Making sound effects.

The animatic process demonstrated the difficulty in finding and using acceptable sound effects that work well with the animation. I had spent countless hours trying to retrieve sounds right for the film. This experience led me to the following question:

“Instead of spending considerable time and effort looking for sound effects online, making sure they were royalty-free, that I had permission to use them and were up to a suitable quality, why not record my own?”

The first thing I did was research the effectiveness of foley sound in films. I came across archive footage in which a foley artist uses objects and materials daily for sound effects (KBN Next Media).

KBN Next Media (2020) DISNEY SOUND EFFECTS IN EARLY MOVIES. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn6MFI7-gjQ (Accessed: 17 August 2023)

I was amazed by how these everyday objects can dramatically suggest tension, an action or an environment. However, what grasped my intention was the foley artists' creativity from a problem-solving perspective. The foley process was about getting suitable materials and, more importantly, exploring and experimenting.

I reviewed my rough edit and made a list of sounds necessary for the film. Once I had this list, it was a case of experimentation with household objects, making sound effects and going outside, whether to the retail park in my town or environmental settings, searching for the right sounds. Although I may have received odd glances from people while tapping on a plastic bin to hear if it made the proper heartbeat sound, I found the process rewarding and informative.

Overall, I found the experience of recording sound effects gratifying. It was a new and fresh experience, exploring and creatively solving ways to express and suggest movement and environment. I was amazed by what sound effects could be achieved using everyday objects and materials. My favourite part was stumbling across sounds I had been searching for; an example was using my leather boots and rubbing them together to create a stretching sound effect. Another was using my body and bin lids as an instrument to create sound effects, for example, a heartbeat. What I found humorous sometimes was how excited I would get over discovering a sound I believed would work well with the project. If someone had told me that my future self would be jumping for joy over the sound of a water droplet hitting a plate a few months ago, I would have called that person a liar, followed by a chuckle.

Image 1: An impatient me recording water droplets for a cave ambience.

Image 2: An out-of-breath me making heavy breathing/running sound effects.

Image 3: A sore-handed me making slapping noises for various shots within the film.

I was initially nervous, as when it came to sound and music concerning my work, I needed clarification on whether a piece of work was suitable. Due to my work, making a sound (pardon the pun) judgement is challenging. However, I could make better-informed decisions with the assistance of peers, friends and lecturers. Throughout this module, I have learned that a person can not make a film and make good decisions based entirely on their instincts; they need to seek out opinions from others to improve a project.