07_The Sound Designer

8/11/2019 07_The Sound Designer

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Sound Design &The Sound Designer

Computer Sound Production

COSC2190 | Computer Sound Production


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Broadway, NYC, 1941 Citizen Kane released

A journalist asked :

Mister Welles, What do you prefer the

most, the radio or the cinema?

Orson Welles answered:

.. radio, the screen is wider !



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sound influences how we react to a picture and/or becomes image. cf. director, Michael Haneke

if you are watching a film or television with thesound off and then with it on usually you will find

that more information comes from the soundthan the picture and that two different soundtracks for the same picture will produce twodifferent meanings.

creating sound design is often tantamount todefining the productions conceptual andemotional intent



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Sound Design is the process of creating theoverall sonic character of a production.

In terms of Film and Video, it is top r o d u c i n g t h e s o u n d t r a c k w h a tcinematography is to producing the

picture.



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The term Sound Designer was first used as a professionalcraft designation in theatrical film in 1979 when anacademy award for sound design was given to WalterMurch for Apocalypse Now.

Over the years, the sound designer is the one person

responsible for creative control of the audio.Like the cinematographer, who is responsible for theoverall look at the picture, it is the sound designer sfunction to put a coherent sonic stamp on the productionand the one member of the audio team who has the director s ear.



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Element of Sound Structure& Their Effect On Perception


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3 domains to work with in creating a sounddesign:

Dialogue

Sound Effect

Music

some consider the following as a 4 th category as well

silence These aural agents are powerful in creating, supplementing and complementing cognitive & affective

information.


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sources of sound for your project

recordings studio

field

production sound

processing (of existing sounds)

synthesis sound libraries



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All sound dialogue, sound effect & music are made up of the same basicelements:

pitch, loudness, timbre, tempo, rhythm, attack,duration and decay.



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Each element contains certain characteristics that affectour response to sound, understanding those effects arefundamental to sound design.

Perception effect ) ) )


Pitch : refers to the highness or lowness of a sound.High-Pitched sound often suggest something delicate,bright or elevated; low-pitched sound may indicatesomething sinister, strong or peaceful.

Loudness : describes sound in terms of how loud orsoft it is. Loud sound can suggest closeness, strength

or importance; soft sound may convey distance,weakness or tranquility.


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Timbre : is the tonal quality of a sound. It not onlyidentifies a sound source, reedy, brassy, tympanic,but also sonic qualities such as rich, thin, edgy ormetallic. Reedy tonal qualities produced by a clarinetor oboe, can suggest something wistful, lonely orsweet. A brassy sound can imply something cold,harsh, fierce, bitter, forceful, martial or big. A tympanicor percussive sound can convey drama, significanceor power.

Tempo : refers to the speed of a sound. Fast temposagitate, excite or accelerate; slow ones may suggest

monotony, dignity or control.


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Rhythm : relates to a sonic time pattern. It may besimple, constant, complex or changing. A simplerhythm can convey deliberateness, regularity or lackof complication. A constant rhythm can imply dullness,depression or uniformity. Rhythmic complexitysuggests complication or elaborateness. Changingrhythms can create a sense of uncertainty, vigor orerratic.

Attack : the way a sound begins. It can be hard, soft,

crisp or gradual. Hard or crisp attacks can suggestsharpness, excitement or danger. Soft or gradualattacks can imply something gentle or muted.


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Duration : refers to how long a sound lasts. Soundshort in duration can convey restlessness,nervousness or excitation - more-sustained soundscan create a sense of peace, persistence ortiredness.

Decay : how fast a sound fades from a certainloudness can create a sense of confinement,closeness or definiteness or uncertainty.


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Function of Sound


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Symbiotic RelationshipSound places the images in an emotional &physical context, helping us to decide how to takethe image & how it integrates itself into everythingelse.

Dialogue

The interpretation is not the responsibility of thesound designer.

It has basically 2 functions, Narration & Dialogue .


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3 categories in NARRATION:

Direct Narration describes what is being seen or heard.

Indirect narration adds more information to the picture.[For example the narrator tells that the person emerging from the carand going into the building is an ambassador on an urgent mission andis meeting with his counterparts from other countries in that building.]

Contrapuntal narration suggests counterpointsnarration & action to make a composite statement notexplicitly carried, suggested in either element.

[For example, the action may contain people happily but wastefullyconsuming a more-than-ample meal while the narration comments on

the number of starving people in the world. The conflict between the 2 pieces of information makes a separate, third, comment.]


