Sound Design Post 12 - Lara Croft GO Evaluation

I had to hand up my Lara Croft Go assignment today. The assignment was highly similar to the Pingu assignment in the last semester. So I had a generally good idea of what to do. I was also really looking forward to it because I am a huge Lara Croft fan ever since I was a kid. The music from the original games and the creepy feeling that you get when you find an artifact was part of the reason a got into creative media. Knowing that I would be working on something relating to my childhood got me excited. In saying that, it came with the same problems. I would consider myself an editor but I am not sound mixer. I don’t like the process nor do I like pro tools.  I don’t mean to sound like a reviewer but I find that Pro Tools is the dodgiest and Non-User friendly software that I've worked on. Constant bugs, crashes and generally unclear design. I spent most of my time on this project figuring out ‘what problem it is this time?’ I still enjoyed the editing part but all these problems left me behindschedule and left the project unfinished. I had to convert the video into a mov. file, whilst been given out to by the technician for not having it done sooner.

Oh well, it's just one less project to worry about now.

Sound Design Post 11

Things are getting pretty close to the end of the year but even closer to the final Sound Design project. There is a lot of assignment due this week and next week, however I manage to stay on top of all the other assignments so one of the last things I have to do is start and finish my Lara Croft assignment. I am entirely put of by doing this however for 2 reasons...

1. I needed to record my sounds off of a Zoom recorder. Since equipment has become fairly tight by the end of the semester, the last thing I would want to do is have to deal with the main technician. I won't say any names but he is known to all the students and even some lecturers to be unnecessarily rude (especially to students) and just generally unpleasant to deal with. So I was given the advice to just get my sounds off of the website 'Freesounds.org' and manipulate them inside Pro Tools. Which leads me to number 2...

2. I hate Pro Tools. It's definitely not the worst sound software, in fact it is the best if you know what you are doing. But it's definitely not user friendly and it crashes a lot. There always seems to be an issue where I am scratching my head trying to figure what I just did, or have to eject my hard drive and re-enter or have to move computers. I love editing, I'm just not cut out for sound design.

Well, I have a week to do it. Let's see how I do...

Project Management Web Log 4

Most recently we are coming up to the final project. Myself, Emma Nicholl and Jessica Browne had completed the majority of our assignment just after Easter, bar the Reflective Journal and the Presentation. But everyone got a 2 week extension for their projects and web logs, etc. It wasn't necessary for us because we were almost done, but we were still under a lot of pressure at the time. This allowed us to put the project on hold and continue our filming work and our other assignments which were getting on top of us. However when I talked to the other students, it seemed like the majority of them didn't even start their work during Easter. So I can't imagine how they felt. Either way the extension was a good thing, as much as I would have wanted the assignments out of the way, I needed a break in some shape or form. 

In class we just discussed how to make a good presentation and how to prepare for it. I'm good with presentations because I've been on stage all around Ireland for years, so a lecturer and a couple students don't frighten me. However I still need a rush of caffeine before I start presenting. I find that the best way to do a presentation, for me at least, isn't to rehearse, but it's to know what you are talking about. If you have cue cards, you aren't looking at the audience and it makes you seem weaker. If you are reading off a script you have memorized in your head, you speech can suffer and you can lose your place or pace. I always have an image on screen and a couple very small bullet points so that I just have to look at the screen for a second and ramble of what I know. This also allows me to get as close to the time limit as I want to. Whereas a script that you have may go over or under time, and you rush over necessary information or feel that you have to finish even though you are over time. Anyway, that works for me, but not others. You have to find your own way.

I hope you enjoyed the 4-part web logs. I'm Ryan Duffy, and this is the end. Bye-Bye! ;)

Project Management Web Log 3

During our tutorial classes, we are usually given a set of challenges to do in relation to project management. I remember the first tutorial class I went to, we were split into 3 groups and we all had to think of an interactive webpage for dublin zoo, as if we were contracted by them. Myself, Paul and Donard decided that we would make it like an information game. Where the background would be an animal zoo yard and would have a bunch of  cartoon animal avatars and once you click on the avatars, a real picture of the animal you clicked on would come up and loads of fun facts and attributes would come up. I actually borrowed this idea from myself 2 years ago when I was told to do the same thing in my advanced creative media PLC, except to do it individually and to actually make it in adobe flash. 

