Provide a critical reflection on your practical exercise
In this self-reflective critical statement, you need to reflect on your work, your choices of sounds and the stylistic and technical decisions that you made, any aspects that influenced you from the theoretical part of the module, and the process and outcome.
Your reflection needs to address the following areas.
An introduction: in which you outline the extracts you have selected and the reasons why you chose them, and the aims you set yourself for your work on them. [approx.150 words]
A reflection on your choices: especially the stylistic and technical decisions that you made. You will need to refer to films and / or readings and /or information that has been addressed in the theoretical part of the module. For example, you could refer to key elements of film sound analysis, and the way you have used sounds according to notions of screen space, rhythm, internal/external sound, etc., or a particular film or effect that influenced you. [approx. 400 words]
A reflection on the ‘making’ process: including a comparison of the process for each extract. Address how you approached recording, designing and editing your sounds, and any key hurdles you had to overcome. Outline how you found and chose relevant sounds in film sound libraries. Explain how this practical work helped you to reflect on the role of sound in your extracts and the role of sound in films in general. [approx. 300 words]
A conclusion: including a reflection on how successful you feel you have been in achieving your aims, what you feel the limitations or weaknesses of your work to be, and the direction in which you think it might usefully be developed if you were to pursue it further in future. [approx. 150 words]
My chosen extracts were sequences from the films ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006) and ‘The illusionist’ (2010). I created a soundtrack for the two film sequences, adding sound effects. For ‘Pan’s Labryrinth’ I solely used sound effects I found online, using websites like YouTube, Sound Rangers and Pixabay. I also used a backing track to create fear and tension.
For ‘The Illusionist’ I used a mixture of found sound and sounds that I recorded myself using my iPhone 14 pro max, this included recording birds chirping/singing outside by holding my phone out the window and recording sounds from water in a glass for the illusionist’s performance. I also recorded myself singing for the rock star’s performance and recorded myself for dialogue when the illusionist greeted a police officer in the street, and I recorded dialogue for the rockstar thanking his fans. I chose not to have any background music for ‘the illusionist’ sequence, I solely had sound effects. The sequences were edited using Davinci resolve.
Read the assignment brief above and rewrite/complete the critical essay I have started below, adding more detail and making it 1000 words:
In the practical exercise, I chose to work on sequences from the films “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Illusionist” to create soundtracks with added sound effects. I picked these extracts because they had rich visuals and emotions that allowed me to experiment with sound design. My goal was to enhance the mood and atmosphere of the scenes using carefully selected sounds and techniques.
For “Pan’s Labyrinth,” I used online resources such as Youtube, Sound Rangers and Pixabay to find sound effects like footsteps and creaking doors to create fear and tension. I also added a backing track to heighten the scene’s overall atmosphere. Drawing from film sound analysis, I focused on balancing sounds and syncing them with visuals for a cohesive audio-visual experience.
On the other hand, for “The Illusionist,” I incorporated a mix of found sounds and self-recorded sounds like birds chirping and water in a glass to make the illusionist’s performance more authentic. I also recorded myself singing and speaking for the rock star’s performance and dialogue, giving it a personal touch. By omitting background music, I aimed to emphasize the role of sound effects in creating realism and immersion in the scene.
Throughout the process, I faced challenges in editing and synchronizing sounds to match the visuals effectively. Finding relevant sounds from film sound libraries was crucial for enriching the soundtracks. Online resources provided a variety of sound effects for “Pan’s Labyrinth,” while a mix of found and self-recorded sounds enhanced the authenticity of “The Illusionist.”
In conclusion, I believe I successfully achieved my goal of creating engaging soundtracks for the film sequences. However, I recognize the need to refine my editing and mixing skills for a more polished outcome. Moving forward, I plan to experiment with different sound techniques and software to enhance the quality of my work and create more impactful audio-visual experiences.
