The task for this week was to use different types of microphone and see what sounds could be collected from them. We would then put them onto Adobe Audition and then edit them by adding on effects to them. We used a hydrophone and 2 others to pick up vibrations and electronic signals, for example, from TV or computer screens. I have compiled these into a playlist on soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/benjamin-martin-eagle/sets/sound-effects-week-3
For the homework this week, we were asked to read "Characteristics of Radio" and watch "The Conversation". Discussing the "Characteristics of Radio", I thought it was an interesting read and an easier read than the one given to us the week previous. In the reading, the author mentions that the important thing with radio is that it involves imagination as with television, it can very much be a passive medium. I did have 2 problems with this. One was mentioned later on in the reading, which was focus. A listener cannot imagine anything if they are concentrating on something else. For example, driving in their car. The author suggests this is why so many radio stations now just play music. My second problem is that, radio imagination can only be applied to the ones who can actually hear it. Someone who is deaf would not be able to imagine anything being said. There is also the access to radio argument, but that was mentioned as well.
The film we had to watch was a 1974 film called "The Conversation". Centered around a main character in conversation spying. He becomes obsessive over a job he's been doing and keeps going over the recording he has of the tapes, and where he has to hand them over to the people who employed him for the job in the first place.
We were asked to make note of the sound in this movie. First of note is the strange sound when at the beginning of the film, they're trying to pick up the conversation of the couple. It's used to let the audience know that they're trying to pick up the conversation but failing. It's an odd sound that to me, does not fit right, it sounds out of place. I would even say it took the immersion out of the film and made it feel unrealistic.
Another sound I noticed during the film was when the main character walked into the offices of the people he's doing the job for. The sound of the typewriters in the building. Although only one is shown in frame. It's made to sound like there are loads and they are droning on, becoming monotonous. This gives a sense of what kind of office space this is.
Another unrealistic sound I noticed was when the main character was rewinding the tapes, it made it sound silly. On the other hand though, there were some pieces of jazz music that seemed to fit the time the movie had been filmed. So in that sense, it made it feel more realistic. Another sense of realism was the actors voices drifting off and becoming quieter as they moved away from the camera. Making us feel like we're there and this is our eyes. Although it may not be anything important, there always seems to be soft piano music playing when women are primarily talking in the film.
Last week's homework was to produce a 2 minute sound walk of somewhere in Brighton. I had chosen to do it on entering a train station and then leaving. I have not yet uploaded it to Sound Cloud as it is on hard drive in the media labs. I will upload it tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment