A link to my Foley practical: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4bkS2b6atvE
This is the final product of the sound design project. We used zoom H5 mics to pick up different types of sounds we could make for this clip. We transferred all the sound clips by using a SD card then imported them into Garageband. We then edited all the sounds in Garageband and changed the sounds slightly to fit the clip of wall-e doing the according action. When working on this project we first planned the sounds we would make for afew main actions that wall-e does. Then we went out to go and record the sounds, after that we imported the clips into Garageband to edit the sound clips with the video.
Firstly, we did the planning for deciding what sounds would fit the actions Wall-E does and how well that sound would work with the Wall-E video. We did not specify how many sounds we needed instead we decided the most amount of sounds that would work with the video should be recorded. All together we recorded 20 different sounds. We tried our best to record as much sounds as we could so that we can filter out the best from the rest and use them in the final project. Only 9 sounds that we recorded was used in the video as those 9 sounds were the best of what we recorded and we edited those sounds to fit what Wall-E’s actions. When we planned I went through the video a couple of times so I can visualise what sounds I would need whilst keeping in mind I can edit the audio to make them sound more fitting. What I did well in my planning is being able to record as many sounds as I could and had an accurate image and idea of what certain sounds I wanted in the video like a whistle for the sound of the vacuum sucking and blowing which could be edited to sound like the two different variations. Now that I have done the planning, what I could of have done better is keeping track of my time as I know that I could of gained better sounds that would fit the scenario more than the ones that have been used. Next time I will have a set amount of time for each sound so that I do not lose out on sounds that could have improved my work even further. What I think I did well is that I had in mind different places and props we could use to produce a fitting sound for the Wall-E video.
Next, we imported the sounds that we recorded into Garageband and edited them to fit the the Wall-E video. I did well on tailoring the sounds to the Wall-E video as I edited the sounds so that they would sound more robotic for example Wall-E’s movement at the start. At first it was the sound of a rock inside a tin can bouncing around. I lowered the sound since it was too loud then changed the pitch of it and slowed the tempo to make it sound like Wall-E moving forwards. There were some sounds that didn’t need changing so I kept those in, instead i had to cut out the sound that had no connection to the main sound. We recorded a range of sounds like paper cuting, Paper Scrunching, whistling, tin can shaking sounds and rattling sounds etc. using the Zoom H5 mic which helped us get a wide range of sounds for our project. However there were some major problems with some of the sounds as they had a lot of ambience sound so next time I will make sure to record the sounds in a quiet place. When picking the sounds we made sure to get a unique variety of sounds whether or not they sounded mechanical or not because in Garageband we will be able to modify the sounds to be tailored to the video clip. Recording a wide range of sounds helped me have a library of them we could use if we were missing a certain type of sound. We worked in teams to gain ideas on what type of things we could use to create certain sounds we all were thinking about. In the group, we worked together giving our ideas on what sound can be used for what and we had some criticism on why a certain sound would be used for a certain action that does not fit well. This helped us choose our higher quality sounds but at the same time it made it so that we did not get as much sounds as we wanted. When working in a group again an aspect I need to improve on is actually giving my ideas to the group and not just go on my own to record afew sounds then come back and help the rest. One problem we had recording the sounds as teams was that the rest of my group would hardly give any ideas so I had to encourage them and show them examples which did slow us down but in the end we got our sounds and made them work with the Wall-E clip. We recorded our sounds in a silent background because Wall-E sounds had an important role in the video sound-wise. We directed the mic at the sounds so that the mic could focus on the sound we were trying to capture and brought it closer to the object creating the sound this helped take away any background sounds but when we were doing some of the sounds people walked in and made loud sounds sadly we did not have enough time to re do that sound so we could not use it. Next time I will research how to create the sounds I want to make so that I can get better sounds that fit the clip more than the ones I used. Many sounds were easy to create like the Wall-E moving we made that sound by getting a tin can and putting in a rock and shaking it for 20 seconds then we cut out 6 seconds of it and put it in the sound whenever Wall-E moves. I did this sound well as I knew what I was doing cause I had a vivid image of how it would sound like. Other sounds like Wall-E interacting with his surroundings like when he tapped the tip of the end of the hoover we tapped the tin can with a pen.
Then, I took all the sounds from the mic and inputted them into Garageband. I then renamed all the clips so that I know what each sound is so that I can match it with the Wall-E footage. This is important so that I don’t get confused with what sounds I’m editing and makes the process more efficient. Now that I have gone through all the sound clips atleast 3 times I put all the clips into the correct positions and track sections so that they match what Wall-E is doing at each action. Then I cut all the sound clips into shorter sound clips so that the sounds fit with the screen and I needed to perfectly sync the sound clip on the frames Wall-E starts doing his different actions aswell as anything else that requires sound. Now because I synced the audio with the clip there will be no delay and if there was a delay the whole thing would not be correct as the video may be playing afew seconds ahead of the sound or vice versa which makes it sound and look horrible. The same effect would happen even if it was a millisecond off as it would be irritating for the viewer. I did well at cutting the clips and syncing the sounds with the video as the sounds plays as soon as the sound is required for every little movement and everything that is happening in the clip. I think what I could do better is doing the cutting and frame syncing process quicker. It was tedious going through the video making sure the audio is properly synced and sometimes I would just give up and take a long break to then start again which made me finish the work slower than when I normally could of. I then went through the sounds and changed the pitch so that if Wall-E made a sound it would either be a high pitch or low pitch mechanical sound Wall-E would make. I also changed the tempo to fit the pace at which Wall-E was moving. Another effect I used on some of the sounds were echo as when Wall-E tapped the vacuum he was in a white open area and the vacuum is slightly hollow on the inside which would produce this echo. Changing all of these helped to make the sounds he made with interacting objects more realistic to how it would sound in real life. Next, I added distortion to the whistle sounds to change how the vacuum sounded like and to make it sound more like how a vacuum sounds. I then changed the pitch of the vacuum when blowing in and blowing out so that it would sound more realistic. I consider what I have done with the sound to be pretty well done editing as I made the most simplest sounds into a more realistic counter part with just afew effects even though this is my first time doing this type of thing. However if I was more proficient in Garageband and had some more time I could make the audio sound noticeably better and my time would have been used more efficiently. Next time I could learn some tips and tricks and aspects of Garageband so that I could make my work significantly better than what it already is and easily know my way around the software. I could also make sure I do not get distracted and have a straight and clear mindset with a rewards of sorts for myself at the end to encourage myself to work more effectively and efficiently.
Summary: Now that I have completed the project what I think I have done well is that I have put in a variety of sounds for the clip and that they sound accurate to how it would sound in real life. The sounds I think I did well in particular, is the sounds where the Wall-E rotates his body in place, when Wall-E comes out from shaking like a box and his eye movements. I think that I have done well including many accurate sounds for Wall-E actions.
What I could improve on is probably using better suited sounds for him as I had to edit some of the sounds alot to make it sound remotely accurate which doesn’t give that organic feeling which is needed at some bits of the clip instead it feels artificial. The sounds that I made for him make him sound mechanical however, Wall-E displays many emotions on screen and some of the sounds feel neutral which do not fit with what emotion Wall-E is portraying on-screen. If I was to do this again I would try and change my sounds through pitch and other effects to make Wall-E sound more lifelike and use the sounds to bring out his emotions. I would also get more organic feeling sounds which fit better than what I have used. If I was to use Garageband again I would try to improve and familiarise myself to it so that next time my work can be done in less amount of time and so I could focus on other aspects of the video. I would also set a goal for myself so then I can focus on this work instead of distracting myself through other means and not getting the work done until the final second.