Once we had researched the different sounds that we wanted to use, we then had the difficult task of positioning the sound clips in the desired place. We had chosen to use mostly non-diegetic sounds, including heart beats and a tense, fast-paced backing track to emphasise the torture scenes implemented. In addition to this, the end checkout scene also features diegetic dialogue whereby the victim (as the employee) announces the price of the items purchased. Attached below shows the process carried out in order to efficiently place the sound files.
The Heartbeats:
As mentioned, we had researched the sound that we wanted to include prior to editing and thus, we were able to import the sound clips straight onto Final Cut.
This screenshot shows the 'Heartbeats' sound file once imported into Final Cut. As the image shows, there were numerous beats included as around 3 minutes worth of sound was downloaded; this then meant that we had to cut the clip down to the number desired using the Blade tool.
We had managed to shorten the clips to 4 beats in order to line up with the footage already shot. It was extremely tricky to line the starting beat of each heartbeat with the cut of the flashbacks as Final Cut would only allow default movement for the clip, meaning we could not get the sound and footage to play simultaneously. To fix this, we had to zoom the editing pane is substantially in order to allow for more movement of the sound clip.
In addition to the heartbeats, we also decided to add a heart beat monitor flat line sound to be layered over a black screen. The sound was extended quite dramatically in order to build the suspense and create enigma for the audience. This clip was easier to line up as the sound itself was continuous and not broken up.
Glitch Sound Effect:
In order to coincide with the modern concept of our narrative, we decided to add in a glitching effect throughout the trailer, including during the checkout scene, which was achieved using cuts and blading. To emphasise this, we imported an 'interference' sound which resembled a 'buzz' and layered this over the Security transitions we had added previously. We then copied the footage once cut to the correct length and placed them over the other two glitching intervals added.
This image above shows the footage zoomed in to allow a clearer view of the interference sound; they are the 3 smaller chunks of sound.
Tense and Fast-Paced Backing Track:
The non-diegetic backing track used in any film or trailer is key in creating the atmosphere for the audience watching it; for this reason, one of the most challenging aspects of creating this trailer was finding the best sound for the montage of torture clips.
In order to achieve the sound that we wanted, we decided to layer various different sound tracks together. Firstly, we added a sound clip called 'Epic Music' which was very upbeat with obvious loud 'Booms' throughout and coincide with the genre. Additionally, the positioning of the said 'Booms' played simultaneously to the black intervals between each torture clip; this creates tension for the audience as they are on edge whilst watching the torture yet also made to jump by the continuous loud bangs.
For the majority of the trailer, we chose an eerie slow and quiet backing track to be played in the background of all the additional sound clips. This meant that during the more calmer points of the trailer, a soundtrack which conformed to common conventions of Slasher horrors maintained the atmosphere for the audience.
There is also a torture clip which features the killer breaking the victim's finger; for this clip, we layered the diegetic sound of bones breaking to increase the tension for the audience and adhere to the slasher aspect. The Screenshot above shows the final view in Final Cut of all the sound layered in the trailer.
Diegetic Dialogue:
Under the 'Window' drop down menu in Final Cut Pro, there is an option to 'Record Voiceover', which we selected to record the diegetic dialogue of the victim announcing the price in the hardware store. By selecting this, it brought up a 'Record' option.
Using headphones which we plugged into the Mac, we were able to use the attached microphone to record the sound. The attached image shows the pop-up with the recording settings and options we used to control the sound recording.
This shows the final sound recording once recorded and imported in time with the footage in Final Cut.
Evaluation:
As mentioned, sound is one of the most important aspects of any film, both diegetic and non-diegetic, for creating the atmosphere, particularly in a horror film. I feel that as a group we managed to execute the task of adding sound rather effectively despite the challenges that we faced. I also believe that individually, we showed a variety of different skills due to the various different software used to produce or import the desired sound. Overall, I feel that this was a very successful task which we executed well to produce a professional and creative teaser trailer for our chosen genre.
Our teaser trailer includes some dialogue towards the end of the trailer with the victim saying "That will be £10.65 then please". When originally filming this section we wanted to use the sound from the video. We believed it would work well as we were allowed to film after closing time with no one else in the warehouse. However we had issues with the camera picking up the sound as the camera was kept further away from the actor due to the shot being an over the shoulder shot. Due to this we had to completely remove this speech although we were adamant to keep this scene.
The Software
We used the software that was offered to us in order to create the speech after the filming had been completed, we would then layer the sound over the top of the video to create the appearance that we caught her speaking in the shop instead of behind the scenes.
Final Cut Pro allows the user to record sound straight on to the system while also saving previously recorded sounds. It also allows the user to edit and distort the sound for their liking. As we know the system as I have used its interface for the past two years we chose to record directly onto the video.
