopping
74 Putting plates down on hard surface
75 Wine bottle being shaken
76 Wine bottle pouring
77 Glasses clinking
78 Cutlery scraping on plates
79 Glass bottle crashing into bin
80 Banging saucepans
81 Small water splashes
82 Washing dishes
83 Pages rustling
84 Lighter clicking
85 Sucking on bottle
86 Mother cooing
88 Times tables
89 Playground rhymes
90 Giggling
91 Pen clicking
92 “Oi, my mate fancies you!”
93 Whispering voices
94 Peck on the cheek
95 “Let me refer you to my manager”
96 Footsteps
97 Sigh
98 Dropping change
99 Dropping bag of change
100 Drunken shouting
101 “Oi, get your tits out love”
102 “We like to drink with Abi...”
103 Laughing with friend
104 Breathing
105 Coughing
106 Dropping boxes
107 Squeaky bed
108 Typing and clicking
109 Alarm Clock
110 Shower
111 Shouting up stairs and hoover
Sounds sourced from the internet.
Ticking Clock-Sound Jay.com
Car interior-Sound Jay.com
Club Music-breezy street by Composed by:Scott P. Schreer, BMI (33%), Ernie Lake, BMI (34%), Adam Kapit, BMI (33%)
Published by: Freeplaymusic, BMI (33%), Songs of 912 Music, BMI (34%), Main Lane Music Publishing, BMI (33%)

Sense of space evaluation

The first section of this piece introduces the character to the audience. We wanted to show a very generic set of facts that would be found on a birth certificate. This has two purposes, firstly it introduces the character. It shows the listener who she is, it is, in essence, an establishing shot. Secondly in terms of a ‘sense of space’ it is the ‘top layer s to speak. These facts form images in the audience’s mind, which are backed up by the layers of sound.

When it comes to the sounds that are in this section, we aimed to show many of the sounds that are associated with babies. So, we have the sucking on a bottle, a cooing mother, the splashing of bath water e.t.c. This creates another layer of the ‘sense of space’, building on the spoken word. However we wanted to go deeper than this and create a sense of space inside Abby’s head, in other words, show what she remembers from these years in her life, making it more related specifically to her not just any baby. This is why we included the bangs and crashes when her Father’s profession is mentioned. They show the sounds of the shipyard, and therefore the industrial area she comes from and a sound she would associate with her early years. It also further introduces the character as it shows her background. From this we can assume she is working class and lives close to the shipyards, having heard these sounds and associating them with her child hood. We are creating these ‘memories’ for her which in turn adds to the sense of space.

The atmos in this section is from a hospital, or rather it is a train station pretending to be a hospital. As it was logistically difficult to get a hospital we decided that the train station would be a suitable substitute. There is the bustle of people in the same echoey environment and the squeaks of trolleys and cases are playing the parts of moveable beds with wheels in need of some WD-40.

The next section represents Abby’s childhood. Again we wanted the audience to relate to it so we used the idea of a primary school assignment and wrote it in the style of how a young child would write. This gives context to the section, placing it with in this era of Abby’s life. It also universally resonates with any audience member who has been through primary and will have had to do this kind of writing. The one thing I think I wasn’t happy about with this section was the voice, I think that we should have somehow got an actual child to read it and failing that used the EQ to make it sound more immature.

To give this section a sense of space, we used sounds that can be associated with primary school. So on one level we have more spoken word in the background, the resciting of times tables and playground rhymes the feature of any primary school. Then under this we have the noises of school. The hurried scratching of pencil on paper by enthusiastic pupils, the scratching of cutlery on canteen plates. This all adds to the idea that the listener is there, by using these sounds they remember from child hood.

Then gluing this all together we have the underlying atmos track, of canteen or classroom. While we were recording in the winter gardens we cam across a school trip eating their lunch. Recording them gave us this layer of sound of exited, chattering children that we needed to complete this section.

We then reach adolescence. For this again we have gone with the ‘typical’. Using a teenager’s diary entry to show this part of her life. Again spoken word sets the context. The gushing diary entry of a teenage girl who is hopelessly besotted.

The sound effects here reflect what is happening or has happened during the day. Abby is replaying the day’s events as she writes them . This firstly anchors what is being said. Secondly it helps to create the idea of being inside someone’s thoughts, being able to hear their thought process.

The atmos here, the continuous scratching of pen created the sense of being there with Abby we are almost spying on her. Also the idea that this is all she can hear further shows the adolescent mind she is solely focussed on this one thing. Stressing and worrying about it and far too busy to be concerned about anything else going on around.