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Dialogue a conversation between 2 or more

people.Obviously, the verbal content of the conversation is

essential to meaning but non-verbal sound in dialogue alsoshapes meaning.

- accent,

- pace,

- patterns,

- emphasis,

- mood.


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Sound Effectscan be classified as anything sonic that is not speechor music . They are essential to storytelling, helpingamplify the reality created in a production.

Contextual Sound emanates from and duplicates asound source as it is.

Diegetic sound coming from within the storyspace. Non-Diegetic sound comes from outside the storyspace like the music score.

In other words, contextual sound is like direct narration .



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Narrative Sound adds more to a scene than what isapparent and so performs informational function. Could bedescriptive or commentative.

Descriptive sound describes sonic aspect of thescene.

A child leaves the house on the way to the school, and you hear descriptivesound of the neighborhood: birds, one neighbor calling to another, a carturning down the street and a grinding sound of the school bus growing louder.

Commentative sound also describes but it makes an

additional statement, usually has something to do with thestory line. For example, a longtime sportive man is released from the team. As he walk acrossthe playing filed for the last time, the wind comes up. Infused in the wind sound Is the faint soundcheering, giving the scene a wistful quality.


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Breaking the screen planeThe presence of sounds changes the audience relationship to what ishappening on-screen; it becomes part of the action, in a sense.Therefore, it can also be said that sound effects add realism to thepicture.

Defining Space

It defines space by establishing distance, direction of movement,position, openness and dimension.

Distancehow close to far a sound is, sound perspective.

By varying sound level, it is also possible to indicate direction ofmovement. As a person leaves the room, sound will gradually change from loud to soft.

Frequency also helps establish distance & direction of movement. As a train, caror siren approaches, its pitch gets higher, as it moves away or recedes, its pitchgets lower. This phenomenon is know as the Doppler Effect .

(C.J. Doppler, early 19 th Century Austrian Physicist)


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Focusing Attention

Sound draws attention and provides the viewer with a focus. In a shot ofa large room filled with people, the eye takes it all in, but if a personshouts or begins choking, the sound directs the eye to that event.

Establishing Locale

A cawing seagull places you at the ocean, car horns screeching brakesplace you in a city traffic, the machinery places you in the factory !

Creating Environment

A prison locale can be established in several ways but add the sound ofloudspeakers blaring orders, picks and shovels hacking and digging,grunts of effort, dogs barking and you have created a brutal prisonenvironment.

Emphasizing Action

A car crash becomes a shattering collision by emphasizing the impactand sonic aftermath, including silence.



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Intensifying Action

Increases or heightens dramatic impact. Cartoons sound intensify theextent of a character s running, falling, crashing, !

Depicting IdentitySound can also give a character or object its own distinctive soundsignature. The rattle sound of a rattlesnake to identify a bad guy withvenomous intent for example.

Setting Pace

The controlled professionalism of two detectives discussing crucialevidence becomes more vital if the activity around them includes such asonic elements as footsteps moving quickly, telephones ringing, papersbeing shuffled, and a general hubbub of voices.

Providing Counterpoint

Sounds become counterpoint when they are different from what isexpected.



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Creating Humor

Comic sounds are indispensable in cartoons but also in comedy movies.

Symbolizing Meaning

Sound can also give a character or object its own distinctive soundsignature. The rattle sound of a rattlesnake to identify a bad guy withvenomous intent for example.

Unifying Transition

Sounds provides transitions and continuity between scenes, linking themby overlapping (when the sound used at the end of one scene continuesinto the next without pause), lead-in (when the audio to the next scene is

heard before the scene actually begins) or lead-out.



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- Music in a production can have 3 uses:

As production source, source and for underscoring.

- Production source music emanates from anonscreen singer or ensemble and is produced liveduring shooting or in post-production.

- Source Music is background music from stereo,radio, jukebox and so on, added during post.

- Underscore Music is original or library musicadded to enhance the informational or emotionalcontent of a scene.



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- Function of Music

Music performs many of the same functions shownin Dialogue and Sound Effect .

One essential difference between sound effect andmusic in sound design is that sound effects aregenerally associated with action & music withreaction .



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Establishing Locale

Many musical styles and themes are reflecting to particular regions. Asia, Hawaii, Spain, American West, the sea, outer space and otherenvironments.

