Creating the Audio Environment

 There are 3 which is foley, sound effects and background music

Ø  Foley

From zipping jackets to setting down coffee mugs, every sound in movies, TV shows, and even certain video games was likely manufactured just for that time in post-production. Foley sound effects are custom-made sounds. They're called after the inventor, Jack Foley, and differ from ordinary sound effects (SFX) in that they're recorded live rather than culled from a sound effects library. Foley artist John Roesch describes it as a "strange combination of live performance and computer sound editing."

Foley artists make the sound of footsteps, sword fights, and everything in between with real objects in a studio, it's an important aspect of film sound design. Sound mixer Matt Coffey adds, "If a production is done well, it will include Foley." Despite this, the majority of people are unaware of its existence. “When we execute our duties well as Foley artists, the viewers shouldn't know we were there,” says Foley artist Gregg Barbanell.

 

·       Uses of foley

Foley enhances or substitutes sound captured on site while filmmaking, often known as field recording. Most films employ a combination of both in their soundscape. The individual who creates this sound art is known as a Foley artist. Foley artists utilize ingenuity to persuade viewers that the sound effects are real. The audience should not be able to tell that the sound was not produced during the filming process. After the film has been filmed, foley noises are added in post-production.

Props, sets, and costumes are often composed of very inexpensive and lightweight materials that aesthetically resemble but do not actually sound like more highly priced materials. Crashes and explosions are often added or augmented at the post-production stage.

 

·       Example of foley

o   Household foley sound

-       Fire

Props that were often used to make fire sound which is cellophane, potato chip bag and steel wool.

The goal is to scrunch up the prop before releasing it. The effect will be minimal, but it will produce a low-level burning sound when it is microphone carefully.

 

-       Stack of cash

Props that were often used to make stack of cash sound which is old deck of cards or cut up paperback book.

Using paper sources with softer, more flexible textures is the key to getting this effect. To obtain the perfect feel of skin on cold, hard cash, place one real bill on top, bottom, or wherever the fingers will contact the surface of the stack.

 

-       Wooden creaks

Props that were often used to make wooden creaks sound which is old shipping pallet, piano bench and old chair.

Whether it's a creepy door opening, footsteps on an ancient floor, or walking the plank, wood creaks appear in practically every film anyone can think of. The advantage of employing the above props is that people can control the creak. Once they 've mastered the approach, they'll save a ton of time by not having to modify all of the sound effects in Pro Tools to match the picture.

Try manually bending a pallet board or shifting on a wooden bench to achieve the proper balance of subtlety and motion.

 

o   Animal

-       Bird wing flap

Props that were often used to make bird wing flap sound which is gloves and old fashion feather duster.

To imitate the sound of birds flying, use flapping gloves. Experiment with different fabrics; for larger birds, heavier textiles will provide a bigger, thicker sound. If they can get a decent sounding feather duster, they may use it to make a terrific effect by hitting it against different items for varying sound characteristics.

 

-       Horse hooves

Props that were often used to make horse hooves sound which is coconut.

The most well-known Foley prop is undoubtedly this one. For a more authentic sound, some Foley artists recommend packing the half coconuts with fabric. This should be done on compact dirt or whatever material the horse is running on.

 

o   Human

-       Walking on grass

Props that were often used to make footsteps on grass sound which is scrunched up magnetic tape, Astro turf, hay and camouflage netting.

Magnetic tape was the go-to method for reproducing grass footsteps for years. For more discreet props with a less "plasticky" sound, it has gone out of favor. Purchasing a square meter of sod to get the true sound is also a no-brainer. Just make sure to write down all of the cues before the grass die.

 

-       Breaking bones

Props that were often used to make breaking bones sound which is celery, walnut, carrots, king crab legs, dried sunflower stalks.

The idea is to snap an object that has a small amount of resistance. In order to generate particularly gruesome sounds, emphasize the splintering element. Freeze vegetables for crisper snaps, and wrap props in cloth for a more muffled, realistic effect.

