A1 Post Production Critique.

Module: Audio Post Production

Student ID: 1086508
Date: 07/11/2019

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 A1 Post Production Critique.

When analyzing the sound involved in a production we have to bear in mind concepts like hype-
realism, the six sound spheres or the way we can relate sound to feeling and emotion.

Lucy Fife Donaldson in her text, Feeling and Film Making: The Design and Effect of Film Making
explored the way that film can transmit sensory information (Donaldson, 2017, p. 31). Contrasting
different views in the way we perceive sound. Like the views of experimental composer Micheal Cion
who considers recorded sound more like an impression than a strict reality and where recorded sound
becomes expressive and functional at the same time (Donaldson, 2017, p. 33).
At the same time she explains to us the way that technological development can aid us in the process of
feeling sound using as an example modern Dolby Digital which can actually make us feel sound,
intensifying the relationship between the body and what we can hear (Donaldson, 2017, p. 33).

She talks of a phenomenological-informed intersubjectivity between the audiovisual content and the
spectator. Liking this concept with Merleau-Ponty conception of physical experience and perception
being interlinked (Donaldson, 2017, p. 34). Describing the process of adapting audio to a video as an “
Affective labour”. Supporting her views through the ideas of American sound designer Richard King
who tries to position himself, when creating sound in the perspective of a character. In her own word:
“The designer thus situates themselves with the character, feeling with or in their place, forging a
connection to the audience’s experience through their own work, as their detailed decision-making is
informed by questions of feeling” (King 2015).

These perspectives on the way we encounter and analyze sound design in film making are extremely
important. Sound and what we perceive of it do not become only a collection referential elements and
Sound Design itself the ability to place then in a coherent manner to represent that what we see. But
what becomes apparent about these sonic artifacts and the way that we order them, is the way they
transcend the pure referential function, to acquire a new dimension which is more related to our
emotionality that to the pure depiction of reality or they mere perception of the relationship of sound
and image.

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With this notion in mind it is easier to understand the concept of Sonic Hyperrealism in sound design
and the way it can aid us to create a emotional relationship between the work or art and the spectator.
But let us explain first the concept of Sonic Hyperrealism. Sonic Hyperealism or elevated realism, in
the words of Vytis Puranas, “is removing real recordings, (as reality is often found to be sonically
underwhelming), and re-constructing a fabricated illusion of reality.” (Puranas, 2014, p. 181). Where
at the same time he is underlining the importance of simulated realism in the motion picture and how
the soundscape on which we work can be understood as a black canvas (Puranas, 2014, p. 182). If we
observer the footage which we must analyze form the film Inception, we can immediately understand
the importance that Sonic Hyperrealism has for this cinematic example. As we can appreciate the
frontier between the real world and the dream world are intentionally blurred. Acknowledging also the
concept of sonic taxidermy, the re-contextualization of dead sound, which Vytis Puranas presents to us
(Puranas, 2014, p. 183).

Through out our cinematic piece we can see clear examples of Hyperrealism, from the use LFE (Low
Frequency Effects) to the layering of sound. But before we go any deeper into analyzing the specific
sounds that make up this scene, we must explain David Sonnenschein analysis of psycho-acoustic
space in cinema through what he call the six sound spheres. A view which challenges the classic
conceptions like onscreen and off-screen or the first person and third person division (Sonnenschein,
2011, p. 14). What he presents us with is an analysis where cinematic sound can be divided into:

-I think. What we hear and nobody else can.

-I am. Those sounds that are generated from our body.
-I touch. When we make contact with the outside world.
-I see. Which could compere with the classic conception of on screen classification.
-I know. That sound that we cannot see (off-screen) but we can identify.
-I don't know. Sound that we cannot see and we cannot identify (Sonnenschein, 2011, p. 17).

He also enumerates a diversity of techniques through which this has or can be achieved in cinema: For
example the use on EQ, Reverb or pitch sifting in the I think sphere or the removing of audio tracks for
a later adding Foley in the I touch sphere. (Sonnenschein, 2011, p. 23).

