Introduction to Narration

Narration is a technique, which at its simplest means "telling back". However, in its fullest
educational benefit there is more happening than simply comprehension.

Narration is the fundamental ingredient that ties all the other elements of a video production
together. Narration provides continuity, structure and vital information. It serves as a tour guide for
the audience and an organisational tool for the producer. Narration can clarify, embellish and
reinforce key information that may otherwise slip by your audience.

Essentially, narration tells a story or conveys a message verbally. It can be used extensively
throughout a video as a running monologue, or it can be used sparsely, to help clarify complex
information. However, as simple as narration is, good narration is elusive. All too often, video
producers concentrate solely on the visuals, overlook the value of narration and end up putting
audiences to sleep with a lifeless, droning monotone.

There are three essential ingredients for creating high-quality narration: a wellwritten script, smooth
delivery and a crisp, clear recording. For this article, we will make a few basic assumptions: 1) you
have a camcorder and an external microphone. 2) You have a script. 3) You have someone to read
your script into the microphone.

Recording

Sound Recording into your computer is not too hard though it require knowledge of some key points.
Many programs are available to record sound; your computer even comes with a free recorder.

Requirement for recording:

 Recording space is necessary, i.e., free of ambient noise as possible. The lowest noises such as of a
moving fan or car or refrigerator running can showup in your recording as "white noise".

 The windows should be closed and may be soundproof. The mic should be positioned as far away
from the computer as possible to minimise recorded fan noise.

 Position your mouth about an inch away and an inch to the side of the microphone to maximise
sound absorption without breathing noise, while making vocal recordings

Before you record anything, always adjust the mic input level so that it does not recording anything
scrap before you start-making noise. Basically, the levels should be non-existent.

Dynamic Range
Dynamic range is the ratio of the loudest part of the sound and the quietest part of the sound that is
measured in Decibel level (abbreviated as DB) units. Dynamic range is present in all kinds of sound
whether it is any sound, music, ambient noise or dialogue.

When you work with analogue recording the tape noise is always present and this decides the lower
limit of the dynamic range which is also known as noise floor. In addition, this extra noise or the
hissing sound present when you playback the footage is quite annoying by many film makers.
Moreover, because of this noise it immediately leads to a low budget production; hence this should
be avoided. But we will learn how this noise can be limited or it can be reduced or it can be totally
eliminated in postproduction while you are recording.

Compressors, expanders and noise gates are processing devices used in audio to alter the dynamic
range of a given signal. It is done to achieve a more consistent sound when recording or as a special
effect

AUDIO FREQUENCY

Frequency is the measurement of how frequently sound waves hit the human ear. The higher the
frequency, the higher the pitch. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). A male voice in a conversation
normally has a range of about 100 – 8000 Hz (8 kHz). The female voice in the same situation will have
slightly higher frequencies ranging from 180 – 10,000 Hz (10 kHz).

Human can decipher sounds as low as 20 Hz but in going lower than that, the sound can only be
“felt” by the body, not heard. Likewise, sounds above 20,000 Hz are rarely audible to human and can
only be heard by dogs and bats

Following are the Frequency with description:

 16 to 32 Hz: The human threshold of feeling and the lowest pedal notes of a pipe organ

 32 to 512 Hz: Rhythm frequency

 8192 to 16384 Hz: Brilliance, the sounds of bells and the ringing of cymbals

EQUALIZERS

Equalisers are sometimes found in the sound recording devices and they can be edited during
production or they can be found in Non-linear Editing Systems (NLE) in post production also. When
you edit low frequencies, you can make deep noises even deeper. For example, the sound of a low
grumbling noise like that of an engine can be exaggerated by editing the low frequencies. In addition,
at the same time you can increase high frequencies to make high frequencies such as the sound of a
violin sound even „brighter”.