Emphasizing Action

By defining or underscoring an event. The crash of a chord defines theimpact of a fall or collision. A dramatic chord underscores shock or amoment of decision. A romantic theme highlights the attraction betweenlovers when their eyes first meet. Tempo increasing from slow to fastemphasizes impending danger.

Intensifying Action

Usually by crescendo or repetition. The repetition of a short melody,phrase or rhythm intensifies boredom, the threat of danger or animminent action.


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Depicting Identity

Music can identify characters, events and programs. A dark, broodingtheme characterizes the bad guy . A particular theme played during

an event identifies the event each time it is heard.Setting Pace

Mainly through tempo & rhythm. Slow tempo defines dignity, importance,or dullness whereas fast tempo suggests gaiety, agility or triviality.Changing tempo from slow to fast accelerates pace and escalatesaction, changing from fast to slow decelerates pace and concludesaction. Regular rhythm suggests stability, monotony or simplicity,whereas irregular rhythm suggests complexity, excitement or instability.

Providing Counterpoint

Adds an idea or feeling that would not otherwise be obvious. Footballplayers shown blocking, passing and running are counterpointed with aballet music to underscore their grace & coordination.


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Creating Humor

A sliding trombone, clanking percussion can define a comic highlight orunderscore its humor. A fight is made silly, instead of violent by addingthe sounds of boings, bonk & splats.

Unifying Transition

Same relationship than sounds are used. (transitions by Overlapping,

Lead-in, Lead-out) A complete fade-in or fade-out makes a definite breakin continuity. The music used at the fade-in would be different from thatused at the fade-out.

Smoothing Action Scenes

In kinetic action scenes filled with quick cuts and rapid-fire sound effects,music is often used to smooth the abruptness of the shots and soundsand to create continuity.


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Silence Silence needs to be seen as the same level than audio form.Silence can be extremely powerful. A little girl is walking along astreet wall, as she is progressing, silence heightens suspense toan oppressive level as we anticipate a danger, or an apparitionworking out. Silence is also effective sound. An explosion followedby silence.

The Visual ear Hearing a particular sound creates a distinct mental image.

The power of Sound to stimulate visual images is anotherformidable consideration in sound design.


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Music in Spot AnnouncementsBecause of the effect on memory and emotion, it is a staple inspot announcement.

-Music creates mood and feeling.

-The purpose of most spot is to have emotional appeal.

-Music is memorable. Music in spot should have a simple,short, melodic line or lyric or both, something that sticks in

the mind and can be easily involuntarily, recalled.

-Music gets the audience s attention.

-Music can be directed to the taste of a specific audience.

- Music style can matched with the product.


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Function of SoundIn Relation to Picture


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Picture Defines Sound

by calling attention to particular actions or images. A person walks down a city street with traffic sounds in the background,cutting to close-up of the traffic increases the impact of the sounds.

Sound and Picture Define Effect

The aural and visual elements are complementary. A wave building and then breaking on a beach, accompanied by theswelling and crashing sounds together create the overall impact of theeffect. Cumulative effect.

A man sitting on a bench in a park, watching a mother playing with her child,lovers walking hand in hand and teenagers playing football, accompanied by amusic track that evokes a feeling first of pleasure, then loneliness and finally offutility.


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SPOTTING

Spotting is the action of deciding on the placement of sound effects andmusic in a production on a spotting sheet.

Spotting takes place at different times in the production process,

because sound effects can be produced during and after shooting,whereas music is usually spotted after the picture is edited.

It takes on consideration how the effects should be played, howactive and dense are they.

In a dinner scene, do the sounds of plates, glasses, fork, ! continuethrough the scene and the various shot changes from long, to close-up?

Spotting Sound Effects



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SPOTTING

Several questions to consider:

- How much music is there in the production?

- Where is it used? How is silence used?- Where does the music enter?- How does it enter, softly or loudly?- How does it end?- What kind of music to use?

Spotting Music



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ExerciseFilm or Movie example

Following the visual script, create a sound track.

FADE IN

INTERIOR. BEDROOM. MAN AND WOMAN IN THEIR MIDSIXTIES ARE SLEEPING. A CLOCK WORK SHOWS 6:00. FAINT SUNLIGHTIS COMING THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW HUNG WITH LACECURTAINS FLUTTERING IN A BREEZE. THE CAMERA SLOWLY

ZOOMS IN.

FADE OUT



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Cf. Stanley R. Alten Audio in Media

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07_The Sound Designer