Task Allocation Week 5

 

Production Log Week 5

 

Unit 16 - LO2 - P2 - Task 4

Report on Audio considerations.

When recording audio there are many things you have to consider, not even just about the audio itself but also about things such as file size and different types of file compression in order to make the file as small as possible without losing any audio quality. 

Sound Formatting 

Sound formatting is a very important aspect in trying to store your audio, you have to consider the aspects of your computer and which specific thing you're using it for, for example if you're making a movie, you would want a much clearer audio without any loss and therefore go for a sound format that uses lossless instead of lossy.

wav is a lossless audio formatting method that is uncompressed and results in a high quality. This makes it a very suitable format is you're attempting to make audio for something like music production for a film, where you need to record your own audio instead of having a different one. This makes it so you have the highest quality audio instead of low-quality audio. The downside of using WAV formatting is that it results in a large file size, which makes it much harder to store on modern computers and therefore leads to having to need much better computer.

mp3 is the most common form of lossy audio formatting and is very commonly used for its very small file size, this makes it much easier to store on common computers and results to most people using it for day-to-day tasks. It's also very commonly used because of the fact that most online websites commonly support it therefore making it very easy to send audio files or upload audio with the mp3 formatting to websites. The downsides of mp3 formatting however is that it isn't a lossless audio format which leads to audio data being lost in the file compression which can lead to loss of audio quality, therefore it isn't useful in situations where you need a very clear audio file.

wma audio formatting is Microsoft's own audio format and is very rarely used. It's very similar to mp3 however isn't as widely accepted by online websites, therefore it is much harder to upload sound. Not only this but it uses lossy compression and therefore makes the audio less clear than other formats such as wav however it is very small in terms of file size.

Storage methods

Storage methods are also important to consider when trying to record audio as you have to think about if you have the means to record the audio and store it. If you have a long audio file and can't store it then you're going to lose quality depending on the type of compression you use and therefore its overall beneficial to have the correct storage method.

One type of storage method you can use is to use an SSD. A hard drive is very effective in the fact that it is very fast, it enables you to store information very quick and can be used well in things such as production. Not only this but it also has no moving parts and therefore isn't prone to break easily which is handy if you're trying to record audio in different places and need to move around often. However, where the SSD faults is in the fact that is very costly, and also has data recovery limitations meaning if your file corrupts while working with sound you might not be able to get it back.

Another type of storage is to use a USB stick. A USB is a portable storage system that can hold large amounts of storage, this leads it to being a good and easy way to store files for audio as you can easily carry it around and aren't afraid of breaking it, it's easy to transport data and makes things such as audio recording much easier if you use it as your storage. A limitation of the USB however is that it can overheat f computer meaning if you use it to h every type of computer meaning if you use it to store your files and then cannot put it into the computer you aren't going to be able to, as well as being easily lost due to its size.

A final type of storage is Cloud. This type of storage is the most portable and accessible of them all, with it being store over the internet. This allows for you to easily access your files and makes for a easy way to store large files, not only this but it is easy to upgrade your storage as you just have to call them and order more, meaning you have a relatively infinite amount of storage space, and is very cheap to upgrade. The only downsides however are that you need the internet to access meaning if the internet in your building goes down you won't be able to access the files, not only this but due to being store on the internet it is susceptible to cyber-attacks and can be intercepted.

Compression

When recording audio, the files can become very large some of the times, therefore it is a necessity to actually compress the size of your files so that you don't slow down the software you're using but also can store everything you need without any hassle of having to upgrade your storage. 

DRC audio compression is a compression method that adds a threshold to your audio files, if your audio's sound goes above this threshold is then does something called downward compression which lowers the sound's volume and makes the loud sound quieter and if the sound goes below the threshold, it then does something called upward compression which raises the sound of the audio. DRC does this to make the overall audio range smaller which then leads to the size of the file being much quiet, this allows for you to store more files in your storage without having to upgrade your storage.

Size versus quality

Lossy compression is a type of compression where the file removes data that isn't mandatory to the overall file and deletes them. This then means if you were to try and restore the former file to its entirety you wouldn't be able to due to it having deleted the unnecessary data. This is good for large files that aren't going to be used for professional purposes such as personal use however it won't have as good end quality as something that would be compressed using Lossless, however it will have a much smaller end file size than lossless.

