Media and Information

Literacy
Quarter 2 – Module 5:
Audio and Motion Dimensions of
Information and Media
 Lesson Audio and Motion
1 Dimensions of
Information and Media

What’s In

Every generation has a distinct characteristic, and let me share you mine. I belong to
the age group who spent their high school years (which many call as the best moment
of their lives) in the 1990’s, and we were called the Generation X. But we were also
fondly called as the “MTV Generation.” That is Music Television. Without smart phones,
most of our leisure time was spent watching music videos on TV. These were called
MTVs, and by the standards of our time, MTVs were a spectacle of movement and sound,
sometimes even devoid of meaning. Our parents would complain about our music and
would even find the videos too much for them. But MTVs were very enjoyable for us,
engaging us to save money to buy cassette tapes and the weekly “songhits” (our source
of music chords) for guitar sessions with friends that seemed to last forever.
Okay, so much for the nostalgia. Going back to the present, we encounter much louder
songs and wilder MTVs. The quick-paced music videos of the 1990’s seemed to be slow
music compared to what we have at present. Today’s videos are even much more
accessible, with the internet offering us various video sharing programs, and social
media sites posting more and more quick videos that can hook you even in just a matter
of thirty seconds. With what you are having right now, can you imagine what would it
be like when you get older?
Throughout these changes, one thing remains common: our attraction to sound and
moving visuals. As media and information literates, we must be aware of not just what
these are, but also how these can become effective agents of communication.

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 What’s New

Has any of the following happened to you?

1. You watched a foreign language film without any subtitle.
2. You stayed in a province where people speak a language that you do not
understand.
3. You answer a choppy or garbled call.

During that instance, did you experience “hearing” something or “listening” to

something? Wait, you might ask, what is the difference between hearing and listening.
Think for a while about these two words before proceeding to this lesson.

Let me share with you one of my personal ways of enjoying them. I would watch
foreign language movies and turn off the subtitles. You might find it a crazy idea of
viewing something with a language that I do not understand, and to be honest, I would
miss listening to the dialogue and instead just hear alien-sounding utterances of the
characters. But then, there are more sounds in a foreign language film that can be
listened to than can be heard. The non-language sounds matter so much because these
are things that I can listen to, and through these, I am able to appreciate the sound
component of the film.

Hearing, as defined in www.umn.edu, is simply the act of perceiving sound by

ear. However, listening is a conscious experience that requires concentration so that
the brain can process meaning.

I recall a TV program I watched years back, where Freddie Aguilar recalled the
times he has his most famous song “Anak” to an audience that did not understand any
Tagalog word. Aguilar said that, despite the language barrier, he saw tears in the eyes
of the audience. That is a clear proof that sound alone is a contributing factor in
appreciating a content. Therefore, you must be very careful in handling sound in
crafting your work.

Going back to my “unusual viewing experience,” there is another factor that

makes me appreciate movies. Without subtitles to read, I tend to focus on every
movement in the film. That is very important, because movies do not rely only on
dialogue to tell a story. The visual component is just as important as sound.

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 Filipino actress
Jaclyn Jose will be
known forever in history
as the first Southeast
Asian to win Best Actress
in the prestigious
Cannes Film Festival for
the Brillante Mendoza
film “Ma’Rosa.” While
some critics would
comment that Jose did
not deserve the award,
the festival jury defended
Retrieved from https://paradigmshifter0912.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/ma-rosa-
Jose for her intensity of 2.png?w=634
her acting and would cite
the final scene that was a shattering experience. So what is that scene? Rosa (Jose’s
character) eating squid balls. What’s so dramatic about that? Have you experienced
chewing food that you cannot swallow because you’re holding back your tears? That’s
the scene that Jaclyn Jose successfully portrayed in visual form.

The spectacular mix of sound and movement in film dictates its power in
storytelling. This is what we will begin exploring now. Do keep these in mind as they
are all needed for you to craft your final output for this course.

