Introduction to Radio Dramas and Audio editing plus a peak into Camera in depth

23/10/2022 WEEK FIVE AND SIX

This was our first introduction to an in depth study into radio dramas and podcasts. During this week we also looked in detail at adobe audition.

AC1

INFORMING IDEAS

Research was a key part in this process, whether it was finding sfx om epidemic or researching into the fundamentals of the IT scene, we were constantly researching and finding resources. Starting from the very beginning, after we recur brief, we then decided to watch the original scenes (*modern and original) and then discussed different concepts. We then made a list of everything that needed to be done e.g., scripts, sfx, foley etc. And then we split into groups based on researching these tasks. I personally oversaw finding relevant and suiting sfx and double checking the scripts after they had been written. We then went down to record where we used our research on characters and voice work to fit our script. Finally, during postproduction we edited the audio together where we used the previous sfx and foley created from pre, however, we did end up researching again to find other effects that we forgot to mention before, or when we discovered that things were missing while editing.

AC2

PROBLEM SOLVING

How did you generate ideas to adapt the visual film scene for audio soundscape?

We began by having a group discussion to talk about our initial ideas, where we discussed character ideas, gender reverse roles, themes, plot ideas and sorted out who wanted to do what bit within the creation of the soundscape. Firstly, we wanted both scenes and decided which dynamic we liked best (old or modern) then we began to re write out script. During the early stages of creating the script we started by switching the grandma role to a grandad to suit the two voice actors (me and Ethan). This worked fine, it just meant that we needed to tailor the script to suit the reversed gender roles. This wasn’t an issue as we were briefed to write the script in our own words anyway, so this helped, as our scripts couldn’t be identical to the original no matter how hard we tried.

How did you adapt the script to make it work using ‘theatre of the mind’?

This in my opinion was all about creating an audio experience that created a picture in the listener's mind. This meant adding realistic sound effects in the right places and making sure the subtle description was in the right place. We adapted our script by using descriptions during fast paced dialoged. This includes the part where the tea was split, we here described that the tea was hot and all over the floor etc. This was important to us, as we really wanted to communicate that audio picture within our radio drama. Miss Hurdis gave us a good demonstration of this by showing us a soundscape that she had created, where she was cooking something, but because it was all audio we couldn’t see it, therefore while listening we had the task of guessing what she was cooking. We of course all got different answers, however, we all had an answer, so in consequence she achieved the goal of the project, as we were all able to figure out, she was cooking food, and we could gather an in-depth picture in our heads by just listening to the audio.

What problems did you encounter whilst recording and editing audio? How did you overcome them?

I wouldn’t say we really came across many issues during this recording process, we had a day before to plan and gather our ideas, therefore we went into the studio well prepared and knew exactly what we were doing. However, if I were to mention ne it would be that me and Ethan should have practiced our script more before filming to discuss reactions and emotions communicated through the script. This evidently would have made us more prepared and would have been able to communicate more emotion through the final product. We did have issues at the beginning with saving and sharing the files with our sfx, audio and foley in, we eventually got through this after being shown how to do it by one of our peers. Another thing you could mention was the initial use of the equipment, we wasted almost the first five minutes of the recording session just figuring out how to work all the mics, mixer etc. To eliminate the waste of this time we could have spent some time beforehand researching how to use it all, and this would of course make us more prepared.

AC3

TECHNICAL SKILLS

How do you record audio appropriately?

We recorded our radio drama using what I can only assume was an XLR mic. These mics were perfect and delivered an incredibly crips audio which was perfect for editing. These mics were also directional; therefore, it didn’t really pick up any background noise, again making the editing process so much easier. I must find out the specific type of mics that these were, but they were so easy to use, and they were perfect for recording things like radio dramas and podcasts. We were also given a really good time frame to get all of this done, we had a day to plan and prepare, a 30 min timeslot the next day to record, then the rest of the day to edit, which worked perfectly for us as it was just enough time, and it gave us time to sit back, and double check things so no small mistakes went unnoticed. The whole process was performed in a professional manner, resulting in us being able to present a professional standard level of work.