This tutorial that we had recently was more light a tutorial for Law. We had to form 2 groups and discuss the recent controversy over the FBI wanting to crack a terrorist's phone to recieve information, however it can't be done since no one can crack an iPhone password and they want Apple to develop a cracking software that would only be used for these occasions and that only they could use. Apple said no. Many called that obstruction of the apprehension of terrorists. However it was obviously just their dedication towards the privacy of their customers. I was on the side agreeing with Apple's decision. The others were against it.

I enjoyed the debate and from the looks of it, we won. It was my belief that once a crack was created, it would be highly sought after to be replicated. Also if the FBI say they would only use it on occasions were terrorists are involved, what's to stop them cracking the phone of a non-terrorist while using the terrorist-card. Also know as 'The threat of terrorism. 

The other group had good points but all in all, we had more information whereas they repeated the same answers over and over again.

Sound Design Post 10

Something pretty cool happened this week in relation to sound. A while ago I was asked to help with a Music video but I said I can't because I had too much work, but honestly I didn't want to be part of another music video where people thought that it would be easier than it actually is, fumbling about and all that. But earlier this week I heard that it was a Film and TV project and it was all about the operators doing their job right, not the performers. Also, about 7 of my friends were part of it as well. Anyway, I heard that they lost their percussion player, so I offered to help. I only played on a Cajon, (pronounced KO-HONE), once but when you've played drums as long as I have, you can pick up any percussion instrument fairly quickly. Anyway, I had a rehearsal with them, we were playing Space Oddity and Starman by David Bowie.

After my day, full of filming and rushing and directing, acting, etc, it finally came to doing the music video, and how shocked was I when I saw the production that was going in to filming just the 3 of us playing 2 songs. It was class! My film and Sound lecturers were also there working with the student and it was a lot of fun and a good experience. I hope I did well enough :)

I wasn't able to go to class this week because I was just overloaded with work, (because I took on a lot of extra work as well as normal assignments, such as Editor for a 10 minute short film, Project Manager for brief work, Graphic Artist for a Film and TV Short Film Group and now I'm gonna be a Social Media Officer for the Islamic Society... Yeah, a lot of extra work), and I missed a lot of other classes to just so I could either stay at home or Starbucks and work. I'm not to worried about the Lara Croft Assignment. As long as I get the sounds recorded, the rest should be straight forward just like the PINGU assignment. It's just getting the time at the end to do it. That's why I'm trying to clear all my other assignments as soon as I can so that I can work fully on the Lara Croft Go video.

Project Management Web Log 2

In my last post I talked about the advice I was given by my lecturer for the Graphic Design job that I would be having later that day. I was given a lot of good advice, but what I would consider the best advice was that if my going-rate was say... €250, tell them that your going rate is €500 and say, "but since you're a new customer/small business, I'll give you 50% off". That eliminates the possibility of negotiation to lower the price, it gives me my maximum payment, it puts me in a good light to the client, makes it look like I'm helping them and of course, people love discounts and makes them more agreeable. Now obviously it's a very manipulative strategy but when you desperately need a job like I did, that advice is fairly agreeable. Now it's not like it's a bad thing. I'd be charging €250 anyway and it's not like I would charge €500. It's just very sneaky.

I though the best thing to do would be to write down where all the money was going, such as Research = €65, Concepts = €80, etc. In the end I came to a more agreeable sum for a student like myself. It worked out well and I got the job.

As for the Group Project I joined Emma Nicholl and Jessica Browne. We would start working on the project over Easter. 

Project Management Web Log 1

In class we discussed our brief. That we could pick our own teams and that we had to present a interactive narrative pitch to Kilmonday Games, a studio famous for their creation of Salad Fingers and Fran Bow. Although I was looking forward to creating something i'd like to work on, I was just a bit nervous because I had to find a group to join. I like picking my own team members for things like creating a film, but when it comes to Project Work and Essays, I have no idea who I can rely on. 

