IB Film 1

Introduction to Sound

Introduction to Foley and Sound Effects for Film

Very little of what you hear in the movies is real.

Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality.

These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass.

We take a look at the art of Foley, how to classify it, the history of the man who started it all and take a crack at doing our own foley work.

Watch This:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLrMEncyd64BdPt-iWyxiAdo19tYm7myf1&v=_Jznye0iqYE

Design vs Recording vs Editing vs Mixing

Some film awards' shows, like the U.S. Academy Awards, have a bewildering array of awards for sound

Most people, including voting members of the Academy, have little-to-no idea what the difference is among them.

Let's see if we can break down the sound category into its component functions.

Keep in mind, however, that if you choose sound as your production role, then you will be doing all of these aspects, which would almost never happen on a professional crew, with the exception of the most stripped-down independent productions.

Sound DesignerResponsible for the creation of all sounds A sound designer is responsible for the creation of all sounds other than what is physically recorded on set and the score.

Sound design involves the creation of sound effects, sometimes called foley, and other manipulation of recorded audio assets.

If a film is said to have a particular mood or atmosphere, independent of its Score, it is usually the responsibility of the sound designer to achieve it.

The score, on the other hand, falls under the domain of a composer, a trained musician who is actually writing music to be performed by an orchestra, band, or solo musician.

The sound designer could be thought of as the director of sound, working closely with all the other sound production roles, in order to achieve a unified and coherent approach to a film's sound design.

In the same way a cinematographer is in charge of a film's look, the sound designer is in charge of a film's sound.

Sound RecordistResponsible for recording live audio on set during principal photography 

Sound recordists are usually armed with a boom and a microphone - typically known as a 'boom mic'.

The microphone is connected to a device for recording sound

The recordist makes sure to not only record all the audio for each take, but also to record ambient sound from the set.

Sound EditorResponsible for arranging all the recorded and created sound elements in the desired order 

Much of the time this will involve several layers of sound, all being heard at the same time.

The sound editor makes sure that designed sound, recorded sound, and composed score all play at the appropriate time in the film's timeline.

Sound Mixer

Responsible for mixing all the edited sounds together into a final audio track

They work with multiple channels, either Stereo or 5.1 Surround Sound, or even more.

The mixer ensures the final sound mix is balanced properly, and no sounds cause distortion in the speakers.

The sound mixer's ideal is that an audience never has to strain to hear a sound, nor put in earplugs.

If you have ever felt the need to repeatedly hit the volume button on your remote control up and down and back again, that represents a failure on the part of the sound mixer.

Assessment Advice

Be a Jack of all TradesAs was mentioned previously, on a student film, the crew member handling sound will have to do all these tasks and usually be a composer as well.

Or at least, shall we say, a student should do all these tasks.

All too often what happens is the sound person simply accepts whatever the camera records on set (which means the cinematographer is actually doing the job) and adds nothing to the sound design other than what is synced up to the video elements (in which case, the editor is doing all the work).

Do not let this happen.

Record audio separately on set, or at least be assertive about shooting extra takes in order to get better sound.

In the edit bay, shove the editor to the side from time to time, and take over as sound editor, and definitely as mixer before the final export.

Above all, as a crew, do not assign sound to the perceived 'weak link' in the crew, figuring that is where they will do the least damage.

Sound design makes or breaks a film.

The most beautiful high-def footage in the world will never compensate for mediocre sound.

This role should be taken only by someone who is passionate about sound.

The Last of the IB Production Roles

SoundSo far in this course, you have had an introduction and some practical Production experience with each of the assessed IB Film production roles except for one:

You have learned a bit about what screenwriters do, when you studied the three-act structure you have edited film footage in all your production exercises you have learned how to think visually in terms of camerawork and lighting, the core

components of the cinematographer's art You have studied what a director's role is in managing the vision for the whole process

It is now time to focus in on sound.

Once you have finished learning about sound, you will have had a taste of all five assessed IB Film production roles

This should provide you with enough information and experience for you to to make a decision about which area you would like to master for the final film project in the second year of the course.

It might seem far too early to make such a decision, but getting good enough to earn high marks on your final production portfolio takes time:

time to research time to study time to practice time to fail and time to succeed

Making this decision at the last minute will inevitably lead to shoddy, mediocre production work.

Start thinking about it now, and if you end up really enjoying the production of sound, then fantastic.

Furthermore, even if you are already sure you do not want to do sound as your production emphasis, then it is still important for you to know what sound designers, recordists, editors, and mixers do, so you can better synthesise your work with that of the other members of your crew.

Microphone TypesYour primary piece of production equipment is a microphone.