How do you use Adobe Audition to edit audio?

Adobe audition was again one of those things that looks complicated and IS! No, I'm kidding, very similar to premier pro, once you understand the basics, you can deliver a decent edit. It just of course takes time to understand the software and along as you can find the import, snip, cut and you can move the snippets of audio, your all set. I'm not going to lie I'm still getting used to this platform and premier pro, but by using them frequently on projects, the more and more I use them the more I understand them, and the more I understand them the better my edits will be. So, although I Dred it when I must edit on an adobe platform it is doing me the world of good by using them.

AC4

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES

This week I learnt so much, technical and theoretical, about radio dramas and soundscapes in general. I learnt about recording equipment, scripting, foley, sfx and editing software. By doing this it taught me about the professional industry within this side of media, and how these professionals communicate these ideas through sound escaping. During this week I applied technical skills via the radio equipment, writing scripts, finding sfx on epidemic, editing in adobe audition and creating foley.

AC5

COMMUNICATION

Communication again was key during this project through teamwork, creative input when making decisions and when creating our result, as although we were editing individually, it was important to still commutate the same sort of idea, it was also beneficial as others were more experienced than others, so by speaking to people and sharing ideas, you could learn a lot that had the potential to improve your editing. Regarding language it kind of related more to the technical side when using the mics and mixers, it also related when editing, as we had to talk about the different functions and actions in the adobe software when talking to our peers.

AC2

PROBLEM SOLVING

An Av script is essentially a specialist script for music videos that is usually two Collums, the first saying audio and the seconded saying video, on the audio there will be boxes going down with subtitles saying ‘lyrics, music, narration and fx’ and the opposite it in the audio Collum it will be the time frame of audio, alongside the camera and editing technique, with also a description of what is going to happen physically during that bit of coverage. To talk through the subtitles in depth, where it says lyrics, you would of course but in the lyrics during that time frame, music you would put whether there is any music in this scene, narration you would of course put in whether there is any narration is the scene, and of course fx you would put in whether there are any sound effects. This is an ideal way to create your scripts as it's easy to read, it is easy to create, and it takes you through step-by-step what's going to happen and when.  

AC3

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Exposure is essentially how bright or dark your image is, it will always be determined by your aperture, shutter, ISO and framerate settings. Exposure works by how the light is manipulated through the Lense, then the Apture, then the opened shutter, and finally the image sensor. The frame rate is basically how many frames per second you're using but relating to this it means the higher the frame rate is the darker the exposure will be. Apture is the hole that is situated in the Lense that opens and closes to let in light, which is why it affects the exposure so much, however, the shutter speed is a door which opens to expose the camera sensor to the natural light, e.g., the faster the shutter speed the darker exposure.  

The frame rate is the number of frames per second, the slower the fr, the more you can slow it down in the edit, and the higher the fr the bigger the file size which means the more storage it will take up more memory.   

The Apture is the adjustable hole in the Lense that opens and closes to manipulate the amount of light coming through the sensor. The aperture is measured in f-stops which is basically the higher the f-stop the less light comes through and the lower the f-stop the more light comes through. 

The depth of field is how much is in focus; however, your aperture will influence this. for example, f/2 your depth of field will be shallower which means not much will be in focus, but a narrower aperture like f/16 your depth will be deeper with lots in focus.  

How do you pull focus and how did I apply focus creatively?  

First, you need to place down your markers (toe mark, T mark and your sided mark), this included the three main types of your tape markers (actors and camera), your rubber markers (for the actors to feel in the dark) and then finally the sausage marks (which indicate to the actors that they need to stop). Using your floor marks, then place dots (or small bits of tape) on your follow focus to mark your focal points within the upcoming shot, make sure you use dots rather than numbers on your FF wheel as it takes up less space. We applied this creatively during the filming of our music video to keep it at a professional standard. We did this and went filming the outside car scenes then we used it again when we were filming certain shots in the influencer studio.  

