So recently I went out recording for all the audio I needed for both of my projects, Satsuma and Guardian. Armed with my cue sheets, a Zoom H4n and a Rode NTG-2 Microphone I set out into Lincoln, to find and record all the audio that I’d need for the purpose of my films.
Through the whole ordeal i collected a wide variety of sounds and atmosphere’s some more specific, like birds, benches and textures.
and also some, that I just managed to come across, like a burnt out fire in a section of woodland not too far out from Lincoln’s edge.
These textures sounds and fx really added to my own sound library and it was great to put some of the techniques that I’ve read about from other sound designers such as Ben Burtt and Philip Moroz.
In this blog post I’m going to label some of the significant sounds that I recorded in this project and detail how I recorded them.
One of the most crucial sounds that I had to collect for the use in this project, was the crow in Guardian.. I wasn’t quite sure on how I was going to get an accurate recording of crow close up to use in the animation, I was trying to conjure up all sorts of plans to lure one in, or trying to find a next nearby and patiently wait, with my microphone armed and suspended on a boom pole. However I came across the railway crossing whilst wandering on lincoln’s outskirts and I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity to capture a recording of a passing train. I checked the timetable and noticed that there was one coming in a matter of minutes, so I decided to wait to record it passing by. To not waste time, I also took the opportunity to record some distant traffic atmospherics, and out of a complete stroke of luck … a Crow who was perched in the tree’s started calling out, I checked back on the recording later, and with a bit of editing through Izotope RX it was exactly what I needed. This reminded me of what Ben Burtt said in an interview, the power of opportunity, as a sound designer it’s my role to always be ready, always be on the listen to capture sound. Even if I’m planning on recording something totally different … you can never know what you can get. I got the train too by the way. Both recordings can be found below.
Crow
Train
A lot of the other real significant textures that I recorded for this project was through parks, I was walking through the Arboretum by Lincoln College, and recording all kinds of textures there from fountains, the crunching of leaves, children playing in the distant, dogs barking etc. It was here where I think the bulk of the recordings came from. Although I didn’t just ‘start’ recording … I walked around the park several times, and just listened to what was around me, and let my ears do the directing. I took many test recordings to test the level of wind noise in the area and when recording such sounds as footsteps on crunching leaves, how much of the passing cars way off in the distance would bleed through. I picked each spot very carefully, also with it being in a park it was quite hard to get a solid recording without having a child walk past and shout “WHAT ARE YOUU DOING??” this ruined many recordings for me and really took it’s toll on my patience throughout the daytime.
Some of my favourite recordings where by far of the fountain, I suspended the mic on a boom pole and took three separate recordings of the fountain, the top of the fountain where the water spurts outs, the mid section where it hits the first plate collecting water, and the bottom where the water joins together in a pool. The recording came out very clear and crisp is probably one of my more favoured liquid textures that I’ve recorded for this project. Below are the three fountain recordings.
Whilst exiting the park, I also noticed that the gate, had a really lovely squeak to it when moved slowly, I didn’t really need a metallic squeak for this project, but if I’ve learnt anything so far from researching the work of others, what you capture now, can save you later. So naturally I recorded several instances of the gate slowly squeaking… this will make use for a nice effect in Satsuma, where I want to simulate the squeak of a rusty letter box opening.