Project 3

Project 3

 HOU YAN HENG

0378215

Task

 This assignment requires you to create a video using text and images to tell a story. You will need to provide your own voice-over and find sound effects to create the atmosphere.

Visual effects and script

I chose Little Red Riding Hood as the story for my project.I searched the internet for different versions of the story from different countries, and looked for videos and pictures on YouTube.

Script

I simplified the story so it could be completed in three minutes, so I streamlined the plot, cut out some overly long scenes, and created a script consisting of narration and character dialogue.

Recording：

Since I didn't have a microphone, I planned to buy one online, but it never arrived, so I recorded the audio using my phone.My apartment is on a lower floor, so it's very noisy. I need to reduce the noise level according to what the teacher taught in class.

To avoid popping sounds, I placed my phone vertically on a phone stand and recorded it perpendicular to the phone.

Audition noise reduction

After the recording was completed, I imported the files into Adobe Audition one by one.

First, I added overall adaptive noise reduction to the recording track. Then, I imported and edited the recordings one by one. Next, I selected the noisy parts of each recording, read the noise, selected all of them, and then entered the noise reduction process, adjusting the noise reduction parameters until they were suitable.

Waveform interface

Select the noise section

Read the noise and select all

Noise reduction

Adaptive noise reduction parameters

After applying overall noise reduction, I noticed a static and buzzing sound in my voice. I assumed it was due to excessive noise reduction distorting my voice, so I reduced the noise reduction level.

Little Red Riding Hood's voice change

Wolf voice change

Sound effects selection

I first downloaded the scene sound effects and interactive sound effects that I thought should appear.This includes outdoor white noise, forest birdsong and insect sounds, footsteps on the grass, Little Red Riding Hood putting things in her basket, the sounds of doors opening and closing, and the sounds of a lumberjack fighting a wolf. I believe realism is created through difference; if all similar sounds are the same, the difference is lost, resulting in a contrived feeling. Therefore, I searched for different forest sounds and footsteps, such as distinguishing Little Red Riding Hood's footsteps outdoors from the sound of her climbing stairs indoors, and differentiating the different running sounds of Little Red Riding Hood and the lumberjack. When Little Red Riding Hood runs out the door, the running sound shifts from the floor to the grass.

Tracks

Reverberation in large spaces

I set the room volume to 8880 m³, making the sound seem to diffuse in a vast open space. The early reflection was only 25%, almost equivalent to no wall echo. The slightly longer pre-delay and lower diffusion made the reflections sparse and farther away.

Indoor EQ parameters

I simulated indoor sound by lowering the mid-range, weakening the high-range, and appropriately enhancing the low-range. The mid-range (approximately 300–1kHz) was significantly weakened to create a muffled sound; the high-range was noticeably reduced, causing the sound to lose the airiness and extension of an outdoor environment; while the low-range (40–80Hz) was slightly enhanced to simulate the characteristic that low frequencies are more likely to accumulate and resonate indoors.

Audio-visual adjustment

By adjusting the sound image, the background timbre information is enriched. For example, the sound of a lumberjack running from one side to the other is achieved by adjusting the volume and image of the running sound.

Mixer

Video editing

Feedback

During class, Mr. Razif pointed out that the loudness of my voice was uneven, fluctuating between high and low pitches. He also noted that my recording hadn't been EQ-equipped. Mr. Razif then reviewed the principles of EQ with me, and I made some minor adjustments at home until I was satisfied with the result.

Reflection

Through this assignment, I not only reviewed the noise reduction and voice-changing techniques taught in class, but also dubbed a story for the first time. It was a wonderful experience. During the first week of the assignment, I didn't start immediately because my microphone hadn't arrived and I lacked confidence in my noise reduction skills. It wasn't until I finally decided to start that I realized noise reduction isn't an extremely difficult task. I hope that I will become more and more proficient in future assignments and Audition sound effects production.