As the semester is coming to an end, it feels strange to be writing my final blog post for RTA 907. I’m really going to miss this class, and I can proudly that I’ve learned a lot along the way.
Throughout this course, I got to listen and learn about different forms of sound media and sound art that I never knew existed. The most important sound art we covered this year was of course was Pierre Schaeffer’s Musique Concrète (Beckstead, R Murray…Musique Concrète).If not for his willingness to experiment with synthetic sound, music wouldn’t be the way it is today. If not for him and the evolution of technology, things like MIDI wouldn’t exist, and music genres that rely heavily on manipulated recordings and electronic samples (such as Pop, EDM, and Hip-Hop) would not be as nuanced as they are in today. I can’t even imagine a world…
In addition, I’ve also learned about soundwalks, which are audio tours that focus on showcasing the listening environment of an area (Beckstead, R Murray…Musique Concrète); and different genres of music like glitch and noise rock (Beckstead, Noise & Sound Art)! While these forms of sound media aren’t the most conventional, I just like knowing that they exist, and I think that they would be fun to create and experiment with down the road.
In this course I’ve also learned a great deal about how to effectively utilize sound design, and how important it is to consider all the factors that could influence the audience’s listening experience. With UI, for example, a sound designer must consider the context in which people will be interacting with a device, as well as where/when/how the device will be used (Beckstead, User Interface Sound Design). Whereas when designing sound for films or television, a composer must consider the type of mood they want to establish, how sounds can contribute to defining characters and events in the movie, and how sound can enhance the overall story (Beckstead, Sound in Film). Sounds serve various purposes, and at the end of the day its up to the sound designer to figure out which sound design techniques will suit their medium the best.
But in the grand scheme of RTA 907, if I’ve learned anything, it’s the importance of protecting your hearing (Beckstead, Hearing & Listening…modes of listening).
My #1 biggest fear – even bigger than death – is going deaf. I couldn’t possibly imagine living without being able to hear the world around me, it’s a reality I can’t even fathom. Our ears are a very complex and sensitive organ. Essentially, we’re able to hear as sound waves travel to the ear drum. The ear drum then sends those vibrations to the inner ear, or the cochlea, a snail-looking organ that contains multiple little hairs. These hairs then vibrate into electrical signals which then reach our brain, which processes them as sound. HOWEVER, if sound is too loud these little hairs will snap off and die, meaning that it will no longer be able to send sound signals to the brain. In extreme cases, you can indicate hearing loss if your ears begin to ring for an extended period of time after long-term exposure to loud sounds. The worst part is that these hairs never grow back, so the hearing damage is permanent and irreversible, and progressively gets worse overtime without proper care.
This is all information I was perfectly aware of, but re-learning it in class this semester really drilled it into me. Over the summer, I had gone to a Beyoncé concert, and as awesome as it was to sit front row and see her slay her performance, the monitors by the stage were thumping loud, and after the concert my ears wouldn’t stop ringing until the next morning. I love live music, and me being a concert-goer is never going to change, but now I know much better to take care of my hearing if I want to continue creating music and sound media myself. So my biggest takeaway from RTA 907 would be to invest in some earplugs. No concert is worth the longevity of your hearing; earplugs are your friend!!!
I’m sad that RTA 907 has come to an end, but I’m 100% glad that I took it because as a content creator who is interested in music and audio for post-production, I know I will apply what I’ve learned in this class to the sound-related projects I produce in the future. After Sound Media, I know now to not be afraid to experiment with audio. Some projects could be a hit and others a miss, but you’ll never know what could sound great unless you get out of your comfort zone and try.
Works Cited
Beckstead, Lori. “Hearing & Listening, Michel Chion’s Modes of Listening.” RTA 907. Ryerson University, Toronto. 7 Sept. 2016. Lecture.
User Interface is defined as the means by which a user interacts with a computerized object. As such, the sound design incorporated int UI allows users to know that they have completed an action when interacting with the device (Beckstead, User Interface Sound Design).
