REFLECTION TRANSCRIPT
Alright, so my commentary on the piece I produced entitled *Soundscape Storytelling (Cinematic Ambience)* is that I just started off trying to make an imaginative piece cinematic in nature, but it took a very dark, creepy turn. It now sounds like more of a haunting score. The whole process is all about layering all these different sounds and playing with effects. I utilized pads, reverb, and a whole lot of automation to make the soundtrack spacious and uneasy. Vocal chopping and tweaking was my favourite thing to play around with. I played around with distorting and making them sound ghostly by piling all kinds of effects on top of them, and this just made the whole track so much creepier.
What I was trying to accomplish was something that has an otherworldly and immersive quality. I added minute sound effects like whispers, risers, and echoes to provide it with depth and texture. It’s not literal narration but rather something akin to creating a mood or atmosphere that the listener can simply sense. I think what did the trick was how all the layers kind of blend together to achieve that creepy feeling.
The reverb and automation were perfect for creating this feeling of it floating around you, which was what I was after. The manipulated vocals added this weird, almost human-like quality that makes it feel more unsettling. But there is certainly room for refinement. I feel like the pacing could be tighter. Right now, it’s more atmospheric, but it can have a build-up or some places that land really harshly. And I feel like I could’ve played around more with sound placement to get it to feel even more immersive and 3D.In the future, I would like to continue experimenting with adding contrasting elements and changing the way the sounds interact and move through each other. I’m definitely going to keep experimenting with this style because it’s a lot of fun, and I feel like I have a lot of potential in it.
References
Audio Sources:
- Rather Lie – Assignment 1 (Created by me)
- Cymatics. (n.d.). Eternity Sample Pack. Retrieved from Cymatics.fm
- CXDY. (n.d.). Metaslug Kit (Royalty-Free).
- Single Desire. (n.d.). Sound Effects Kit (Royalty-Free).
- Starboy Rob. (n.d.). Sound Kit (Royalty-Free).