Cloudy with chance of meatballs – reflection

Planning: (Complete before starting work)

To make the sounds for the video clip we as a group will need to decide what sounds we will want to make and how to make them. To do this we will need to watch through the silenced video clip and create a cue sheet to know what sounds we want and when to make them. Once we have done that we need to know how to use the equipment that we will be using, to do this we will research information about it all and get to know it before starting to record.

To be able to finish this task we will need to make sure that everyone knows who is who and what they are saying when recording, also what sounds thy will be making when for it to be in sync with the video, when doing this we will need to make sure we have all the equipment we are going to use when making the sounds. We will need to make sure we have all the recording equipment and make sure its set up properly to actually record the audio and sounds. We will then need to make sure we know how to use audition properly and well enough to edit the audio and sound see have for it and to make sure it is all in sync with the video clip. To make sure I know how to use the software I will need to research and find information about how to use it and how to edit audio properly.

Research & Experimentation:

Before starting to record this we need to research different audio terminology so we know what the different parts are called, the different types of microphones and the different equipment we will be using. We will also need to find what things we will be using for the different sounds we want to make throughout the video clip.

By doing this research it will make it easier when we are recording the audio and sounds and then when I come to edit the whole thing.

Production:

Recording
Whilst recording the audio for this video clip we had to make sure we knew what bit we were each saying and when to say it. We came across a few different problems whilst doing this, for example some of us couldn’t say some of the words we needed to. To over come this problem we just had to practise what we were saying before we actually recorded it so when we came to recording we could say it all properly. We then had trouble syncing the audio up with the video clip. To fix this we had to practise when we were saying it to make sure it was all in sync, then if it still wasn’t perfectly in sync we had to move it a little bit when we were editing the whole thing.

Editing
When I came to editing the audio for this there was no sound and couldn’t hear anything. To fix this I needed to g back into the recording studio to get all of the folders I needed to hear the audio and copy it onto my memory stick so I could edit it. To make sure this doesn’t happen gain I will make sure the I copy all of the folders properly before I leave the studio and before I start editing it all. I also had a problem where some of the sounds we had created was too loud and it became overpowering to the rest of it. To solve this I had tried to turn the sound down on it but then I had turned it too low and couldn’t get it back again. To fix this I was just pressing the wrong thing and had to go somewhere else on the programme to turn it up so I could actually hear it again.

When I had finished editing everything on it I had to export it and import it onto premier so the audio is all on one track, could put the video clip over the top of the audio and is then easier to upload it onto YouTube.

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Reflection:

Overall I am happy with how this turned out however there are a few things I could’ve changed. For example at the end when Flin said it finally works, the works bit goes on for longer than what I made it do, so to change this I could’ve made it do that on my edit to make it sound better over all. Also times the audio cane a little bit quite and harder to hear, to fix this I could’ve turned up the volume to make it easier to hear all the way through. I feel like I could’ve added more sound effects over the top of the audio to make it more effective and to cover all of the sounds being seen in the video, to do this I could’ve either made the sounds ourselves or gone onto a website and downloaded a sound to cover it. However I am still happy with the out come as I haven’t done anything like that before so it was all new to me, so considering it was my first time I’m happy with how I edited it all and how I put it all together.

Once I had finished editing all of it and finished putting it all together I needed to export it from premier to upload it too YouTube, to export it from there I need to change the format to say H.264, change the name of it and save it somewhere I’ll know where it is. When I had done that I could upload it to YouTube to then share on WordPress.

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Cloudy with chance of meatballs cue sheet

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Film audio research

Watching the videos about Foley and sound effects, answer the following questions.

What is production sound?
This is a location sound recordist, location sound engineer. Or it is the member of a film crew or tv crew responsible for recording all sound on set during the filmmaking or tv production using professional audio equipment.

What is Ambience?
Ambience is the background sound which are shown in a scene or location. For example common nosies are, wind, water, crowds.

What are Library effects?
Prerecorded sound effects which can be made commercially or wild. They can be dangerous and expensive to make or get, for example gun shots, glass shattering.

What is Foley?
The production to make sound effects to put into a film for example, footsteps, cloth, props

What is it for?
Foley is used to make everyday sound effects which are then added to a film, video and other media to enhance audio quality. This can be used to make any kind of sounds needed.

Why do film makers use sound effects?
People use sound effects to add a mood or atmosphere to a film by creating a soundscape that adds another layer of meaning to the images on screen.

Why is it called Foley?
It is called Foley because it came from someone called Jack Foley who is a sound-effects artist.

How is it usually recorded?
Foley is usually recorded in a studio using props to help them get the sound effects they need to put in the film. They do this whilst watching the video to make sure they are in time when they are making and recorded the sounds to put in the video.

What do you notice about the microphone placement in the 1970s foley session. Why do you think they placed the mics like that?
One was low down to get the sounds from the feet or ground noises then one was higher up to get the sounds from the body and high up noises.

What is ADR?
This stands for ‘ Automatic Dialog Replacement’. It is dialog that cant be used when actually recording the film so they cover it and put it over the top of the pictures.

Why is it used?
People use ADR because it can sometimes sound much better than the actual sound that is recorded and it makes sure the dialog is defiantly in sync with the mouth movement.

What does ADR stand for?
It stands for ‘Automatic Dialog Replacement’

What does ADR allow you to do?
It lets you get better quality of audio without having to re-film the whole thing.

What do you need to consider when organising an ADR session?
They need to consider whether they want to replace the whole at once or separate it into smaller bits and put them all together at the end.

Audio Terminology

Find definitions for the following audio terms, and explain those definitions in a way that you understand. Use these terms when you are talking about audio.
If it helps you, also find a diagram explaining / illustrating the term.