What is It

Audio Media

Sound is an essential component of media. Your choice of sound and means of sound
production can make or break the information you wish to convey. The sounds that are
used in multimedia presentations come in different types. What are these? Marshall
(2001) cites three:

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1. Music often elicits emotions and arousal from listeners Calvert (2014). It is effective
in mood setting and stimulates listeners in performing various personal tasks such
as studying and meditating, as well as social
functions like for courtship rituals, for the creation
and maintenance of friendships, as a topic of
conversation, and as a way to encourage dancing
(Roberts & Christenson, 2001 on Calvert 2014).
Adolescents use music primarily for mood regulation
(Christenson & Roberts, 1998). Females consider
music as a means to improve their mood or dwell on
melancholic emotions, while males are more likely to
use music for excitement. (Larson, Kubey, & Colletti,
1989, on Calvert, 2014)

2. Sound effects makes specific points, provides hint

to the setting in the absence of visuals (e.g., squeaky
doors, explosions, rustling leaves, etc.)

Sound effects are grouped into four (Schneider,

"Foley Room at the Sound Design
2009) Campus" by vancouverfilmschool is
licensed under CC BY 2.0

a. Hard sound
Those that appear on screen and are synchronized to the picture, recorded
directly as what they are.

b. Foley sounds
Equally synchronized on screen but are not the original sound as what they
appear to be. That means that they are recorded and mixed to appear as another
sound on screen.

c. Background sound
All sounds that indicate ambience settings. They do not need to be synchronized
to the picture. Ambience sounds are usually recorded in real life application in
nature and then mixed. Common background effects include weather ambience
and forest ambience, traffic sounds, etc.

d. Design sound
Describes a palette of sounds that usually do not occur in nature (laser weapon).
They may be created from scratch with various audio editing tools and with the
help of effect processors.

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3. Narration is spoken message that often gives the most direct information. This
is the most essential content in some media formats, such as audiobooks
designed for the visually-impaired people or for those who want an alternative
listening experience in novels and other traditional reading content. Henriques
(2018) says that there are four types of narration:

a. Fully-Voiced Reading (solo narration)

Probably the most recognized style of reading. All of the characters are
vocalized in a dramatic fashion or in a way that makes the characters
distinguishable from one another, maintained throughout the entire
audiobook, and usually all done by one voice actor/narrator.

b. Partially-Voiced Reading (solo narration)

Made when the voiced production (usually done by one narrator) focuses on
giving certain characters a distinguishable voice – most commonly the
protagonists or any character who has a distinctive voice in the narration.
The other characters, normally the minor ones, do not need to sound
dramatically different from one another.

c. Unvoiced Readings (solo narration)

The narrator reads the story in a natural, more straightforward tone. There
are no changes in voice for different characters. The story is told in the
narrator’s voice and the whole book is usually voiced by one voice actor.

d. Multicast Readings / Full Cast Readings

There is more than one voice actor hired to read the audiobook. This can
range from two characters (duet narration) or more.

Audio File Formats

Sound comes in various digital formats. Schmidt (2020) posts 7 popular audio file
types in www.canto.com:

1. M4A is an mpeg-4 audio file or audio-compressed file used because of increased

quality demand as a result of cloud storage and bigger hard drive space in
contemporary computers. It is preferred due to its high quality.

2. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio file compressed into a smaller
size of the original file. It is not frequently used compared to other sound file
formats because it often needs special downloads to function. The advantage of
FLAC is, being a lossless audio file, its compression can save size and promote
sharing of an audio file while being able to return to the original quality standard.

3. MP3 is an MPEG audio layer 3 file format preferred because its compression
saves valuable space while maintaining near-flawless quality of the original
source of sound. MP3’s high quality and small size is very popular for all mobile
audio-playing devices. It is compatible with nearly every device capable of reading

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 audio files. The MP3 is probably best used for extensive audio file sharing due to
its manageable size. It also works well for websites that host audio files.

