ON THIS PAGE, WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE CREATION STAGE OF OUR FILM TRAILER'S SOUND. YOU WILL SEE THE PROCESS OF US DECIDING ON WHAT AUDIO WILL FIT BEST WITH OUR TRAILER AND THE VARIOUS WAYS WE WILL HAVE TO EDIT THE SOUND TO HELP US REACH OUR DESIRED EFFECT. YOU ALSO FIND OUR RESEARCH INTO EXISTING HORROR TRAILERS AND THEIR USE OF SOUND WHILE HIGHLIGHTING WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT THEM AND TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC SOUND EFFECTS WE LIKE FROM THE TRAILERS.
In this section, we will research existing horror trailers and talk about their use of sound to create different effects. This will aid us when deciding what sounds to use for our trailer and how they should be edited together.
This trailer caught our attention due to it's use of sound effects. The cracking sound that can be heard at 1:02 makes the scene being shown that much more brutal and harsh. The low humming drone that fades into a loud scream at 0:15 is also interesting as it manages to bring the drone down to a low enough volume to make the scream very sudden and abrupt to catch the viewer off guard.
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This trailer's use of silence and low audio volume followed by a loud and sudden audio queue intrigues us as it functions very well as a jump scare technique which we could use. The clicking sound that can be heard between 0:12 - 0:25 is a good as it functions as a way of breaking the silence created by the rest of the sound while keeping the eerie atmosphere intact while also making way for the jump-scare at 0:26.
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Since this film is very television and internet based, the trailer's use of the 'static' sound effect helps to give the viewer a good idea of what the film is going to be orientated around. The repeating phrase "seven days" between 1:02 - 1:10 intrigues me because it has become an iconic phrase for the 'The Ring' franchise and it functions as a good form of iconic audio that is simply made up of two words.
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The effective use of repetitive sound effects in this trailer adds to the confusion and chaotic atmosphere. They also repeat a few phrases of dialogue to further this effect. The contrast between the gentle orchestral music to a loud thud and clash at 0:05 - 0:35 is particularly interesting because it highlights the difference between the trailer's equilibrium and disequilibrium very well.
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In this trailer, the very slow build up from no sound to very loud and eerie sound is effective as it builds tension. The abrupt end to the audio also leave the viewer in a sense of disarray. This trailer's very quiet ticking sounds accompanied by the little girl humming from 0:05 - 0:19 is very good at creating an eerie atmosphere. The slow building screech that follows from 0:20 - 0:38 is interesting as it disturbs the viewer without the need of a jump-scare.
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We chose this trailer because of it's use of an existing song which was remade to perturb the audience. The fact that they used a lullaby also fits the theme of the movie. The high pitched screech that slowly builds at 0:26 is interesting because it is a good example of one sound effect being used to almost completely change the trailer's current theme. Another thing i find interesting is is the amount and effectiveness of the stock sound effects that are being used.
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In the horror genre, there are a multitude of sounds that can be incorporated into the movie and the trailer. In this section, you will find our research into each type of sound there is. We will also choose some example from each category that we may want to implement into our own trailer.
Beats are sounds that are usually used during fast paced scenes in a horror trailer. They help to emphasise suspense while maintaining an eerie atmosphere.
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This sound effect are usually used to add weight to a character's actions in a horror trailer. This effect is particularly effective when used in silence or accompanied by a beat.
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Like clanks, some crashes work very well when used in silence. However, they are also effective as climaxes at the end of a build up that can be created with a drone or heartbeat.
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Drones create a very eerie atmosphere due to it's low and slow changing tones. They usually consist of a single note playing very quietly and can lead to a jump scare if joined with a crash.
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This sound genre is used a lot in modern thriller and action films as it has a very digital effect that is perfect for portraying distortion or disaster. They are used in a lot of horror films based around the internet.
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Glass sounds are very good for breaking a silence or the sound you hear just before a jump scare. The variation in the category make them suitable for most of the horror sub-genres.
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Glitches are sound effects that are very effective when used in films that are 'found footage' based or films that contain a character whose voice gets distorted as they add a sense of disarray to the voice or sound.
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Liquids are a more specialised sound type that isn't very common in horror trailers. They are usually used when the protagonist is in water but they can also be used as a transition sound.
