Possible audio Challenges:
When approaching the task of recording Foley for the chosen silent film, ‘Safety Last’, I have found that there are some sounds which are going to be easier to make than others. For example, the curtain/roof piece which falls and hits the officer knocking him to the ground. Though there are many methods as to how this sound can be achieved the most challenging aspect is deciding which one to choose.
I also found that creating the traffic sound effects could be a challenge; as easy as it is to venture outside of college to record the motorway nearby, the traffic which features in the film consists of less vehicles than what would be expected from the local motorway. Also, the vehicles would sound different due to the industrial progression over time and the time period I am working with in Harold Lloyd’s film.
Another possible challenge I encountered is the crowd ambiance; For the most part it is simply a matter of going out and recording students in the canteen and around college. However, the crowd’s reactions change depending on the progression and actions of the man climbing the building.
I believe that many of the sounds, though some more challenging than others, will be rather enjoyable to create. Many use an interesting variety of materials to re-create certain actions from films and I believe that, when put into practice, I will find it more enjoyable than a chore.
What is Foley:
Foley is the method of re-creating sounds in films. It is the when a group of people gather together materials and equipment. They then use a recording studio and screen a scene from the film they are working on. From there they follow each individual movement and occurrence in the scene and use equipment and materials they have to re-create what they would sound like. The only audio used from production would be dialogue. All sounds you hear in movies are of a high standard of quality because they are made in post-production and thus have more time dedicated to their creation.
Jack Foley, an American from Yorkville, New York, was the creator of Foley; he worked on such movies as 1928’s ‘Melody of love’. He is responsible for the creation of the Foley method hence the method being aptly named, ‘Foley’ after his surname.
Link for Jack Foley information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Foley_(sound_effects_artist)
Sounds to re-create (How will I do so):
When approaching what materials and equipment I would use I would probably use boxes full of paper and/or extra text books as these tend to create an interesting sound when dropped onto different surfaces. If, for instance, I was attempting to re-create someone being hit over the head I would find a series of hollow objects and then a solid object and record.
One of the first and continuous sounds I need to record for the film is the sound of shoes scraping against either concrete or an equally abrasive surface; In ‘Safety Last’ we have the man climbing up the building which is shut-off from the public and so the main sounds this would generate would involve a struggle and a substantial amount of scraping.
The microphone I believe would be best for recording these sounds would be the Cardioid microphone as I simply aim to record the impact of the feet/foot against the surface. The Cardioid is in place to mainly record whatever is happening in front of it.
Sources of Research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-3M0ZF4fE4
Here, I referred back to a video I viewed a while back, before the course, by ‘FilmRiot’. You can clearly see that they use a range of household materials and objects in order to create different sound effects and Foley for potential film projects.
It is incredible how commonly foods and vegetables are used, not only by FilmRiot, but within the film industry to generate high quality sound effects and Foley. This just proves that it takes a lot of experimenting with different materials until you find the right sound, not matter how unorthodox your methods.
I believe that methods such as using a bag of cloth and solid objects, like the image below, would be suitable for when the man is climbing the building and comes into contact with the wall. Often, impacts and punches in films are created by using such methods as bags and hitting sturdy or brittle objects. Rarely will any impacts be created through physical contact with another person. Creativity is needed and I intend to apply a lot of creativity to this project.
Though physical contact is not commonly used often people will use their own body to make sounds; It could be something as simple as footsteps where you find yourself running on the spot or, in this case, someone hitting their own hand to suggest some form of an impact. This may be a method I use for when certain falls and hits take place in ‘Safety Last’.
Microphones:
As mentioned earlier, for many of the sounds to be recorded for this project I believe a Cardioid microphone would be ideal as you are capturing sounds directly in front of you without pollution from sounds occurring in all other directions. However, for other sounds I am aiming to record the Cardioid microphone may not prove as useful.
I have chosen to record Foley for the crowd cheering and reacting to the man’s efforts. When considering what needs to be captured for this sound effect I begin to see how a Cardioid microphone may not work as well as it captures sound in front of it and nowhere else. Instead, an Omni-directional microphone may be the best option as I could find a busy area of town and simply begin recording as people walk by and talk.
The crowd needs to be reacting so I would then gather people in the TV studio and record them performing several different reactions. Even if they were not in big numbers I would ensure I layered each recording over the other giving the effect of a crowd being present rather than just three or four people. Arguably, a Bi-directional microphone may be suitable as it records sound from in front of it and behind it. However, you would have to position yourself well to capture as much as possible; Some crowds may be further away than others thus noise pollution could become a problem if you are out in public and near traffic.
Below is a diagram of different microphones I referred to in order to decide which microphones would be best to use. The shapes around the microphones represent the sound they can capture.
