Mic Pickup Patterns

What are the different pickup patterns mentioned in the video? What are each of them different from each other? Why would these be needed?

Omni directional microphones pick up sound from all directions but the frequency response is different in all directions.  Therefore, the microphone still requires the sound to come from the front. The cardioid polar pattern holds the shape of a heart, while a hypercardioid polar pattern is more directional, making the microphone less sensitive to audio coming from the sides. Bidirectional microphones pick up audio equally from the front and the back, with close to no audio being picked up from the side. This microphone can be used when a sound rejection plays a significant purpose for the recording.

Wrapping Cables

Why are A/V cables wrapped over/under and power cables wrapped over/over? Why is this an important skill for a beginning filmmaker?

A/V cables are wrapped over/under because this technique follows the natural coil of the the cable. Without proper wrapping technique, the lifespan of the cable can be shortened because the cable will eventually twist inside. A failing audio cable is especially problematic to a beginning filmmaker because they often do not have the budget to replace these cables. Thus, allowing the cable to have its maximum lifespan is vital to a beginning filmmaker. Being able to properly wrap a cable is also important when contributing to a production especially if one is working as a PA.

Foley SFX

What are three essential things that this article mentions to keep in mind? Why might each of these be important for video production?

1. Foley audio can be improvised without professional material.

Even if one does not have access to a room dedicated for sound effects, many audio can easily be recorded with simple day-to-day objects. For example, if the sound effect of breaking bones or skulls is needed, a snapping celery stick will work great. Striking a leather chair can be used as a punching sound effect.

2. Recorded audio can be enhanced in post production

After the audio is recorded, there are many different aspects of the sound that can be altered. For example, the pitch-shifting function ca be used to enhance the "thud" sound effect. In order to increase the impact of the sound, audio compressors may be used. Presets are also useful in providing a specific feel to the audio.

3. Keep the Foley unnoticeable

Although cool sound effects can be intriguing, at the end of the day, the point of foley audio is to be completely organic to the film. The audio must blend into the film, and therefore, too much foley audio can be distracting to the audience.

Iron Man without Music

Without music, how does the scene feel to you? Why? What aspects seem missing? How do you think having music change this scene?

Overall, the scene seems raw and realistic. All of sound is meant to be sound that could have potentially be heard in real life. Without music, the scene lacks the suspense music is able to provide. Music can play a vital role as a subtle foreshadowing. However, because the music is left out of the scene, every action comes up suddenly. Music would have enhanced the stress into the scene especially if it was fast-paced. A song with a faster beat would have helped increase the heart beat of the audience. Music is also able to provide dread into the scene. This would have been effective in the last scene where multiple people are holding a gun against the captive.

SFX VS. Final Mix

Use what you've learned about sound in the keynotes and readings. Describe 3 things that you notice about the before and after sound effects mix vs. the final mix. How are they different? How would you describe each of the differences?

Compared to the cut where only SFX and foley are used, the final mix has a much more intriguing sound because it contains music, dialog, and audio alterations. Music provides context for how the audience is supposed to feel towards the scene. In the Skywalker, the music added a more sci-fi, suspenseful feeling to the scene. Dialog directly tells the audience the emotion of a character. Although some scenes do not necessarily require dialog, the clarity of the dialog added in the final mix is helpful in understanding the characters. Audio alterations are especially noticeable in sci-fi films where robotic voices are necessary. In the final mix, the voices are completely altered so that it is synced with the character setting.

ET Without Music

What happens to this scene when the music is removed? How does it affect the viewer's experience?

When the music was removed, the excitement in the scene was completely cut. The scene was overall very awkward to watch, and the occasional dialog from the characters made the situation worse. The magic hour and the dream-like cinematography does not fit at all without the music. With the music, the flying bikes scene have a magical sense of levitation. It creates an iconic musical moment that many people will remember as the theme of ET. Without the music, not only is the scene awkward, but it makes the scene less memorable because it contains a less immersive feeling.

Sound Design

What are three interesting things that you learned from this video? How could you begin to start thinking about sound design in future video projects?

I learned that if a certain audio track sounds the same without specific sound, it should be cut off. It is most likely making the audio sound more muffled or less clear. I also learned that using organic sound is effective when dealing with objects that are composed of real life objects. In this video's case, they most prominently used sound that can be found in real life because the sound gun was composed of real life materials. I also learned that layering the correct audio can add depth into the sound. Although the individual clips were insignificant, combining them together with the right effects made the sound gun realistic. In future video projects, I can layer more sound effects on top of the pre-recorded audio. Sound techniques can be used to add emphasis to specific elements of the story.

Foley Artists

What is the foley artists' role in crafting sound effects? Explain in detail three different things that you learned in this video and how they effect the final film.

