| SCENE TWO | Mia’s concern
Close up to Mia’s hands as she grabs a cucumber and cuts it on a chopping board – the camera travels with her hand movements The camera stays fixed on the cucumber as Mia walks away to call for Stella At a low angle, the camera pans upwards on Mia’s feet up the stairs to Stella’s room At a hand-held wide shot, with the door obstructing some of the view, as if somebody is watching, Stella is seen talking to air The camera cuts to a close up of Stella’s hands as she colours in From behind Sam’s shoulder, we continue to watch Stella colour A close up of Stella as she speaks to Sam The camera pans the hand movements to a side angle of Sam’s face: “okay” The camera cuts to an extreme close up of Mia as she speaks on the phone The camera tilts upwards slightly as Mia looks up The camera cuts to the outside of Stella’s room, the door now closed The camera cuts back to an extreme close up of Mia as she hangs up the phone |
Dialogue:
Stella-Sam Mia-friend (via phone) Sound effect: · Exhausted fan-boiling water-( Frying pan) · Knife cutting-cucumber-chopping board-Put the knife down Mia: · Bare footsteps-wooden floor-wooden stairs-slowly · Hang up-phone (smart phone/telephone) Stella: Colouring-canyon-paper-pick up-put down Ambience: INT: refrigerator (humming) EXT: Raining (not heavy)
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This one is quite different from my war dream. I still had to imagine and map out all of the possible sound elements that the characters are experience but it is based on the shooting script which our group created. It is more difficult than I expected. Having a script gave both advantages and disadvantages.
I did not have to map out and visualize the whole scenario from a scratch. I just browsed my sound library and pick sounds that I thought it would be suitable. I did record the sound of cutting cucumber on a chopping board. Actually, I used a carrot instead of a cucumber because it feels more solid. Recording just this simple sound wasn’t easy either. I did it at 5 AM to avoid noises and unwanted sounds. To isolate from the environment, I covered myself and the equipment. As a result, I think an isolated environment is essential while creating sound effects or foley.
After collecting all the sounds I need for the scene, except the dialogue, and mix them together, I felt something missing. Gabriele Proy (2001) claims that:”Sounds affect us, they contribute meaningfully to our comprihension of time and space.” Reading the script over again, I realised that it doesn’t provide the sense of time and space. Mia is in the kitchen but at what time? How about the surrounding area? It is the environment that manipulate the audience. It brings viewers the feeling of being involved in the screen.
The audience is looking through the eyes/point of view of the character. They see what the character see as well as hear what the character hear. I believe that there is no completely no silent moment in film or in reality. Even if we enter a room without reverberation and external sounds, we can still hear your blood is pumping or your breath. There’s always some kinds noise like the humming of air conditioner or vibration of the fridge. They are ambiences. Ambiences are unique background sounds. They’re specific to each location. Each room has its own unique sound. To create such an experience for the audience, I have to be Mia. Randy Thom (2011) states: “There is another way to set up the idea point of view: that is the idea that what are, the audience, are expecting is what is being experienced by characters on the screen.”
The problem is that I’ve never been to the actual location. So, I think my pre sound production is heavily relied on my own experience and imagination.
Reference cited:
Thom R. (2011) Screenwriting for Sound; In The New Soundtrack; Vol.: 1 No.: 2 September, p.103 – 112.
Proy G. (2002), Sound and sign, Organised Sound, vol 7, no 1, p. 15-19