4. MP4 is an audio file type is a comprehensive media extension, capable of holding

audio, video and other media. The MP4 contains data in the file, rather than
code. This is important to note as MP4 files require different codecs to implement
the code artificially and allow it to be read.

5. WAV is a Waveform Audio File that stores waveform data. The waveform data
stored demonstrates strength of volume and sound in specific parts of the WAV
file. It is entirely possible to transform a WAV file using compression, though it
is not standard. WAV is typically used on Windows systems. They are usually
uncompressed audio files, though it’s not a requirement of the format.

6. WMA (Windows Media Audio) is Windows-based alternative to the more

common and popular MP3 file type. Its advantage is its lossless compression,
retaining high audio quality throughout all types of restructuring processes.
Despite its quality, it is not the most popular do to its inaccessibility to many
users, especially those who don’t use the Windows operating system.

7. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is an audio file that delivers decently high-
quality sound and is enhanced using advanced coding. It has never been one of
the most popular audio formats, especially when it comes to music files, but the
AAC does still serve some purpose for major systems. This includes popular
mobile devices and video gaming units, where the AAC is a standard audio
component.

Some Tips for Low-Cost Sound Designing

At this point, you might feel that the discussion of audio media is becoming more
and more technical and consequently, impractical, especially with the minimal
technology that we have. That has been my problem too. So, I intend to simplify
matters by discussing something of a personal level.

As I have mentioned earlier, I love films, but not just in the viewing level. I enjoy
telling stories through movies, and I do this with CinemaCampo, a group of students
with whom I can share my experience in filmmaking. We have been making film for
six years now, and we’ve had winning and losing moments, all of which are great
learning experience that add up to our pile of skills. We do not have high-end
equipment, and sometimes, we even settle in using the most basic filmmaking gadget
to date: a smart phone. Simple as it is, it still works wonders in telling stories. For
the first time (yes, this is history), I am sharing with you some of the tips we have
gathered these years. These are basics, and you may even have a better technique.
Nevertheless, I hope you would get something from this and use your learning in
your final performance task.

1. Never underestimate the power of natural sound.

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 The sounds made by nature and by industry is the best musical score you can
use in your videos. When you shoot a scene, keep everybody silent and let the
natural ambient sound go with the action.

2. Create your own sound bank.

A sound bank comes in handy in case you need all natural and original sound.
Keep your sound recorder (your phone, that is) handy at all times. Record a quiet
night with only crickets and cicadas making sound, a rainfall, a busy street,
strong winds, and more. When the time comes that you would need ambient
sound, you will already have something available.

3. Go for original music, otherwise, search for royalty free music.

When you upload a video with an incorporated copyrighted music, social media
might instantly mute it because it violates copyright rules. In case you really
need that particular song, ask somebody to do a cover of it for your use. Social
media will not mute covers. Aside from this, you may opt to use royalty free
music. Often times, the creators of this music do not ask for any royalty or talent
fee except that their works must be duly cited in the end.

4. Eliminate unnecessary noise as much as possible.

Sometimes, you cannot demand complete silence because of some

circumstances. Based on our experience, our most common sound problems are
wind, industrial noise, neighborhood noise (including the videoke),
uncontrollable bystanders, and unmindful production team. The remedy is
simple: shut them up or move away. For instance, we shot a scene along the
river, and even if we want to record the natural sound of rushing water, we just
could not do it because the river is right beside the express way. To solve the
problem, we went to another creek, far from any unwanted noise, and recorded

A scene from “Kinamulatan” (2016). This creek scene was shot directly beside South Luzon
Expressway, so we could not totally use the recorded sound in the area. Good thing, we had another
river footage without the traffic sound, so we looped it all throughout the sequence.

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 the sound of running waters. If this is impossible, you can use natural sound
downloaded from a free source on the internet.

5. Be careful with your voice recordings.

Some video contents rely greatly of voice component, like the instructional video
materials currently being produced for DepEd TV, and poor sound can affect the
content’s effectiveness, especially if the message is on the voice component itself.
This is one of our downfalls in some filmmaking competitions, so we have been
very cautious about this.

