SESSION 02 - WED 30.01.08

(based in Studio 2)

IN THE SESSION
Matt, Tom, Chris and Pete in studio for first part going through clip, picking out sound effects and creating a basic marker track with the main sound effects on it.
- using Cubase - have used with video before and is compatible with everything we need to import e.g. Kontakt

Kamal and Dan in the Library looking for the script online
- could only find one version of the script, which looked like an inaccurate transcript
- Kamal went through the clip on YouTube and transcribed all of the dialogue

Downloaded assignment brief
- need to print out one or more copies so we can keep referring to it
- there are some deliverables to with planning that we need to get sorted soon (some for the Week 3 presentation) e.g. skills audit, contract, Gantt charts

Discussed production company name
- will be called 'Invisible Sound'
- need to design logo and branding for Week 3 presentation - Dan (& Kamal?)

NEXT
Meeting planned for tomorrow (Thursday 31st January) between the morning lecture and the afternoon lecture (11.15-13.00) in the Library.

Delegate tasks, allocate roles, make to do list, start to set deadlines.

Take minutes of the meeting.

SESSION 01 - MONDAY 28.01.08

TEAM FORMATION
Members:
Matt Hiom
Tom Holding
Dan Houghton
Chris Jones
Kamal Kamruddin
Pete Lilley

SKILLS AUDIT/MATRIX
Listed strengths and weaknesses of each team member with regard to strengths that will be useful in completing the project and weaknesses that will need to be improved on. So far the list is slightly vague and may not be as helpful as it could be when we allocate roles within the team, which we need to do soon.

BLOG
Added readers to blog - Michael Ward and all team members.

WHICH CLIP?
Looked at Lost, Animatrix, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Spiderman, The Bourne Ultimatum, Star Wars, War Of The Worlds.

Narrowed down to Lost, Animatrix, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Lost - Good range of different types of sounds e.g. running through grass, explosions, people shouting
Animatrix - Mix and contrast of calm and intense, chase scene, atmospheric classroom and funeral scenes
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - Lots of dialogue, interesting sounds

Chose the Animatrix - The Kid's Story because...
- sound evolves
- contrast - classroom and chase scene
- opportunity to emphasise subtle sounds e.g chalk on blackboard, pen/pencil on paper, classroom atmosphere, typing on computer, rain (at funeral)

THINGS TO CONSIDER
- where we are going to need to field recording and what locations we need to use

TO DO
- watch the clip and identify what sounds are needed - put together cue sheets
> Will probably do this by splitting the clip into 3 parts and assigning each part to two group members, so we are less likely to miss anything.
- start putting together plans - Gantt charts, calendar/plan for the 12 weeks so we can see where deadlines etc. are
- start taking minutes of all the meetings
- get copy of the clip for everyone
- make a full list of tasks for the duration of the project

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

I find that film sound so easily goes unappreciated.

Having discovered some of the techniques and processes involved in audio post-production, I have come to appreciate the sound vastly more than I had done previously. Knowing that the majority of the sound in films is added afterwards has changed the way I watch films, as I now listen much more closely to the sound, particularly the sound effects and Foley. A recent key example of the importance of sound effects in story-line that stood out for me was in The Bourne Ultimatum during the fight scene between Bourne and an assassin in a shower. During the course of the fight, the assassin drops the knife which he has been trying to use against Bourne, which is difficult (or maybe impossible) to see on camera, but the viewer is left in no doubt that the knife has been dropped, because of the clear sound of it landing on the floor.

Having recently watched horror films The Sixth Sense and Psycho, so much of the suspense and fear is created by the sound – watching these (and most others) on mute takes a huge amount of impact away from the film. For Psycho in particular, it’s the musical score that really stands in the audio – Bernard Hermann’s score for is famous for its screeching strings which add so much to the horror of the film.

Throughout the course of this project, I have a feeling I’m going to come to appreciate film sound a whole lot more.

USEFUL LINKS
http://filmsounddaily.blogspot.com/
http://filmsound.org/