Lossless file compression is a type of file compression that doesn't remove as much data as lossless, it compresses the file by removing unnecessary data however it doesn't entirely delete it and therefore recovery is possible. This is used in more professional scenarios where you need to keep as much quality as possible however you have a good computer, as it doesn't reduce the size to as small as if you were to use lossy.

Unit 16 - LO2 - P2 - Task 2/3

When recording the audio for the video, I used three different types of audio recording equipment which were:

• Camera Mic
• Audio recorder
• IPhone Mic

Evidence of me recording the audio:

One audio recording method that I used was the built in camera that is on the mic that I was using. Where this audio recording method is beneficial is in the fact that the mic is actually where the mic is built into the camera, this makes it much easier for you to be able to recording both video and sound, not only this but the actual sound itself is clear and easy to hear; very distinguishable. However where this audio equipment falters is in the fact that it easily picks up surrounding noise, which therefore lead to cases where sounds that we didn't want in the video being picked up and lead to a very long process of having to wait until just the sound we wanted was audible and recorded it.

Another audio recording method that I used during this video was a audio recorder.  The audio recorder was very efficient at recording sounds, this was because it had a clear mic which could easily pick up clear and crisp audio that is easily heard and doesn't sound muffled leading to overall the best audio quality out of all three audio recording equipment. However where the audio recorder faults is in the fact that it had to be very close to where the sound was in order to record it, if it wasn't then the audio would be very quiet and barely audible. Overall, the audio recorder was the best option to record with as it gave clear audio and was very easy to use. Not only this but it is easy to keep on top of.

The final audio recording method used in the video is an iPhone mic. This method of audio recording made it very easy to record audio, its very easy to record and access files so that if we wanted to listen back to the sounds which were recorded its very easy to listen to, not only this but the audio itself is clear. However where the iPhone mic faults is in its volume, while the audio is clear it is however very quiet which leads to complications in listening to sounds such as the sound of the rain recording which can be barely heard, this lead to multiple recording attempts to get a sound where the audio was audible as many times you couldn't really hear it.

Task Allocation Week 4

 

Production Log Week 4

 

Sound hardware analysis

Unit 16 - LO2 - P2 - Task One

 

How sound is produced

Task one

Foley sound / Wild tracks

Foley sounds are created and used to enhance the realism of a specific soundtrack – it’s a creative way to make the very subtle and minute sounds that an average boom mic is not able to pick up, and by adding them to your media product it adds a level of realism that the text wouldn’t have without it. Wild tracks are also very similar to foley sounds in the case that they aim to make the suspension of disbelief greater for the audience through the use of sound, by recording external sounds on set that can then be added in post as diegetic sound for a greater effect for the audience, such as the noise of a crowded street being added over a scene in a film. We can see 1:10 – 1:15 of this video, he uses a large 100 gallon pool of water to create the sound of water splashing, this may be used to reflect someone swimming in a film or something being dropped into water, and where a boom mic might not be able to pick it up, you’re able to get a greater of depth of sound when added here.

 

Theme music for a title sequence

Theme music that is used in a title sequence is a song or score that is specifically made for that media text. It is used to represent that media text and when someone hears the song, they will think back to that media text therefore making it more memorable. We can hear an example of theme music in the opening sequence for “Star wars” at 0:28 the theme music for star wars plays. This has made the movie itself easily memorable due to the music that accompanies the opening of the movie and makes it easier for the audience to get engrossed in the movie.

Film score

A film score is very similar to theme music for a title sequence in a film, however the film score usually accompanies the film the entire way and can be heard throughout the media text you’re watching. It is used not only to make the movie more memorable but also used to enforce emotion, as the music is made to specifically represent what the movie is; what its about and what it stands for. And when you hear that song that represents so much of a movie it creates a large amount of emotional magnitude in the audience. An example of this in a film is the film score for the movie “Jaws” where whenever the shark appears the film score can be heard. This represents the main movie’s intentions of fear and how the audience is meant to fear what’s going to happen whenever the music can be heard.

Character’s signature tune

A character’s signature tune is used much like the other tune type’s so far, it is used to represent a character and their motives through the music that is played alongside them. It adds to the character, and in some cases can even hint to somethings and can also act as a red herring such as playing ominous music on a character who we think is a murderer but it’s not them. An example of a signature tune being used is for “James Bond” as the music represents his spy themes, being a rather mysterious tone for the character but also represents all of the adventures he will go on and makes the audience appreciate the character more for the music that plays alongside him as it represents his motives.