Some examples of devices that rely on UI sound design include:
Cellphones
UI sounds for the iPhone include:
Texting noises (ie: typing, SFX for incoming/outgoing messages)
Locking/Unlocking noises
Synchronization noises
etc
Household Appliances
UI sounds for a microwave include:
Beeps that accompany button pushing
Humming to indicates that the food is getting heated
A noise to indicate that the food is finished heating
and Public Spaces
UI sounds for Presto include:
Sounds to indicate that the user has/has not paid
Sounds to indicate the different fees applied to different categories of people (ie: Seniors, Students, Adults, etc)
As a commuter, a User Interface that I interact with on a daily basis is public transit. So when tasked with re-designing the sound for a UI of our choice, I thought what better to re-design than the sound for the dreaded, unpredictable, good ol’ TTC.
These are all the things I must consider in order to make the TTC system sound more sonically pleasing:
1. Identify all interactions the user will have with the object.
Swiping a Metropass to enter the terminal
Walking through turnstiles
Listening for indication that transit has arrived
Listening for indication that the doors have opened/closed
Listening for stop names
Calling for your stop
Safety warnings
2. Identify the context for the interaction (ie: environment, time of day, etc).
People use TTC at pretty much any time of the day for as long as it’s in service
Perhaps have different/more prominent sounds for rush hour periods?
3. Identify the types of feedback the user will need to get for each interaction.
Payment
Feedback should indicate whether or not a commuter has paid to enter
Stops
Feedback should indicate whether or not a commuter has successfully called for a stop (relevant more-so for streetcars)
4. Come up with a plan for the sounds you would design.
Entrance
Successfully swiping your Metropass to for entrance should sound pleasant, and have an affirmational tone – this would call for a higher pitched sound, and if using a melodious set of notes they should be in a major key
Meanwhile, unsuccessfully swiping your Metropass should generate a lower-pitched sound with a negative connotation. However, I wouldn’t go as far as making them sound like X buzzers because that sound could be very abrupt and jarring, especially during a morning commute.
I thought that it would be kind of cool if the turnstiles sang a little triad as commuters walked through, but thinking about it now, it could get annoying during rush hour times while people try to cram themselves into the terminal… I watched this neat video about Subway Symphony, a neat initiative to create 3-5 note sequences unique to each station in the NY subway system. I plan on following the progress on that project because I think it would be cool to see come to life.
I actually like the current sound that the subway doors make when they open and close. If anything, I would just change how loud they are. (Also, when the subway doors open and close, all I ask is that they stay in key 😩)
In class I learned that the TTC didn’t even get a professional voiceover artist to voice the names of each stop!! In the re-design of TTC’s UI sound, getting professional VO recordings would be the first priority.
The sounds that commuters hear while waiting for the subway and for stops are amplified and unnecessarily loud! I get that it may be for people who are hearing impaired or listening to loud music, but it’s jarring to listen to as a commuter who doesn’t have any hearing interferences
If the TTC were to get it’s wifi running at all subway stops, it would be cool if ear/headphone users could sync their devices to an app connected to the subway, and while they listen to music they could have the stops announced through their headphones. This would eliminate the need for the TTC to have to blast the stops for everyone else commuting.
Safety Warnings
Safety warnings should indicate danger, and that commuters should wait idly by or proceed with caution.
Nothing to piercing, but I think hearing 2-3 high pitched notes played quickly in sequence would be a good safety warning noise. The quickness in the tempo could indicate danger, and the high pitch could indicate urgency.
Overall, each sound should have a cohesive tone and style because it brings unity to the UI design, and it creates an overall sonically pleasing experience between the user and interface.
We as movie viewers often think of film as a “visual medium”. And I mean, don’t get me wrong… for the most part it is. Imagery is definitely important because visuals and the ways in which they’re presented convey meaning. Cinematographers will work tirelessly to hone their craft, ensuring that their shots are framed nicely and the light hits the subject just right in order to capture that picture perfect moment for the big screen. However, what often gets overlooked in film is sound. Good sound design is also a major contributor to the overall experience of a film; unfortunately, auditory elements are often taken for granted by viewers and movie-makers alike. It’s important to remember that without sound to drive the picture, the audience wouldn’t know how to feel or react to the events unfolding on screen. While visuals present the audience to a fictional world, sound is what immerses us into a film, bringing the movie-world to life. After all, in the words of George Lucas, “[in film] sound is half the experience” (Blake).
