The activity: to record two audio files that “describe” a location so that it is identifiable to the listener.
Kenton and I recorded at Pearson and Murphy’s in an attempt to describe the location of a cafe through sound. Firstly we pointed our microphone at the coffee machine, picking up the sounds of coffee being made, the workers talking and cups clinking with saucers in the foreground, then the general chatter of customers filled in the background space with less distinguishable dialogue. I think this was very successful in describing the location, as the main sounds are specific to the location and give a clear idea of where you might be (cafe) whilst the sounds of chatter supply the natural ambience to the scene that makes it feel real and helps to place you in that location, rather than focussing on the action of making coffee. Our second attempt was to point the microphone at the counter, picking up some quite specific dialogue as waitress took orders, however I think this was less successful simply because this dialogue isn’t present through the whole sound recording, and apart from that you could really be finding yourself in any kind of crowded environment, as the background sounds are again people chatting and perhaps the occasional clink of a cup or plate.
Another group that I thought did well in this exercise recorded the sounds of an elevator. It’s clever, because elevators have that hum that is quite specific to their movement, that sounds a certain way in such a small, echoey space. As well as this, there’s the sound of the doors (and how the overall ambience alters when the doors are open or closed), and the voice telling you what floor you are on. I had a really clear idea with this sound recording, and thought it worked well to describe the location.