The basic rule in sound recording is to direct the recording equipment as close
as possible to the sound source. A microphone can easily accomplish this task.
Good microphones are getting cheaper and more accessible these days, thanks
to online shops, but in case you can produce do not have any yet, your smart
phone can come in handy. Recording a voice-over, that is when the speaker does
not have to appear on video, is simple. Just go to an isolated room and start
recording. However, make sure that you are away from white noise, or
unnecessary ambient sound. Turn of the air conditioning unit or electric fan to
remove the constant humming sound. Echoing sound may be reduced if you
record in a room with enough fixtures to absorb echoes, such as curtains. I had
an experience recording with so much distracting noise around – the neighbors’
chickens, my pet dog, vehicles passing by – and I had to cover myself and my
phone with towels just to lessen the external sounds. It was awkward, but it
worked!

You will have more noise

problems when you record
outdoors. Even a faint
breeze can produce
unpleasant hustling sound.
If the speaker must be far
from the camera, such as in
long or full body shots, get
another phone for a
separate recording. Plug in
the earphones with built-in Behind the scenes of our short film “BagongHakbangsaPangarap”
mic, hide it in his/her (2015). We would have wanted to use natural conversation sound,
clothing, and make sure the but the wind was disrupting our voice recorder. We opted to dub
mic is close to his/her the dialogue, making sure that the separate voice recording was
done outdoors to avoid the enclosed room sound.
mouth. During editing, just
remove the sound from the
video recording and use the sound from the hidden recorder.

Dubbing, the process of syncing video with sound that is not recorded at the
same time, is an option, but I do not recommend it if you only have basic
equipment. It is a good way to get rid of unnecessary noise, but it entails a lot of

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 rehearsals so that the movement of the mouth goes at the same pace with the
vocal recording. We made a terrible mistake in dubbing, where in we recorded
sound in a room for an outdoor scene. The result was awkward. Therefore, if you
really have to dub and you do not have a good sound editing equipment, ensure
that your location is the same as with the video to be dubbed. If the scene is
internal, record in a room; if it is external, record outdoors, and remember to
stay away from distracting noise.

6. Balance layers of sound.

This is a problem we encounter when there is more than one layer of sound in a
video, say, a layer for voice, a second layer for music, and a third layer for
ambient sound. Remember to decrease the volume of the secondary and tertiary
sound in order to highlight the primary sound. For instance, your video may
begin with music, but lower its volume once the voice over enters. You may
increase the music volume again after the voice over narration.

What’s More

Motion Media
It is quite odd to teach the dynamics of movement in a printed medium (this module,
that is), but I guess we can manage through pictures and diagrams for now. If you
have access to the internet, you can watch related videos through YouTube. Check
out the links as we progress through this lesson.

Movement is another dimension that affects media and information. Every single
movement that is incorporated in a video production contributes to the storytelling
process or to elicit the desired emotions from the viewers. The Nashville Film
Institute (2020) lists down the following purposes of movement in a video.

1. Creating dynamic scenes

Consider the camera as the viewer’s eyes on a story; therefore, how the camera
moves dictates how the viewers see a scene. Movements can make a scene more
interesting. Say for instance a basketball scene wherein the camera moves inside
the court throughout the game. It conveys the idea that the viewer is one of the
players in the game. On the other hand, that same basketball scene shot from
afar makes the viewer a spectator of the game. Which of these two is more
exciting?

2. Influencing audiences’ emotional reactions:

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 As movement stands for the audience’s view, it can also influence emotions.
Shooting a gang war scene with shaky hand-held camera lets the audience feel
the chaos of the event, swaying the camera on a boat scene commands sea-
sickness. I remember watching “Saving Private Ryan” which begins with a
prolonged war scene perfectly executed with hand-held camera tracking the
struggle of soldiers in the epic Battle of Normandy. The movement was so
disturbing and dizzying, I just prayed war would stop soon.