I also got help from my lecturer as I recently came into a Graphic Design job where a DJ from Dublin recently came out of a 4 year college degree and is looking to work freelance full time and was in need of a logo. A couple people recommended me to her and we got in touch via my Facebook page, No Purpose Designs. We were going to meet later that day which I was looking forward to, but it being my first job, I didn't know what to do at first in terms of how I should present myself and what amount of money I should charge. He gave me what I would consider, the best advice ever. What was it? I'll tell you in the next post ;)

Sound Design Post 9

In Sound class this week, I was so late to class. A good hour and 40 minutes late to be exact. Just in time to find out what I missed. It turns out that what I missed was our first step into our Lara Croft Go project. What we had to do is look at the footage over and over again to find what sounds we think we need and what moment. Then we had to make think of props and ways of using those props to get the sounds that we need. It was a very important step in the project.

Fortunately, I already did all this. Reason being that I was far more interested doing the Lara Croft Go project, rather than the interactive sounds project. Also I understood this project far more than I understood the first project. In layman's terms, I was procrastinating. But it worked out in my benefit in the end... at least until I see my results for the Interactive Sounds Project...

Sound Design Post 8 (Easter Thoughts Part 2)

After 3 years of being in a band I did a 2 week course in creative media, back when the Carroll's Building in DkIT only just opened to the public. I met this guy and we became very close friends during that period.  After that small course ended, everyone was told to bring in an instrument for the final day and to sing or play. That friend brought in a guitar and played on the Starbucks grand piano and held everyone's attention after playing a couple songs. I was completely amazed and he became the center of the room. Later on he told me he only knew those few songs but he always made sure to finished before revealing how little he knew. As for the piano, as long as you know how to play, you can make up anything good. I thought that maybe I should finally learn a song on guitar. So I went to learn House of the Rising Sun on guitar and my dad got me piano lessons to learn piano. I already could read music due to my drum teacher and my school music teacher so I would have a head start. Eventually I got to his level and then wanted more. I started playing ever since.

That is just one part of my life that was changed by going to that Creative Media crash course. Best decision I ever made.

Sound Design Post 7 (Easter Thoughts Part 1)

During the course of Easter I was considering where music and sound belongs in my life. When I thought about this, I thought about my life from when I started playing music. When I was younger I went through a phase where I wanted to learn every instrument. At first it was the primary school tin whistle, recorder, etc. I liked the sound of music and rhythm and I also like the attention - something I can't really deny. But I always had that idea of being popular and famous. At that time I didn't understand the hardships of being in a band and the reality of being a musician, because movies and the media only showed the fun parts and, of course, I fell for it.

My mom tried teaching me guitar. She had this beautiful 12-string acoustic guitar that she had since she was 16 years old. Later on it would be utterly destroyed by a future band mate just because he was bored. But back to when I was learning... It was far too difficult for me at the time. I couldn't get my fingers in the right place quick enough. At this point I still hadn't found out that I had 'Dyspraxia', which is a motor function disorder. Basically, I can't process things as fast as others and I don't have full control of my body, which causes me to trip up a lot and seriously affects the control of my hands, fingers and sight, (such as losing my place when I look at my copy book to the board, or from my left hand on the frets of a guitar to my right hand strumming/finger picking). Eventually I decided on drums but it took at least 2-4 years of drums lessons and a lot of hard work to pass as an adequate drummer.

Continue in Part 2

Sound Design Post 6

This week was the last class before Easter break and our first project was due later this week. We had to make 8 sounds for our interactive website/video. It was a collaboration between the Sound lecturer, Film lecturer and the Web Design lecturer. The idea was that we could create an interactive website that would hold the short B Movie film that we created in Audio and Visual Production. Before that we had to create input sounds to fit the tone of the B-Movie. The sounds will be heard anytime that the user clicks on the sites pages, video links, successfully logging in, canceling, etc.

I tried creating sounds the way my lecturer showed me by using pitches and manipulating the waveforms but I couldn't get it working. So I ended up creating 8 sounds using Xpand2 and the keyboards. I messed around for a good while trying to find the right instrument that suited the tone of my werewolf film. After creating the 8 sounds I then created 2 extra sounds that I may use eventually. One was to play during the reveal of the werewolf in the film and one was to be background music in case I would use it for anything else.