During this last assessment as groups, we had the task to put together a collection of multimedia productions that included, a trailer, a television ad or jingle, and a soundtrack to match an animation created by fellow students. For the trailer, our group decided to tackle the ‘Conan Exiles’ official game trailer in which two characters are stranded in the desert and have to take on ferocious monsters. The theme behind the audio gives inspiration to what you can achieve within the game with big drums an orchestration along with a very intimate and determined dialogue.
As for the individual productions, I went ahead with the ‘Samsung’ “Ostrich” advertisement. The ad is quite comedic as it portrays the journey of one ostrich that falls upon a virtual reality headset which displays a first-person video of flight through the clouds. So as Ostriches being flightless birds it gives a comedic value which is supported by the folly and the soundtrack which is Elton John’s “Rocket Man”. For my animation soundtrack I decided to go with the abandoned hotel which is a single building that holds a very soft and gloomy colour pallet, to enhance the narrative of the animation. I felt like a horror-themed soundtrack would best fit this environment as it would almost put you inside the building itself and create an immersive experience.
The intentions as a group for our trailer was to draw inspiration from the original audio and make it our own. We early on decided to incorporate an orchestral soundtrack with large drums, brass and woodwind instruments, along with small details like the plucking of stringed instruments at the beginning. A minor key was set upon as it helped illustrate and support the environment the trailer is set in while building tension with dissonance towards during the fight scene to enhance the experience for the viewer. We created a list of what we needed to record and what things would be sampled. The dialogue was recorded close and intimate, with a lot of bass to create deep and classic voiceover sound that helped portray the message and feel of the trailer.
We recorded footsteps, blood drips, necklace rattle along with grunts and yells for the male character during the fight scene. These were the main elements that we thought would benefit the trailer if they were recorded live rather than sampled. For body impacts, wind, and blood we decided to find samples as it would be quite difficult to successfully record an appropriate sound. So, we found the most well-suited samples the processed them to fit the scenes they were needed. I believe we achieved the product we wanted but of being able to record all the elements would have had a major impact on the final outcome, and I think would influence the viewing experience even further. As for the soundtrack sourcing more well-recorded samples would also help in making the experience fell more expensive and dramatic.
Onto my advertisement, the Samsung ad didn’t require as much recording as there isn’t as much audio content and heavily relies on the soundtrack to enhance the production value. Finding a usable ostrich sample proved difficult while the others came easily. The samples hold the foreground of the audio until the soundtrack enters, in which it really encompasses what is implied. I decided I was going to do a stripped back acoustic version of “Rocket Man” with just acoustic guitar and vocals. The idea was not to reproduce the track but rather create a more relaxed version of the song as the original is quite sad with a lot of other instruments to help influence the overall vibe of the track. So, once I sourced the samples and recorded the track it was up to processing the audio well enough to try and match the tonal characteristics of the original advertisement, which as an open environment out in the bush, while having believable transitions between the ground and when the ostrich experiences the virtual reality scenes that take place in the sky. Again, as with the trailer, being able to access more beneficial samples or being able to successfully record them would greatly improve the product, but in saying that I think as a first attempt at post-production and recreating the sound and environment of a video was a passable effort.
The animation was the easiest I feel as it was simple and was completely up to me in terms of how the overall theme of the soundtrack would sound. I again decided to go down the horror route, creating an eerie and dissonant feel. I didn’t really want to use any instruments, but I was sold on implementing a piano that had a very slow attack and that was drowned in a large reverb. The idea was to draw inspiration from what would typically make an environment uncomfortable, such as wind, rain and thunder, doors creaking, thins falling over, fluorescent lights flickering, distant screams or sounds that resemble that of an animal or human. Also, I wanted to create an experience that would make the audience feel like they are making their way wandering inside the hotel. I used the piano to write two notes that are next to each other to create that classic dissonant sound that makes the listener feel uneasy and along with the atmos samples, it creates an environment that resembles that of an abandoned hotel.
I also decided to ad spot effects like creaking doors that make you feel as though t you are progressing through the hotel, along with the turning on and flickering of an old and faded fluorescent light to create the feeling that the location lacks visibility, another trait of a typical horror setting. I also sent a good amount of the samples to a reverb that helps illustrate a sense of space and the setting. Along with this, I sent the sounds to a delay, to recreate the effect some of these sounds within a reflective concrete building. The track created I feel definitely produces the right atmosphere for the animation and is what I set out to achieve. The final product helps portray a character making their way in and around the abandoned hotel capturing the listener and giving them an appropriate experience.
Overall, I think that the products the group and myself have created are what we set out to accomplish and considering it was my first shot at creating a multimedia portfolio I believe with more time, research and productions my abilities and skill will increase and help me in building a healthy workflow in order to create even more satisfactory content. Working as a group was fairly easy as with previous assessments we have been taught and learned how to communicate within groups to increase creativity and workflow. In the studio sessions, we kept quite close to our timeline and had set plans on what we planned to complete within said sessions. Having a list of what was needed to be done and booking studio time as soon as agreed upon aided in completing our work on time. As an introduction to post-production, this assessment help develop my skills in creating sound effects, recording dialogue and voiceovers, producing themed soundtracks and working with other creatives.
Here is the link to the company website o our group.
www.10123784.wixsite.com/kbnmedia
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