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Assignment Cover Sheet: Music Industry Studies An Assignment cover sheet must be included with each assignment. Please complete all details clearly. If you are submitting the assignment on paper, please staple this sheet to the front of each assignment. If you are submitting the assignment online, please ensure this cover sheet is included at the start of your document. (This is preferable to a separate attachment.)

Name: Mohd Firdaus Lam Student ID: 12004023

Groupwise Email: [email protected]

Programme Title and Level: BSc Audio Engineering 3

Student adviser: Dave Paterson Tutor: Mike Brown

Module title: Trans Media Applications Due date: 14 March 2014

Assignment topic/title Trans Media Applications LO1

I declare that the work contained in this assignment is my own, except where acknowledgement of sources is made. I authorise the University to test any work submitted by me for instances of plagiarism using text comparison software. I understand this may involve the University copying my work and storing it on a database to be used in future to test work submitted by others.

Note: The attachment of this statement on any electronically submitted assignments will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed statement. In addition, any tangible evidence of assessment work and/or feedback must not be copied, downloaded or streamed onto any multimedia service, platform or device. I understand that I can obtain further information on this matter at http://www.uhi.ac.uk

Signed: Firdaus Lam Date: 11 Feb 2014

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12004023 Trans-Media Applications LO1 11 Feb 2014

1471 Words Mohd Firdaus Lam 2

Introduction Sound design originated as a medium for motion pictures. During the

formative years of sound design, there was no prior examples or standard

way of doing things. There was a huge amount of creative freedom. Sound

designers during those formative years managed to construct and set the

standard for future sound designers to adhere.

Audio Post Production Although there were technological limitations in the past, in essence the

techniques used before were not that different from today. Sound effects were

made from scratch and layering has always been the most common approach

in creating realistic and powerful sound effects. The main difference is today

we may use over 50 tracks for a given sound, whereas the pioneers would

only be working with 2 or 3 tracks.1 Today, with super fast computers and

reliable sound editing software, sound designers are able to create sounds

and make precise edits to sound effects with minimal effort. The use of

computers has increased the standards and quality of filmmaking and sound

design.

During a production, audio postproduction refers to the stage, which deals with the mixing, track laying and mastering of a particular soundtrack.

Whether the soundtrack is for films or games, the aim and objective of the

audio postproduction process remains the same. Sound designers would

work to enhance the storyline by setting the mood through the use of sound

effects and music. The music alone without words will reach into the

audiences heart and soul and create all kinds of emotions. It is a powerful

and manipulative art form.2

1 R Gould, Concept and Approaches in Sound Design, in Audio Black Holes, viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://audioblackholes.tumblr.com/post/30414334003/concepts-and-approaches-in-sound-design-ep-5-a-brief 2 D Lewis, Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound, Focal Press, UK, 2012, p. 466.



Sound Effects There are four terms commonly used to describe sound effects,

Spot FX. This term refers to sound effects related to a single source. (E.g. a door, a gunshot, an explosion, etc.) Spot FX are commonly

diegetic sounds that are visible on screen. Diegetic sound can be either on-screen or off-screen depending on whether the source is

within the frame or outside the frame but relative to what is shown in

the shot. In film, when spot FXs are used off screen, it is referred to as

acousmatic sounds. Acousmatic sounds can be used in two different situations where initially its source is not visible on screen but revealed

later on or when it is seen first and then acousmatized later on.3 Non-diegetic sounds are sounds which is neither visible on-screen nor has anything to do with the scene. (E.g. narrators commentary or mood

music.)

Ambience/atmospheric FX. Atmospheric tracks are used to create a spatial effect and are significant in setting the mood of the scene. (E.g.

city skyline, traffic, etc.) These tracks are often laid in stereo and sent

to the surround channels in the mix.

Sound Design. This term covers the creation of new futuristic sounds which is also used to describe the origination of specially designed

sounds. Audio could also be manipulated by synthesizers/samplers

and computer plug-ins to create more alluring sounds that are popular

for games or science fiction movies.

Foley FXs are sounds recorded in the studio directly to picture. These sounds add realism to the picture. Foley is important especially in

scenes where the dialogue have been replaced. The FX editor has to

reproduce the body and clothing movements of the actor once the

original dialogues are removed from the mix. Layering Foley FX with

sampled sounds will improve the recordings definition. Definition will

rely on the frequency bandwidth and dynamic range of the recordings.

Definition contributes to greater presence and realism.

3 M Chion, Audio Vision Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York, 1994, p. 72.



Recording Foley Sound designers working for film audio during postproduction will Foley sound effects to enhance the auditory experience of the film. They will

recreate realistic ambient sounds, record sound effects and in some instances

cover up unwanted noise captured on set during filming.

The studio facilities for recording Foley may vary, but the ideal space should

be neither live nor anechoic, but treated well enough to achieve smooth

decay times across the frequency spectrum.4 The reason for this is to avoid

as much coloration to the Foley from unwanted reflections from various

surfaces in the room.

