Soundtrack Analysis (OTS Little Red Riding Hood)

Timings for the soundtrack analysis
0:06-Dark Guitar
0:56-Dark Blues
As you can see I was a bit nervous but hopefully you can see what I getting at in the analysis. I talked about the making of process and how I created the soundtrack for both piece. Dark Guitar was probably the easiest to record as I only had one instrument to focus on, despite this being only instrument meaning I have got to sound as expressive as the Dark Blues track. what I would have liked to do it blend the two together instead of one started after one ends I think it would of sounded better if I linked them together somehow. to make it flow seamlessly. The soundtrack was the main focus point for me on the final production, so I wanted to try and make something that sounded a little different and modernise the traditional film noir music genre (blues) and put a twist on it to suit our film noir.

Foley Update (OTS Little Red Riding Hood)

As a group we have decided to use different sound effect techniques, as my foleying skills weren't up to standards for our final production. Jack has used sound effects that he's had found on (Site name), He has got the door knocks and a few rustles of leaves when the lumberjack walks outside, and the gun shot is another feature for our studio ident. We won't be using the foley that I used as Jack forgot that I created some and due to the rush of getting out production finished, so he decided to use sound effects that he found on internet and used them instead of the foley I created.

Foley Sounds (OTS Little Red Riding Hood)

These are the foley sounds I created, I used the tips that the foley tutorial/explanation video in the last post I posted. And from the first attempt of foleying, for the 'priest foley task' I did a while back, I used I microphone instead of my phone and I used 'audacity' as recording software, to gain good quality sound effects. I think a few of them aren't too good, however once Jack has edited them into the footage I will give proper feedback on how they work as on their own they sound strange with nothing to follow along with. We are a bit rush for time to meet the deadline, so I didn't have much time to experiment with different sounds. However I do feel like there's better quality to the sound from this second attempt at foleying.

Foley Analysis (SoundWorks Collection: Gary Hecker - Veteran Foley Artist from Michael Coleman)

This is a video that me and Fabian both discovered. It explains how to prepare and create Foley sounds. I found this really useful as from our first task with foleying I found it slightly difficult and my actual output wasn't too good, so I was looking for tips on how to Foley and I came across this video. Gary Hecker states that “timing and a huge creative mind” is key to foleying, and this has taught me to experiment with different sounds as it is difficult to find the right sound effect you need by foleying unless you test a few pieces of equipment and use them in different ways. I will use his methods for when I do my foleying sounds. I've also realised that you usually can not create the effect you want by foleying 1 sound as he had to record multiple parts to get the sound he wanted and then layered them up to get his final product.

I Do Not Own Any Of This Footage It belongs to Michael Coleman
SoundWorks Collection: Gary Hecker - Veteran Foley Artist from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

Foleying - Based on Our first Draft (OTS Little Red Riding Hood)

Nightmare

• Rustling cloth on the floor as Lumberjack gets up
• Creaking floors
• Footsteps
• Creaking looking out the window
• Dust falling 
• Footsteps going downstairs
• Rubble on the floor
• Picking up the Axe

Outside in Forest

• Creaking door open and slamming shut
• Wind blowing 
• Branches swaying 
• Footsteps leaving the house
• Leaves rustling
• (Possible some birds)

Outside in City

• Footsteps on pavement
• Knock on door x3 in time 
• Creaking door open and shutting

Bad Wolf''s Room

• Lighting match
• Match flare
• Burning cigarette
• Brushing away ash
• Hand placed on gun

Dark Blues (Final Version) (Word Up Studios)-OTS

So this is the final version of Dark Blues, Our main soundtrack of the opening title sequence for our film noir. For this version I added drums and changed the instruments in some parts as eventhough  the instruments that I changed suited the style of blues I thought that it didn't really sound dark it gave a quite a cheesy sound so I kept the melody but changed the instrument that it was played on. The melody, which was originally played on an e clavichord, is now played on a glass instrument which creates ambient atmospheric sound. We final version of this soundtrack will be this version or the last version I sent out, which we'll decide as a group which one we prefer.

Dark Guitar / Nightmare (Final Version) (Word Up Studios)-OTS

This is the final version of the soundtrack for the nightmare scene, Not much has changed from the last version, however for this version I recorded this using a different software called  Audacity' as I thought it gave a better quality of  sound using the microphones we have at school, compared to 'Ableton'. Despite this I will definitely use 'Ableton' when recording the Dark Blues track as it gives me more of a range of different instruments to build up different layers and timbres.

