SearbySound

Interactive Audio in Gaming

As touched upon in other blog posts regarding video game audio, the concept of interactive audio is a topic of great interest and in this particular blog I will be taking a more in-depth look at it. First things first, what is interactive audio? Another term for interactive audio many enthusiasts and professionals use is adaptive audio. Guy Whitmore, an author featured on the Gamasutra states that “Adaptive audio is a term used to describe audio and music that reacts appropriately to – and even anticipates – gameplay.”

From this statement we can discern that we are, to a certain extent, talking about artificial intelligence within audio. Coincidentally I have recently created a podcast discussing just that alongside my colleague Chris Solman and we explored a number of different topics regarding AI. The fundamental knowledge present through each topic was that AI is the scientific practice of programming a computer so that it can learn from data, aka machine learning. So when I talk about the interactivity and adaptability in game audio, I would like readers to bear in mind that we have to consider it is a machine we are teaching to be intelligent; which can then correctly ‘anticipate’ gameplay.

We will proceed with the notion that for audio to be interactive it must first be intelligent. But what makes something intelligent? Well the answer is knowledge and as far as machines are concerned, knowledge is known as data. The more data video game programmers can supply the computer with then there is more available for it to make informed and calculated decisions in regards to the audio or music. The type of data required to influence the direction of game audio or music can range from player positioning in relation to in-game locations, the amount of time spent within a single area, which decisions they make, how many times they have died to their health percentage, if they chose left instead or right and much much more. An intelligent game will gather this information, processing it constantly to make precise and impactful changes to the audio within the game.

The idea is to make interactive audio seem just like regular audio, largely unoticeable until something goes wrong. It is difficult to execute perfectly but AAA games in particular have the funds to record countless variations of audio effects, to accomodate for countless combinations of data through player input.

AI in Audio (Podcast with Chris Solman)

Alongside my colleague Chris Solman, I have put together a podcast that features us both talking about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in audio. The podcast covers a number of different topics from music streaming platforms to AI potentially eliminating the need for audio engineers entirely! The whole thing is about twenty-five minutes long and in that time we progress from pre-planned talking points to following our natural chain of thoughts to considering the wider context and implications of AI within the audio world. This is something we really enjoyed putting together after which we were both left keen to do another in future.

The method for putting the podcast together was relatively straight forward. We followed the main concept of getting two people in a room and letting them just talk about a subject; so we knew we wanted to have two microphones set up in the same recording space as this created the most natural environment for us. Two Rode NT2-A’s with pop shields were positioned facing opposite directions and kept about a foot away from either of our mouths. Obviously there were other options available to us, such as using separate rooms to isolate our individual vocals but it was important for me and Chris to be able to physically see one another as reading body language really aided in creating an engaging conversation.

As you can probably discern from the podcast, Chris’s vocals are slightly louder and warmer than my own. This is no doubt due to our positions in relation to the microphones but after having an entirely natural first take which was predominantly unscripted meant that recording multiple takes wasn’t really an option. If we were to do it again and again until the levels were ‘perfect’ then much of the conversation’s character would have been lost. Steps to avert this in future would be to perhaps consider using a single microphone in a figure of 8 polar pattern or to bring in a separate engineer to manually monitor the control during recording. Overall however, both me and Chris feel we managed to capture an engaging discussion about AI in Audio and plan to take this experience forward to more podcasts in future!

Anyway, here’s the link; note that I had to switch to use my Soundcloud account as the length of the podcast blew my monthly upload limit out the water! Nevertheless, enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/dominic-searby-1/ai-in-audio-podcast-with-chris-solman

The song used in the intro/outro of the podcast is Cage The Elephant’s 2008 track ‘Tiny Little Robots’. Found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eWCT8WFeDg.

This project was completed by me, Dominic Searby, for the MSc Audio Production 2018/2019 at the University of Salford.

This video is intended for educational purposes only.

Virtual Instruments

Hey all! This post is going to be a quick little bit on virtual instruments and what I think their place is in our current music industry. It’s actually an area of audio that I am greatly interested in, having tried my hand at composition for game and film in the past. As I dabbled in the field during University I became astounded by the sheer quality that virtual instruments could offer composers. As a complete nobody sat in a room full of identical computers I was able to command a host of different instruments without even being able to physically play them myself, it was exciting! As I came up with new ideas there was assuredly an instrument on that computer that made the sounds I needed and without having any experience composing for film I had created a half an hour track (amateurishly) that would accompany the on-screen presence of a movie villain. From that point, I wanted to know more and so I began to research.