Recording ADR/Looping The dubbing engineer would re-record dialog and sometimes they would use

different actors for the job. This process is referred to as ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) or Looping. Many would argue that ADR is a

necessary evil but it can also be used to polish the vocal performance of the

actors and properly express or change the emotion of the shot.5

Ideally, ADR should be recorded in a large neutral space that is neither

acoustically dead nor reverberant. This is important when recording shouted

dialogue or a large crowd of people at high levels. Recording at high levels

will trigger the natural acoustics of the room. Recording in a booth will also

cause problems because the surface reflections in the booth will impart a

boxy feel to the recordings that is near impossible to remove.6

Rendering There is a difference between reproducing and rendering sounds for film scenes. Reproducing is simply implementing diegetic sounds to what film

4 H Wyatt, Audio Post Production for Television and Film, Focal Press, Oxford, 2005, p. 512. 5 M Axinn, ADR Necessary Evil or Saving Grace, in Mix Online, April 2000, viewed on 27 February 2014, http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_adrnecessary_evil_saving/ 6 Wyatt, op. cit., p. 516.



viewers see in the scene. Rendering is a creative aspect in sound design.

Sound designers would convey the feelings associated with the situation

through the use of natural or unnatural diegetic or acousmatic sounds.7 For

example, during a fight scene when the actors are punching and kicking each

other, the sound effects used are unrealistic and impossible in reality but it

expresses the emotion or feelings of the scene, that is dramatic pain.

Target Market and Expectations The Internet has opened the doors to online streaming of various videos and

movie trailers. Consumers get ready access to their favorite programs online

and they may view it on their Smart Television, portable computers, phones or

tablets. This gives the rise of awareness in the film making industry and many

independent filmmakers are making use of the Internet to showcase their

work. Although many film directors blame the Internet for causing a strain in

the cinema business,8 many would argue that the market is still wide open

and completely democratic.9 Nevertheless, there is growing awareness to

enjoy films and the Internet has expanded the target market to include almost

the entire world.

Film soundtracks are commonly mixed in 5.1 surround, but it is still current

practice to produce a Dolby Stereo Surround mix for multiple delivery over

different platforms. Traditionally, for motion picture theatrical release, the

soundtrack is separate from the picture. Once the audio postproduction work

is completed the final 5.1 soundtrack mix is laid back on an 8 track multiple

DTRS format and sent to the transfer facility where it is then joined to the

picture in the form of a multiple channel digital or analogue sound print.10

7 Chion, op. cit., p.109. 8 E Lies, Directors blame filmmaking crisis on Internet, in Reuters, Oct 2010, viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/25/us-crisis-internet-idUSTRE69O2N620101025 9 G Berry, Filmmaking and the Internet, in Film Underground, viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://www.filmunderground.com/114/article/NWFS/filmmaking-and-the-internet.htm 10 Wyatt, op. cit., p. 699.



For consumer purposes, the soundtrack is fed to Digital Dolby AC3. Digital

Dolby is the most common surround sound for DVDs. For compatibility

reasons and since not everyone has a home theater system, all DVD players

take the 5.1 mix and down-mix it into a 2 channel Dolby pro-logic mix which

comes out of the RCA jacks on the back. Computer media players will have

the necessary codec to playback AC3.

During an audio postproduction project, it is also possible to down-mix a 5.1

mix to stereo. The left, center, right, and surround channels are matrixed into

a pair of stereo channels, called (Lt) left total and (Rt) right total. Many would

argue that the encoded system will suffer from phase problems,11 but recent

software plug-ins such as the Avid Mix-down, mix engineers are able to

control levels between each channel to get the most out of the down-mixes.

These settings can be changed to suit mixes that are compatible across all

platforms.12

Conclusion Once the audio postproduction work is completed, the final soundtrack will be

distributed and it could be reproduced or transmitted on any format or quality.

Nonetheless it is crucial to ensure the final soundtrack is compatible across all

platforms and it adheres to standard production requirements.

11 Wyatt, op. cit., p. 687. 12 M Thornton, Surround Mixdown Formats, in Pro Tools Expert, March 2012, viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-page/2012/3/1/podcast-follow-up-surround-mixdown-formats.html



List of References

Axinn, M, ADR Necessary Evil or Saving Grace, in Mix Online, April 2000,

viewed on 27 February 2014,

http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_adrnecessary_evil_saving/

Berry, G, Filmmaking and the Internet, in Film Underground, viewed on 27

Feb 2014, http://www.filmunderground.com/114/article/NWFS/filmmaking-

and-the-internet.htm

Chion, M Audio Vision Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New

York, 1994.

Gould, R, Concept and Approaches in Sound Design, in Audio Black Holes,

viewed on 27 Feb 2014,

http://audioblackholes.tumblr.com/post/30414334003/concepts-and-

approaches-in-sound-design-ep-5-a-brief

Lies, E, Directors blame filmmaking crisis on Internet, in Reuters, Oct 2010,

viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/25/us-crisis-

internet-idUSTRE69O2N620101025

Thornton, M, Surround Mixdown Formats, in Pro Tools Expert, March 2012,

viewed on 27 Feb 2014, http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-

page/2012/3/1/podcast-follow-up-surround-mixdown-formats.html

Wyatt, H Audio Post Production for Television and Film, Focal Press, Oxford,

2005.

Lewis, D, Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound, Focal Press, UK, 2012.

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