They come in three varieties:

Cardioid Omnidirectional and Shotgun

You should not only know which kind you have, but the situation for which it is ideally suited.

CardioidA heart-shaped patternA cardioid microphone picks up sound in a heart-shaped pattern in front of the mic and to a lesser extent to the sides and rear.

It is useful for recording sound in a very limited area right in front of what the mic is pointing at, while still recording some background ambience.

ShotgunRecords what it is pointing atA shotgun microphone looks more like a gun and records the sound of what it is pointing at, while minimising background noise.

It also picks up sound on the left side of the barrel separately from the sound on the right, which allows for this kind of mic to capture stereo sound.

Most of the on-board mics of higher-end cameras are this type.

OmnidirectionalFrom all directionsAn Omnidirectional mic picks up sound equally from all directions.

This is useful for recording overall audio, with no preference for direction.

LavalierClip-on mic You might also have access to a clip-on microphone.

Also called a Lavalier mic (or Lav mic, and sometime known as a lapel mic) which is usually clipped to the subject's shirt and transmits the sound wirelessly from a transmitter pack to a receiver.

Proper TechniqueYou may be forced to use the onboard micMuch of the time your crew will be forced, due to equipment limitations, to only use the onboard microphone on the camera.

If that is the case, there is not a whole lot you can do in terms of technique.

You should at least know how to turn on Wind-screen Mode, if you are shooting outdoors, or make some effort to physically shield the camera's mic from the wind.

Wind noise is deadly, and is almost impossible to clean up in Post-Production without serious loss of audio quality.

If nothing else, create a protective barrier with your hands around the mic, as if you were trying to light a match on a windy day.

Boom Microphone TechniqueBoom operators have massive shoulders because they are holding a heavy boom and mic over their heads for long periods of time, while fussy directors shoot take after take for hours.

If your arms get tired, try balancing the boom on your head (your head becomes the fulcrum) while you rest one arm and then the other.

You do not want to ruin a great take with a dipping mic caused by tired arms.

Mic + Distance = Quality SoundKeep your distance

What is a Boom?A boom is a long pole, usually extendable to various lengths

Experiment with SoundWhy is the microphone held overhead, rather than pointed at the subject from the front?

Set the SceneImagine a scene with 2 characters sitting at a table

One mic position, multiple shot anglesSometimes the kitchen will be loud in the background, sometimes soft

Get the mic above the actionPerfect

ClapperboardClapperboard

No Guerillas Allowed... mostlyUnfortunately, sound is one area you cannot fake with the odds and ends lying around the house.

There is no way to create a makeshift microphone or audio recorder.

This is also a case, if you can afford it, to get a nicer microphone, as it makes a huge difference.

An audio recorder, likewise, is impossible to make on your own; you simply have to buy one if you want to record audio separately from the onboard mic on the camera, which you should.

Guerilla BoomHowever, that being said, one piece of gear you can go Guerilla-style with is a boom Any long pole can become a boom for a microphone, so long as you find a way to securely attach the mic to it.

A broom handle works, as does the handle of many tools for the yard, such as a rake.

While you are out rummaging in the shed, see if your parents have a tree pruner with an extendable arm, which is exactly what a boom is (minus, of course, the saw blade and cutters).

Anything that can get the mic into and above the action, while keeping the mic out of the shot, will do the job.

iSoundYour mobile phone is a mic Also, always remember, in a pinch, many of you carry around sound recorders with you all the time: your mobile phone.

Although the built-in mics on phones are very low quality, they are better than nothing at all.

If you are out and about and hear that perfect Police siren, or crowd noise, or sound of seagulls at the beach, whip out your phone and record it.

Sounds are everywhere, and an aware sound designer will be able to create a much richer design as a result of paying attention and being prepared.

Hearing is Believing

Typically, we associate this notion with the expression, 'seeing is believing',  but it is almost more important in terms of sound.

In order to believe what we see, we need to hear it.

A corollary to this truth is everything makes a sound, even silence.

This is worth repeating: everything makes a sound, even silence.

Sound is all aroundUnless you are in a sound deprivation chamber, there is always soundRead the rest of this paragraph first and then close your eyes to prove it to yourself.

What do you hear?

If there are any electric devices in the room there is probably some kind of hum.

Perhaps some traffic noise from the street outside. Wind in the trees. People in other rooms in the house moving about. Shift your weight slightly in your chair. Feet scraping on the carpet. Chair cushion squeaking. Clothes rustling.

Everything makes a sound.

