Lynda.com Tutorial: Adobe Audition

Seeing as sound design is important in this module, I've chosen to learn the basics of Adobe Audition on Lynda.com. Specifically, I've looked at learning how to import audio from premiere into Audition so that the video files remain unchanged and can be played back whilst audio is edited.

I've also learnt how to remove unwanted noises. For instance, there is the sound of a high pitch bird song during a coughing sequence that I don't want to be part of the audio. So using the brush took and waveform window in Audition, I am able to select the sound waveform and apply a noise reduction effect. I then programme Audition to recognise this selected sound in other areas of the recording and it will automatically remove it whilst the sound of the coughing remains unaltered.

Analysis: La La Land - Colour and Character

La La Land, Damien Chazelle (2016)

La La Land throughout the most part of the film uses vibrate highly saturated colours. In the words of Chazelle, La La Land is like a love letter to LA. I focused specifically on how colour was used to introduce the lead actors; Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

Emma Stone's character is introduced with high vibrant and saturated colours. As well as this, the traditional Hollywood orange and teal appear frequently in shots with her in the opening scenes. This gives the impression of her character being bubbly, bright and aspiring to make it big in Hollywood.

Take Ryan Gosling's character on the other hand and there is a huge contrast. Nearly all saturated colours are taken out of the frame. Plain grey walls and a lot of affinity of tone in grey scale. His character is introduced to be very basic; a more realistic version of people who don't have the LA dream that's so wonderfully glamorised.

When the two of them first see each other in the restaurant. There is another shift in colour. They both wear blue and are surrounded by red. This makes them stand out as points of attention for the audience. And as they are both wearing blue in a scene of all red; they are set up to be meant for one another.

After the two of them get the chance to properly introduce themselves; the musical number they dance in consists of yellow, blue/purple and white. Yellow is a complementary colour of blue/purple and white can fit well with any of these colours. Emma Stone's character wears yellow to show her joy an intellect as a smart woman whilst Ryan Gosling's character shows his more light side when he is around her; he's breaking out of his shell more to get to know her.

The character introductions are complete at this point. Using colour Chazelle has set up two completely different personalities in two completely unalike characters (vibrancy and saturation) that suddenly have an attraction (red and blue) to getting to know one another better (complimentary colours)

I would seek to use colour in this way; to associate certain emotions with certain colours. For example, lush green being associated with freshness of a new start for the protagonist in my film.

Research: Non-diegetic sound

In these scene I've selected from The Dark Knight and Sherlock Holmes, both scenes use a technique of non-diegetic sound I wish to use in my film. A high pitch ring to replace the audio of the visual. 

The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan (2008)

In this scene, instead of hearing Harvey's cries, we hear a ring whilst seeing him in agony. Non-diegetic high pitch sound has been used to distress the audience even more than a human cry would as high pitch frequencies are unsettling to the human hear.

Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie (2009)

In he clip (1:40 - 1:50), the moment the gun shot fires, the high pitch rink kicks in and the sound of the fight is drowned out to low thumping. The effect has been used to disorientate the audience. Unlike in The Dark Knight, this scene uses the ring for sensory confusion when caught in the height of a fight scene; rather than being used to feel pain.

Post Production: 5th to 7th Iteration

On the next day of editing, I showed Matt what I'd done in the 4th edit. He showed me how to be experimental and free with the editing and cutting of the film; it doesn't have to be in the linear order planned in pre-production. The 6th edit was Matt's ideas on cutting the film. From this, I took this technique and began cutting in this way.

The 7th edit consists of cuts that really amplify the action and flash moments of desire in the protagonists mind; whilst showing the reality of the situation he is in. A lot was taken out of the film as well; for instance, the moment when he curls into a ball was taken out as the scene by the lake is to reflect the aggression he is releasing at the strength he gains; in realising that small action (throwing sticks in the water) have big reactions (the expansion of ripples). This leads on to him discovering what the reaction would be if he can successfully climb a tree; and then lead him on to light a fire.

Post Production: 4th Iteration Edit

In this version. I have played around more with the sequence of the editing. Specifically in the scene when he's climbing the tree, I've gotten closer into the shot to create a tighter feeling and looked at the sequence from different angles. I've also included an additional shot looking up at him to help slow dow the pace of climbing the tree; giving the audience time to contemplate his achievement before they see him laugh and smile about it. This is so that they can empathise with him more. 

Post Production: 3rd Iteration Edit

In this version of the edit, I've honed in on specific scenes; i.e. I've gotten closer up on scenes such as the beginning where he sleeps. This is to bring the audience closer in to what he feels, sees and hears in his dreams. And so that when he wakes up, the shot is wider and makes him further away in reality; that is further away from himself and others. I've also sped up the scene with the coughing to make it even more intense and adding more filler scenes to almost disorientate the audience as he is choking on the ground.

Post Production: 2nd Iteration Edit

With this version of the edit, I've changed a few things up. I've made the tree scene more intense by adding more cuts between the different angles of climbing the tree. This is to show the struggle of the elevation the protagonist needs to reach his 'enlightenment'. I've also added jump cuts in the scene where he inhales the smoke and also where he is whittling bark off the tree near the end. This adds another mode of tension but speeds up the protagonist's process of making a fire; whilst implying that there is a lot he needs to do in order to make it light. For the scene with the smoke, this effect is to close in on the pain he feels from inhaling all the air that's poisoning him; in his endeavour to relight the fire.

another alteration I've made is changing around the scenes in a non-linear way. I've put flashes of fire in-between scenes of him struggling. This is to get a glimpse of what he wants and is trying to get; alas he is failing to get what he wants which is why it is only snippets. To give glimmers of hope for the protagonist.