The Visual Atmosphere

Today we got talking about atmosphere: what it is, and how it can be created. Cinematic atmosphere was discussed in the most detail.
Having recently filled the role of camera operator/director of photography on a short film for a media subject, and given that the crew is currently spending most of our time in the editing suites, the importance of atmosphere becomes all the more apparent. In post-production sound, we've had to consider 'atmosphere tracks' for most of our scenes (as do all short and feature-length film crews). The atmosphere track can add many layers of depth to a scene and its characters. Through the simple use of a sound effect, a female character, for example, can be established as a mother -- perhaps even a strung-out mother, if that sound effect is a perpetually crying child; a location can be established through sound, for example, the visual may be of any room, but adding sounds of people fighting loudly, trains and traffic, and/or loud music, the location can be established as a busy apartment block on a main road.
An example from our film would be the adding of muffled voices off-screen during a scene featuring only our main female character, to establish her mind-set as unstable, anxious and distracted by the views and opinions of other people around her.

Atmosphere can also be established visually. Through photography (where there is no sound) the setting of atmosphere is perhaps even more crucial. Take, for example, Gregory Crewdson's 2007 photograph 'Birth'.

(image credit)

Crewdson sets the atmosphere with the snow on the ground; the dark/overcast tone outdoors contrasted with the bright, fluorescent lights inside the room. The woman turning her back to the child on the bed. This scene feels cold. Temperature-wise and emotionally.

INTERVIEW: BENNY BOI

BENNY BOI is an aspiring, young Australian DJ kind enough to chat with me about his music, influences and how he got started not too long ago.

Benny Boi first became interested in making music in his early teens when he saw his brother using a program called FL Studio, a Digital Audio Workstation that allows anyone to make simple electronic music just with a computer (anyone being the operative word, as yours truly used this program for a Sound Project). Benny Boi claims to have been terrible at it when he first began and wasn't entirely interested in it. He also knew nothing about music theory which, he believes is "just as important when producing electronic music." Agreed (looking at you, David Guetta).

But shortly after, Benny Boi discovered a musician named deadmau5, who he thought was making "really beautiful House music" using similar programs. This instantly inspired him to keep trying, and "all of a sudden I knew I really wanted to make music". Piano lessons and experience helped the music theory side of things and as the years went on Benny Boi's knowledge increased and his skills developed into something that could actually help him make "something not half-bad".

Last year Benny Boi was contacted by someone from one of the websites where he used to share his music, asking if he was interested in sending some demos to the label this certain someone was signed to. He then sent them a few songs and he ended up being signed. He had three songs in total available for purchase on several stores online, including iTunes and Beatport. Unfortunately the label closed down this year and Benny Boi's songs have now been taken down, but he remains optimistic, saying "it was still a great insight into the industry!"

So tell us Benny Boi, what are you currently working on? 

I'm currently working on trying to blend all of the different styles I like into one overarching sound, my end goal being to make something that everybody can like (radio friendly even) but still stay true to the less popular sounds that I love. I would really love to get signed to Future Classic but I'm a very lazy person and I'm not doing enough to achieve that.

INTERVIEW: SILVER STRAIN

Silver Strain: the video and music editor from Germany whose name and gender we're still unsure of. Judging from the 'about' section on the official Facebook page -- simply Art is a woman with 100 heads -- we'd say this enigma likes it that way. For the purposes of this interview, let's say Silver Strain is a scary German man with a penchant for human sacrifice (seriously, watch his videos). He also likes Vietnamese food. But, really, who doesn't like Vietnamese food. It's fucking awesome. The head honcho at Black Bvs Records was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about what he's been up to.

Firstly, I love your style. It's like you've taken images straight out of my own brain.

In that case I like your brain. Thanks for the kind words.

Atmosphere Project

Project Proposal:

Our project idea aims to draw an emotional response from participants who are removed from their daily lives for a period of twelve hours overnight and kept in a windowless room, without access to food or toilet facilities, whereby the only other being they come into contact with is a disembodied voice. How would this make them feel? And why? In particular, the lack of multi-media and technology creates an atmosphere in which humans need to face deep down emotions which the aforementioned technology distracts us from in our daily lives. By removing this component, the effects of a 12 hour overnight period in which participants are tired from the day and unable to access the modes of technology they have become so reliant on, could be quite enlightening.

We will be teaming up with La Trobe's psychology students to make sure the experiment is ethically sound. Participants would be properly debriefed with a psychologist in the aftermath of the experiment to prevent any lasting emotional trauma, as well as to gauge their response(s) and the reason(s) behind it.