'Truth' in SoundThe right sound cuesIn your IB Theory of Knowledge class, as you investigated Perception, you may have come to the conclusion we can tend to rely more on the Truth of what we perceive if we can act on it with more than one of our perceptual senses.

The eyes alone can be fooled, but it is harder to fool the eyes and ears at the same time - harder, but not impossible, of course, otherwise films would not be able to work their spell on us so convincingly.

If you want to move your audience closer toward believing the manufactured reality you have created, you need to provide the sound cues that allow them to believe it; otherwise, they will not

Record extra soundsA complete sound picture of the sceneWhen you record the action of a scene, keep this in mind, since you might need to record extra sounds after the director is done.

This might mean getting the microphone really close to things like clothing or other props that get handled or set down.

We need to hear everything we see.

If the microphone did not pick it up the first time, go back and get it after, or do some foley work back in the studio.

However, we do not need to see everything we hear.

In fact, to give the sense of a film world existing outside of the small world of the set, you should include all sorts of sounds made by things we never see.

Dogs barking in the neighborhood. Planes flying overhead. Music coming from a neighbor's stereo.

In fact, sometimes we hear sounds that do not exist in the world of the film at all.

DiegesisThe story world the characters inhabitAlthough the origins of the terms Diegesis (or Narration) and Mimesis (or Imitation) go all the way back to ancient Greece and the philosophical discussions of Plato and Aristotle, in cinematic terms, the word diegesis refers to the world of the film itself, the story world the characters inhabit.

The non-diegetic world (or extra-diegetic world) is the film we watch and experience, separate from what the characters experience.

If you want to really get fancy with vocabulary, you can also think about the meta-diegetic world, the one in which the diegetic becomes aware of the non-diegetic, such as when a character looks right at the audience and talks to it, what is sometimes referred to as breaking the fourth wall.

The Fourth Wall

The character in a play who is momentarily aware of being in a play Fourth Wall?

Imagine a standard room set for a typical stage play.

You have three walls built on stage, but the fourth wall is missing. Why?

So the audience can see the action.

In the world the characters inhabit (the diegesis) the wall exists, but not for us, the audience.

However, sometimes characters walk through that wall to speak to us directly, often commenting on the action of the play we are experiencing.

When they do so, they are breaking the fourth wall. 

In other words, the character in a play who is momentarily aware of being in a play.

Some moments are meta-diegetic, or when they occur in a theater, are meta-theatrical.

A great example of a meta-diegetic (or meta-cinematic) moment in a film is when Ferris Bueller addresses the audience in John Hughes' Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Ferris breaks the fourth wall all over that film.

Lights and SoundLighting can be both diegetic and non-diegetic Anything that is part of the world of the film, the story world the characters live in, is diegetic.

This includes, but is not limited to, sound.

Diegetic lights, or practical lights, are the ones the characters turn on and off themselves, such as lamps, light switches, etc.

Non-diegetic lights are the additional lights the cinematographer adds to create mood or to add extra illumination, but are not supposed to actually exist literally in the scene.

Sound is the area that most often incorporates both diegetic and non-diegetic elements.

A film's score, for example, is usually non-diegetic.

Although the music certainly enhances the scene, it is not literally heard by the characters.

It exists for us in our film experience, but not for the characters in their diegesis - in their world.

Recorded audio on set is almost always diegetic. It is made by something that exists in the film world.

When non-Diegetic becomes DiageticSometimes what seems to be a non-diegetic score becomes a diegetic oneA song might be playing in a manner that seems to be a typical score, and then a character suddenly hits a button on a stereo system and the score halts abruptly.

In P.T. Anderson's film, Magnolia (1999), there is a montage featuring several characters with a moody song playing underneath, as if it were a simple score.

But then the lyrics begin and each character starts to sing them.

A non-diegetic score has become diegetic.

So, what is the point?Does it really matter what we call these sounds?Diegetic, schmiegetic, who cares, right?  Wrong! 

One, you need to be able to talk correctly and accurately about sound when you conduct your own analysis of film.

More importantly you need to remember, as a sound designer, to include both kinds of sound in your productions.

Too often, the only non-diegetic sounds heard in student productions will be the score.

What a horribly limited sound palette that is.

If, instead, you can try to incorporate sounds that do not actually exist in the film world but exist simply to enhance the film experience, then your sound design will be more than merely competent, it will be extraordinary!

Listening, on a whole new levelClose your eyes and listenWhen you have a free moment, watch a film you know well enough to not have to worry about the narrative or the plot.

Then, turn the video off and only listen to the sound.

Close your eyes and lie back.

Listen to the richness of the audio.

This exercise will take your appreciation of what goes into a film's sound design to a whole new level.