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As we can probably see by now these conceptions (Hyper-realism, The six sound Spheres and the way
that sound caries sensory and emotional information in the cinematic context) are heavily interlinked.

The fragment we have to analyze is from the film “Inception”, directed by Christopher Nolan, Music
by Hans Zimmer and sound design by Richard King. It is crucial to mention these names to realize the
way they work; for example Christopher Nolan is a director who prefers to use Production Dialogue
Recordings instead of ADR. To a point where Gary Rizzo, Re-recording Mixer for Inception, affirms
that ninety eight percent of the dialogue in Inception is production dialogue, emphasizing the difficulty
to achieve these on set (Corki Gaming, 2015). Or the way That Christopher Nolan likes to involve
himself in the mixing process (Corki Gaming, 2015).

We can also understand the way of working that Richard King has. When talking about this film he
states that “It needs to feel like it really exist but quite often the natural physic of what is happening are
completely imaginary ”(Corki Gaming, 2015). Allegations like this can help us understand the way that
concepts like Hyperrealism can be appealing for him as a Sound designer. Or how we can play with the
six sound spheres with the added difficulty that a work like Inception presents; where the frontier
between the I am sphere and the others is challenged constantly (not only sonically) and the way this
affects the sound design of the movie. In his own words“You don’t always want to point out the fact
that they’re in a dream while still being true to the story that’s unfolding and the visuals we’re seeing.
A slight shifting of reality is appropriate, but we didn’t want to make it too obvious.” (Jackson, 2017).

Foley also becomes a fundamental part in the world building process for Inception, “I think I did more
recording for Inception than any movie I’ve ever worked on ” (Jackson, 2017).
Ambient recording also plays a major role: hiring a recordist in each location (in our case Paris) and
spending up to five days compiling the sounds needed for this film.(Jackson, 2017).

All this is reflected in the final production, an outstanding mix of organic and inorganic sound which
aid the film in heavily blurring the frontier between the dream world and the real world.
If we analyze this fragment of film, we can see that from moment one we have low end rhythmic
pulsating elements that carries us through the scene. We can see how this low end pulsating element,
that we could call a kick, works as a narrative element following the images. If we listen carefully we

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can appreciate how in second 24 they are elements of the sound that change like for example the
arpeggio or the strings chords, but rhythmic elements and drones persist throughout the piece. Like for
instance the sound that to me resembles a cricket which is reoccurring. At the same time as the sound
that we mentioned earlier, the deep kick, also carries itself through the piece creating tension and
changing in dynamic range and in the rates of its pulsations, to a point where we can feel it as a
heartbeat which accelerates itself to finally drop out before the climax of the scene. Allowing space for
the dialogue and the ambient to stand out.
It is here where we can really appreciate one of the acoustic elements that play a major role in the
sonic narrative of any film, something so simple as dynamic range. If we pay attention, we can realize
how the change in dynamic range of the different elements within the Soundscape of the film is crucial.
Not only among elements like ambient, dialogue, soundtrack or sound effects but also within the sound
track itself. If we observe Diagram A, we can clearly understand the impact that dynamic range has in
this scene.

Diagram A.

What we can also appreciate from Diagram A is the way that different elements within the sonic field
intercalate themselves leaving space for one another trying not to interfere with one another.

A further narrative element is the way the harmonic structure changes in the soundtrack (still

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preserving rhythmic elements). Or the moment one of our character starts to explain the way that the
dream world works. At the same time as the Foley of the pen becomes more apparent, fixating our
attention on the drawing, as the explanation is getting to an end we can feel the background music
slowly fade out, from minute one, to slowly leave the vocal on its own.
It is in at moment that our character asks one of the most crucial question of the whole scene: “Let me
ask you a question, you never really remember the beginning of a dream, do you?” (Inception, 2010).
Here is where the other main character starts to question her own reality. When finally he questions
her again “Think about it, how did you get here?”(Inception, 2010) we can hear the music gently
coming back in. This is the moment where she gradually realizes that see is dreaming. We can again
appreciate how the ambient track starts to become louder and louder. We see and hear the coffee cup
move, suddenly we hear this heavy deep sound which we cannot identify which takes us totally into the
climax of the scene.
This is an impressive use of the narrative power of sound, and if we really look at it and as we said
before, the most crucial part of it all is something so simple as dynamic range and the way the sound
designer and the director play with it. At the same time that the I don't know sphere is used to create
tension and makes us realize that we are actually in there dream world.

