This week, we took a look at the art of sound design.

One of the processes we examined was foley: where sound effects are emulated using common objects. While I had a basic understanding of it, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it’s still used widely in the industry. It also reminded me of a major running gag in Monty Python and the Holy Grail – where the characters walk and run around clapping coconut shells instead of riding horses.

We also learned how to get the best sound from our equipment – everything from keeping a hand’s width away from the microphone when recording, to setting up the digital audio workstation to avoid sound clipping (between -6dB and -12dB) to learning about different microphone recording patterns. We then looked at different ways to create soundscapes through sampling and synthesis.

We then briefly looked at scene composition, shots, lighting, and colour grading. While I have some experience with them, it was useful to have a recap.

I feel like I’m falling behind in class though, my classmates are already showing their rough cuts, while I’m still struggling with my script and shot list. Why does it have to be such a tedious process? With stage 4 restrictions, I’m probably going to have to create the backgrounds myself too. I really need to figure out how I’m going to animate this. Why do I feel like I’m the only one struggling with this?