Weekly Progress (2/26-3/1)

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This week I created a document that describes how I am planning on creating the sound effects for the short film based on the current storyboard. For each scene I will list what the characters are doing/saying, what kind of sound would be most appropriate for that instance, and how I plan on creating these sounds. Any future changes to the storyboard will be reflected in this document. The mentioned plan can be found here:

Scene 1: Main character, Melissa, is walking down the hallway of an abandoned building and hears something at the end of the hall.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa walking down the hallway

    • Building needs to feel empty, old, and abandoned

    • Footsteps should be in an echoey environment and additional reverb can be added in post 

    • Footsteps can likely be recorded in hallway at my dorm

Scene 2: Melissa sees monster in the shadows pulling the door off of hinges.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Monster ripping door off hinges

  • Same method as before (me shaking desk/dresser) just now louder because Melissa is closer

Scene 3: Melissa calls out to the monster.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa calling out to the monster

    • Someone can record voice lines for Melissa 

    • Reverb can be added in post

  • Monster confused grunt

    • Made by layering several audio recordings of me and other people making grunting noises

Scene 4: Mellissa taunts the monster as it approaches her.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Monster walking towards Melissa

    • Same method as listed above (someone recording Melissa’s voice lines)

  • Monster confused grunt

    • Footsteps need to be deep and boomy to give a sense of the size of the monster

    • Could be done by throwing a laundry basket to the floor 

Scene 5: Melissa gets frightened as the monster gets closer. She fires at the monster and misses. This startles it.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Gunshot

    • Will be tricky to duplicate - may have to use royalty free sample

  • Monster startled noises

    •  Same method as previous scenes (me and other people making startled grunt noises)

Scene 6: Melissa drops her gun and runs away. The monster roars and chases her.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Gun dropping

    • Sharp clattering sound

    • Could be done by dropping phone or computer mouse

  • Melissa running away

    •  Can be made with footstep recording

  • Monster roars

    • Can be done by layering different recordings of me and other people making roaring sounds

  • Monster chases after Melissa

    • Can be done with the footstep recording made for the monster

Scene 7: Melissa rounds the corner and runs towards the room at the end of the hall. Monster slams into the corner and follows Melissa.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa running down hallway

    • Can reuse Melissa footstep recording

  • Monster slams into wall:

    •  Crash has to be loud and harsh.  Impact should echo through the hall

    • Could be done by banging on my garage door at home

  • Monster running down hall

    • Reuse monster footsteps

Scene 8: Melissa closes the door behind her but the monster breaks through the door.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa slams door

    • Can be done by recording myself slamming my dorm to my room

  • Monster bursts through shut door

    •  Will be tricky to create because it should sound like a genuine explosion with debris flying everywhere - might have to use royalty free sound effect

  • Monster roars

    • Can be done reusing the monster roar effect previously made

Scene 9: Monster pursues Melissa through a pantry. Melissa throws various objects at the monster but has no effect.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Monster approaching Melissa

    • Can reuse Monster footsteps sound effect but less echoey since they are in a smaller space

  • Melissa throwing objects at Monsters

    • Throwing objects found in kitchen such as pans and cups

    • Can be made by banging pots and pans

Scene 10: Melissa hits the monster with fridge door which stuns it long enough to run out of room.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa slams fridge into Monster

    • Can be made by slamming textbook on desk

  • Melissa running out of room

    • Can reuse Melissa footstep sound effect but less echoey because they are in a smaller space

Scene 11: Back in the hallway, Melissa runs to the hole in the wall the monster made at the beginning of the film. The monster follows closely behind her.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa running down the hallway and panting

    • Can have someone recording voice lines for Melissa

    • Can reuse Melissa footstep sound effect

  • Monster running down the hallway and grunting

    • Can reuse Monster grunting and footstep sound effects

Scene 12: The monster catches up to Melissa and strikes her.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Monster hits Melissa

    • Needs to be meaty and swift to give the sense of how intense the impact is

    • Can be made by:

      • Throwing a wet towel on the ground

      • Swinging wet towel against wall

      • Throwing a thick shoe or boot on the ground

  • Melissa grunts

    • Can have someone recording voice lines for Melissa

Scene 13: Melissa wakes up in her bed. It was all a dream.

• Sounds in scene:

  • Melissa gasps

    • Can have someone recording voice lines for Melissa

Next Steps:

• Sounds in scene:

  • Gather recording equipment from the IDM equipment room and start recording audio samples.  The goal is to have most if not all of the sound effects for the monster completed for the midterm demo.