The Grey Ending Soundtrack. (Composition Overview)

The Ending to the film 'The Grey' was chosen to be utilised for the final practical assignment of the project. The video would be used for the questionnaire and dissertation as well as the end of year showcase. Therefore the level of detail had to be greater than that of the practice based compositions previously created. The video had to be engaging and therefore it was decided , that the original dialogue and audio should be salvaged from the original 5.1 mix in order to make the composed music seamlessly interact with both sound effects and dialogue making the viewing experience more natural.

The video can be found at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/srm4lkgb3a9cuo2/AABLeZGcJ8iiVm-l8N4Wtc8Da

Each Theme was written up as a score separately and then placed into one final score which detailed the correct spacing between each theme in relation to the video so that if it was played with real instruments the recording would fit perfectly to the visuals.

The film has emphasis on varying emotions, such as sadness, fear, anger and love, therefore the score had to emphasis each emotion within such a context that they would seamlessly merge and relate, allowing for a smooth transition into each thematic idea.

Theme 1 (Desolate Theme). 

This themes intent was to emphasis the locations emptiness and desolate atmosphere in which the character finds themselves in. Three instruments were utilised in order to produce this feeling, The Cello, French Horn and Piccolo, there characteristics and timbre added to the motif implied. The instruments played long sustaining notes with emphasis on dynamics and subtle volume control. This technique is seen in the case studies ' The Skeleton Theme' and 'Humanity Theme', where both composers utilised slow, elongated notations which provided tension and suspense through anticipation.

  Figure 1. Excerpt from Desolate Theme Score.

Theme 2 (Sad Theme).

The 'Sad Theme' plays throughout the longest scene in the video clip. It plays over a lengthy section which has minimal emphasis on sound effects and dialogue and therefore the music had to make the scene hold together and imply a motif without becoming boring. Therefore the theme was split into two section, the first a slow build up which utilises a piano as the main focus with underlying orchestra strings, the second parts focus on the orchestral string section without the piano. This change in focus should prevent the lengthy theme from appearing overstated and boring. Dynamics were also key in emphasising the emotions implied.

 Figure 2. Excerpt from Sad Theme Score.

Theme 3 (Wolf Theme).

The 'Wolf Theme' has the most drastic change throughout the piece as it transforms from the sad themes into an imposing and fear driven score. This was produced by creating dissonance in such a way that it related to the overall key of each theme, making the change drastic and unexpected which should challenge the listeners expectations and cause them to respond emotionally to this technique.  The theme was played over sections of sound effects and dialogue, therefore careful attention to dynamics was applied to the score, ensuring that the music never imposed and overthrew the main focus on 'Dialogue', 'Sound Effects' and 'Major Plot Points'. In these cases the music was intended to just be an underlying ambience which would alter the emotions of the viewers without them taking too much notice of the effect.

Figure 3. Excerpt from Wolf Theme Score.

Theme 4 (Wife Theme). 

The 'Wife Theme' had to provide the motif of love yet impose some elements of sadness and mournfulness, as it is established during this scene that the characters wife had passed away. This was achieved through the soft textures of the piano utilised for this theme. The emphasis on slow and mournful, sustained sound was presented throughout the piece, whilst ending on a resolution which provides a soft texture that shows the character finding inner piece and happiness derived from his memories.

  Figure 4. Excerpt from Wife Theme Score.

Theme 5 (Into The Frey Theme)

Appropriately named after the main emphasis of the film (The Poem, which crops up several times and is referenced throughout the film.) This theme is the final theme of the film clip and is where the character finally realises the underlying meaning of his fathers poem, which provides him with the courage to continue fighting for his life against all odds. This theme was the most drastically changed when compared with the original soundtrack. Its intent was to make as much of an emotional impact as possible to build up to a climactic ending and to feel bold and powerful. The theme emphasises the ferocity and brutality of the film and utilises powerful instrumentation to imply this motif. The theme is an alteration of the previously instated 'Wife Theme' showing that his reflections on the past have given him the courage to fight the alpha wolf. The alteration is in the time signature, changing from a 4/4 time signature to a 3/4 time signature, skipping the rest within he melody to speed up the theme, the more powerfully articulated piano parts also help the theme take on a new emotional disposition.

Each theme will be described in depth throughout the methodology section of the dissertation.

Question 10 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 9 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 8 Results(Survey Monkey)

Question 7 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 6 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 5 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 4 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 3 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 2 Results (Survey Monkey)

Question 1 Results (Survey Monkey)

Questionnaire (Survey Monkey)

A questionnaire was prepared on 'Survey Monkey' to efficiently test the effectiveness of the grey video. The video was shown to 15 candidates, after the candidates watched my version of the soundtrack and the original, they answered 10 questions. The questions were then compiled into accurate data through the 'survey monkey' website.