Now we have the young Adult Hood. We have used a C.V because one of the things that makes this era stand out to people in going onto their first proper full time job. And again the spoken word places it in context.

The sound effects here have a slightly different role. Some of them contradict the C.V or at least give it a slightly different spin. We did this because apart from adding an element of comedy it also shows what this period of life is like. There are to sides to people generally. There is the serious one, the professional who wants a job. But then there is the fun lover, after a good time. This will resonate with the audience and also help them engage through it’s comic value.

The underlying atmos track here is typing. This shows the idea of growing up and becoming more professional as it id a parallel for the scratching pen of the previous section. So now we are progressing through Abby’s life.

The penultimate section is Middle age. Here we wanted to create a sense of drudgery so we have gone for a to do list. This has a couple if uses. It obviously shows this monotony. It gives away a lot about Abby’s life. It shows she has children, it shows she is a house wife.

The sound effects here are creating the space around Abby, again we hear what she hears, which help to create the sense of space inside her head and of her life.

The underlying track, the ticking clock, really anchors this idea of monotony, it relentless ticking shows the continuous overturn of these things Abby has to do in her daily life.

The final section is old age. Here we have decided to make it more sombre slowing the pace. It is our intention to take a more serious tone. The will here is to really extenuate the idea of creating an idea of being aware of your own mortality.

The sense of space in with in Abby’s home. So we have her pacing back and forth and making tea. The background is silent apart from this. This is intentional as we thought that this should be quiet part of the piece. Everything in her life has slowed down. There is not the same hustle and bustle around her as there was. She has become more solitary.

To conclude, I think that all in all, this project has been successful, we have met the brief and have made a project that has a real sense of space. I feel now that Abby is a real person not just a figment of our imagination, We have spent such time and consideration mapping her life that she seems real. I think this is a sign that this project has bee successful.

the way of the Morris

Although it’s not relevant to the current sound project I
wanted to mention a documentary I saw at the weekend. Named ‘the way of the Morris’
it is the story of Adderbury Village Morris men told by filmmaker Tim Plester,
a native of the village.
The documentary was incredibly well made in my view. It
clever in its story telling, telling three stories at once. The story of the
side before and after the Great War and how it was torn apart. The story of it’s
revival in the 1970s and the story of Plester himself and his journey into the
world of Morris which runs in his veins. The narrative in the film was both touching
and informative. I found in interesting that the view the film took was one of
fondness when it could so easily have been mocking. Yes it does make jokes, but
Morris doesn’t take itself to seriously anyway. How could it, its grown men
dancing around with bells on their knees.
The way it is shot is also interesting from a production
point of view. It is, to my mind at least shot in a very beautiful and
interesting manner. There are segments
of the film which almost feel dream like, they are surreal and this is where
the narration veers off into the history or some explanation of Morris. These
scenes have a mystical quality, the light is dawn and dusk and gives an
incredibly beautiful hue to the shot and it anchors the meanings of the
narration talking about the strange and distant origins of Morris dancing.
I think that when looking for inspiration and influence in any
kind of film making, not just documentary this film is a great go to. It is a
very powerful film that is a refreshing look at Morris dancing…even if they are
a ring side.

WAY'>http://vimeo.com/20522692">WAY OF THE MORRIS: Official Trailer 2 (HD) from Way'>http://vimeo.com/wayofthemorris">Way Of The Morris on

Reflection 'Film Art, An Introduction's article on experimental film

This article lays out what an experimental film is. As a newcomer to this genre, having touched on it fleetingly in Media studies at school, it is incredibly useful in understanding what experimental filmmaking is. It gives a window into what is expected when asked to make an experimental film.
The article seems to say that ‘experimental film’ is a very loose category and one film might not be recognisably similar to another that also carries the label of experimental. An experimental film ‘challenge orthodox notions of what a movie can show and how it can show it.’ In other words an experimental film looks at the world at a slightly different angle. See something that the conventional film makers might be blind to. Due to this idea portrayed in the article it has shown me than in order to create an experimental film that is effective it is necessary to show things in a way which might not be conceived as normal.
So why make these films? According to this article it is in short to experiment. The Filmmakers may be tired with the convention that they are ‘supposed’ to work with. Some might want to experiment with the medium of film with out having to tell a story. The impression this article gives, in my view anyway is that Experimental film pushes the boundaries of the artistic element of filmmaking. To be able to utilise the form and play on fewer elements in order to really create an artistic peace rather than a narrative told through moving images.
There are other reasons for experimental film however. One may wish to convey a personal experience, a mood or physical quality. The filmmaker may not wish to tell a story in the normal manner of a beginning middle and end. They may want to simply express a view point on a certain subject, without being constricted by narrative conventions. The article effectively conveys the how and the why of experimental film, which is instrumental in understanding the form.
The article them moves on to case studies of ‘Ballet mecanique’ and ‘A movie’. In doing the elements that have been previously discussed are shown in terms of the films they describe. This gives context to both the films, due to the introduction, and to the form in the readers mind as it relates the concepts to texts. Also by choosing one film from the school of ‘the abstract form’ and one from ‘the associational form’ , ‘Ballet mecanique’ and ‘A movie’ respectively it gives a broader context to the varying styles of experimental film. As it is such a wide bracket taking a film or films from only one category would diminish the effectiveness and educational value of this article. Therefore the article because of its broad spectrum is integral to its effectiveness, in telling the story of experimental film.
In conclusion, to my mind at least, this article is great for introducing a new comer to the art o experimental film. It sets up what is expected of a filmmaker who sets out to make an experimental film. Also in the context of this brief, it is incredibly useful for this reason.

