The document discusses different horror audio projects and analyzes the sound design techniques used in each to create atmosphere and tension. It examines how Doctor Who incorporates various sound effects and music to suggest setting and drama. Specific techniques highlighted include using silence before intense scenes and static noise on a phone to indicate a lack of service and increase stress.
2. Existing Products Research
– Doctor Who
. The Radio drama begins with a very slow but also intense music that
sounds like a piano that is slowly getting louder and louder when the scene
starts getting more dramatic. There are many different sound effects
implemented into this piece such as different clanks and creaks. This really
creates that sense of scenery for the viewers and makes it easier to
understand what Is actually happening behind all the audio.
The producers have managed to suggest that the time period is almost in the
future as there are different galactic sounds that are happening to make it
almost seem like they are in space.
Before the doctor burns someone alive the music cuts out and becomes
silent to make the scene more dramatic
When the doctor is about to burn someone there is a sound that is very
evident as it is very loud, that sound is then played for about 20secs in that
time there is someone screaming, all of those sounds and the screaming
works really well because it makes the scene more dramatic.
3. Existing Products Research
– The Stranger
. The performance starts out with some narration with some dark eerie music
playing in the background, this segment last for about 15secs before the
music and the narration stops the sound of a car crashing and the wheels
screeching become evident in the piece. After we hear the sound of the car
crashing there is then movement from the characters because we then hear
people walking over some smashed glass.
There is then a use of a phone dialling sound effect and when it rings the
music slowly comes back into the background of the performance and then
there is a static noise that is happening from the phone, this makes the
situation more intense as the actor is becoming more anxious and stressed
but we can tell that he isn’t getting any service from his phone because of
the static noise. These sounds all work together because they are all linked
with each other and gives the viewer a clear understanding on what is
happening
4. Existing Products Research
Tip the Waitress
.The scene starts of with a bell that is indicating someone walking into a
shop this is clear to hear as there is no dialogue at the point so every
sounds that is made is very loud and in focus. When the actor walks into
the shop there is an audio track that can be heard and it sounds like they
are in a busy shop with lots of communication happening in the
background. The two men then sit down, I can tell this because he pulls
the chair back and you can hear it screech on the floor. The men then ask
for a drink and the waitress pours them it, everyone stops speaking and
you can only hear the water being poured from a jug. These sound
effects really create more drama in the performance such as intense loud
footsteps approaching the actors in an intense situation.
9. Foley
• Once I recorded the audio clips needed for the
video, I used Premiere Pro to sync up the audio
clips with the video to make the sounds suitable
for the video. For example, I immediately came
across a hurdle when listening back to the head
scratch clip as the sound of the scratch was too
fast for the clip and had to slow the speed of the
clip for it to work. I also had to cut some of the
clips for them to fit with the video however this
did not challenge me because I already had
experience from editing the music video
10. Recording
• When I was filming in different places I
immediately noticed that different locations
would affect the audio output which I would then
later change as it was highly noticeable when
looking back at the clips. I then decided to go to a
quiet corner and record voice notes for the
zombies and these sounds came out well because
you can hear them clearly, however for some
scenes I decided to go outside and use the audio
for birds, wind etc
11. Beepbox
• My music piece went well because I wanted to make a
piece of music that would create suspense and entice
the viewers. This succeeded because the song sounds
dark but also a slower tempo that eventually rises
when the there is a more intense scene. I feel like I
could have improved the pitch of the song as it was too
dark and felt unneeded
14. Story
• The story is about a boy that is left home alone after
his older sister has passed away due drowning in a lake
after going for a swim. The brother and sister were
close to each other and agreed to each other that
whoever died first they would try and reach out to
each other to let the other know if there is an after life.
After a few days of the tragic death the brother is
starting to hear some strange noises coming from the
house. The brother thinks that the ghost is evil
however he is clueless that it is just his sister trying to
reach out to him. At the very end the brother sees the
ghost and finds out that it is his sister that has come
back in ghost form and is friendly.