Incidental music

Incidental music is background music that is intended to add atmosphere to the film or text, it does this by reinforcing what is currently happening in that moment, if it was to represent an upbeat atmosphere it would be upbeat music and visa versa. An example of this can be seen at 0:00 to 0:18 in this video where the music is being used to present the character as a laid back person who can easily explain things with ease. Through the correct use of incidental music you can use it to control the narrative of a film and make the narrative much easier to understand for the audience, it can also be used for narrative techniques such as red herrings, where the music is used to divert the audience in what they believe about the narrative.

 

Voice-overs

Voice overs in media can be used to make things much more clear, a voice over is where a person talking is added over the film in post to make explain something or give extra context to what is being shown, it is a very effective way to make the media text you have produced make more sense without having to make it too long while going into explanation. It also helps when there is no person present on the set that can explain things, or no dialogue in the film. We can see an example of this in “Planet Earth” where the person doing the voice over gives more context and information about what is being displayed, giving more information that wouldn’t of been accessible hadn’t it been there. Overall, voice-overs are a very effective way to make the audience more anchored into what is being shown, as it allows for the producers to make the audience get the preferred reading of the text they are displaying rather than the oppositional reading.

Task Allocation Week 3

 

Production Log Week 3

 

Unit 16 - LO1 - P1

 

Unit 16: How is sound used in media industries?

 

To Educate:

Sound is used in media industries in many cases to educate the audience about what they may be watching or listening to. An example of this in media is in documentaries via a narration, in this instance sound is used by the media industry to educate the audience about what is on screen at that moment in time, such as in the “Planet Earth” documentary which uses narration to talk about the wildlife that is being presented. Planet Earth is a documentary carried out by BBC 1 that talks about all things nature, it goes into detail about things such as forests and oceans and educates the audience about the world. Narration is the practise of adding a non-diegetic sound of a person talking over a video such as “We begin in the oldest desert on earth – the Namib in South west Africa.” This allows for the audience to give a better understanding of what is happening and allows them to learn things in more depth, and with how much may be happening in an in-depth show such as Planet earth, having a narration to help the audience with what is happening on screen allows them to actually understand how things work with the help of a trained professional. Overall this allows the audience to become more educated about what they’re watching in contrast to if there wasn’t a narration, as for things that are more in-depth, a simple verbal display may not be enough.

 

To Inform:

In media industries sound is also used to inform the audience about what may be happening through reports. An example of this would be how the news industry such as “BBC News” has reports on things that are happening. BBC News is a news outlet made by BBC that uses reports to inform the consumers of their media about things from the weather of that day to foreign affairs that are currently happening. A report is when someone gives a spoken account about something they have investigated and allows them to inform the audience, this can be seen in BBC News’ 6^th of March 2024 episode where it was stated that “Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver the Budget today, outlining the government's tax and spending plans.” This report on the budgeting situation informs the audience that are listening to the news report that Jeremy hunt is going to deliver the budget on the governments tax plans, this gives them information that they usually wouldn’t just come across and allows them to know about something they previously wouldn’t of. Overall, the news industry uses reports to inform the audience of many things that may be happening across the world and acts as a efficient way to tell people about what’s happening.

 

 

To Entertain:

Media industries also use sounds in their products to create a sense of entertainment. They do this through the use of sound effects and jingles. An example of this would be in BBC Radio 4’s “The Archers” which use jingles and sound effects to create a suspension of disbelief for the audience. A jingle is a catchy musical tone or audible slogan that is used to represent your show, The Archer’s use their jingle in order to crate a setting that fully pulls the audience into their show, it acts as a gateway into the episode and prepares their audience for what is going to happen, therefore entertaining the audience. Sound effects are small audio mp3 files that are played throughout the episode to add to the suspension of disbelief as well, they are used by industries to add to the setting such as in the 29.01.24 episode of the archers where at 0:50 of the episode we can hear that we’re outside with the characters due to a bird chirping sound effect that is playing. Overall, the industries use sound to create a suspension of disbelief which helps the audience gets involved in the episode and get more entertained by the actual episode as The Archers treats their audience as characters as well.