Rough cut sound

Rough cut.
So today we completed a rough cut of our sense of space
audio project.
As on overall view, we are definitely heading in appositive direction.
The plans that we have made are materialising as we hoped in Sound cut pro.
The time ad effort that went into recording the sounds had paid
off, as we have an extensive library into which we can dip to find the right
sound effect for the moment. Therefore we are not struggling when it comes to
creating a decent amount of sound in the project.
So far the successes I think are a strong idea first and foremost.
I think that due to this it has made editing a whole lot easier. The planning
that we did, writing the script and making lists of the sounds we would need to
go along with these has meant that putting everything together has been not straightforward
exactly but easier as we have planned it intensively.
I think the edit so far in terms of a sense of space is
still lacking. It does feel a little empty at this point. There are the sound
effects to back up what is being said but it is not giving a ‘sense’ of the
space in side Abby’s mind or the places she has been in her life. There is
still too much silence, it’s too thin. It
is important that we put in more Atmos. So far we only have two layers of
sound; spoke word and the sound effect to match what being said. I think we
need to put in a lot more, adding layers making a more complex layering of
sounds. This will create a bigger and broader sense of the six different spaces
we are trying to create.
It also needs to be more concise, there is a treat that it
could become very messy. I think one of the major challenges in the final edit
will be creating the fine balance between having a deep complex and effective
use of sounds and just a mess of noise and speech with no definable structure.
I think one way we can go about this is by having one ‘base’
sound for easy scene, which will ground the whole thing. It’ll help tell the
little story of each part and as a whole it will give the piece a greater
ambiance.
The piece is the right length and I feel it is divided in a
way that fits the theme. It is divided into sections, in away in which a life
span is. This then reflects the sense that we want to create. This sense is the
idea of a passing life, told in memories. So we have the sense of being inside someone’s
head, inside their memories. Then we have the little spaces we are trying to
create within the mind, the little memories, so they have atmosphere and
meaning.

Final Plans

Righ so our final plan looks like this at the moment.

A sense of Space inside someones head, and within that six individual scenes that are spaces of where the charater had been in their life.

So the character is names Abigail Morwenna Jackson.

The idea is for each scene to be around 30 seconds long, and there will be six to make up the three minutes. Each will be a spoken voice clip but around this will be different sound effects in order to anchor what is being said and create the atmosphere. i am taking charge of writing the first three sections.

The first clip will be from her as a baby.

Alist of facts that would be o a birth certificate, around this will be the sounds associated with a baby, the splashing a water ina bath, the sucking on a bottle, a mother cooing etc.

The second will be from her childhood. The spoken word will be an assignment typical from primary school. 'What I like about school' that kind of thing. around this will be the sounds of school, times tables, school bells, playground rhymes etc.

The third, will be from adolesccence. This will be a diary entry from Abby, where in she'll be smitten with an unnamed boy in her class. This again will be surrounded by several different sounf effects in order to create the sense of space.

Evaluation of shoot

So today Alli and myself recorded the sound for our project.
We began at about 10.30, and started by recording the spoken word parts of the script. We decided to do this in the kitchen of Alli's flat as it was the quietest and most suitable place for it. The only thing that causes problems here was the fact that the fridge made a buzzing sound. Next time we will have to record some where completely silent, maybe the performance space at SIF. We recorded each piece twice to make sure we are fully covered for the edit. most of the pieces were not either over or above the 30s target, this is as learning curve as we now know how important rehearsals are for making sure everything is on time.
We moved on them to our list of sound effects to record. The list is extensive but because we had listed all of them on a checklist and had colour coded them or where we should record them it meant that everything ran smoothly. There was no running to and fro or faffing around looking for props or going back because we had forgotten to record something.
I feel we worked well as a team, we both took an even share of the recording and actually making the sounds. This was a good way to work as it meant we both have equal input and get equal experience in the field. It also contributed to how smoothly it went. The organisation was key and although there are still things I have learned from this shoot, it did for the most part go exactly according to plan. This for me them has proved what I already know, which is that planning is key.

