Comments on: Ideas in Sound Design: Deprivation and Barriers – Part 2

By: Shaun Farley

Shaun Farley — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:55:06 +0000

In reply to Elena Spichakova. Thank you for the kind words, Elena. I'm sorry, but I can't think of any that are explicitly on that subject. I've been taking quick glances through my meager collection of aesthetic/story oriented sound articles and journals in the hopes that I might find something there, but I'm not finding any. I know that it's a subject that's been touched on in articles in the past. I'll dig a little deeper and see if I can find anything that explores it.

By: Elena Spichakova

Elena Spichakova — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:49:50 +0000

Hello, Shaun! Thank you so much for this article! I’m really interested in this theme because it is very close to my theoretical work. Maybe you could recommend some articles about using sound for representing different altered states of consciousness. Thanks!

By: Catching Up - richardaronson.com

Catching Up - richardaronson.com — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 23:01:17 +0000

[…] in Sound Design: Deprivation and Barriers, part 1 Ideas in Sound Design: Deprivation and Barriers, part 2 Share this:FacebookTwitter Filed Under: My Full Sail Experience Cancel […]

By: Ideas in Sound Design: Semiotics and Language – Part 2 | Uber Patrol - The Definitive Cool Guide

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:05:57 +0000

[…] If you enjoyed this pair of articles…and you haven’t already…why not check out earlier articles in this series: Deprivation and Barriers Part 1 and Part 2. […]

By: Bryce Lowman

Bryce Lowman — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:35:19 +0000

This was a very interesting read. As I am trying to break into the field of sound design in film and video games, it gave me a little insight on the matter. I will definitely have to listen for these subtle influences between the audio, visual and the reactions that both I and the character have to them. Thank you.

By: Shaun Farley

Shaun Farley — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:50:40 +0000

In reply to Randy Thom.

Thank you very much, Randy. I agree with you on your additional point, though I feel there can still be some opportunities in “unplanned” situations. I don’t want people using the lack of early inclusion as an excuse. They may not achieve the full potential that could result from early planning, but value can still be added. The Mass Effect 3 trailer referred to in this article might be a good example. There are a wide variety of approaches that might have been adopted for those visuals. I’m willing to bet they weren’t included in the planning stages, but the sound team made some excellent choices that allowed the ad to be more than it might have been otherwise. Since we’re not always afforded the opportunity to discuss sound’s possible story-telling contributions early on in development, I think it’s important to recognize that there is still some effect we can have…even if it is late in the game.

By: Randy Thom

Randy Thom — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:10:42 +0000

Excellent points and examples, Shaun!
I would only add that in order for these kinds of approaches to succeed the groundwork almost always needs to be laid in pre-production. It’s extremely rare for this aesthetic to come out of nowhere during post, because the sound style and the visual style are so interrelated. If the movie, or scene, hasn’t been designed this way from the beginning… from the script… then sound isn’t likely to be able to enforce this kind of style onto it.

Randy

By: Graham Donnelly

Graham Donnelly — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:00:19 +0000

Yeah, great article Shaun. I find these areas of discussion extremely interesting and useful. Thanks for posting, this has already helped me with a scene I am currently working on.

By: Todd Budden

Todd Budden — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:01:39 +0000

Hey Shaun…this is an awesome read. Thanks heaps for posting it up! Really keen to watch the diving bell and the butterfly to listen for the points you discussed. I think being able to understand these deprivations and barriers before sound designing a scene really gives you a better chance at succeeding. Cheers again.

By: Robert Reilly

Robert Reilly — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:21:52 +0000

I think a great example of physiological barriers can be found in the drama series Breaking Bad. Although the same effect is used in a handful of critical scenes, the easiest occasion to point out would be the conversation between our main character (Walter White, Sr.) and the doctor who delivers the news that he has lung cancer. The perspective shifts from third-person to Walter’s viewpoint through the use of sound. As the doctor explains to Walter that he has cancer and only a short time to live, Walter begins to hear a loud ringing in his ears and a low-pass filter is applied to the aural environment. We are no longer listening to the conversation from an outside standpoint; rather, we are tuning out anything and everything that the doctor is telling us (Walter and the Audience). In my opinion, this effect conveys the sense of hopelessness that invades Walter’s psyche and seems to persist throughout the rest of series.