3. Directing audiences’ attention:

Camera movements can hide audiences’ vision and pull audiences away from
certain elements on-screen.

4. Controlling reveals:
Adding camera movements is also a great way to provide narrative information,
reveal new subjects that were once offscreen, and even foreshadow or create
ironic tension that characters are unaware of.

Basic Camera Movement

The camera is the

basic equipment to
record movement.
Other devices, like
the tripod, sliders,
gimbal, dolly, and
drone contribute to
the quality of the
captured video. They
can be improvised,
though. All it takes in
a bit of creativity to
get things done.

Clark (2016) mentions https://help.sketchup.com/sites/help.sketchup.com/files/images/sketchup-1220896-

six basic movements CameraMoves.png

that are doable even

with minimal equipment:

1. Dolly The name comes from the tracks be laid down for the heavy camera to
move along. The phrase dolly-in means step towards the subject with the camera,
while dolly-out means to step backwards with the camera, keeping the zoom the
same. This type of camera movement is often used to focus on a character when
they’re lost in thought or when they’ve come to a sudden realization. (NFI, 2020)

2. Pedestal Moving the camera up or down without changing its vertical or

horizontal axis. A camera operator can do two types of pedestals: pedestal up
means “move the camera up;” pedestal down means “move the camera

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 down.”This movement is best used to shoot a tall character or subject. To use it
effectively, move the entire camera up or down on a tripod with respect to the
subject. (NFI, 2020)

3. Truck It is like dollying, but it involves motion left or right. Truck left means
“move the camera physically to the left while maintaining its perpendicular
relationship.”Trucking is often used during action sequences when you want to
keep the camera on a moving character. (NFI, 2020)

4. Pan Moving the camera lens to one side or another, as if you are looking
from left to right or vice versa. Panning can help you establish the location of a
scene or let you follow a moving character. Panning can also help you reveal
things that were previously off-screen. (NFI, 2020).

5. Tilt Moving the cameras lens up or down while keeping its horizontal axis
constant, as if you are nodding. Tilting the camera can also help you reveal an
object or person that was not on screen before and add an element of surprise to
the scene you’re setting. (NFI, 2020)

6. Roll Moving the camera onto its side is a roll, the way a dog does when he
doesn't understand. This is a very rare movement, and one you should only use
for very specific purposes.

Here are some other useful camera movement styles.

7. Zoom This technique allows you to move closer (zoom in) or farther an object
(zoom out) without physically moving the camera (Leu, 2020). Instead, the
camera’s lens does the job. This might lessen the image’s quality, that is why the
dolly becomes a better option.

8. Following shot This is a type of tracking shot in which the camera continuously
follows the subject’s action. (Leu, 2020). Following shots using handheld camera
results to bumpy or shaky video, which may convey a realistic sense. Steadicams
and gimbals may be used to create smoother following shots, but if you do not
have this, you can still opt for the hand-held style, but stay relaxed to avoid the
shakes. To execute this, I normally bend my knees a bit to lessen the impact of
walking.

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 What I Have Learned

Filmmaking may be difficult, but it is a very rewarding experience. The joy of seeing
my work on screen makes me feel that I have preserved something very precious,
which I can share to the whole world. I hope I can give you at least a bit of that joy
through this lesson.

Here are screen shots from “Ligaw,” a short film we produced in 2019. As we go
through the story, keep in mind also our previous lesson on visual media, as motion
and visuals in film go side by side. I will also provide some notes on why we decided
to use the shots. By the way, we used a couple of royalty free music from Kevin
MacLeod, but the main music is an original composition entitled “Agos.” Moreover,
the color is desaturated, almost in the sepia tone. What do you think is the purpose
of washing out the color from this film?

Briefly answer the questions that you will encounter.

Frame 1 Frame 2 Frame 3

Music starts, and the scene fades in. Jim, a young biker, travels along the highway,
and it takes six different frames in one setting to show his travel, (We used GoPro
for this scene, either held by our cameraman-biker or attached in the Jim’s bike)
and while biking is a fun and trendy hobby with friends, we see Jim travelling
alone, with a dragging song that speaks of life’s troubles setting the mood. At this
point, we sense the problem.

