Workshop 1/11

Today we were discussing and putting into practice equalising on Soundtrack pro. We were given many examples of EQing in film such as The Godfather scene where Michael is in the hospital with Vito. We noted how the stuck record playing in the scene is a story telling device, showing that people have gone and the place is deserted. The scene is famous for the ominous footsteps coming up the stairs which we discussed was used by automating the reverb on the track which is applying the effect on the track then taking it off gradually. The footsteps get quieter as they move away from the camera which gives a sense of three dimensional space. There is a low drum sound under the mix, to create a sense of urgency and almost like a funeral toll to further create the sense of panic. When Michael talks on the phone, the other end of the telephone sound has been equalised. We talked about how the other end of the telephone was recorded straight in a studio then was EQed. We also talked about how the dialogue in the corridor was slightly EQed to enhance the fact they're in a corridor.

We then looked at the party scene in David Lynch's Lost Highway and focused on how the atmos and the music tones used fade into one another, changing the mood of the film immediately. The film used a technique where the tonal music becomes distorted as the man becomes more confused and scared. We also looked at Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and discussed how the black space at the beginning of the film sets the mood before we even see the space.  We talked about editing tricks relating to the first scene where the music is playing quite loudly on a radio but it is miraculously turned down when the dialogue is introduced. The scene also has many layers to it such as the faint sound of the rain. We viewed the city scenes in Istanbul and noted that there would have been no sound recorded on location and will have been all atmos sounds. The sound ebbs and flows throughout to keep the viewer entertained.
We then learnt about how to use the various EQ effects on Soundtrack pro concentrating on automation.