P5: Record the different sound elements
In this section I will document my recording and acquisition of the various sound elements that I will be using within my production.
In terms of production, I began by recording dialogue. For this process I gave all of my actors copies of the script, directed them on how I wanted them to perform and recorded chunks of lines at a time. I could have recorded individual lines at a time, but figured this would leave me with a lot of files to organise and would break the "Conversational" flow that I wanted to achieve with these recordings.
Here is my dialogue recording:
In terms of production, I began by recording dialogue. For this process I gave all of my actors copies of the script, directed them on how I wanted them to perform and recorded chunks of lines at a time. I could have recorded individual lines at a time, but figured this would leave me with a lot of files to organise and would break the "Conversational" flow that I wanted to achieve with these recordings.
Here is my dialogue recording:
Recording 1 - I found this recording to be perfect for the conversational tone that I was attempting to create. The actors perfectly captured the character's that I was trying to portray here using levels, tone of voice and pitch. For example, the actor playing Jamal who has the first line is very loud, conveying his rude and irresponsible attitude. The character Jimmy who speaks in the middle is speaking at a moderate volume and slow pace, connoting his laid back attitude. Finally, the character Freddy who speaks at the end speaks quietly, connoting his timid nature.
Recording 2 - This recording took a couple of takes. This would have been part of the first recording conversation but took a few more takes to get right, so I ended up recording it separately. I think it was a good take and during the editing stage I can make it flow well with the other recording.
Recording 3 - This recording has some issues with levels, especially when one of my actors shouts and the audio spikes dramatically in volume. I did really like the performance I got form my actors in this scene though, so I plan on still utilising it and mixing in post to ensure that the shout isn't too loud in comparison to the rest of the performance.
Recording 4 - The loud shouts in this recording are much more within suitable audio levels and will require less post production fixing. The screech that my actor makes towards the end was a placeholder that I directed him to use as it would give the actor context and an idea of when to say his next line. This will be removed in post-production and replaced with a more realistic tyre screech sound.
Recordings 5 & 6 - Recordings 5 & 6 are of the same long paragraph of scripted speech, or "monologue." I broke this down into two recordings as it made saying the entire line with the same level of passion more manageable for my voice actor, as it is a long monologue. I am very happy with my actors performance here. He really took on board my direction and the context of the reading, and put in the moody tones that will help to create the sombre and "chilling' effect that I am hoping for. I will add some echo onto his voice in post-production to add an aspect of dramatisation to the monologue.
Having gathered dialogue, I now needed to source music and sound effects. Here are a list of sound effects that I have sourced for the project:
Car door opening sound
I captured these sounds by recording my friends car door using the microphone on my Iphone. This microphone has high enough quality for capturing quality sounds. |
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Car start up
Similarly to the door opening sound, I used a microphone to record the car starting up sound. This clip has less background noise than the other and should work very well for it's purpose. |
The rest of the sounds that I will be acquiring have been outlined in my assets table, and it was merely a case of recording these sounds with a microphone.
P6: Carry out post-production edits to the sound elements
Having gathered all of the required sound elements, I will now begin post-production to produce the finished product.
For the post production process I will be using Logic Pro X. Normally I would use adobe audition for this process as it is software that is commonly used in the audio production industry, but I am currently having issues with my creative cloud account and the adobe audition software. Logic pro X has all of the tools that I require so should be a good enough substitute.
For the post production process I will be using Logic Pro X. Normally I would use adobe audition for this process as it is software that is commonly used in the audio production industry, but I am currently having issues with my creative cloud account and the adobe audition software. Logic pro X has all of the tools that I require so should be a good enough substitute.
I began by creating tracks for each sound element, splitting the dialogue into 4 sections for each of the four character's. I felt that this would be a good way of dividing the project so that it is easy to follow. Once I had this interface setup, I imported my dialogue. Here is my interface with this setup:
Having imported my dialogue, I now had to trim the takes up into the correct sequence of dialogue, as well as trimming it into each character's individual lines of dialogue. I used the scissor tool to do this, by listening to the dialogue and trimming it wherever it needed to be trimmed. Here is my dialogue trimmed up and put in the correct sequence and track:
As you can see, I have also colour coded each track so that it is easy to tell at a glance which sound element is which. The key is purple for dialogue, blue for sound effects and green for music.
There were a few tracks that required adjusting as the volume was peaking due to my actor shouting. This is not only jarring to listen to but also causes the dialogue to sound distorted and unprofessional. To solve this issue I adjusted the audio levels of that track so that when it reaches that line of dialogue the volume is lowered so it is no longer peaking. Here are some screenshots of me carrying out this process:
There were a few tracks that required adjusting as the volume was peaking due to my actor shouting. This is not only jarring to listen to but also causes the dialogue to sound distorted and unprofessional. To solve this issue I adjusted the audio levels of that track so that when it reaches that line of dialogue the volume is lowered so it is no longer peaking. Here are some screenshots of me carrying out this process:
As you can see in the first screenshot, the clip is clearly peaking and needs to be adjusted. However I didn't want to adjust the volume of the entire track as this track contains dialogue that does not need to be brought down. Therefore, I used the adjustable levels tool in order to have the volume level decrease as that clip plays, and return to the desired volume after the clip has played. This is done through a graphic tool that allowed me to place markers where I wanted the volume to decrease, stay the same and increase.