15. Script Draft
• There will be a slower tempo song playing in the background as the
camera pans up from a dark area and then shows the house
• There is one long shot from the beginning with no cuts and almost
a POV of the first character
• Once the camera enters the through the door a loud sfx can be
heard almost like a jumps care and then the music stops
• The video then fades in and out of black and then the music starts
to play again
• Narration starts when the actor becomes visible in the house
• Narration lasts for roughly 20secs
• Music slowly fades as the actor starts to hear something
• The sound the actor hears is a creak on the stairs
16. Script Final
• The script starts of with slow suspenseful music
• Scene will start with footsteps on gravel to portray Jamie walking through the door from outside
• Sounds of equipment can be heard such as
• Bag rummaging, clothes moving in the wind
• Music cuts as Jamie enters the house
• Loud noise/thump can be heard
• All audio is cut out
• Ringing sound appears from the background
• New scene starts
. Jamie sitting down in the dark alone upset/sounds of crying
• A door knocking sound can be heard
• Chair screeching as Jamie Gets up to check on the ghost
• Jamie says “hmm who's that, its 11pm”
• Loud slow footsteps can be heard
• Unlocking door
• Strong winds can be heard
• Jamie says “hello” in a panicked voice
• Then the sound of the door can be heard closing by itself
• The sound we hear is a long creak
• Then a slam can be heard
• Jamie says “ is anyone there”
• Ghost laughs quietly
17. Script Final
• The sound of a smash can then be heard n the distance
• Jamie says in a panicked voice “who are you?”
• More footsteps can then be heard however they are at
a slower pace
• Heavy breathing is then evident in the foreground
• Ghost whispered “Jamie, can you see me”
• Rain can be heard in the background
• Jamie says under is breath “Your voice sounds familiar”
• Creaking of the stairs can be heard in the background
18. Sound Effects
Sound Effect Needed How I Will Create the Sound
Stairs creaking I will use my stairs at my house that are
already creaky
Whistle I will either quietly blow quietly into the
mic or use the chimney in my house that
sometimes makes a Suttle whistle sound
Keyboard typing sound I will use my keyboard at home
Book falling from shelf I will first record a book falling and then I
will record the impact on the ground
separately
Door Knocking Will knock on a table to really catch the
sound properly
Door closed I will slowly close a door at my house
Tapping on window I will simply record me tapping on a
window
Walking outside Crunching lettuce
Rain on the window Dropping rice onto metal
22. Daily Reflection Day 1
• The first day I recorded the audio to then
implement it later when editing, I was also
looking online to find some free mp.3 files
that I could use in the final piece.
23. Daily Reflection Day 2
• On the second day I started to put together
the audio that I created the previous day.
26. Research
• The research really helped with the general understanding on how
soundscapes are made and how they are produced. I looked at different
horror soundscapes to help me gain a better idea on how my own Audio
project would sound and how I would form it. The doctor who soundscape
helped me the most because it was the first soundscape, I looked at which
enlightened me on the different sound effects used and when to use
them.
• One of my weaknesses was that I could have gone further with my
research as I mainly used the doctor who example and didn’t look much
further into other examples. If I did that, I would have had more
general knowledge
27. Planning
• One of my main strengths was my proposal as I feel like I went into detail,
and it helped me understand the project concept as I could write out
my ideas. Another strength was my script as it allowed me to make the
outcome a lot easier for myself because I already had it all written down
and just had to follow the script.
• One weakness to my planning was not having enough words for myself to
say, there wasn’t a lot of speaking involved in the script which left a lot
of silence in the final outcome.
If there was a next time or one thing I could improve on, it would be that I
needed to add more lines to my script .
28. Time Management
• My time management was not very good for this project, for example
after I done some editing and when it was getting close to becoming
finished, the project was due to be in and mines was not fully complete,
and I was not happy with the outcome because it's not exactly what I
wanted to make it sound like.
• I also had issues finding the music that I made on Beep Box which was
nearer the end of production, so I had to be quick picking different music
that would work well with my project.
