Sound Design

The first week of sound design consisted of learning the basics about sound and the software that we would be using in order to edit our sounds (SoundtrackPro). We were also able to have a practise using the recorders and objects around us to create unusual and different sounds. After the initial practise we then got into groups of 3/4 to start discussing and planning ideas for our sound journey. Before coming up with our final idea my group and I brainstormed different ideas of jorineys we could record, for example first day of school, birthdays, death e.t.c. We then came up with the idea pf fears and what scares us, we then came up with a list of sounds that we could create based on death. However, after speaking to our tutor we came up with a new idea based on all our fears and to make the journey more specific. Based on this we came up with the idea of being buried alive, we wanted the sounds to be from the perspective of the person who is being buried in order to make it feel like it was happening to you. We researched this topic and watching different films such as 'Buried Alive' and 'Buried' we came up with the story and the sounds we wanted to record in order to portray this. Within our group I think we worked well as we each had different roles to play, we all researched and planned the ideas and then I was in charge of recording the sounds while another made them and the other edited. I think I got on well with the given tasks as the final outcome was successful, I found that out of photography, animation and sound design, sound design was the one I found most difficult as it is something I have never done before. However, like animation, once the sounds were coming together I quite liked it. Whilst editing our sounds we did encounter some problems as the first draft we created, the first sound of a creaking door cntinued to play thorughout the whole journey which was not what we wanted. Therefore we had to get rid of this and start again, we also found that when we was putting it together and listening to the sounds, they were not what we wanted so we had to re-record some of the sounds.
The feedback that we got from others was a bit of a mixture, overall they thought it was good howvever they found that the beginning was unclear, but when we explained it they understood. Others also thought that we could improve our journey by having more background noises from outside, e.g. the sound of nature. I think all these points are valid and if we were to do it again would be something we would do to make the journey clearer, I think we could also improve the story by having more of a struggle. What I think was successful about our work was that we recorded all our own sounds which made it easier to edit them and they were also clear, I also liked that we had a story arc as the sounds depict a struggle to realisation. Overall I think we managed our time well and effectively but we could improve it by spending more time planning on what it would actually feel like to be in that situation and also thinking about the sounds you would hear, like the sound of nature.