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.

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.

analysis/Inspiration

After listening once again to many of the folk records I grew up on, I can hear many element in them that create a sense of space.

Here is an example of one I found particularly effective, "'Ouses, 'Ouses. 'Ouses" by the imagined village.


The way in which the song is composed is very interesting in terms of a sense of space. The beginning is very quiet, the accent and the words of the narrator giving it context. We know where and when the story is coming from. The fact that it is at the beginning a single voice and quite quite gives the connotations of peace, which then translates to the picture of the ares that the song is painting. We are hearing about a time long ago, devoid of the modern noises, vast open spaces of natural beauty and peace, this is anchored by the very faint and calm strings.
As we get more and more into the story, and it gets further int the future, the music gets louder and louder which denoting the movement from old to new, as the land becomes more industrialised and busier in terms of people and noise. The fact however that the music is still acoustic and pure at this point, show that it was still a peaceful empty place of farm. This then creates the sense of being in the country side sparingly touched by human hands, only where necessary.
This however changes in the next part of the song. Where there is an introduction of more modern and industrial music and sounds. The use of music is very interesting, we have gone from the organic strings and pure voices to a heavier beat driven piece. This more electronic and processed sound reflects the words. The sense of how this place has changed and indeed how it has changed. It has gone from an empty, beautiful land into an industrialised, busy town. This is reflected both in the crescendo of the song and the more modern music used. There is a sense of how the area had been disturbed by this. This is further enforced by the use of sound effects such as a police siren, shouting and helicopter blades. There is now a very different sense of space from the beginning of the song. The composition here paint a busy, dangerous place full of people and noise. It also hints at what the area is like, it in probably troubled due to the sound of sirens and helicopter blades, that linking into the siren could be seen as a police helicopter.
So then, in terms of a sense of space, The Imagined Village's "'Ouses, 'Ouses, 'Ouses" paints an effective portrait of one spaces change through the years.