Questions:

1. Have you had any musical experience? (Composing, playing instruments etc.)
2. How often do you watch films?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10 ( 1 being ' Not Important' and 10 being ' Essential). How important do you feel the music is with regards to emotionally emphasising the visual images on film?
4. Does the video clips soundtrack help covey your understanding of the plot?
5. On a scale of 1 to 10 ( 1 being 'Poor' and 10 being 'Excellent') How would you rate the relationship between visuals and music? (Do they compliment each other well?)
6. The video has several varying emotional themes which interlink with one another. On a scale of 1 to 10 ( 1 being 'Poor' and 10 being ' Excellent') How well do you feel the music transitions between the sad thematic ideas into the more fearful and tense sections?
7. Music is very important with regards to altering ones perception of a visual image or film. It can change the way we perceive an image e.g. The music can become potentially damaging if incorrectly used and not placed into context properly. Can you identify several of the emotions and feelings present throughout the clip? (Choose as many as required)
8. In comparison between the alternative piece (original clip), Do you feel the overall feel of the plot has remained intact? On a scale of 1 to 10  1 being 'Theme completely changed' and 10 being 'Theme completely intact'. 
9. Were there any parts throughout the piece in which you felt did not quite fit?
10. The final thematic idea of the video utilises a reoccurring melody which is previously intended to be sad and mournful. The motif is then written in a 3/4 time signature as opposed to its previous 4/4 time signature. This can be heard throughout the final scene of the clip. On a scale of 1 to 10 ( 1 being 'Poor' and 10 being 'Excellent' ) How effective was the technique at altering the overall mood of the piece?  

Sound Effect Creation

Some of the sound effect in 'The Grey Ending' clip were taken from the original piece, however this process was very difficult as it required a lot of editing and polishing up of sounds. Most of the sound effects taken had either unwanted noises or music in the background and this required a vast amount of processing and filtering to remove. In most cases this was almost impossible, therefore I decided to create the rest myself, making them as similar to the original as possible. Although the project is not aimed towards sound effects within film and solely focuses on the music aspect, I felt it was important to include some sound effects within the final project clip which would be utilised for the questionnaire and end of year showcase. The sound effects would allow the music to have more purpose and emphasis throughout the film, drawing upon  many of the researched literature which stated that the soundtrack has to blend in with the sound effects and dialogue and serve as a vehicle for emotional influence rather than a stand alone piece. They would allow the viewing experience to feel more natural and would present people with a clearer insight of the films plot.

Sound Effects.

1. Wind Sound Effects - Several wind ambience layers were produced in order to fill space between each musical theme and to prevent unnatural silence, the wind effects also provided emphasis on the films outside setting and added to the chilling atmosphere. The wind effects were produced by utilising various layers of pink/white noise filtered at varying frequencies. the filters were then automated back and fourth across the frequency spectrum of each recorded noise and subtle changes in volume were applied to provide a more authentic and realistic wind sound. 
2. Liam Neeson's Footsteps In Snow - There was a total of seven footsteps for Liam Neeson, each recorded and edited slightly differently to add to the authenticity of the film. The Snow footsteps were actually recorded on hard grass which provided a crunching sound similar to that of snow. The footsteps were then processed and mixed slightly to make them seem more realistic. several footsteps which were recorded were reversed and added to the beginning of other footstep effects to simulate the character dragging his feet across the snow before finally taking a step. This technique worked effectively and added to the realism. 
3. Wolf Footsteps In Snow -  The wolf footsteps were recorded and edited in the same way as the Liam Neeson footsteps. 
4. Hospital Equipment Beeping Effect - The hospital equipment sound effect beeps were recorded from an Audi Q7's reversing sensors alert call. The cars beeping sounded very similar to that of a heart rate monitor, therefore it was recorded and edited to suit the video. The spacing of each beep was adjusted to emulate the heart rate and the beep was slightly pitch shifted to a higher register.
5.  Hospital Drip Sound Effects - The drip sound effects were recorded by simply utilising a dripping tap which dripped into a basin of water, the recording was slightly altered in pitch and EQ was applied to emphasis the sound. 
6. Knife Stabbing Into Snow - The Knife sound effect was captured by stabbing a large kitchen knife into a bag of salt. the salt emulated the sound of the knife penetrating snow. The effect was slightly equalised but did not require much editing as the sound of the salt sounded very close to snow. 
7. Watch Beeping Sound Effect -  The watch beeping sound effect was the same sound as the hospital heart rate monitor effect, however it was pitch shifted several semitones higher to make it seem smaller.
8. Watch Shaking Sound Effect -   The watch shaking sound effect was captured utilising a metal watch. The watch was recorded being put on and the recorded clip seemed to fit very well with the piece. The sound was then equalised to fit better into the mix. 
9. Watch Clip Sound Effect - The watch clip was recorded alongside the shaking sound effects utilising a metal watch. The clip required no alterations to its sound. 
10. Bottle Sound Effects - When the character wedges bottles between his fingers in the latter part of the clip the slight sound of bottles tapping against his knuckles can be heard. This effect was produced by taking an empty bottle and lightly tapping on its neck. The sound created was very faint and therefore a high amount of gain was used in the recording process. This made background noises more prominent and therefore the effects had to be slightly filtered and cropped in order to remove these anomalies.
11. Tape Sound Effects -  The tape sounds were recorded using normal scotch tape, the sound emphasises the larger real of tape seen in the picture. The tape was recorded in time whilst watching the film as to emulate the characters movements. The effects were then processed and matched in time with the film. 
12. Glass Smashing Sound Effect - The glass smashing sound effect was produced by covering up a bottle with a dish cloth (to ensure safety) and smashed using a small bodied hammer. The sound of the glass fragments moving was also recorded. The smash sound was layered several times with each layer in the mix utilising different EQ settings to provide more punch and pop to the impact. the fragments of glass were then layered over the top after the initial impact to simulate the glass shards scattering. This effect was processed several times in order to make it powerful and realistic sounding. 