[PICTURE]
How we did it
During the recording we ensured that the room was empty with only myself and the actress who was being the voice actor. As students we did not have access to professional hardware and could not obtain a microphone for our recording. We improvised with the use of a microphone that is attached to headphones, this allowed us to get clear sound instead of speaking unnecessarily loud for the distant microphone on the computer to pick up the sound.
The system offered a countdown and played the video on screen as the actor spoke. This allowed her to say the phrase in the same pace as she did in the video. Through doing this it did not require much editing, however we did take multiple versions of the reading to ensure we had the best possible quality for the video as we wanted it to be as realistic as possible.
Once the sound was placed we reduced the sound so she wasn't as loud as it originally sounded. By doing this it made the dietetic sound appear as if it was not recorded separately from the video itself.
When researching for music we looked on youtube for different styles of music for our genre of trailer. For the fast pace scenes we needed music in which had elements of horror and would create suspense and a fast pace.
Some of the sods that we found created suspense and were fast pace however the song itself did not fit in to the genre that we wanted. I regularly came to the conclusion that a large amount of music was mainly created for the purpose of action films. This made it difficult to find what I wanted and therefore I spent many hours searching for clips of music. Another issue that rose from searching for music is that majority of the videos that we found were regularly longer then an hour. This made it difficult as I had to listen to the complete video in order to find the small clips that would be relatable to our trailer.
As an example of the videos I have added a link that shows the sounds at which I looked at for inspiration and use.
Effect Sounds
When we added effects such as glitches and bone crunching we had to use sound that was parrallel to what the audience saw on screen.
When researching this sound we needed something that would sour realistic enough to place in to the video, the breaking of the bones scene needed a short and 'thin' bone cracking sour effect. I often came across sound that was either too loud/ long or that would not be believable as a small bone breaking.
We also needed a glitch effect sounds that could be placed with the glitch effect that we layered on top of the footage we took.
We regularly used this sound as we wanted to keep the continuity throughout the video as the effect would not have worked as well if we kept changing the sound.
The music in a movie, whether it be a horror film or a romantic comedy, is responsible for creating suspense and setting the mood. Often in a horror movie, it is not the scene itself that scares the audience but rather the music, diegetic or non-diegetic, which is played. In instances where non-diegetic sound is not suitable, diegetic sound can be enhanced in order to emphasise its sound and increase the tension, for example the sound of sharpening a weapon such as a knife.
Stardust (2007)
The clip below was taken from the final fight scene in the 2007 fantasy film, Stardust.
Despite this movie being of the fantasy genre, rather than a horror film, the parallel harshness of the high pitch scratchy sound combined with the lack of background noise and the scene ahead serves as a really unsettling and tense filled mood, putting the audience on edge. This is because the audience know the inevitability of gore or a fight looming ahead and are apprehensive of the execution and the result; the fear of not know what's about to come can also instil fear in the audience.
Practical Example
The image attached above shows the items that I used to record my rendition of the knife sharpening sound. Many modern and new knife sets are sold with knife sharpeners as well as the knives which makes this sound effect easy to produce at home by amateurs.
Firstly, I recorded the sound of myself sharpening the knife using the items in the image above. To do this, I used a software called 'Audacity', which enables amateurs with less professional equipment to record quality sound from their laptop. The screenshot above shows the sound waves recorded as the result.
I then highlighted and deleted the areas of the sound wave which were undesired, as indicated in the above two screenshots. This included the faint sounds of myself clicking the mouse pad on the laptop which the software was able to faintly pick up. To do this, I just highlighted the unwanted areas and pressed the delete button on the keyboard.
This image shows the final sound waves for the finished recording in Audacity.
I then exported the sound file using the drop down menu shown above. This allowed me to save the sound file in a format suitable for when uploading the finished file to Sound Cloud.
Finally, I uploaded the finished sound file to Sound Cloud; the above screenshot shows the process I carried out to do this. After selecting the 'Upload' button from my coursework account, the above pop-up appeared, whereby I selected the sound file name and added a suitable name, description and search tags. After pressing 'Save', the file was uploaded.
The link below contains the final sound file for the Knife Sharpening sound effect:
Evaluation
The sound recording software used (Audacity) was
simple and easy to work out and use, making time management efficient and
allowing for a professional sound effect.
Since the materials necessary for this type of
sound effect are easy to come across in the basic kitchen, it enabled an
accurate, reliable and professional sounding effect.
Using a laptop, however, to record the sound
meant that the microphone picked up the sound of the fan, which can be heard
faintly in the background of the recording.