Foley artists are responsible for capturing audio in order to enhance the film. They provide additional audio such as footsteps, wind, and ambient noise using various props such as chains and chairs.

1. There are many different ways footsteps can be recorded. When recording this kind of audio, a human breath must be kept completely inaudible. Depending on the shoe type or pace, the character in the final film can appear completely realistic.

2. What the foley artist is stepping on makes a significant difference as well. For example, if you spill some coffee grinds on the ground, it adds grit to the floor's surface which may be necessary to create suspense.

3. Foley artists can create emotion through the audio. When recording specific audio for a character, the it is to the benefit of the foley artist to be fully immersed into the character's emotions.

Silent Film Status

What is the status of your Silent Film? What was successful? What were some challenges? What did you feel were the biggest flaws of the final product?

My group's silent film has been done for a couple days now. I believe it can be considered relatively successful because the end product came together without significant mistakes. The biggest challenge to the film was filming time. The time slot that can be signed up was not always given fully. It was unpredictable how many shots would be able to to be filmed within the undefined time frame. Our success is largely credited to the lucky day in which we were able to film all day. If we signed up for the day before or the day after, we would not have been able to shoot all day. The biggest flaw of the final product was the inaccuracy of the costumes. We were originally going to rely on fashion design in order to create an accurate outfit. However, due to complications, we had to come up with our own outfits from what we had.

Categories of Sound

What are each of the different categories of sound that are explained? In detail, explain the role of each of these categories of sound in film and how they enhance the story.

The human voice, or the dialogue, can authenticate the speaker and reflect the performer's physiognomy. A human voice can become an element of the character that helps the audience merge the concept of the character with the performer. Sound effects have the ability to create a more real environment into the film. This does not particularly mean that the volume of the specific sound must correlate with how it would sound like in real life. Sound effects also consist of asynchronous sound which do not match with a "visible source of the sound on screen." This kind of sound is used to provide an emotional impact. Another component of sound on film is music which is used to "add emotion and rhythm to a film" and "aid viewer understand ing by linking scenes." Music is an essential part of film that provides the tone and theme to the story.

Diagetic VS Non Diagetic Sound

What is the difference between diegetic and non diegetic sound? What is an example of each that you can think of from a film?

Diagetic sound refers to a "source [that] is visible or implied in the world of film." It an be either on screen on off screen as long as the sound is literal. These include the actors' dialog, sound created from an object such as a smashing of a window, and orchestral sound. On the other hand, non-diagetic sound refers to a "source [that] is not present or implied in the narrative universe." Non diagetic sound is often used as a commentary or tool to arouse emotion. These include music, narration, and extra sound included for effect. 

The End of Hollywood's Golden Age

What caused the end of the golden age of hollywood? What was so significant about this change in it's history?

The end of the golden age of Hollywood was caused by the government's limitations upon big film companies that monopolized theaters. Previously, theaters were either owned by a film company or indirectly controlled by one. They used a strategy known as "blocking booking" which gave the film companies the ability to enforce contracts upon theaters to display a certain "block" of films. Following the prohibition of the monopolization of theaters, it created "a strong incentive for the studios to make 'movies with built-in demand.'" The connection between theaters and productions changed through the alterations in how the total gross is distributed.

Mono VS. Stereo Sound

What is the difference between stereo and mono recordings? What are 2 things that you found interesting in this article? Why?

Stereo sound refers to the "reproduction of sound using two o more independent audio channels." This gives an immersive feeling to the audience by creating the impression of sound heard from multiple angles. On the other hand, Mono recordings have audio compressed into a single channel. These are relatively inexpensive and easy to record, however, these provide lower quality audio compared to stereo sound. It was interesting to learn that there are multiple methods of recording stereo. The X-Y technique for example, uses two directional microphones pointing at different angles in order to catch audio from different fields. I was surprised that the stereo system was not popular among filmmakers until Walt Disney's Fantasia even though the technology has already been developed. It took a popular  animated film for the film industry to recognize the potential of a stereo sound.

The History of Musicals

How did the musical first develop in hollywood? Why do you think it play such an important role in the history of filmmaking? Why do you think there has been such a revival of the musical in pop culture in the 21st century?

The development of musicals began with the The Jazz Singer. Theatrical productions that emphasize musical elements rather than naturalist aspects dominated cinema from 1927 on. Musicals and the boredom of the audience towards these repetitive musicals led to technological innovations such as the booms and monorails developed by the Warner Brothers. These musicals are also credited with the creation of Hollywood stars The revival of the musicals on TV in the 21st century can be credited to the new discovery of the comedic potential. These musicals often featured satirized theatrical aspects and exaggerated dance numbers.

The Artist

Why do you think this film was so successful when it was released in 2011? Why do you think this film won the best picture oscar for that year considering that sound has been around in since the 1930's?

