Use of FreeSound

Within our film opening we used a variation of recorded diegetic sound and foley sound effects either recorded separately or non diegetic sound. For the non diegetic sound used to accompany the constant action of the opening, we relied upon the website FreeSound for uncopyrighted sound. The diegetic sound of the party scene was included in editing in turning the sound down on the actual clip then converting our desired audio into mp3 format. In doing so, constant varied sound not only was in keeping with the mood of the protagonist but also emphasised the awkwardness and shock of the glitch sequence.

Once we'd finished cutting together all of our footage and decided upon having no sound in the glitch segment (use of a poll) we began to layer and enhance sound elsewhere. One key example was the our of focus POV shot prior to the running sequence where we didn't want the stillness of the shot to cause a dip in tension which is why we added the sound of a heartbeat.

Sound Poll Results

After asking numerous people to watch both versions of our glitch sequence, one with whispering and one without, we came to the decision to have no whispering. The absence of sound enhances the contrast between the party and being alone already established through the lighting. The partial awkwardness of the silence was what divided opinion, however after watching the opening in full, the silence proves effective. We asked numerous people to come and watch the full opening finalised without the whispering. Isobel, who had voted for whispering, said that in the full 2 minutes the only absence of sound being in the glitch actually made the whole sequence stand out and emphasise the use of lighting. Blog post about this evaluation in further detail to come soon. 

Sound Poll

As mentioned in my Editing Sound blog post, we have been focusing on sound experimentation with regard to what suits the mood and intensity desired for the opening. In doing so we have struggled to decide upon the sound for the glitch within the scenes without with party. The absence of any sound, we believed, made it appear unfinished and reduced the level of intensity. However, the use of a whispering sound effect may not allow for a big enough contrast in the glitch similarly detract attention from the concept of distressed sound of mind. To resolve this, we edited two versions of the glitch to upload to YouTube, one with the whispering and on without out for people to give their opinion. Which ever version proves most popular, we will edit into the final cut of our opening.

Editing Sound

Over the past few lessons, after accumulating the majority of out footage, we have been focusing heavily on our sound editing. As a group, we have decided to explore a mixture of both diegetic and non diegetic sound throughout the film opening with use of uncopyrighted sound to layer with  the recorded ambient sound of the running sequence, for example. Use of the website FreeSound is proving to be very useful with finding numerous options for us to play around with to decide what suits the tone of our film. We want to immediately create a sense of intensity and mystery, initiated by the seemingly feminine and contradictory style of the titles. In editing, the rapid pace of straight cuts with interspersed black screen accompanied by a ringing sound  (inspired by The Missing) creates the desired sense of anticipation for the first half of the opening, acting as mirror for the state of mind of the protagonist largely in the glitch sequence. The second half of the opening will see a much more continuous use of sound, slightly quieter non diegetic sound and enhanced ambient  sound (as oppose to sole use of foley sound) with a longer sequence of match on action. A direct contrast between the two halves of the opening will create a consistent sense of mystery for the audience, as well as introduction to the seemingly vulnerability of the lead character and her clear distress.