Diegetic	This is any sound made from the source within the films world. It ca be either on screen or off screen depending wether the source is in or outside the frame.
Non Diagetic	It is sounds that are used to add drama to moments that would be silent without it.
Ambience	This is the background sounds which are made in the film. For example wind, water, birds.
Spot (ie: Spotting audio effects)	It is used by audiophiles and recording engineers to describe the point between two speakers, where one is capable of hearing the stereo audio.
Spotting session	This is when the director and composer of a film meet and both watch the film together. This is a good chance to find ideas for the music to put in stand avoid any misunderstanding in the actual working process.
Dubbing mixer	It is an audio engineer who mixes recored dialogue, sound effects and music to create the final version of a soundtrack for a film.
Sound designer	They are staff who are brought on during the planning of the film, also with the set and costume designers who do their own mixing. It is all referred to a person who use creates one kind of effect.
ADR / “looping”	It stands for Automatic Dialog Replacement, meaning dialog that can’t be salvaged from production tracks must be re-recorded in this process.

Foley stage (job)	It is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality, the sound effects can be anything that happens in a day, for example footsteps, squeaky doors.
Dubbing mixer (job)		A post-production audio engineer who mixes recorded dialogue, sound effects and music to create the final version of a soundtrack.
Foley mixer (job)		You are responsible for very specific sounds. They don’t create audio for standard special effects, they deal with recreating the finer details that require a high degree of precision. This job is necessary because recording on set doesn’t capture every nuance of a movements audio.
Sound designer (job)		The art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involes performing and editing of previously composed or recorded audio like sound effects and dialogue. They are the one who practices sound design.
Foley artist	This is a person who creates the audio effects for a film by using physical props. This means tat you are responsible for very specific sounds.
Foley	This is sounds that are related to or concerned with the addition of recorded sound effects after the shooting of a film.
Production sound	This is a member of a film crew to tv crew responsible for recording allow the sound on set during the filmmaking or tv production using professional audio equipment.
Post-Production	This is the work done on a film or recording after filming o recording has taken place.
Bleed (microphones)	It is the occurrence in sound recording and live sound mixing where sound is picked up by a microphone from a source the than the one its meant to.
On-Axis (Microphones)	This is an audio source that is not directly in front of a transducer, especially a microphone. This then creates a change in the frequency response of the reproduced audio signal.
Underscore	It is the music or sounds that play in the background of a scene in a tv show or film.
Sting	This can be used to introduce a regular section of a show, to indicate the end of a scene or to show that a dramatic climax is happening.
Cardioid (Microphones)	This collects most of the sound from the front and very little form the back and sides. It has a null at 180° and won’t respond to sound approaching form the back.
Omnidirectional (Microphone)	It collects sound from all around, this is a pure pressure transducer – it measures changes in pressure without and regard to the direction that the wave is travelling in.
Dynamic (microphone)	Dynamic microphone consists of a diaphragm suspending in front of a magnet to which a coil wire is attached. The coil sits in the gaps of a magnet, the vibrations of the diaphragm make the coil move in the gap causing an AC to flow.
Boom (microphone)		This is a an extendable and adjustable arm which a microphone can be mounted on. They are main used in films when the microphone needs to be close to the audio source but without it appearing in the frame of the shot.
Lavalier (microphone)		This is a small microphone used for tv, theatre and public speaking for the hands to be free.
Condenser (microphone)	They require power from a battery or an external source, the resulting audio is strong and they tend to be more sensitive making them well-suited to capturing nuances in a sound, they aren’t good for high volume work, as their sensitivity make them more known to distort.
Phantom Power (48v)	This is a method of sending an electrical current through a microphone cable, mostly used as a power source for condenser microphones, it provides a voltage for both these purposes.
Gain	Gain is the input level of the clips. It is the first control that the microphone signal goes through in a mixture while levels are adjusted after that.
Amplitude	This is the fluctuation or displacement of a wave from itss mean value.
Frequency	It is characterized as a periodic vibration whose frequency is audible to the average human, it is the property of sound that most determines pitch.
Hertz (Hz)		It is the unit that frequency is measured in and is defined as one cycle per second.
Pitch	It is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as “higher” and “lower” in the sense associated with musical melodies.
Dynamics (volume)	This is the difference between the quietest and loudest piece of of music and an instrument. In modern recording, the range is limited through dynamic range compression, which can make a louder volume but can make the recording sound less exciting or live.
Dynamic range	It is the ratio of softest sound to the loudest sound in a musical instrument or peice of electronic equipment.
Envelope	This is the amount of available light, it also takes into consideration other factors like, ease of use, stability and sometimes subject matter.
Transient	This is a high amplitude, short-duration at the beginning of a waveform that occurs in phenomena as musical sounds, noises or speech.
Attack	The portion of the envelope that represents the time taken for the amplitude to reach its maximum level.
Decay	Decay s the rate at which it fades to silence. This stage starts as soon as the attack phrase has reached its peak. In this phrase the signal level drops until it reaches the sustain level.
Sustain	The period of time where the sound is sustained before it begins to fade out.
Compression (volume)	This is the process of lessening the dynamic range between the loudest and quietest parts of an audio signal. You do this be boosting the quieter signals and attenuating the older signals.
Reverb	This describes the pattern of echoes and reflections that occur when a sound is heard in a space. For example a concert hall.
Gate (noise gate)	It is an electronic device or software that is used to control the volume of an audio signal
EQ (equalisation)	This means boosting or reducing the levels of different frequencies in a signal. The most basic one is the treble/bass control on home audio equipment.
Delay		It is an effects unit where it records an signal to an audio storage and then plays it back after a period of time.