The film was successful in 2011 because the silent film look was exotic to those who watched it in the time period. Because sound was so normal in movies, having limited audio with mostly only music created a storytelling process that allowed the audience to have a "sensual experience." I think the film won best picture oscar for that year because of the amount of imagination the film created for the audience. Sound was forcefully limited, restricting direct information given to the audience. However, due to this characteristic, they were able to think for themselves. For example, if the audience cannot hear the audio, they will fill in the blank. If the audience cannot see the color, they will add that color. In the end, the lack of clues gave more imaginational information to the story.

Silent After Sound

According to this article, why did hollywood switch over to "talkies" so fast? Why was 1928 such a pivotal year for silent cinema?

Hollywood was able to switch over to "talkies" fast because of the growing demand for movies with speaking audio and the technological innovation that supported it. With the introduction of The Jazz Singer released on October 1927, the movie industry understood that there was going to be a huge demand for audio-linked films from the reactions from the audience. Technological innovation backed this demand through the invention of the Movietone. 

The Sound of Star Wars

What was the effect of Star Wars on the movie industry? How did it affect the audience at this time? What were the long term historical trends that Star Wars set into motion after this?

As much as the visuals of Star Wars was appealing, the sound system in the movie was also revolutionary. The movie contributed to "cementing Dolby Sound's dominance in sound." Through Star Wars, sound designers realized the big experiences they were able to convey through sound. Because sound was such an important aspect of the film, movie theaters were forced to play stereo in order to allow the audience to get the full experience. The audience was able experience being immersed into the film through the wide dimension of sound. After Star Wars, the audience's audio expectations were raised significantly higher, demanding more immersive experiences. 

Hollywood VS. TV

Why was Hollywood threatened by television? What where three key reasons it became a threat?

1. In the post war era, the halted technological innovation was restarted to become one of Hollywood biggest threats. The families who saved money since the Great Depression were able to spend their money on homes in the suburbs. Because there were limited amounts of movie palaces in the suburbs, families turned to TV for entertainment. 

2. As the industry began to see the growing demand for TV entertainment, major TV networks began scrambling to purchase interests in TV stations. These were majorly successful, allowing them to gain a majority control of TV studios.

3. The federal government was quick to smack down the movie studio's ambitions to control television. Without the control over the new media, and the new industry gaining power, movies were faced with the reality of the ever decreasing profits. With the introduction of the Cold War, many actors, director,s and screenwriters were blacklisted if they were thought to be sympathizing with Communists.

The Jazz Singer

What were some technological issues that came up when it was first being implemented? What was significance of "The Jazz Singer" in film sound history?

In order to perfectly synchronize the audio with the visual, a Kinetophone was first invented. However, this device had very weak amplification abilities. Thus, the sound was only able to be heard one person at a time. Some versions of audio recording devices using disks were invented later, one of them being the Phonoscene. However, this method had poor amplification abilities and lost sync quickly. The Tri Ergon process was then invented, allowing audio to be recorded directly on the film. The Jazz Singer only included a couple clips with audio. However, these couple clips introduced Hollywood to the world of cinema with sound. Later on, most if not all films included synchronized audio.

8 Milestones of Recording

How do you think these technological advances affected filmmaking? Which 3 of these advances do you think are the most important to video and film? Why?

Technological advances allowed audio to be captured clearer, more aspects to be manipulated in post production, and production of audio to be more efficient. For example, the gramophone was one of the first devices to capture audio. Compared to the phonograph which was inefficient due to the cylinder shape of the audio recording, the gramophone was in a disk shape, making it easier to be stored. Another significant technological advancement was the Multitrack Recording. This allowed multiple tracks to be layered on top of one another which meant vocals and instrumentals were now able to be recorded separately. This way, a mistake in one part did not force the rest of the band to restart all over again. One of the more recent technological advancement in audio is the Dolby B system. This system was introduced as a result of the hiss noise from the casette recording. With the Dolby B technology, the efficiency of the casette tape and clear audio was able to coexist.

Questions About Early Sound

Take a moment to write down 2 questions about the history of sound at the movies that you would like to learn about. What do you want to know about these aspects of sound history?

1.  What kind of devices were use to capture audio?

              I want to learn how the shotgun microphone was developed and when the occupation as a boom operator became popularized.

2. When was the concept of foley audio developed?

             What kind of technology was needed for audio to be stacked on top of each other?

Bit Rates

How would you describe the differences between the bit rates? Why do each of them sound different from each other?

The audio tracks with higher bit rates seem to capture a larger spectrum of audio signals. In the first audio track where it displayed 320 kbps, it had a stinging clearness to each sound signal. However, as the bit rates fell, the audio sounded more muted. The high notes were especially not able to be heard clearly. Each of these tracks sound different from each other because the higher the bit rate, the more audio information is able to be stored in the file.