ANIMATED NARRATIVES W7

This work explores the idea of the ability of sound to narrate and experience a story without dialogues and visuals through a short audio clip of diegetic, atmospheric sounds and sound effects. By eliminating the visual aspect in storytelling and solely relying on sound, I was able to learn how sound is incredibly essential in our lives. We hear sounds every second and tend to take the experience for granted because we are so used to hearing sounds. Through this exercise, I was attempting to create an immersive experience of a story without any dialogue to see to what extent can I tinker with the potential of atmospheric sounds. In my audio clip, the story is about a man walking out through a gate from a neighbourhood area to a city. In the city, he stops as trains pass, and at one point he is in a weird headspace, the atmospheric sounds going away and there’s a high-pitched ringing, which leads him to go past the safety gate as the train approaches close. The man regains his consciousness when the train is too close. A high-pitched ringing dominates the audio to suggest that the train caused something to the man. After that, he wakes up from his alarm and realises that he had a dream.

Atmospheric sounds are self-explanatory, we understand what is happening by listening to them as we have had knowledge about them. Sound depends on referential knowledge and feelings through its characteristics: how soft or loud, what kind of sound, is it a high-pitched ringing or a deep, low creak, they all create a different reaction to the listeners. I was inspired by immersive audiobooks or story, which has elaborate sounds incorporated within the dialogues of the characters. The video that I looked at is by Owl Field, The Fairy Tree - Interactive 3D Sound Experience (2016). Here, sound is used to position the listeners as one of the characters within the story which creates the feeling that we are inside of the story world. Furthermore, sound is also used to give context and explain the location and mood setting within the story which reduces information given in the form of dialogue. By examining the quality of sound, I was able to practice how to use sound as a storytelling device to reduce dialogues and set up off-screen information. I will use this knowledge and experience in my storytelling journey, especially in creating 2d animation. I will be able to better plan my scenes with the quality of sounds in mind.

Link to W7 audio clip: https://youtu.be/SXuFxH6Mnuc

Link to reference video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa9BjEgBzp0

List of sounds used (by https://www.zapsplat.com/)

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/tram-pass-by/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/train-stop-at-station-with-screech-of-brakes-usa/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/railroad-crossing-usa-crossing-bell-rings-amtrak-train-passes-with-horn-2/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/railroad-crossing-usa-crossing-bell-rings-amtrak-train-passes-with-horn-1/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/male-voice-in-peril-gasp-fear-2/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/alarm-clock-beep-tone/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/man-breathing-open-mouth-medium-speed-and-heavy/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/barefoot-footsteps-on-small-stones/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/suburban-ambience-raining-cars-in-distance-and-birds/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/barefoot-footsteps-on-wet-concrete-edge-of-swimming-pool/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/large-squeaky-metal-gate-swing-open-or-close-1/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/large-squeaky-metal-gate-swing-open-or-close-3/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/suburban-atmosphere-wind-in-trees-birds-car-passes-short/

https://www.zapsplat.com/music/designed-tinnitus-tone-high-pitched-steady-ring-1/