The listed sound effects and dialogue and sounds taken from the original clip can be found at :  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1m8db7o1oiztlbj/JnUCnvsD1u

  

Analysis: Alien - The Skeleton Theme (Case Study)

Analysis: Alien - The Skeleton Theme.

The soundtrack to Ridley Scott's 'Alien' composed by Jerry Goldsmith is one of the most notable and renowned for employing the underlying motif of fear and horror. The theme 'The Skeleton' is utilised in the scene where the crew from the 'Nostromo' land on LV-426 after receiving a distress call. Some members of the crew explore the planetoid (LV-426) finding an unusual chamber filled with eggs and what appears to be a statue of a strange alien life form. The theme suits the visuals by presenting us with a tense atmosphere from the onset, and provides instrumentation which appeals to the setting of space and desolation.

This analysis will focus on the main melodic theme and the introductory build up. The theme has no scores written other than the handwritten notes prepared by the composer, these are very difficult to read and in some cases impossible, they would only be identifiable by the person who wrote them. Therefore parts of the musical score have been adapted by listening to the original recordings of the piece and by identifications within the handwritten works.

Introduction.

The piece has one sharp (#) therefore the key is E minor.

The Time signature of the piece is 2/4 simple time. The time signature is continuous throughout with no changes occurring.

The piece is written at a tempo of Andantino which means 'slightly slower than andante' It falls between 78 bpm and 83 bpm.

The introduction begins with an almost percussive phrase played on the Cello and Double Bass which has an echo effect added to it, this emphasises the setting of space as it provides a desolate, almost everlasting atmospheric effect.  

Figure 1.  Introduction. (Percussive Double bass and Cello Staccato notes over sustained violin)

The phrase is made up of two short stabbing 'C' and 'G' notes which slowly echo and decay, this phrase is accompanied by a long sustaining 'C' note on the violin which provides an unsettling tone utilising a vibrato technique to make the note seem unstable.

There is also a frantic violin section playing a flurry of notes back and forth to add to the tense atmosphere established by the introduction.

The swelling introduction is ended by a sharp bowing effect which is used as a jump scare effect (it is unexpected causing the listener to feel threatened). 

 Main Melody.

The main melody is composed of slow sustained notes played on the Bassoon. These notes are very smooth in texture, contrasting with the staccato string section which plays loud, aggressive and frantic notations presented in the introduction. The timbre of the Bassoon gives the music a very spacious sound, fitting into the context of desolation and space.

Figure 1. Main Melody (part one).

The Melody is broken into two sections, one shorter introductory section, which introduces the motif and builds a sense of tension, the second longer variation of the melody used to reinstate the  motif and tension.

The Melody starts on the note 'B' moving to the note 'A' and then finishing on the note 'B'. The 'B' is the fifth of the scale used and creates a sense of suspense, it requires resolution to the tonic of 'E' but when this expectation is not met it produces an emotional response which brings about tension and suspense.