Mind Maps

Having finally worked out how to use my scanner, i can now post the mindmaps that we did as part of our planning

Half a script

So here is the first half of the script for the sense of space ptoject, Alli is qriting the other half.


Baby:
Abigail Morwenna Jackson.
Born: 19th December 1960 at three in the afternoon in St Mary’s Hospital. (Baby Crying)
Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz (Sucking on a bottle)
Mother: Jenny Jackson, Bank cleric (mother cooing)
Father: John Jackson, Welder at John Brown’s Shipyard on the
river Clyde. (bangs and crashes)

Childhood:

My school by Abby Jackson aged 9
My school is a big school. It is tall and old. (School bell)There are two
doors because in Victorian times boys and girls had to go in separately. (times tables recited) My
favourite class is English, we write lots of stories, I like to write about horses.
My favourite part of the day is lunchtime, (cutlery scraping on plates) we get to play in the playground,(playground rhymes) and
I like the skipping ropes. My favourite food to have is the chocolate sponge
with custard it is yummy, but the dinner lady is scary. I don’t like the vegetable
we have they are all mushy.

Teenage:

Dear Diary, (scratching of a pen)
He looked at me today. His eyes are so blue and his hair, oh
my god his hair. Any way we were in Maths and he didn’t have a pen, and I
offered him one.(Clicking of a pen) He looked me right in the eyes and smiled!(giggling) Then he touched my
hand! But jeez I was so embarrassed, at break, Caitlin decided to shout across
the canteen that I fancied him, (shouting, 'oi my mate facies you) I could’ve died like seriously she’s a bitch. I
wish the ground had swallowed me up, he even looked over and all his mates
started giggling, (whispers and giggling) like seriously my life is over!

H2G2

The first port of call for me in the research for this project is the radio shows of BBC 4, and in particular 'The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy' (H2G2).
The Brief, creating a sense of space is integral to this series so it only, makes sense to look at it for inspiration. To its creator Douglas Adams, the sound of H2G2 was incredibly important and due to this it was revolutionary in its use of sound. It was vital that these imaginary and distant lands would come to life in the minds of the listeners. This task fell to the BBC radio phonic workshop. Douglas Adams had created a world that was so detailed and far fetched, therefore the sound had to support this and anchor it to reality, as in radio drama sound is all there is to make the audience believe this world could exist and therefore truly engage with the story. The impact of sound is incredible if the series had been without the effects only the spoken words, the world Adams created would not have come to life the way it does and would not resonate with the audience.
The sound created a ‘sense of space’ sets the scene as scenery would in a theatre or set design would in a TV show or film. The task the radio phonic workshop had to face was a tough one. They had to realise the sound of a spaceship driven by the improbability drive. . This is where the sound is perhaps most effective. In the first series, the main characters Arthur and Ford are picked up in the crucial 30s window where they can survive in open space by the heat of gold, a ship driven by the improbability drive. They are placed in the ship’s hold that, because of the improbability drive is morphed into several different things including an infinite number of monkeys who have worked out a script for Hamlet. The BBC radio phonic workshop had to create this scene. It is in my view a great use of sound effects in order to create a scene by using everyday sounds and recordings. For example, the infinite number of monkeys , taking a recording of monkeys and manipulating it to make it seem distant and never ending but still making it sound recognisable and not just duplicating the sound a million times which would have resulted in a mass of noise. Another example of this is the sound of a million robot singing share and enjoy. This could have sounded like rubbish had they simply duplicated one robotic voice a million times but they found a way to create the effect but still make it clear and understandable, and still sound like a huge, million strong choir of robots.
Back in the Ship’s hold there is a visulisation of southend, naturally the sound at this point is of the sea but it has still been manipulated to sound otherworldly. Similarly with the voices, they are processed to show what has happened to the characters. For example when Ford unexpectedly turns into a penguin, the pitch of his voice is heightened which instantly makes the scene more believable. This is carried on throughout the series, space ports, alien planets, aliens, spaceships and characters are brought to life through the use of sound. Therefore the series is an incredibly useful for looking to in terms of inspiration for a sense of space