Source of Image: goo.gl/p13IoV
Microphone Placement: goo.gl/vT9lOm
Of course, there is the rule of when recording voices you are permitted to be your hand’s span away from the microphone at closest. This is to avoid the audio levels running over the limit and the recordings becoming distorted. Often, when you pronounce consonants such as, ‘P’ or ‘B’ at close range the microphone will begin to distort and when reviewing audio it will sound as though you have dropped the microphone or come into contact with it unintentionally. As stated on, ‘MediaCollege.com’ it is always good to get a balance between ambient sound and voice recording. However, in terms of this project it is more about the sounds happening around characters rather than the sounds they make.
Based on the ‘FilmRiot’ video the best positioning of the microphone when recording hits or impacts is stationed closest to the source of sound but perhaps a foot or half away to avoid distortion.
When recording instruments for a live stage performance the microphone is often placed directly against the speakers which are connected to an instrument. These microphones tend be less sensitive to loud noises therefore do not come through distorted. (goo.gl/vT9lOm)
One good method of positioning tends to be where the microphone is placed on a boom pole and kept just out of shot but close enough to pick up audio from nearby objects. Also, the position can change on a regular basis if you are recording a moving character or objects. This is where you would begin tracking with the microphone but still maintaining a reasonable distance to avoid the microphone showing up on-camera. (goo.gl/UIzxU0)
Mixing Techniques:
Often, when editing sound the mixer will use ‘Stereo Tracks’ when approaching the layout. This consists of two identical tracks with the two of the exact same sound recordings. The mixer often will use this layout with film and TV-based projects as anything edited on the stereo track layout will sound and perform to a high standard when played back on a stereo system. All televisions have a stereo speaker system and so you get sound coming from the left and right speakers thereby surrounding its audience and creating a greater quality of sound.
Sometimes, mixers use a mono track where all sound is on one central track. These sounds will often be ‘centered’ therefore coming from the left and right speakers. However, you would have to duplicate layers just to make subtle changes to one of the tracks. For example, if you wanted a reverb on someones voice but only wanted it heard from the right hand speaker then you would have to duplicate a layer and set it to the right whereas with a stereo track everything is already there and you simply toggle between left, center or right.
Research for re-creating chosen sounds: https://vimeo.com/11436985
Tumbling Curtain Cover:- Below is a screenshot from a video of a Foley Artist named, ‘Gary Hecker’. In the image he is hitting a solid surface with a thin metal panel of sorts. This could work for when the man falls from the wall and knocks over the curtain cover which results in the officer being hit over the head and taken to the ground.
Climbing the wall:- Here, Hecker is stamping his feet whilst standing on gravel. This generates a very interesting sound and could work well towards the part of the movie where the man is moving his feet up the wall. The difference in the textures of both the man’s shoes and the wall is rather substantial so for there to be grit and sharpness accompanying a dragging sound I believe this would work well for the man coming into close contact with the wall.
Officer pulling himself up off of the ground:- Here, we see Hecker using boxing gloves and rubbing them into the gravelly terrain to create a dragging sound. I believe this could be rather useful for the moment where the officer attempts to recover from being knocked down. He then realizes one of the characters attracting his attention and trying to run into the building. The beginning of his running could also be achieved by this method or a method similar.
Sometimes, Foley artists use their own voices to make sounds. Further editing, in post-production, takes place. In this image Hecker is impersonating a horse breathing as it is rode through a village.
Effects available in Audition:
–Reverb: This effect adds an echo to the recording(s) on track. It gives the effect of the sound emanating from inside a tunnel or cave. The acoustics are really brought out. This effect is often used for dramatic voice overs on game shows, TV programmes and films.
–EQ: The ‘EQ’ effect tends to involve different levels of the master gain volume. They are all leveled to start with but if you pull one of the points higher the bass becomes a lot more pronounced however, the audio becomes slightly distorted.
–Compressor: With the compressor audio appears distant and almost sounds as if it is being played off of a small device. It is very drawn back and seems distant. When this effect is disabled the change is instantly recognizable.
–Phasers: When applying the phaser effect audio begins to sound as though it is blowing in the wind. It has a very science-fiction feel to it as does the name of the effect. If certain elements of the effect are turned up room ambiance begins to disappear. I used the exam ambiance recordings as a test and the air conditioning and computer engine sounds completely disappeared however the deliberate sounds such as the dropping of pencils and coughing remained clear.
–Pitch Shifters: With pitch shifters the audio either sounds extremely high-pitched and child-like or very low-pitched and animal-like. There are settings such as ‘semi-tones’ and ‘cents’ which, when altered, change the pitched from high to low and vice-versa. This would normally be used in children’s movies to make actor’s voices appear animal-like, monster-like or of any other characteristic-trait.
Brandon Hobson 
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