ABOUT

Pixels Documentation

Recorded Sounds/Foley
For this project I decided to choose the video clip Pixels. I recorded a various amount of objects which could potentially create and fit the sounds that the clip has shown. For example, I chose to record the sound of pens rolling on the floor. However, I also recorded the lid of the pens in order to give it a more textured sound as there are an amount of bricks that was shown in the video. Also, I recorded city background sounds such as cars, people talking in the streets and background noise to give the listener a more natural and realistic image of the video. In the clip, the scene where the Tetris blocks were being placed on the building,(00:34-00:36) I recorded a full one litre bottle that was filled with water and dropped it slowly on a table. This is so that it can create a heavy and full sound for it to fit with the Tetris’ large image. This sound has also been used for the Barrel at 00:54-00:57.

Using Synthesis and sound manipulation
The clip has the theme of retro gaming therefore I chose to use more of synthesis rather than original foley. This is so that I can create an image of another dimension of a natural world that is slowly transforming into another gaming world with different retro gaming characters such as Donkey Kong, Frogger and laser robots. I have also applied bit rate to the synthesis that I have used to represent objects in the clip in order to create the familiar retro gaming sound the audience would hear. I recorded natural city background sounds to use throughout the whole clip as it is mostly situated outdoor. However, I also decided to use noise using the ES2 Synthesiser in Logic. This is so that I can create a subtle textured background sound preventing it from sounding too sharp. Furthermore, for the Tetris scene I decided to add a MIDI note to layer with the Brick sound to give it more thud. I have also adjusted the EQ for the MIDI note to give a subtle heavy sound to it. I have used this sound for the building collapsing on top of another building. However, I adjusted the EQ for this into a heavier sound than the Tetris blocks so that it fits naturally to the image of the building. I have also added reverb for when the dusts releases from the building to fit to the image of it naturally.

For the bricks that are slowly falling down off the bridge I decided to layer the brick sounds and differ the tone of each. For example the bricks has heavy and lighter parts for the dusts therefore, I adjusted EQ for the other layer of the bricks and made it sound a bit more brighter to fit the light image of the bricks. As for the heavier parts, I boosted the bass for it to sound heavier and have also flexed the time of it to make it sound lower pitched. Furthermore, for the flying space robots, I have used binaural in order to create a surrounding space effect for it to sound realistic to the audience. Also, for the barrel at 00:54-00:57 I included a pitch shifter and automated the semitone of it from high to low so that it sounds like it’s slowly collapsing to the ground. Lastly, the last scene where the city is slowly turning into pixel bricks, I decided to use granular synthesis using Reaktor in Logic. I sampled my recorded bricks that I have used for the Taxi and the bridge. I recorded parts of the sample where it sounds as if bricks are being layered together in order to create a textured effect.

The project worked well with recorded sounds as well as using synthesis. Exploring sounds through foley and using technology had many benefits whilst creating this project as it has expanded my creativity whilst working with sounds and creating them into something that could fit a moving image. However, there were also problems whilst creating the project as some sounds had background noises in them like wind sounds (city background recording) that needs to be eliminated as this can make the project sound messy. However, this was solved by adjusting the EQ of the lower end to eliminate the wind sound. Lastly, the things that could be improved was possible layering up more sounds to make a thicker and blocky texture at the end of the clip as well as recording more sounds for foley and exploring more.