Before starting on sound design, I wanted to think about what needs to be heard to compliment the visuals and for it to grab the viewers attention.
Soundtrack
Out of the songs listened to, we finally decided a soundtrack by Ryan Little called Tuesday Morning which was sound on http://freemusicarchive.org/
Due to it being free from copyright, we didn’t need to contact him and ask permission making it quicker and easier to use for the soundtrack however we will need to make sure his name is referenced in our end credits and on our DVD cover.
This soundtrack is of the hip hop genre which correlates with the skateboarding cultures music taste. This creates an emphasis on the narrative. I felt that the use of an instrumental would help as if we had chosen a lyrical soundtrack we would’ve had to dip it in and out according to the interviews. This way, it can be running throughout.
The song is also upbeat and will grasp the audiences attention. Some of the beats in the beginning will be a indicator of where to put some of our jump cuts to highlight the music.
Diegetic Sound/Sound Effects
Some diegetic sound has already been picked up in the interviews such as children’s voices in the background of Sams DS interview and skateboarding sounds in the background of Sam GPs. I also will be adding some sound effects that I have recorded as well as sound effects I have access to via the internet and/or teaching drive. I will be adding sounds that should be in the background to create a better sense of realism. Below I have noted down a few sounds that would normally be heard in the particular locations shown.
Urban Skateparks (The Level/Southbank) –
Skateboarders wheels
Seagulls (Brighton)
River (Southbank)
Traffic
Cigarettes being lit/smoked
People chatting
Footsteps
Bike wheels and skids
School children (At the level due to being next to a park)
Wind
Buses
Rural (Moulsecoomb) –
Birds
Wind
School children (again, the skate park is next to a playground)
Skateboarder wheels
Dog/Dog walkers
Gravel
Sounds from the playground – swings/slides
Interviews
For the interviews I need to make sure they are clear enough and the audience is not distracted by the background noise but just realises where the location is due to the clues being heard. The use of a directional microphone has really helped however I will still need to adjust some of the sound levels of the interviews in Adobe Audition. During the more personal sections, I want to make sure the soundtrack is dipped and the background noise has been quietened or removed completely.
mndocumentary 