In this blog I will go over and explore the major points covered in the readings Sound and Image (an excerpt from Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice, and Sound Effects in Cinema) by David Sonnenschein, as well as Designing A Movie For Sound by Randy Thom.
Part 1: Sound and Image
Before the union of sound and moving pictures, the radio served as a great medium for storytelling because it utilized the “theatre of the mind”; listeners could use their imagination as the story unfolded over the air (Beckstead, Hearing and Listening… Modes of Listening). So imagine how revolutionary it must have been for the people of the 1920s as the film industry began to convert from silent films to audiovisual motion pictures. In 1926, the film Don Juan was the first ever movie to feature music. Thanks to the Vitaphone, a sound-on disc audio system invented by Thomas Edison, the film featured a synched playback of a live orchestra. Then in 1927, The Jazz Singer was the first motion picture to ever feature dialogue (Beckstead, Sound in Film). Since then, audio and sound design for movies has come a long way which is great because overtime filmmakers have come to realize the importance of sound and how it contributes to telling a story.
In Sound and Image, Sonnenschein examines the connection between audio and visuals, and how the human senses of hearing and sight “produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts” (Sonnenschein 151). In his reading he looks at the different elements of sound and how these contribute to shaping a movie and what’s being portrayed on screen. There are two types of sound that make up film: diegetic, which refers to sounds contained within the story world (either on or off screen) that only the characters can hear; and non-diegetic, sounds that only the audience can hear such as voice over or background music (153-154). When used together, diegetic and non-diegetic sounds work together to enhance a cinematic experience.
Sonnenschein explains that sound design is important because it helps to enhance emotion. For instance, the use of music in film acts as foreshadowing as it allows the audience to sense what is to come. In this respect, music can be used as an emotional signifier (155). As was discussed during Week 6, sound can affect people in physical, psychological, cognitive, and behavioural ways. This being said, music in film can be used to reinforce the filmmaker’s intended emotions for either movie spectator and the characters in the film (169). A good example of music driving emotion would be the montage at the beginning of Disney’s Up. The sequence begins when characters, Ellie and Carl, get married, and follows them as they grow old together. During their happiest moments and major life milestones the music bedded underneath is fast-paced with a light-hearted quality to it; meanwhile, during the sad moments in the montage the music slows down to emphasize emotion.
Music can also be effective when used in a juxtaposing way – if music doesn’t relate to the actions or emotions portrayed on screen it’s considered anempathetic, which produces irony and adds dissonance to a scene (169). A great example of this the jailbreak scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past when Quicksilver uses speeds around the room and saves his friends. As he runs from one end of the room to the other, the world around him dramatically slows down and Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle begins to play in the background. (I remember watching this scene unfold in the theatre – the whole audience and myself included burst into laughter!)
Additionally, the use of dialogue can influence the potency of a film. It’s one thing to hear the emotion in a character’s voice, to see them act/react to what’s being said, and see the dialogue perfectly synched up with characters’ lip movements (this is known as theatrical speech, which is the most common and natural from of audiovisual integration). However, it’s another thing to hear a character express his/herself through a voice over (also known as textual speech) as it allows the audience to hear the character’s innermost thoughts; or to hear only part of what is being communicated on screen (also known as emanation speech) as it emphasizes the meaning of the dialogue that can be heard (157). As you can see, just like music, there are various other ways to utilize dialogue to enhance its effects in a film.
