evaluation 2

presented by Ben Moyse

Evaluation 3

The evaluation of my post production, foley sound experiment. I will explain all three of different tests for the experiment that I completed . Then finally I will explain the outcomes and and choose a method out of the three that best creates a wind sound effect

my question:What is the best way to create a wind sound effect?

test one: waving my t-shirt test two: putting a fan up to a microphone test three: blowing into the microphone

Introduction

We had to choose a career in post-production that we would research into and then create an experiment based around this career/area. For my experiment I chose to explore foley sounds, and I did this because I wanted to develop my knowledge on sound engineering. I wanted to find an efficient and realistic way to film sound effects such as wind, and I also wanted to learn the full backstory to how foley sound was invented. I know that foley sound is an important factor in films because its how mostly all sound effects are created for films so I think it is important to know more about this.

My Research

Before I even planned or started any of my tests, I completed research first. Because research is one of the most crucial parts to an experiment since it's where you get your inspiration and context on the subject of the experiment. My first piece of research was to find out what influenced the creation of Foley sounds, I researched how the Foley career got its name and what started it. To find out this I went to a phew websites and one video, just so that I could get a range of different information and to avoid any false information. For the next piece of research, I researched what ways foley artists create wind sound in films. I did this because I wanted to get a thew methods of ways that I could create wind sound effects for my experiment since I needed three. I watched a video and a film to learn some methods foley artists use to create sound effects in modern day.

Test One!

For this test, I chose to film a wind sound effect via waving my t-shirt up and down next to the microphone. I took influence from a video of foley artists at warner brothers’ studio, they showed their studio and the tools and equipment they use to create sound effects in films. They taught me that a way they create a wind sound effect is through shaking a big piece of fabric up and down which creates the effect of wind going through a boats sail. So, I chose to try this method myself because its seemed like an easy method that I could do and would not need any equipment for, whilst it could still create a convincing wind sound effect. The way I carried out this test was by rapidly shacking my t-shirt next to recording microphone in the podcast studio. Then all I had to do was import it to my own computer.A problem I faced with this experiment was that since I used my t-shirt [because there was no available fabric] the sound was quite weak, and the mic struggles to pick any of the sound up, which made it sound to quiet. Which in turn took out the reality of this test and made it sound poor quality and not convincing enough to be an actual wind sound effect. To solve this, I would try make it louder in editing on premier pro and if that still doesn’t work a solution would be to redo the test but use a bigger piece of fabric. The strengths of this test outcomes are that it is easy for me to do and did not require any excess equipment other than the microphone which the college provided therefore it’s a very easy way to create a wind sound effects without spending money or wasting lots of time. I feel that this test was unsuccessful because the sound I created was too quiet to be effective and it also did not sound realistic at all.

Test Two!

Now for this test, I decided to create wind sounds via holding my phone up to the mic whilst a video of fan sounds is playing. I got influenced for this idea from my teacher because he said it’s a possible effective way that I should test. I chose to do this method because I thought it was a good idea because fans do sound like wind and its blowing air so essentially, I was recording already created wind sound effects. Therefore, I believed it could sound legitimate and convincing enough provided I paired the recording with footage of wind. The pressure points during this test were that first I could not get an actual fan in the podcast room since there was not one available. I also believe that the sound did not actually sound like wind as I predicted, instead it sounded more like waves on a beach. To solve this issue I would record using an actual fan and if possible I would put the fan on its lowest power to make it sound less robotic and machine created. I feel that this test was successful because I did still get a wind sound effect even though it sounded more like waves. However, since it sounded like waves, I have found an efficient and easy way to film a wave sound effect if I need one in the future. Also, once again this method was easy to do and did require much of my time or effort to complete. As a result, I feel that this test was unsuccessful because they sound, I created did not sound very realistic and instead sounded like waves rather than wind.

Test Three!

Finally for this test, I wanted to physically create a sound myself and after doing research I found that one of the most efficient and easiest way to create a realistic wind sound effect is by blowing into the microphone. I took influence from a few websites for this idea because this method is one of the easiest to do. So, I decided I would try this test since my other two tests were not as successful as I imagined therefore I wanted one that would be effective and believable, and if it’s one of the most recommended techniques therefore I had faith that it would work. A problem that I faced with this was that once I had recorded the resulted sound was very loud and distorted which in a way takes out the reality of this. To solve this problem, I could simply edit the volume down in premier pro or I could stick with the distorted wind idea and pair it with a video of a storm since it is still a wind sound effect that sounds realistic and believable. The strengths of this test were that out of the three this was most effective at creating a believable wind sound effect. I also feel that for this test I had more control since I was making the sound myself with my mouth. Which was good because it meant I could control how fast it went and the velocity of it. The only improvement that I would make to this test is by making it less loud to be more realistic and less distorted.

The Conclusion!

When you compare al three of my tests against each other there is a clear winner, and that is test three [me blowing into the mic]. This is because it was the most realistic of all three and if I heard that in a film whilst a storm scene was on, I would believe that it was a real storm sound effect. The problem with test one which was waving my t-shirt, was that the volume was too quiet, and the product was not convincing at all, it was obvious that the sound came from shaking fabric. Then the problem with test two was that the quality was poor, and it sounded like it was noise produced from a machine which took out the reality of my intended plan. I can use this information for future productions because now I know that if I need to create a realistic weather sound effect that simply blowing into the microphone is an effective way to do this. I also learnt from this project that if I need a wave sound effect, I could sue the sounds of a fan for this.