If you want to create audio effects that are similar to the sound that you hear and you put your ear
plugs for that you would have to lower the higher frequencies without changing the bass. This will
make the sound a bit muted and dull

If you want to create an audio effect where you want to make feel that someone is speaking on the
other end of a telephone for that you need to turn down both the high and low frequencies and can
boost the mid frequencies.

You will also learn that the human voice occupies these mid ranges. Telephones have a narrow
frequency response (mid range) allowing you to mimic the sound in your postproduction by altering
the high and low frequencies accordingly.
Introduction to Loops
A loop is a sample or region in an audio file that is repeated during playback. Samples are finite and
frequently very short in length. Therefore, they must be repeated (or looped) to create longer or
sustaining sounds

Loops can be repeated by using tape loops, delay effects, cutting between two record players,
sampling, sampler or computer software.

Many musicians now a days use digital hardware and software devices to create and modify loops,
often in conjunction with various electronic musical effects and instrument. These loops are one of
the most important features of video game music used for the background

Some of the most widely used Software are, Digi design’s Pro Tools, Sony's ACID and Sound Forge,
Cakewalk Sonar, Recycle, GarageBand, FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops), Propeller head’s Reason and
Ableton Live.

Loops are also available on net, so for homemade projects, one can search for free loops in formats
like Wav, MP3, Aif, and Midi Sound Format. There are also paid loops available created by
professionals that can be used more in professional work.

Understanding Loops

A sound envelope contains four elements:

 Attack

 Decay

 Sustain

 Release

Typically, the sustain portion of the envelope is looped to lengthen the duration of a sound. This is
referred to as the sustaining loop. While sustaining loops are useful, it is frequently necessary to
create a second loop, taken from later in the envelope.

1. Attack

The way a sound is initiated is called attack.

There are two types of attack:

 Fast

 slow

Fast attack:

The closer the attack of a sound (A) is to the peak (B) of a sound, the faster its a ttack is.

Example:
 Gunshots

 Footsteps

 Door slams

Slow attack:

Sounds that have a slow attack take longer to build to the sustain level.

Example:

 A dog's short warning growl prior to bark

 Stepping on a dry leaf

 Slowly tearing a sheet of paper

 Closing a door slowly

 An entire thunderclap

2. Decay

The actual time it takes for a sound to diminish to silence is the decay time. In simpler words, the
decrease in amplitude when a vibrating force has been removed is called decay and when this sound
decays is its rate of decay.

Example:

 Indoors (small enclosed area) little decay and with very little or no reverberation

 outdoors (open area) long decay with an echo

The end of a sound is often referred to as the "tail" of a sound and conversely, the beginning of a
sound is its "head".

3. Sustain

The Sound he length of time that the sound will sustain is dependent upon the energy from the
source vibrations on reaching its peak. When the source sound stops, the sound will begin to decay.

Manipulating the sustain time by modifying a sound or create a totally new one.

4. Release

time It is the time taken for the level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is released.

History of Background Music

Background music is used to add emotion and rhythm to a film. Usually you will find that the
background music is not normally noticeable but it provides a tone, an emotional attitude towards
the story and the character depicted. These dwell in your mind and heart for many years. In addition,
the background music many a times foreshadows a change in mood. For example, inharmonious
music may be used in a film to indicate an approaching but still not visible danger or calamity.

Background music helps the viewer understand by linking scenes. For example, a particular musical
theme associated with an individual character or situation may be repeated at various points in a film
and that is done in order to remind the audience of salient motives and ideas. It sets relatedness to
the theme, character, idea, concept, situation, etc.

Film sound comprises conventions and innovations. We have come to expect an acceleration of
music during car chases and creaky doors in horror films and melodious music that reminds you of
romantic situations. Yet, it is important to note as well that sound is often brilliantly conceived. The
effects of sound are often largely subtle and often are noted by only our subconscious minds. Yet, it
necessitates us to foster an awareness of film sound as well as film space in order to truly appreciate
a twentieth century art form, the modern film.

