I find one of the most interesting elements of the editing process is its ability to give sound footage context that, otherwise, wouldn’t necessarily have an objective or purpose. Without the additional content to which it is attached it is merely noise that has little direction. In having said that, however, in weaving different strings of sound together, the entire clip can suddenly deliver an experience rather than simple pockets of sound itself.
The task of manipulating pieces of simple and somewhat “insignificant” material to provide an entire sound clip with greater context and purpose was what I focussed on in this project. While the sound clip foregrounds a conversation and particular subject at hand, the introductory and concluding sound clips encapsulate the space in which the conversation is actually taking place. Both clips – being a barista announcing coffee orders and the sound of a mobile phone ringing – are abstracted and not as direct as the conversation being held for the majority of the clip.
For next time, however, I definitely need to improve on the quality of the clips (especially being the introductory and concluding clips of sound). Because I have never used Adobe Audition before, I didn’t want to attempt anything too complicated or elaborate. Until I become more skilled with using the software, I would rather focus on simpler ways of manipulating and weaving footage together for maximum effect. All in all though, I am pretty happy with how I was able to construct this recording and think that it achieves its objective of using various pieces of footage to provide the audience with an experience of a space in which a conversation is taking place.