 

·       Advantages of foley

With experience and loads of practice then using foley will not be a problem anymore as they will know what material to use and how to use them to create the sound. For example, when creating a fire sound, they immediate know what material to use which is a potato chip bag then scrunching them up while near the microphone.

 

·       Disadvantages of foley

When first time trying to do foley, it will be quite hard as they do not know which material and how to use them to make the sound that they want. It will take a lot of time to do foley if they are new to it as they have to try using every single material that they have to try to make the sound or something similar to it.

 

Ø  Sound effects

Sound effects are recorded and manipulated, or artificially produced for use in a variety of media. This media could be a theater production, a film, a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, a podcast, a video game, an application, or any other media that allows a digital sound file to be played again.

 

·       Uses of sound effect

Sound effects are utilized to engage audiences, communicate information, boost production value, generate emotional responses, emphasize what's on screen, and signal mood. Language, sound effects, music, and even silence, when used correctly, can drastically improve the movie or video game.

 

·       Example of sound effect

In this scene there is a lot of sound effect that is being used which is punching sound, footsteps sound, grunting sound, groaning sound, when a character was pushed by other character to the wall and many more. Each fighting scene have different sound effect but some sound effect was repeated, for example the punching, footsteps, grunting and more.

 

·       Advantages of sound effect

They do not need to make the sounds that they need, they can just search what sound they want in the internet and it will show load of various sounds to choose from. They need to make sure that there is no copyright in the sound before using them. Finding the right sound will be quick to find as it is already made by other people and is readily available in the internet.

 

·       Disadvantages of sound effect

There will be load of different sounds in the internet, it will take time to choose from and the possibility that they couldn’t find the right sound. Some sound effect cannot be used as they are copyrighted which is hard as that sound could be the one that they will need and that means they will have to search more. This will take time to find the right sound.

 

Ø  Background music

Background music is a type of musical performance in which the music is not intended to be the main focus of potential listeners' attention, but its content, character, and volume level are purposefully chosen to influence human behavioral and emotional responses such as concentration, relaxation, distraction, and excitement.

 

·       Uses of background music

The background music in a video game has a big impact on how immersive it is. The goal of video game audio is to achieve a balance of usefulness, presence, and immersion in the fictitious game world. By generating the perception of the game world as an actual space, the whole soundscape helps to a sense of presence or even immersion in a game. By providing simulated offscreen sources, sound can convey the feeling of a realistic space.

They stated that sound video games on the market are being used to provide an audio complement to on-screen action and to give the impression of being in a real physical space. Every sound in the game contributes to the player's immersion in some way. Game music has the ability to be far more than just a background sound. The player feels significantly more engrossed in the gaming experience by firmly integrating the content of game play with background music.

 

·       Example of background music

Background music can be played at any time during the game. Some music is activated by situations, while others play at unexpected times when particular conditions are met. If the ender dragon is undefeated or resummoned, the music "Alpha" usually plays during the credits, as well as the song "Boss" usually plays when the player is in the End. Both these tracks begin playing in lieu of any music that is currently playing. If the gamer is in the End and the ender dragon has been beaten, the usual End track will begin playing 5 to 20 minutes after any other tracks are completed.

Random underwater tracks play completely at random 10 to 20 minutes after any presently playing tracks are completed if the user is underwater in an ocean or river environment.

 

·       Advantages of background music

Background music controls the emotion and establishing the tone of the tale being told.  Many movie lovers consider the music to be the foundation for setting the atmosphere. This is true in the video game industry as well. Video games, unlike movies, offer for a more immersive experience. Rather than seeing a character's actions unfold, players are in control of them. Some games, on the other hand, can be played without sound. As a result, having a soundtrack that can create an atmosphere to truly captivate the player is critical for a video game producer.

In recent years, game developers, particularly in the Horror category, have mastered the art of producing horrifying eerie music and an atmosphere that keeps players on the edge of their seat.

 

·       Disadvantages of background music

Background music can be distracting while playing the game and have the possibility that there will be some sounds that cannot be heard because of the background music, silence is much preferable. Some player would probably mute the background music from the menu as it restricts them from hearing voices, conversation and many more.