Types of Background Music

1. Antecedents
In the Baroque and Classical music era, music was mainly performed as a background to
other activities.
Examples:
 French kings of the baroque era used to have music performed during their stately dinners.
 Opera and other public music performances had very high "social function" that few
people would actually listen to the music being performed.
2. Incidental Music
Incidental music is the music in a play, radio, TV program or any other form that is not mainly
musical. It adds an atmosphere to the action. It can be dated back at least as far as Greek
drama. You will find that classical composers have written incidental music for various types
of plays.
3. Furniture Music
Furniture music was invented in 1920 by Erik Satie. This type of "background music" fell into
forgetfulness when the composer died a few years later and was not again executed until it
was rediscovered several decades after. Typical of Furniture music are short musical passages
that are with an indefinite number of repeats.
4. Elevator Music
Elevator music is a more general term that shows music that is played in rooms where many
people come together and these people come with no intention whatsoever to listen to
music. There is a specific sound associated with elevator music and normally it involves
themes from "soft" popular music or "light" classical music being worked over by slow
strings. This type of music was produced around 1970s by the Mantovani Orchestra and
conductors such as Franck Pourcel and James Last.
5. Ambient Music
The term Ambient music is used when more but often less distinguishable influences like
elements of Jazz or sounds from nature are mixed together in the "soundscape." However,
 some producers and composers of "ambient music" or "soundscapes" or similar types of
music; might not have any intention to use the qualifier "background" for their music.
6. Foreground Music
In contrast to background music, foreground music is projected to be listened to actively.
Lifestyle Companies, in particular, like to employ foreground music, individually compiled and
scheduled to increase customer loyalty and time spent in their stores. However, sometimes
the opposite effect is achieved: if the music proves to be too intrusive, it may drive people
out of the store. Very often, these companies have professional DJs select music matching
their brand. In most cases, currently popular chart music is used.

What is a Soundtrack

In today‟s time and even since long sound always played a major role in films as the gaming industry
is coming up, sound we all know crates an impact in the game, the 3d films still have sound as a
major component in making the audience engrossed into the film. Moreover, why this is so popular
is because of the fact that surround sound has been one of the implementations since decades that
brings sound “off the screen” and has became a very important part ever since 1970s.

Soundtrack is the output of the recording made by the Sound editor consisting of a narrow motion
picture strip. The soundtrack could be then synchronized with the video to create breath-taking
effects. This recorded strip can consist of various audio elements such as narration, dialogue, effects,
background compiled into one clip/track or separate. The elements should be mixed and balanced
together to produce the desired acceptable result.

Sound has been the life of movies and theatres; without sound it would be difficult to imagine a
good play or film, it is just a flower with an alluring scent. Though we might think that movies are
only for good virtual experience but we cannot discredit the film music. A right music score can make
a bad movie good and a good movie great. Now this important job a Sound editor to add the
background scores and make the shots memorable for the audience. Many decades have gone in
experimenting with the sound, we have come to know the way to associate sound with the visuals
e.g. A sad scene has a background sound with lower tones.

The points to be remembered for a good soundtrack for movies:

1. The soundtrack must be workable for any audience whether sitting in front, back or middle while
watching the movie.

2. The soundtracks must work same and must be workable in any kind of screening theater, in the
most premiere theatre to a small town theatre.

3. The requirement of the surround soundtracks in film that is being developed.

Because of the above three reasons the actual use of 5.1 has reduced and diffused. We know that
the two surround channels of 5.1 are discrete channels and they are mixed up by mixing and
playback. In an actual theatre, the discrete surround Left and surround Right signals are individually
fed to a series of speakers and these speakers, some are on the rear side walls and some are on the
rear wall and this arrangement or setup makes point location of sounds difficult. with 7.1 discrete
channels, which are provided to the left and right side speakers, along with this is the discrete signal
for diffuse rear speakers and this set up makes it possible to control each element separately and this
diffuses in the rear discretely.