Artefact 1 – ADR & Foley
Planning
To prepare for this project, I started by sourcing a clip that had a good amount of foley and dialogue that would be within my skill set to reproduce. I decided to choose a clip form an animated movie as there’s more flexibility in the sounds that you can create/use. Once the clip was approved by my lecturer I went onto creating a sound map where I broke down all sounds I would need into their categories (Foley, SFX, Dialogue, Ambience and Music) that I used as my guide. After I had completed this step, I then created my ProTools session at 24 bit and 48kHz, which is the industry standard, I used routing folders and markers to help keep my session organised.
Recording
For the recording stage, as I had to record my foley at home, I used the spare room in my sister’s house which by luck was a dead space and proved to be perfect for this. I made sure to pull curtains over the window to further dampen any possible noise. I made sure that when I was choosing props for the foley that they would correspond with the visuals on screen, e.g. for Coraline, I found similar shoes to ones she was wearing to create the tight, high end sound that trainers make on a wooden floor. For the Other Mother, her character design is that of something unhuman and a blend of insect and metal so I had to make sure I used items that reflected this. I then recorded the ADR myself using an LCT 441 large diaphragm condenser.
Editing
For editing I made sure that all my SFX were in time and there was no overlap with each other. There were 2 SFX that play at the same time to highlight a particular object that’s important to the story, they were of similar frequencies so in order to distinguish between the two I cut some of the high end of the effect that was non-diegetic so the foley effect was more prominent. I also used pitch shift on 2 of the voices so that the audience is able to differentiate between the 3 characters. I used appropriate reverbs for the footsteps and dialogue tracks.
Mixing
To achieve balanced mix for this project, instead of simply using faders, I decided to utilise automation to create depth and add perspective that related to where the characters appear. For example, if one of the characters was to the right of the screen and further back in the frame, I automated the panning to be more to the right as well as lowering the volume compared to a character at the left side who is further forward in frame, the automation would reflect this by having the panning to the left and the volume louder to show that they’re closer to the screen than the other.
The last step I need to complete is to take my session into the studio to create a mix for speakers and here how it sounds in a larger space.
Artefact 2 – ISP
Planning
To plan for this project, I first had to decide which track to choose from the 3 provided. I went with the Dohnavur track which fits in the electronic genre. My reason for choosing this track was to push myself out my comfort zone as I listen to electronic music but it isn’t the genre that I make music in. As the majority of electronic music I listen to is soundtracks I decided to make it in the cinematic/soundtrack genre. I had to prepare a pitch to present to the class and lecturer detailing my intentions for the project, 2 producers I wanted to emulate and also to compare and contrast a track from each producer. I provided a pre-production plan with reference tracks and how I was going to create/record what I needed.
Recording
The recording for this project was split between Ableton and ProTools. As the majority of my track was electronic I composed the main bulk in Ableton using the instruments available. I kept the original bass and synth melody from the STEMS provided and I recorded these by recreating the notes in instruments that I felt fit better with what I was intending. I felt the original bass had a muddy sound that was too thick and drowned out a lot of the melody elements layered on top so I chose a MIDI instrument that had a smoother sound and was more legato. I also choose an instrument with a smoother sound for the lead melody synth. I also utilised some stranger sounding synths and instruments to fit with the pitch that I had presented. Recording the drums in ProTools I used a set up of Kick, Snare Top and Bottom, Floor Tom, Rack Toms and Hi-Hat. The Crash and Ride cymbals were recorded separately as flourishes through the track. I also set a room mic up to capture the kit in the natural reverb of the live room to add more depth.
Mixing
When mixing in the pushed the Pad and WST back in the mix as I wanted the bass to be more prominently featured than the melodic elements. The drums were also slightly pushed back with a long fade in attached to create suspense and so you could feel the track building. This was also reflected in the performance as I asked the drummer to start out quietly and gradually build up. I used multiple reverbs to create a dreamy, ethereal sound to fit with the cinematic feel of the track. I used EQ to sculpt the frequency of certain tracks to ensure that any with similar frequencies didn’t drown each other out and had their place in the mix. I also made use of automated panning and volume to create interesting layers in the track. The Limiter placed on the master fader has a threshold of -6db in order to be able to master at a later stage.
Artefact 3 – Spatial Recording & Reproduction
Planning
To prepare for this project, I need to source a group/ensemble/band to record and a suitable space to record in. I have decided to contact the leader of the GSBB (Glasgow Schools Big Band) that I used to play with whilst at school so I sent an email detailing what I intend to do. I have also decided to use the space that is used for their rehearsals and majority of their concerts which is the City Halls in the Merchant City. I haven’t decided yet whether to record in the City Halls auditorium or the Old Fruitmarket which is next door. I will be taking a trip to both venues to have a look before deciding.
Recording
To record this project, I will be using the mobile recording kit provided by the college which will include all the resources required such as mics, mic stands, interfaces etc. After we start the module and learn about the various microphone arrays such as Decca Tree, Fukada Tree and others I will be able to decide as to what will be most suitable for not only the space but also the ensemble that I intend to record.
Mixing
For the mixing stage of this project, I will be creating a mix that is playable over a 5.1 system.
Artefact 4 – PDP
Planning
The plan I put forth for this project was to create a podcast series that revolved around females sharing their experiences about living with chronic, auto-immune and invisible illnesses. It also discussed their experiences within the health sector as a result of the gender health gap. I had set forth a plan to record 3 episodes for the initial launch however this became 2 due to illness of participants and time constraints. The episodes which would touch on different conditions in each episode and how it’s affected their daily life. I decided on this to create a sense of support and community to those who don’t have a support system and also provide comfort and insight to those recently diagnosed. I created a brand complete with a name, tagline and logo, that I enlisted a friend to create for me, to further promote the product.
Creation of episodes
I recorded the episodes using both a Lewitt LCT 441 and a Shure SM7B and ensured the I had good levels and a clean signal. I recorded both of the episodes in 1 take each as I allowed the individuals telling their story to share as much or as little information as they wanted. In the editing process, I wanted to leave the audio as unedited as possible so that it felt more natural and with the storytelling aspect. I made sure to edit/cut out unnecessary long pauses, breaths, coughs but not all so it still feels natural. I made sure to crossfade between the audio clips so that there were no pops and clicks before consolidating the audio clips.
Promotion
For promotion, I reached out to charities linked to the conditions mentioned to see if they would be interested in supporting the podcast and mutual promotion. I also reached out to ‘The Big Light’ that’s a podcast promoting website as well as Halina Rifai who is the host and creator of ‘A Sonic Hug’ which is a mental health podcast. Halina also runs Podcart which is a podcast and music promotion website. Another form of promotion I used was Instagram. This is where I posted when the episodes were live and signposted to where they were available.
I received an email and had a phone call with Flora from ‘The Big Light’ where she stated there wouldn’t be anything they’d be able to do as they only work on projects that are just a pitch instead of fleshed out. However, she did say to send her a link to it to listen and she would see if there was anything they could do later down the line.
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