Figure 2. Main Melody (part two).

The variation starts on 'B' and moves to 'A' like the introductory melody, but then moves to the notes of 'C' and 'F#' which leads the listener into believing the phrase will somehow resolve. However the note 'B' is then re-established as opposed to the tonic note 'E'. This technique alters the listeners expectations. The reinstatement of tension brought about by going back to the 'B' creates an even greater response than when the melody was initially established.

Extracting Dialogue and Sound Effects From Original Clip

Research was conducted via forums and community websites regarding sound effects and mixing, to see if it was possible to extract audio segments from movie clips. However it was concluded that there is no plug in which can extract individual sounds. Other alternatives were to utilise de-noiser plugins and a lot of equalisation and cutting to segment the sound as best as possible, however this meant that music which was present over the top of certain sound effects and dialogue could be heard.

The best solution devised by combining several results found through the research was to utilise the 5.1 surround sound mix from the original DVD. Most 5.1 mixes Centre the Dialogue whilst surrounding it with music and sound effects. This would mean that the centre channel of the mix will have a reduced amount of unwanted noises from overlapping music and effects. Therefore the 5.1 mix was split into several individual tracks within the free software Audacity (Pro Tools was unable to provide this feature without an upgrade to HD software). The center channel was then taken and chopped into sections where dialogue and certain sound effects were heard. These sounds were very clear compared to the stereo versions of the clip, however there was still times where the automated music and effects would bleed into the sound. Many tools were used such as De-noiser, EQ, Enhancers and Noise Reducers to remove these anomalies to the best that could possibly be achieved. Some of the soundtrack can still be heard in parts of the clips taken, however it is so faint that when played in the mix with the rest of the soundtrack it can not be noticed.

Not every piece of dialogue and sound effect could be taken and therefore some sound effects had to be created in order to fill in the gaps that were left.  

Literature Quotes (Audio-Vision)

Audio-Vision by Michel Chion

1. "Sound does have a means to suggest stasis, but only in limited cases. One could say that 'fixed sound' is that which entails no variations whatever as it is heard".
2. "Sound perception and visual perception have their own average pace by their nature; basically, the ear analyses, processes, and synthesises faster than the eye. Take a rapid visual movement - a hand gesture - and compare it to an abrupt sound trajectory of the same duration. The fast visual movement will not form a distinct figure, its trajectory will not enter the memory in a precise picture. In the same length of time the sound trajectory will succeed in outlining a clear and definite form, individuated, recognisable, distinguishable from others".

Three aspects of Temporalization.

1. "The first is temporal animation of the image. To varying degrees, sound renders the perception of time in the image as exact, detailed, immediate, concrete- or vague, fluctuating, broad".
2. "Second, sound endows shots with temporal linearisation. In the silent cinema, shots do not always indicate temporal succession, wherein what happens in shot B would necessarily follow what is shown in shot A. But synchronous sound does impose a sense of succession".
3. "Third, Sound vectorises or dramatisises shots, orienting them toward a future, a goal, and creation of a feeling of imminence and expectation. The shot is going somewhere and it is oriented in time".   

Questionnaire Results (Old Results)

Initially the questionnaire was undertaken utilising 16 candidates who handwritten their answers. The process was very slow and reflecting on the results, i realised that the answers were too vague, there was not enough variables in the test to provide an in depth understanding of the effectiveness of my video and made it difficult to find a conclusion to the experiment. Therefore a new test was devised utilising 'Survey Monkey'. The questions were altered slightly by utilising a scale based answering scheme rather than a four box answering method. This allowed for a greater variation in results and separated peoples opinions on the emotions reflected in the composition shown.

Old Questionnaire Results. 

Sound Of Cinema Documentary

I recently watched 'The Sound Of Cinema' 3 part documentary which was first seen on BBC4. The programme was hosted by Neil Brand (Composer and Musician).

The first episode looks into the roots of the film soundtrack showing how the classical orchestral scores influenced the film during the 1930's and onwards.

Link to first episode : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17m54t_sound-of-cinema-the-music-that-made-the-movies-e01_music

The second episode looks at how popular music has influenced the style of classic film composing. It looks at styles such as Jazz, Pop and Rock showing key features of each style of music which inspired modern film scores.

Link to second episode : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17m3ws_sound-of-cinema-the-music-that-made-the-movies-e02_music

The third episode looks into how evolving technology has changed the approach to composing films.

Link to third episode : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17m1qk_sound-of-cinema-the-music-that-made-the-movies-e03_music