Having adjusted the dialogue to my liking, I imported the other sound elements such as music and sound effects and began work on them:
Having adjusted the dialogue to my liking, I imported the other sound elements such as music and sound effects and began work on them:
Having imported, cut up and arranged the sound effect and music clips, I had to adjust the levels of them around the dialogue so that they were appropriate and mixed together well, and that the dialogue can be heard over the sounds. Here I used the same volume adjustment techniques that I used for the dialogue, first adjusting the levels so that they were realistic and appropriate, then decreasing the levels when the dialogue is playing so that the dialogue was the most prominent element of the mix. As it was a party scene, I did still want the music and cheering to be loud in the mix, so I only had these slightly lower than the dialogue.
In the scene when the characters leave the house, I wanted to create the impression that the party was still going on in the house behind them. I did this by maintaining the music and cheering sound effects as they walked out, and gradually decreasing the volume as the character's get "Further away" from the house. This worked well, but didn't sound realistic enough as the sounds still sounded clear just quieter. I wanted to create a "Muffled" effect on the track, and did so by utilising Equalisation, or EQ. This allows me to adjust the frequencies of the track, in turn changing the overall sound of the track.
to achieve this I added two new tracks and copied the music and cheering sound effects into these tracks. This allowed me to adjust the EQ of these sections without affecting the others.
In the scene when the characters leave the house, I wanted to create the impression that the party was still going on in the house behind them. I did this by maintaining the music and cheering sound effects as they walked out, and gradually decreasing the volume as the character's get "Further away" from the house. This worked well, but didn't sound realistic enough as the sounds still sounded clear just quieter. I wanted to create a "Muffled" effect on the track, and did so by utilising Equalisation, or EQ. This allows me to adjust the frequencies of the track, in turn changing the overall sound of the track.
to achieve this I added two new tracks and copied the music and cheering sound effects into these tracks. This allowed me to adjust the EQ of these sections without affecting the others.
I first added an EQ effect to these tracks from Logic's effects library, and then adjusted the EQ, lowering the high frequencies. This gives the "muffled" sound that I intended. Here are screenshots of me applying these effects:
Here is my finished project:
M2: Present the sound elements to an audience to gain feedback
In order to receive feedback for my finished piece, I sent the link to a few of my peers and asked them to send me their honest thoughts and opinions. Here are a few of the responses that I received:
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Below I will write up a summary of the feedback I received above and how I could improve the production.
What went well with the production
From the above feedback, I was told that all of the sound elements "Worked very well together (0:08 first clip)" and "Improved the value of it (0:10 first clip)" This is feedback that I am very happy to receive, as it shows that the sound elements that I had captured and used were of a high quality and were appropriate for the production. It also tells me that the sound elements were effective in their mixing together and that the listening experience for production was overall pleasant. I was also told that I had a "Wide range of actors (0:18 first clip)" which "Improved the production(0:20 first clip)" This tells me that my script and casting were interesting and that there was a wide enough range of voices to make it effective and relatable to this listener.
My use of sound effects and passionate voice acting was affirmed to be effective by the third and fourth feedback responses that I received.
My use of sound effects and passionate voice acting was affirmed to be effective by the third and fourth feedback responses that I received.
What was ineffective
Some constructive criticism that I received for my production was that the sound levels for some of the background sounds were "Way too high (0:33)"
"When they were in the car... you could barely hear the actors. (0:36.)" This feedback is useful as it tells me that my choice to have the background car noises wasn't as effective as it could have been. I made this decision to create a sense of 'Recklessness' and create the impression that they were driving very fast and listening to music loudly, which is a realistic drink-driving situation. This intention showed as the feedback states "I know what you were going for..." but my mixing and execution of this concept was not as effective as possible, and could have been better to ensure that actors dialogue could still be heard.
From the second response I got the key feedback that there was not a wide enough range of voice actors; "I didn't hear a range of voices." Specifically the feedback said that I could've included a wider range of "Accents" so that the product is more appealing to listen to for a wider audience. This feedback also related to gender, saying I could've included more females, as the one female role that I did have didn't have many lines.
The third piece of feedback that I received said that my radio project could've done with being shorter in order to cut to the point, and said that audiences don't need the party exposition as with radio adverts audiences do not get attached to characters. I personally disagree with this, and feel the context of the party scene makes the climax and build up to it much more effective, as it helps to introduce the characters and have them be relatable to potential young audiences.