QUESTION 1: What camera movement is seen on Frame 2?

Frame 4 Frame 5

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Jim returns home and finds it empty again, with only notes on the wall from his
sister, instructing his to eat on his own and clean his bedroom which he always
lock. If you see the film, you will find this portion as a single take, showing how
the spacious house feels gloomy and lonely.

QUESTION 2: What camera angle is seen on Frame 4?

Frame 6 Frame 7 Frame 8

QUESTION 3: Are Frames 8 and 9 full shot? If not what are they?

Frame 9 Frame 10

Jim’s unkempt room is a mix of pointless light and shadows. Even the sound he
produces with his guitar is pointless. On the walls are the sketches he made. No
one (not even I) knows what is in his mind, but the visuals would give us a hint of
his troubled mind. (We were inspired by the drawings of a teen actress who
committed suicide. Her disturbing sketches were analyzed in order to help other
teenagers suffering from depression.) Then, Jim is seen on the streets again, biking
his way to darkness.

Frame 11 Frame 12 Frame 13

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 Frame 14 Frame 15

Morning comes and Jim wakes up in an unfamiliar place, with a mysterious lady
that appears from a distance, even if Jim begins to approach her.

QUESTION 4: Frame 14 is an establishing shot. What is its purpose?

Frame 16 Frame 17 Frame 18

Frame 19 Frame 20 Frame 21

(Shooting these scenes are challenging because we wanted the camera to follow
Jim through a demolished house, with the rough grounds and lack of camera
stabilizer resulting to shaky footage, which is what we really intended for this
sequence.)

Frame 22 Frame 23

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 Frame 24 Frame 25 Frame 26

After an exchange of words, Jim is able to come closer to the mysterious lady, as
if enchanted by her. They share a dance, and he wishes not to leave the place
anymore, but the lady reminds him that all must come to an end.

Frame 27 Frame 28

Observe how the shots of Jim and the lady together changes from long hot to
extreme close up

QUESTION 5: What do you think is the purpose of cropping the head in a close-up
shot?

Frame 29 Frame 30 Frame 31

Jim thinks of the people he will leave behind, his family, classmates and biking
circle. They move farther and farther away, as if saying goodbye for good.

QUESTION 6: Frames 29 to 31 are dolly shots? What do you call the dolly shot that
moves farther from subject?

Frame 31 Frame 32 Frame 33

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Jim decides to leave, but the lady doubts if he could return. Jim promises he will
be back for her, and in one static shot, we see how slow and difficult moving away
is for Jim. He takes the long road away again and crosses the bridge.

Frame 34 Frame 35

QUESTION 7: Recall for a while the lesson on visual media. Why must the main
subject of the frame be moved away from the center, as seen on Frame 34?

QUESTION 8: Frame 35 shows Jim, partially hidden by the metal bars, riding his
bike from right to left? In a culture oriented to read from left to right, what does the
right-to-left movement mean?

Frame 36

In a sudden twist, we see what really happens to Jim.

QUESTION 9: In order to establish the twist of the story, Frames 35 and 36 are taken
in one shot, moving from the bridge, down to the river where we see Jim’s lifeless
body. Since our production team do not have a pedestal, what camera movement
did we use to capture this scene?

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 Frame 37 Frame 38 Frame 39

Jim finally “arrives” home, invisible to his sister and to his friends who drops by
to ask about Jim’s absence. It is at that moment when Jim realizes what has
happened to him and cries over his fate. The mysterious lady visits and concludes
the story with the words, “’Di ba ang sabi ko sa ‘yo, hindi ka na makababalik?
(Didn’t I tell you that you cannot come back anymore?”

Frame 40 Frame 41

QUESTION 10: Observe the orientation of Frames 40 and 41. What do you think is
the reason why the scene set like that?

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