What is shutter angle and how did I apply it creatively? 

So, shutter angle is very similar to shutter speed, however, shutter angle is used on film cameras and shutter speed is used within photography, and instead of a door, the shutter angle refers to a rotary disk used on old film cameras. For example, the wider the shutter angles the brighter the image and of course reversed, the narrower the darker the image.   

What is colour temperature and how did I apply it creatively?  

The colour temp is primarily the temperature of the colour of the image, e.g., warm (oranges, yellows) or cold (blues or whites). Temp is measured in Kelvins and in order to apply temp creatively it would be a great start to white balance the original set of coverage so you're able to apply proper colour correction in post-production. You can do this by putting a piece of white paper in front of the camera, and it will automatically white balance you. 

AC4

PROFFESIONAL PRACTICE

What roles exist within the camera department? What are their responsibilities?  

Here are just some... 

DOP- director of photography- the director of photography (DP or Dop) manages the camera department, lighting department, electrical, and grips.  They are the chief of the camera crew. The film’s director will tell the DP how they want a shot to look. They will then work with these departments to choose cameras, lenses, filters, shot composition, light design and setup, and any necessary gear. 

Camera Opp- The camera operator, or cameraman, is the person who operates the camera. They are the person behind the lens and controlling the camera. This position varies on every set and for every shot. A director may assume this position for certain shots, but the director of photography is typically the camera operator. When a DP is the cameraman, they are typically referred to as a cinematographer. 

Cinematographer and director of photography are used interchangeably. The director of photography in the credits is the chief cinematographer. The best DPs are invited to be part of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). 

If the DP has assigned another person to run the camera, or if multiple cameras are being used at once, the other cameramen are simply called camera operators. 

First assistant Camera Opp- The first assistant camera oversees the camera department. During a shoot, the 1st AC is responsible for keeping the camera in focus. This gave rise to the name focus puller. They oversee the maintenance and care of all cameras. During pre-production, the 1st AC will go to rental houses to test gear and make sure everything is ready on schedule. On-set, the 1st AC will build the camera, swap lenses, and move it from shot to shot. They are also responsible for updating the dope sheet. The dope sheet is a camera report that lists scenes that have already been shot. If shooting on film stock, the list will also contain the contents of each exposed reel. Most notably, the 1st AC should not look through a lens. They must be able to keep focus by paying attention to the distance between a subject and the camera. 

DIT digital imaging tech- The digital imaging technician is responsible for image quality control, on-set color correction, and managing a production’s workflow. The DIT manages all data and file distribution. They receive the camera’s memory cards and immediately dump and backup footage. They then send uncompressed files to the editors and make compressed file dailies for the director. DITs have a deep technical knowledge of all digital things like cameras, codecs, laptops, monitors, and more. Check out the constantly evolving role of a DIT. 

2 – What is the correct way to manage/use cables? What should you do to ensure a cable is safely attached to the floor?  

The correct way to manage cables is to make sure firstly that you're wrangling and storing them properly; this will ensure that when you come to use them the next time everything will be ready to use. For health and safety purposes you also need to make sure the cables are taped down properly etc. But in more depth use the over and under method to wrap the cables for ones under 100m, then use the figure of 8 method or thicker and longer cables. Then you need to tape them down with gaffer tape, rubber matting or cable ramp. Taping the floor should also be using the train track method, you should also keep cable routes as straight as possible, and all turns should be at 90 degrees.  

AC5

COMMUNICATION

Communication again was key during this project through teamwork, creative input when making decisions and when creating our result, as although we were editing individually, it was important to still commutate the same sort of idea, it was also beneficial as others were more experienced than others, so by speaking to people and sharing ideas, you could learn a lot that had the potential to improve your editing. Regarding language it kind of related more to the technical side when using the mics and mixers, it also related when editing, as we had to talk about the different functions and actions in the adobe software when talking to our peers. 

WRITTEN BY JESSICA-CHLOE WATSON