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Heartbeats are used to build suspense in a trailer through their systematic and rhythmic pulses. They lead very well into jump scares but they can also be used to set a scene.
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Like liquids, mechanical sounds are a specialised sound but they can work in various situations such as a character running on gravel or a gun being loaded.
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Some of the best sounds that are made for a specific film. These sounds then become iconic sounds that are as recognisable as the horror film's antagonist. These are often used to attract fans of the original movie.
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This type of sound can be used as a form of character backstory to take the place of narration. For example, if a character dies in hospital, you could use a 'EKG Flat Line' sound.
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These sounds can be found in almost every film trailer as they range from heavy industry machinery to opening a metal filling cabinet. This range is why metal sounds are so common.
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Music is often used to aid in setting the scene for the trailer. Music is normally used at the beginning of the trailer but it is sometimes edited in various ways and used at the end of the trailer.
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SFX (Sound Effects) are stock sounds that make an action being performed seem more real. For example, someone is taking a photo and using a camera clicking sound effect.
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In a horror trailer, there are usually transitions between scenes or shots which are where swishes are very effective. They are also used in paranormal films to create an eerie effect.
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Thuds are also very generic sounds that can be used in almost all trailers in some shape or form. Their uses range from the sound of a someone being hit to and object falling.
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Voices are stock quotes or sound effects that can be found in a lot of different horror sub-genres. They range from various screams and breathing to demonic voices and zombie groans.
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Water sounds are very common in slasher films as most contain a scene with one or more of the stock characters either entering a swimming pool or being drowned by the killer.
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Wind sounds are another form of sounds that is used for ambience. They are usually used as a background noise to help set a scene or to portray height or distance between two objects.
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In horror movies with scenes in a forest, wood sounds are very prominent. They are used to help immerse the viewer in the scene and create a sense of realism. They are also good for adding suspense to silence.
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In this section, you will find our exploration into how we can manipulate sound for our horror trailer. This will give us a good understanding of the effect we want each section of our trailer to portray which will help when it comes to adding the final sound to our trailer.
SOUNDSCAPE 1
In this soundscape, we will be using a combination of Sony Vegas Pro and WavePad Sound Editor. Sony Vegas Pro will function as the main hub of the soundscape and will allow me to culminate all of the various sound files along with the video itself. WavePad will allow us to edit individual sounds such as increasing it's speed or adding an effect to the sound. This soundscape will function as a test for the overall effect we want our trailer to give.
SOUND COMBININING EXPERIMNTATION
We found that the various piston sound effects work well when combind with a thud as it adds a climax to the constant beat that is bing played. This is particularly effective when the thud's volume is raised slightly.
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Since our trailer is primaryily based around the internet, we knew we would need to utilise the glitch sound effect. However, we found that when we combine various types of glitches together you can get a better sound.
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FINAL SCREEN-SHOT
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EDITING SCREEN-SHOT
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SOUNDSCAPE 2
For this soundscape, we will be using Adobe Audition as it is the software that allows me to both add audio and edit it all in one. For this soundscape, we will be using the Photo board animatic that we made as it contains all of the shots that will be in the trailer with the time each shot will be shown for in the official trailer along with a clearer understanding of what each shot will contain in terms of characters and actions taking place.
STAGE 1
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soundscape__photoboard_animatic_version_1__mixdown.mp3 | |
File Size: | 1719 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
STAGE 2
(ADOBE AUDITION)
In this screenshot, you will see that we have added more sounds to the soundscape. The first big addition was the secondary drone that will play along side the drone from the stage 1 screenshot. This combination of drones will help our sound create our desired eerie effect. We also added various clashes to play along side the existing ones to make them sound more like what will be happening in the trailer.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/wav.png)
soundscape__photoboard_animatic_version_2__mixdown.mp3 | |
File Size: | 1728 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
FINAL SCREEN-SHOT
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EDITING SCREEN-SHOT
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This is the final version of the soundscape that we created. We made a few changes to what you have seen in the screenshots by adding more sounds and slightly altering the way certain sounds are used. More explicitly, you may notice that we have decided to change the pace of the trailer slightly by using a slightly faster paced drone behind all of other audio. We felt that this would be a more effective pace for our trailer as there are quite a lot of quick cuts from the middle of the soundscape onwards and increasing the pace of the sound will help to portray that.