The build up is so intense, that at one point we have only two sounds that we can clearly identify: the
sound of the coffee cup and the LFE. All ambient sound or dialogue are completely dropped out,
leaving us with only with the heavy SFX. Appreciating how the visual part of the scene completely
takes over but that it would be nothing with out these heavy layered SFX.

These sound effects are described by Richard King of consisting of three basic layers. The first one
being what we can actually see happening, debris ,exploding, cracking. Then we have what he
describes as the “Sub text sound” which gives the energy to what´s happening. And finally we have a
more “ Fanciable” layer which consists of wales moans or organic pitch manipulated samples (Corki
Gaming, 2015).

As these sound start to clutter the sonic field, we can also hear how around minutes 2:06 the soundtrack
gently comes back in with small crescendo horn parts, up to where in minute 2:20 we can faintly hear
Edith Piaf voice and them again, more clearly, in minute 2:30. Voice which has been manipulated and

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that works as and indicator to when we are coming back into the real world. It is, only when we can
hear the original Non, je ne regrette Rein, that we are completely back into reality.
In this moment we can feel the change in ambient and surrounding as we can feel that the
reverberation on the voices has changed with the new location.
As we mentioned earlier Nolan likes to use mostly production dialogue record (Corki Gaming, 2015).
So we could assume that the reverberation is captured from the room it is in. Although it would be
interesting to determine in what way and how does Richard King use room tones.

Other aspects that haven´t been covered, which could be useful for a more in deep analysis of the
matter, are theoretical aspects like for example, Rhythmic Entraiment or Sonic Impressionism. At the
same time that practical elements like: Microphone choices, placements, techniques or software options
have also been left out.

What is clear though, through our analysis, is that the sound design of this particular scene of Inception
is of a superb quality. That is in the technical aspect of the matter and the theoretical one. Which is
reflected through the use of Hyperrealism and other techniques to establish an emotional relationship
with what we see, transcending the pure sonic depiction of what we have on-screen.

It is interesting at this point to ask ourselves in what way these theories and audio techniques could aid
us to expand the expressive power of audiovisual content. Having in mind what we said earlier
concerning the emotional relationship and to last extent the corporeal relationship that we can establish
through these methods, it is very important for us as now, as possible future sound designers, to
acknowledge the immense responsibility we have when delivering our work. That is, not only in the
formal matter of the aspect but also in the ideological component with in the ideas that we transmit
through sound design. Ideas which, backed up by sound that we create, become crucial in an ever-
growing competitive audio-visual world, where the individual is exposed to these ideas like never
before.

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 Reference List.

-Donaldson, M F. (2017). “Feeling and Filmmaking: The Design and Affect of Film Sound”, The New
Soundtrack, 7.1, pp 31-44.

-King, R (2015), Interview with author, interview, Los Angeles: Sony Studios, 29 July 2015.

-Puranas, V. (2014). “Sonic Hyperrealism: Illusions of a non-existent aural reality”, The New
Soundtrack, 4.2, pp 181-193.

-Sonnenschein, D. (2011). “Sound Spheres: A Model of Psychoacoustic Space in Cinema”, The New
Soundtrack, 1.1, pp 13-28.

- Corki Gaming (2015) Inception Behind The Scenes: Making of Sound. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lidt9UKIVQ&t=9s (Accessed: 3 October 2019).

-Jackson, B. (2017) “Christopher Nolan's 'Inception'”, Mix Magazine, 15 November. Available at:
https://www.mixonline.com/sfp/christopher-nolans-inception-369267 (Accessed: 4 October 2019).

- Inception (2010) Directed by Christopher Nolan (Film). Burbank: Warner Brothers.

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