Directions: Sound Design workshop

"In a Lonely Place" by Gregory Crewdson

Sound design is capturing individual sound elements then layering these to create a soundtrack for the film. This occurs at all stages of production, even though it is a phase in post-production. As well as sound design, it can also be called the sound edit. 

Originally, all the sound editing was completed by sound editor(s), technicians who had little or no creative input into the film. However, this changed in the 1970's when stereo speakers brought about a demand for more complex sound. This led to the creation of the position of supervising sound editor/ sound designer. As supervisor of the audio element of the production, the sound designer ensures the whole team works towards the same vision. 

On a production there are commonly between 5 and 20 tracks of sound. There are also different types of tracks:

Dialogue = this is all of the dialogue recorded during filming

Sync = all the sound recorded during filming without the dialogue

ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) = dialogue re-recorded or dubbed after the shoot. Nearly all Hollywood films use this for the whole film.

FX = these are sound effects added during the editing phase of production, such as explosions or gunfire.

Foley = these are sound effects added after filming, but are created specifically for the production.

Atmos = atmospheric sounds added for ambience such as weather related sounds.

Music = diegetic and non-diegetic.

The Mix = the complete soundtrack, creating a balanced soundscape.

The art of sound design is to add depth, emotion, and credibility to the text's narrative and therefore world. It can also add details that the audience cannot actually see.
A sense of silence can be created by adding distant sounds or sounds that would normally be too quiet to hear that loudly (such as a fly buzzing or the wind blowing).
Music can convey complex ideas, but it is better to only use it when needed so it does not become overused.

Tips:

-Always get the microphone as close as possible to the sound being recorded

-If windy, position the actor with their back to the wind as this allows them to be better heard

-Always record a buzz track, a minute or so of location sound which can be laid under the scene to help in the editing process.

To put these ideas into practice, we each chose one of four images by photographer Gregory Crewdson. I decided to pick the one above as I had lots of ideas about what sounds could be happening within the picture as there was a lot of detail such as the laundrette, the stormy sky, the liquor store, hair salon, and cars driving through the puddles in the road.

I thought the figure in the picture could have been dropping her laundry off at the laundrette, before leaving there as it starts to storm. On her way back to her car she walks past a group of men outside the liquor store who are trying to shelter from the rain, before she gets to her car and drives away. 

What I most enjoyed about making this was creating the sounds of the night. I tried to achieve this by adding the dog barking in the distance as well as the stillness of the insects buzzing in the night air. I also enjoyed creating the transition between this and the busy laundrette as the door opens and closes as it had to be precisely synchronised to make it sound credible, but I think I managed to achieve this effect well. The only thing I would change is that the rain beginning to patter on the laundrette roof while she is inside cannot really be heard, so I would probably turn it up slightly.