Creating the soundtrack for this scene has been fairly difficult as I struggled on getting the right sound, As we started using different instruments (such as Strings), Different scales to give a certain mood/atmosphere and even different tones an pitches. However I think this is my favourite version as I think it relates to the scene well.

Dark Blues #2 (Word Up Studios)-OTS

For this piece of experimentation I use the pervious version of the 'Dark Blues' soundtrack and add different layers I added lower notes to represent a dark mood and changed the dynamics in some parts to build up tension in parts, I was considering to add other parts such as guitar parts as they can give a dark sound and they feature in both of my inspiration pieces.

Me Working On Dark Blues

I used some generic features of blues in this piece using 7th chords and using the blues scale, as well as keeping it slow paced and parts which are off beat. But using these features in a different way to make it sound dark to tie in with our film noir soundscape.

Different Layers For Dark Blues

For recording this soundtrack I used Ableton as it gives me a variety of different effects and instruments in needed to create the soundtrack and add different timbres to give a dark atmosphere and mood. I think the next one I could add a guitar part and a drums, but to add inspiration from a blues drums track to stick with the stylistic features of blues.

Dark Blues #1 (Word Up Studios)-OTS

To keep the conventions of a film noir we wanted to have a blues piece, but I decided that we should  make the soundtrack in the style of dark blues, so it ties in with our film noir. I got inspiration from  Castanets-No Trouble and So what I have done is tried to create the sound but put my own style on it and adapt it to suit our film noir. This is just the basics i have create and over time I will post different versions and add different layers to make it sound similar but still unique enough to be specific to our film. I was also inspired by the famous John Murphy-In a House, In a Heartbeat also known as the '28 weeks Later' soundtrack as I wanted to create some thing simple but builds up tension by adding layers and including Distortion guitars to create the angst and tension for our opening title sequence.
Here's What I Got Inspiration From:

• Hozier - Arsonist's Lullaby.
• Castanets-No Trouble
• John Murphy-In a House, In a Heartbeat
• Ben Howard - Oats In The Water (Slightly I used similar instrumentation)

Nightmare #3 (Word Up Studios)-OTS

I have worked on the soundtrack for the nightmare scene and as a group we feel that this piece will set the mood and atmosphere which we wanted to achieve. From previous pieces experimentation, we discussed that we wanted the piece to be simplistic with only a single acoustic guitar, I also recorded another guitar piece, but we thought it sounded bit western and we wanted it to be a bit slower and lower in pitch it is supposed to sound quite sombre and the other one had some high part which stuck out whereas Word Up Studios and I thought it would've sounded better if it all blended into one.

Nightmare #2 (Word Up Studios)-OTS

For this I was experimenting with a feel and the instrumentation. I personally dislike this piece as it doesn't give a sombre feel and I think that it sound better lower in pitch and slightly slower. We also discussed as a group the the quality wasn't too good as is recorded on my phone, however I have recently got a audio interface so I can record the piece properly to a good standard. I also thought that it sounded a bit western and not what we wanted to achieve for our film noir. So what I need to change is the pitch-It needs to be lower in pitch, tempo-Its need to be slightly slower and needs to suit  the scene a bit better. But I like the instrumentation, I think the single acoustic guitar works well.
Here's What I Got Inspiration From:

• Lee DeWyze "Blackbird Song"
• Ben Howard - Oats In The Water

Nightmare #1 (Word Up Studios)-OTS

This is my first attempt at writing the soundtrack to our Opening title sequence, Jack gave me a couple stimulants to come up with a piece, as he is writing the script thus we wanted it all to fit in well. Jack wanted me write a slow sombre pieces. I recorded this pice on Ableton and recorded a string quartet (contrabass, cello, viola and violin). I experimented with pitch on having the contrabass (a low pitched instrument) playing a held note to create a sense of anticipation then gradually building up the texture and changing the dynamic ranges to give a sombre mood. I also added some dissonance to give a dark atmosphere as it is many for the nightmare scene.
Here's What I Got Inspiration From:

•  Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Reitzell - Towers of the void (Red Riding Hood)