Sound Flashcards
Purpose
- To create specific sound effects required in the scene
- To concentrate focus on a particular moment in the scene
- To build tension (atmospheric music)
- To compliment the style of the performance or director/designers vision (farce)
- To help to create the director/designers desired setting
Mixing
layering one sound with another (live or pre-recorded)
Underscoring
the use of music underneath dialogue to help create an
atmosphere or to convey a theme.
E.g. Chase scene - Yakkety Sax music
Non-diegetic sound
sound that exists outside the world of the play.
The audience can hear the sound but the characters cannot
Diegetic sound
sound that a character can hear within the world of
the play.
Types of sound
Live sound / Recorded sound
Preset
using sound or music as the audience enter the
auditorium before the performance begins, to help establish the mood or setting of a piece.
E.g. incidental music – Bella Ciao (Italian resistance song) played before the play begins
Transitions
sound or music to help with the transition from
one scene to the next. This can help to speed up or slow
down the pace of the play and can help to establish the
setting of a scene
Foley
sound effects created (live backstage miked or
recorded
Sound effects – farce / comedy
- Walla– crowd sound effect (US). called rhubarb in the UK
where actors say “rhubarb, rhubarb“ and rabarbaro in Italy - Sting – short sequence played as punchline to a joke (usually percussion) e.g. roll on snare followed by crash or splash cymbal = “boom crash”. Could use this to punctate a slapstick routine
- Slide whistle– ascending or descending scale for dropping or falling gag
- Xylophone scale – tip toeing
- Jaw harp twang – dropping / bouncing “Boing!”
- Harp glissando – scales (flashback sound)
- Sad Trombone SFX
Types of speakers
Subwoofers or woofers for low frequency rumbles
Tweeters for high frequency sounds
Speaker placement
Front of house speakers
Speakers behind the audience (surround sound)
Floor or flown (speakers hung from the rig above)
Monitors– feedback for actors onstage
Practicals onstage (hidden speaker)
Mixing sound
Levels (volume)
Pace - speed
Pitch – high / low
Echo – location/character’s emotions (anechoic)
Reverb (room, hall, chamber)
Pitch-shifting - original pitch of sound is raised higher or lower
Fades (in, out)
Acoustic – how sound is heard based on space
Hanging mics
Suspended above the stage - pick up all the sounds on stage not just voices
Floating mic
Positioned at the front of the stage - pick up unwanted sound like footsteps on stage
Radio mics
Amplify actors voices
Microphones
Make performers heard in large spaces
In smaller spaces can be used to create specific effects ~ voice overs
Describing
Genre – sound and style of the music
Pitch
Tempo/ Rhythm – pace or pattern of the music
Volume
Major key – happy sounding
Minor key – sad solemn sounding
Attenuate – Sound looses energy and change intensity eg
move further away ~ to achieve a more balanced and cohesive mix/ prevent audio signals from becoming too strong, which can lead to distortion