Sound design is also essential to maintaining the continuity, narrative cueing, and unity of a film. In regards to continuity, music is an effective way to fill gaps in either the image or sound of a movie (155). Likewise, music and sound can help to cue the audience to the setting, character, and events of the narrative. Meanwhile, the overall soundtrack of a production brings unity because the repetition and variation of certain sound elements acts as the glue which holds a film together. A fantastic example of a soundtrack that hits each of these marks is the score for Netflix’s cult classic series of 2016, Stranger Things. Establishing a temporal dimension (164), the series soundtrack is very reminiscent of the 80s as it incorporates a lot of synth and drum machine elements; meanwhile the sound for the series was carefully designed to match the eeriness of small town Hawkins, Indiana as well as “The Upside Down”.
In retrospect, the key concepts I took away from this article are:
Diegetic and non-diegetic audio are equally important components to shaping a fictional world
Both music and dialogue can be used to establish/enhance emotions as well as create a sense of continuity and unity
Audio can help to establish perspective and create a sense of space, allowing the audience to feel like they’re right there with the characters, creating fully immersive storytelling experience
Part 2: Designing a Movie for Sound
As I read this article in particular, I thought that Randy Thom had brought up some excellent points about sound design for movies. He explains that when movies are in the pre-production phase, sound design is often overlooked in the grand scheme of things. In sound is one of the last things that filmmakers consider after all the scenes have been shot. He shares, “What passes for “great sound” in films today is too often merely loud sound” (Thom 1). But just because a sound is loud, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good. What makes for great sound design (whether musical or non musical) is how well integrated into the film it is – sound should serve to enhance a movie, not distract the audience from what is happening on screen. This is why Thom expresses the importance of editing picture with sound in mind.
“Many feature film directors tend to oscillate between two wildly different states of consciousness about sound in their movies. On one hand, they tend to ignore any serious consideration of sound (including music)…then suddenly get a temporary dose of religion when they realize that there are holes in the story, weak scenes, and bad edits to disguise. Now they develop enormous and short-lived faith in…sound to make their movie watchable” (2).
In my Intermediate Audio class (RTA 311) our last assignment was to create sound for video, which was a nice change from the video classes I had taken in first year because when writing our scripts for RTA 311 we had to be very mindful of our sound and how we used it. It was a different experience, writing a script where sound came first and the picture came second – but of course, at the end of the day, the goal was to have them both audio and visuals compliment each other.
Part 3: Sound's Talents
According to Thom, music, dialogue, and SFX can do various things for a movie (9). Below I will name off a couple from his list and provide examples for them:
Sound can…
Define a Character A great example of this is at the beginning of Inside Out when the emotions get introduced. The film begins with Joy, and as she speaks the music embedded underneath is happy and whimsical flute/chime melody. But when Sadness enters the room the music transitions to a much slower (almost sluggish) pace and low, bellowing tubas begin to play.
Indicate a geographical locale In the movie,Ratatouille, the soundtrack incorporates various elements of French music to indicate that the film is set in Paris, France. The score plays up the romanticism of Parisian music, and also uses “typically French” instruments like accordions, piano, and classical guitar.
Startle or Soothe A film that does an amazing job at startling the audience through sound is Don’t Breathe, a psychological thriller about 3 teens who break into a blind man’s house as they attempt to rob him. The film, while using loud, quick, and startling sound cues to highlight scary moments, it also cleverly utilizes silence. The teens must stay very quiet in order to not get caught by the blind man, and so having to watch and wait through that silence builds tension and anxiety.
Smooth otherwise abrupt changes between shots or scenes In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the jump cut between the ape throwing a bone into the air and the jarring transition to the spacecraft soaring through space is smoothened out by the classical music that follows. The transition between scenes is indeed strange, but the classical music brings the audience into the weightlessness of space and aids in the film’s transition thousands of years into the future.
As you can see, there are various techniques that can be applied to sound in order to enhance a film. It’s simply a matter of figuring out which sound design techniques will serve the purposes of your story best.
Works Cited
Beckstead, Lori. “Hearing & Listening, Michel Chion’s Modes of Listening.” RTA 907. Ryerson University, Toronto. 7 Sept. 2016. Lecture.
Sonnenschein, David. “Sound and Image.” Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice, and Sound Effects in Cinema. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2001. 151-71. Print.
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