 

Sell products:

Media industries that are trying to sell a product also use sound to make users more familiar with their product, which makes them come back to the product. An example of this is how industries will use the same music in their advertisements in order to sell their product. Advertisements are displays of commercial goods that a company is trying to sell, and usually is seen in either written or video form; when a company uses a video advertisement it will usually be accompanied by a catchy tune that plays alongside the advertisement. We can see this in trailers when a film company is trying to sell their movie, the company behind the movie “Skyfall” uses the song with the same name “Skyfall” to promote their movie by making the audience familiarised with the movie through the song that is always played in the trailers. This gets the song stuck in their head and makes them thing about the movie whenever the remember the song.

 

Wild tracks:

Media industries will use wild tracks much similarly as they use sound in entertainment, many companies use wild tracks to create a greater suspension of disbelief in the audience to get them more involved in the media they are taking in. An example of this is the “Block breaking” sound effect used by the games company “Mojang” in their game Minecraft. The use of this sound in their game creates a better form of suspension of disbelief as it adds to the realism of the game. While the game is clearly fictional due to its abstract art style, the fact that we can physically hear the progress of us breaking a material in the game adds to the realism of the game and makes the audience more involved in what they’re doing.

 

Atmospheric Sounds:

Atmospheric sounds are used by companies in order to make the audience more indulged in the media they’re consuming, its used across many corners of media from movies to video games and allows for the audience to fall further into suspension of disbelief as it adds realism to the environment they are digitally being introduced to. An atmospheric sound may be a sound effect that is used to match the environment that a character might be in, or it may be a music score made by a producer to match the emotions that are being portrayed in the media and this allows for the audience to feel as if the environment that their characters are in is more real as if it didn’t have any atmospheric sounds. We can see this used in the Netflix original movie “Spaceman” which uses sound in order to reflect the emotions of the main character “Jacub”.

 

Sound effects:

Many media industries use sound effects in order to convey something or create meaning. We can see this in horror movies when they use sound effects to create tension in their media, an example of a horror movie where they use sound effects in a movie is in the movie “Evil dead rise” where they use the sound effect of wet feet steps to imitate a floor being covered in blood, to reflect the massacre that had happened previously. This creates a more realistic setting for the audience as we see that there is blood splattered which makes the audience more enveloped in the movie they’re watching and creates more tension for the audience.

 

Dialogue:

Dialogue is the use of a conversation in media, people can use this to build character in films or games and allows for the audience to understand whats happening. An example of this being used is in “Deep Blue sea” where Samuel L Jackson gives a speech which builds confidence in the other characters, this conveys to the audience the emotions which is currently happening in this movie such as the panic which can be felt in this movie when he is giving his speech.

 

Music:

Music is used to specifically anchor meaning in media texts, it allows for the audience to build on what’s already happening in the text at that point and builds on whatever is needed, such as emotion or meaning. An example of this would be the use of the song “Dreamer” in the advert for the apple vision pro. The use of this song is symbolic as it allows for the audience to feel as if the product is for people who want to dream big and this song anchors that meaning into the product as it allows for the audience to feel as if the product makes you able to live your dreams.

 

To enhance visuals:

Sound is also used in many cases to enhance visuals, this means that the audio that is played reinforces the visuals of what’s happening in scene through post-production editing. Many media industries may do this as some of the sounds they wanted couldn’t be made in the actual recording and therefore they record the sound exteriorly and add it to the film. One example of this are the hammering sounds in the “Iron Man” movie, by using the sound of a hammer hitting metal gives the effect that actual effort went into crafting this suit of armour, where in reality it probably didn’t sound like that before post production. Another example of  sound being used to enhance the visuals of a media text is in “Star wars attack of the clones” where we can hear the non-diegetic sound of the two lightsabres hitting each other, while we know this is a fictional sound that has bene added in post, the use of it to add to the realism of the lightsabres crashing into each other makes the visuals much greater as we can be lead to believe that they are actually clashing which makes the effect greater for the audience.

 

Use of silence:

Finally, many industries also use the sound of silence to create a meaning in their media text, they do this to reflect not only emotional aspects but physical aspects of the media text; this can be seen in the movie “A quiet place” to reflect the audible impairments of one of the characters. In this movie, making noise can kill you therefore any diegetic sound that can be heard builds suspense for the audience, however the fact that a sound is currently being made but we can’t hear it as the audience is an effective way to build even more tension as the person who is deaf cannot hear what is happening but has to see it in order to understand.