The Sound Cloud website was easy to navigate and
use, making the upload of the file quick and simple.
Finding a YouTube clip containing a real example
of a knife being sharpened from a horror movie, or any movie for that matter,
proved to be a great challenge. To combat this, I recorded the researched clip
from my home TV using a camera, however, this meant that the quality of the
sound and picture was reduced slightly.
If I were to remake this sound effect, I would use a professional microphone away from any background noise or interference to allow for a professional and clear sound.
In a
typical Rom-Com, non-diegetic sound is played over the top of the scenes. These
are usually up coming and current pop songs from popular artists or bands, such
as Boom Clap in the 2014 teen drama, the Fault in Our Stars. This is because
the songs are relatable to the audience and create a jovial, upbeat and
generally happy atmosphere for the viewers when watching the film.
Non-Diegetic Sound
·As mentioned, the most common uses of
non-diegetic sounds in romantic comedies are charted pop songs from the year
that the specific film was produced.
·Using more upbeat songs reflects the genre of
the movie whereby they are designed to be light hearted, romantic and comical
and thus the fast, higher pitched music reflects this mood.
·By using popular chart hits, the movie becomes
more relatable for their target audience, which are usually young adults,
particularly females.
·For the build up of the impending ‘Break-up’
scene, often slower and gloomier music, often scored piano rifts, are played to
reflect the current mood and creating a sense of dramatic irony for the
audience.
No Strings Attached, 2011, build up to the break-up using gloomy diegetic sound
·However, for the break-up scenes themselves,
usually no music is used to in order to make the scene seem more real and
relatable to and also, to build up the tense atmosphere usually associated with
a break up.
·In many romantic comedies, there are also voice-overs
used to narrate the story from outside of the protagonists’ points of view. These can be comical for the target audience
as they can relate to children’s fairy tales, whereby there is always a
happy ending.
Diegetic Sound
·Diegetic sounds used in Romantic Comedies are
usually mundane sounds such as doorbells or car horns from passing traffic.
·The sound is added after filming has taken place
to ensure that the actors can be clearly heard during the takes themselves.
·Due to the realism portrayed by romantic
comedies, few diegetic sounds are used; these sounds are more common in the
action and horror genres to recreate explosions or possessions, for example.
What Happens in Vegas – 2008
·The YouTube clip features the trailer to the
2008 romantic comedy, What Happens in Vegas.
·SYNOPSIS
– inaccordance with IMDB: A man and a woman are compelled, for legal
reasons, to live life as a couple for a limited period of time. At stake is a
large amount of money.
·The
trailer itself uses the stereotypical narrative perspective, with an unrelated
character describing the story to the viewer.
Movie Poster
·This
makes the movie seem as a fairy tale, with the falling in love of two
characters and an inevitable happy ending.
·This
style also creates a sense of Dramatic Irony for the audience, as the viewers
know there will be a happy ending before the characters in the movie do.
·Using
narration poses as a humorous outlook on the film, particularly since romantic
comedies are light hearted and not to be taken seriously, compared to horrors
and action movies which thrive on this.
·Another
successful example of voice-over narration is the 2009 romantic comedy, Bride
Wars, whereby the wedding planner, Marion St. Claire, narrates the film
throughout.
Trainwreck – 2015
·Trainwreck
is a 2015 romantic comedy about a girl afraid of commitment but must risk her
heart after she meets the rare ‘good-guy’.
Movie Poster
·This
film conforms to common conventions of romantic comedies as featuring in the
film and the trailer is a recent (2013) pop song performed by an upcoming boy
Band.
·The
song is ‘I’m Ready’ by New York City trio of brothers, AJR.
·The
repetition of the lyrics ‘I’m Ready’ represent the protagonist, Amy Schumer’s,
personality, whereby she is not prepared for commitment with any guy that she dates.
·Although
the song is not recent from the year that the film is released, it is still a
new pop-song in terms of the industry and thus, conforms to the common
representation.
·The
use of a current pop song in such films makes the movie more relatable to its
target audience, promising light-hearted humour and an enjoyable film.
Diegetic sound such as heartbeats and
unexplained noises are exaggerated to build suspense and tension throughout the
film.
Non diegetic sounds such as screaming are
normally loud and sudden to make the audience jump or to build fear.
Some horror movies use children’s voices singing
or whispering to give an eerie effect.
Music is normally high pitched, eerie and slow
tempo to begin with. As there is a build-up of tension or the action increases
the pace of the music quickens.
Horror movies may use calm and cheerful music at
the beginning but then a sudden interruption to scare the audience.
Sounds of weapons may be used such as a chainsaw to evoke sympathy from the audience as they begin to worry what about what
is going to happen to the victim.