• I did manage to record everything in time, so I didn’t have a problem on
that side of things
• If I had some additional time I would have just simply changed a few
things around and take out certain sound effects that I didn’t think worked
too well with my project
29. Technical Qualities
My work is technical as I used similar effects to other
horror soundscapes such as an echo effect on a voice to make it
almost sound like a ghost or something supernatural. I done this
to enhance the atmosphere of the audio project. I created the
ghost effect just by duplicating the layer and making the other
one slightly delayed and slowed down.
I recorded my audio simply by using my phone and went into
the studio and was in complete silence in order to make the
sound more crisp
30. Aural Qualities
I think my work didn’t sound how I wanted it to therefore I didn’t
think it was good, The story I made was not portrayed very well in
the final outcome because I didn't use enough speech, if I had
more time, I would have recorded more things for me to say as
the story is hard to understand. I did like the ghosting effect on
the voice I feel like it worked really well. I also like the footsteps as
they were loud and was quite isolated and I liked that because it
made the atmosphere more tense because of the silence.
31. Audience Appeal
My audio project appeals to my target audience
because it is slightly spooky but not scary,
teenagers enjoy horrors, and the audio is easy to
follow along. The slow footsteps and the key
opening the door would appeal to my target
audience because it's something that is used in
many horror movies in order to create tension. So,
I feel like my work is relatable.
However, if my piece was slightly longer maybe it
would have been more appealing as it is quite
short, and I feel as if viewers would be left
confused at the end of the audio.
Editor's Notes
Go over as many slides as necessary. Research at least 3 products.
Discuss the use of sound effects, music and performance. How have the producers suggested a location/time period and created a tone/feel
Try to break down what you can hear. How do the different sound elements work together? How do sound effects add to the drama? What part does music play in the work?
Try to listen to a variety of different types of radio programme. If you listen to drama and documentary, you will give yourself a better understanding of what exists and what is possible. It will also help guide your project.
Go over as many slides as necessary. Research at least 3 products.
Discuss the use of sound effects, music and performance. How have the producers suggested a location/time period and created a tone/feel
Try to break down what you can hear. How do the different sound elements work together? How do sound effects add to the drama? What part does music play in the work?
Try to listen to a variety of different types of radio programme. If you listen to drama and documentary, you will give yourself a better understanding of what exists and what is possible. It will also help guide your project.
Go over as many slides as necessary. Research at least 3 products.
Discuss the use of sound effects, music and performance. How have the producers suggested a location/time period and created a tone/feel
Try to break down what you can hear. How do the different sound elements work together? How do sound effects add to the drama? What part does music play in the work?
Try to listen to a variety of different types of radio programme. If you listen to drama and documentary, you will give yourself a better understanding of what exists and what is possible. It will also help guide your project.
Using Neil’s Toolbox, log all the resources you have used
Log your initial thoughts regarding the set brief- What stories could you use? How do you feel about the different potential formats? What are the positives about this project? What could be some difficult aspects?
Create a mind map of all the things you need to think about for your project.
Provide a brief summary of the story/stories you have chosen
Initial draft of your script. This should then be refined.
Final version of your script, ready to be used in production.
Log your thoughts and feeling related to what you have produced. Discuss methods and tools you have used. Reference everything you have done today. Use screenshots
Log your thoughts and feeling related to what you have produced. Discuss methods and tools you have used. Reference everything you have done today. Use screenshots
Log your thoughts and feeling related to what you have produced. Discuss methods and tools you have used. Reference everything you have done today. Use screenshots
What were the strengths of your research? How did your research help your product?
What were the weaknesses of your research? What could you have done better/improve? What effect would this have had on your product?
Think about existing products as well as practical experiments
What were the strengths of your planning? How did your planning help your product?
What were the weaknesses of your planning? What could you have done better/improve? What effect would this have had on your product?
Did you manage your time well? Did you complete your project on time or would your products have improved with additional time?
What would you have done if you had more time to produce your work?
Compare your work to similar existing products and discuss the similarities and differences
Is your work technically detailed/complicated enough? What effects and techniques have you used? How did you create your effects? How did you record your audio? Did you use any foley methods?
Does your work sound good? Was it creative? What aspects of your audio do you like? What would you improve? How would you improve it?
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses
How have you appealed to your target audience? What specific bits of content would appeal to your target audience.