Feedback and Production (L1 & L3)

In the final stages of constructing the it was important that I received as much feedback and constructive criticism as possible, this is also a part of my role as the sound designer, mix engineer and composer. Through my three edits, I uploaded each onto the correct G drives of the teams I was working for. When these were uploaded I messaged the groups asking for their thoughts on the use of sound and atmosphere, what they thought could be improved, what they liked and what they wanted changing, this is going to help me get the most accurate recreation in sonic form of what they want. This is also part of me being professional correspondeing with the groups making sure that I deliver exactly what they have commissioned me to do.

Throughout the amount of issues and troubles that I’ve had with Satsuma, getting them to agree on what they want, they we’re really helpful with the edits, as soon as they we’re uploaded they gave me constant feedback whilst I was working on the second edit so that I could ‘fix’ what they wanted as I was working on the second edit. This made working on their animation a lot more productive and it felt more engaging, as I was talking with the group and they we’re providing active feedback as I worked. I only wish that the whole project could have worked this way, then their would have been less issues throughout the process.

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There we’re many instances where we discussed the creative use of sound and as a team they valued my input and agreed for me to take creative control to add the ‘feel’. Evidence can be found below.

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This made the process a lot easier to get down to what they specifically wanted… and it also gave the team a role in the whole sound process…

 

Guardian however … was a different story… I uploaded the files to their G Drive and received no constructive criticism what so ever… this made it really hard for me to actively construct their sonic environment just to how they wanted… I don’t know whether this is due to the fact that it’s not going to be THEIR final piece or what but the only feedback I got from Shannon is as follows. Screenshot 2016-05-12 15.15.57Screenshot 2016-05-12 15.12.14

 

The limited feedback did not help the production process what so ever .. in fact it made it a lot more challenging as I was going by creative initiative of what I would think they wanted the room ambience to sound like … I imagined ‘hollow’ and ’empty’ due to it being the house of a recently passed relative … it needed that ambience to feel like something is … ‘missing’ which I why I’m leaving it very empty.

I now understand how feedback from the director can both ‘make’ or ‘break’ a project … when sometimes you don’t quite know what they want it’s essential to get their opinion which you can work with your own to help construct a full project, even if there are visual elements unfinished.