Stuart Hooper – Director of sound
As sound director on a film with no dialogue it is my role to create soundscapes that express the atmospheres of each scene. As vocals normally fill the foreground I will have to study other noises that are usually overwhelmed by voices in order to replace them. This is one option anyway. I am also considering simply building soundscapes that mimic certain animated visuals from the science of sleep by recreating all sounds purely using household objects apart from when the lead actor isn’t wearing a mask. If I choose to do this I will use the musical score to speak for the on screen emotion. This short will have to be theatrical as it depends on body movement and sound to evoke emotion in its audience. I will capture sound on location but as there is no dialogue I will simply build an idea of what I need to re-create. I plan on working closely with the other crew members. If someone hears a sound they like, I will make a note of it. I will still take direction and am willing to change my ideas entirely if the group doesn’t think it is in-fitting with the theme of the short. I am treating this project as a democracy.
My influences who have worked on film are Mogwai, Antonio Pinto, Michael Brook and Glover Gill. One example of exceptional score writing would be the first London street scene from 28 weeks later. It conveys a sense of enormous despair on behalf of the lead actor. Another example is Antonio Pintos theme to Lord of war. This score is bitter sweet as is the mood of the film. An example of what I don’t want to use for the score is the music set to ‘into the wild’. I find the music dull and tedious.
Examples of good Foley sound include most Studio Ghibli films, Tekkonkinkreet and Waking life. I choose animated films for Foley research because I can be sure the sound isn’t recorded live. Much like ours won’t.
I will be working closely with the director of photography on set to make audio recording notes of what is on screen sound and what needs to be off screen sound as well as recording on set for extra. I plan to do this with audio recording equipment and a Dictaphone for notation. The advantages of this technique means i can listen to the Dictaphone whilst editing
I will also be working closely with the editor as most of the sound will be produced in post. I need to write sections of score to express what the actors can’t with voice I will need to locate musicians willing to play score for a minimal fee as budget is personally a problem. Another experimental option for the score as I have suggested to the other members is recording and performing the music ourselves as there are a few musicians in the group. I have suggested stylized playlists to the group and they seem keen on this idea. The score will be to the effect of Antonio Pinto’s Lord of war soundtrack with a melodic, heavily harmonic feel much like ‘thee oh sees- Hounds of foggy notion’.
Stuart Hooper
