It started off with us listening to a 20-minute piece of audio called “My Lobotomy”, which honestly didn’t feel that long because it was so interesting and engaging. Now that I’ve Google searched it for the image, I’m actually wondering if what we listened to was just an excerpt from the actual memoir. Nonetheless, I believe I got the gist of the actual story from that piece of audio.
(Source)
This piece of audio had the full package of what you would usually imagine when reading a very detailed experience of what undergoing a lobotomy would be like and its aftereffects. When I say the “package”, this includes the sound effects, spot sounds and music. From what I observed whilst the audio was playing, I hear a lot of background noise that established the setting of the scene of the interviewee. Rather than a studio-based interview, it was mostly an on-location interview. Here is a more condensed observation of the audio and is also some notes I took during the class discussion:
Story Elements
- Focus/Theme: Lobotomy – “The ramifications of a 1940s procedure…”
- Hook: Why should you sell it to someone – what makes it interesting”
- Plot: His personal journey – looking for whatever he lost.
- Setting: Mostly in people’s living space (nursing homes, their own homes)
- Conflict/Tensions/Obstacles: Villains in the story – the doctor and the step-mum
Sonic Elements
- Narration: Just Howard (the MC), mostly.
- Studio Interviews: Nope. Most of the interviewees are old, lobotomised and adds more element/emotion.
- In-field/Location Interviews: Yes – similar to the previous point, it adds more realness to the situation and somewhat shows their vulnerability.
- Music (Ambient/Diegetic/Non-diegetic): Piano/classical music, peaceful/sad/old/reflective music
- SFX: Not much sfx – it would only trivialise the matter and add an almost “cheap” sort of effect
- Location/Amos: Sound of the environment
I’ve pretty much reflected on the piece in my introduction so I believe there is no need for further conclusions I presume?
lyreca