The fourth piece of feedback made me aware that the shouting of the actors might not be appropriate for certain broadcast times and stations. This should be improved upon.
This piece of feedback also suggested that I could add more sound effects to the party scene such as "Glasses clinking" as these would add more immersion and also create the sense that the party is "Overwhelming."
"When they were in the car... you could barely hear the actors. (0:36.)" This feedback is useful as it tells me that my choice to have the background car noises wasn't as effective as it could have been. I made this decision to create a sense of 'Recklessness' and create the impression that they were driving very fast and listening to music loudly, which is a realistic drink-driving situation. This intention showed as the feedback states "I know what you were going for..." but my mixing and execution of this concept was not as effective as possible, and could have been better to ensure that actors dialogue could still be heard.
From the second response I got the key feedback that there was not a wide enough range of voice actors; "I didn't hear a range of voices." Specifically the feedback said that I could've included a wider range of "Accents" so that the product is more appealing to listen to for a wider audience. This feedback also related to gender, saying I could've included more females, as the one female role that I did have didn't have many lines.
The third piece of feedback that I received said that my radio project could've done with being shorter in order to cut to the point, and said that audiences don't need the party exposition as with radio adverts audiences do not get attached to characters. I personally disagree with this, and feel the context of the party scene makes the climax and build up to it much more effective, as it helps to introduce the characters and have them be relatable to potential young audiences.
The fourth piece of feedback made me aware that the shouting of the actors might not be appropriate for certain broadcast times and stations. This should be improved upon.
This piece of feedback also suggested that I could add more sound effects to the party scene such as "Glasses clinking" as these would add more immersion and also create the sense that the party is "Overwhelming."
How I would improve
In response to the criticism that the background sounds were "Way too high" in volume, I would work better on mixing the sounds in post-production in order to crete a more balanced sound level overall that would still give the intended 'chaotic' effect whilst allowing for dialogue to be easily heard and understood. I believe the first step in achieving this would be to turn down the volume of sound effects and music in these scenes until they are at a suitable level.
I would also rewrite the script in order to include more females, as well as in casting I would choose a wider and more diverse range of voice actors.
I do not agree with the feedback that the exposition of the party scene is unnecessary, but as this was audience feedback I would consider next time making this exposition shorter so that it doesn't feel like it drags on as long.
In response to the fourth piece of feedback I would add more sound effects for the party scene to make it more immersive. I would also re-record the lines that are shouted in order to make them more appropriate for radio audiences.
I would also rewrite the script in order to include more females, as well as in casting I would choose a wider and more diverse range of voice actors.
I do not agree with the feedback that the exposition of the party scene is unnecessary, but as this was audience feedback I would consider next time making this exposition shorter so that it doesn't feel like it drags on as long.
In response to the fourth piece of feedback I would add more sound effects for the party scene to make it more immersive. I would also re-record the lines that are shouted in order to make them more appropriate for radio audiences.
D1: Evaluate how the technical and auditory qualities meet the identified purpose
Here I have attached the brief again so that i can easily refer back to it and how I feel I have met or fell short of it:
I feel I have met the brief very well with my production. Firstly, the brief states that this radio play must be "3-5 minutes long" and my finished production falls well in this category at a length of 3 minutes and 38 seconds.
I feel I have met the target audience outlined within the project brief of "18-25 year olds" as I have utilised actors who are within this age bracket and the subject matter of the play is quite mature, and directly aimed at new drivers who are typically within this age bracket. The setting is also a party involving alcohol which is another mature subject that will be familiar to people within this age bracket, and I have used hip hop and dance music, which is also aimed at this young adult audience.
Furthermore, the brief states that the theme of the play should be "Public information" and the purpose is to "encourage more responsible driving" or show "the dangers of drink driving." I feel I have met this purpose as the subject matter of the play is about drink driving and the dangers that it can cause. I ended the play with a harrowing monologue from a character around the target audience age bracket who had got into a drink driving accident. This monologue warns listeners about the dangers of drink driving and ends with a warning: "Be responsible; don't drink and drive." This meets the purpose of "Encouraging safer driving" as it specifically addresses the listener directly and encourages them to not drink and drive. It of course also achieves this through warning about the "dangers of drink driving" through the plot that runs through it of a drink driving accident.
The brief also states that the production must "feature dialogue, music and sound effects to keep the audience engaged." I have used all three of these elements within my production such as the scripted dialogue of four characters having conversation with each other, the music from the car radio and party, and sound effects such as the car engine, car crash, walking, door opening, cheering etc. my project utilises a wide range of sounds which fit into the narrative and make the production much more engaging.
The overall brief before the project brief states that I must "Create, record and edit" a soundscape, which I have done and evidenced throughout this blog. It also states the technicality that the project must be "Added to YouTube or Soundcloud ready for submission." I have met this technicality by uploading the finished project to Soundcloud.