After doing some digging I stumbled an accomplished film composer called Hanz Zimmer. You have no doubt heard of him and if you haven’t I would still put money on you having heard his music somewhere. Hanz Zimmer composed the music for Christopher Nolan’s 2012 ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘, Ridley Scott’s 2000 ‘Gladiator‘ and also Christopher Nolan’s 2010 ‘Inception‘. These are only three of the blockbuster success movies Hans Zimmer worked on, there are many, many others. However the most important information I uncovered about him and his compositions is that he predominantly uses virtual instruments in his work! Of course, there are instances where he has recorded live instruments and singers to give a piece its own distinct characteristics but for the most part, he will compose an orchestra using a combination of virtual instrument plugins. Listen to parts of the video below and try and tell yourself that the instruments you can hear arn’t real… it’s difficult! They are incredibly faithful to the real thing.

Of course there are instances where he has used live instruments to record as opposed to virtual ones. In these cases it is usually to tie the composition together under a desired theme, his work on Guy Richie’s 2011 ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ where Hans travelled to gypsy villages to record their music first hand. The following video follows Hans on mission to creating the distinct music from the movie.

After being in awe of Hans’s approach to composition I naturally wanted to try my hand so once more, I did some digging. What I found is that with a little bit of a budget (and a reliably fast computer), anybody could get their hands on high-quality virtual instrument libraries some of which Hans has endorsed himself. These libraries are made by Spitfire Audio https://www.spitfireaudio.com/ and offer a wide range of instruments from full orchestras and epic percussion packs to beautifully realised woodwind arrangements. Some of the larger libraries such as Albion One or Iceni come in at a couple hundred pounds each so they arn’t cheap by any means, however, to any amateur composer wanting to take his craft to the next level should seriously consider investing money in these instruments. Hardly anybody has access to the real-life counterparts to these plug ins, so composers today are highly fortunate that such technological wonders exist; the power of cinematic music at the tip of our fingers.

Searby’s Songwriting Sequence

Hey all! This post is going to be a (sort of) follow up from the ‘The Sound Of Searby’ mobile video I uploaded a few weeks back. In that video I very briefly covered the setup I use at home for putting quick song demos together but I wanted to take a moment to talk about how I actually go about writing those songs. The process is different for all songwriters and I thought it might be interesting even just for myself, to write down how my brain works when it comes to penning new ideas down and following them through into demo productions.

Inspiration

Naturally, all art is made because somebody is inspired. That’s the bottom line. It could be love (it’s almost always love), anger, frustration, happyness, curiosity and everything in between. Typically, I will write out of love or longing to be somewhere where I currently am not and this tends to leave me writing songs that act as milestones throughout my life. The most recent themes that will feature on my upcoming EP are exhaustion, determination, longing and of course, love. I am currently writing of my busy time as masters student, retail worker, performer and aspiring songwriter and how obstacles now stand ready to be knocked down. There is a sense of hope within my latest work that will hopefully culminate in a newfound sense of self upon graduating as a student (for the last time!).

Penning Ideas Down

When it comes to actually putting pen on paper, my instinct is to write down the main message or ‘line’ of the song. This isn’t to act as the hook as that is something completely different and usually comes much later in the process. What I’m talking about is the main point of what I’m singing about. For example, I may write ‘I want you to take me seriously!’ and I will often put that at the top of the page as a constant reference point. Throughout my writing this reference will be used for me to check whether or not the lyrics I’m coming up with actually reflect the message I’m trying to convey. I started doing this as I often got lost within my own head which causes a great deal of frustration when it comes to creating fresh lyrics.

Sometimes, when inspiration comes from another song it can be helpful to do straight lyric replacement on that particular song you like. Obviously you can’t end up with the same melody, chords and so forth as that could potentially get you into trouble! But, you can use that as a starting point from which to craft the song. I like to think of this approach as selecting a template to work from, just like you would on a word document. It can be much easier to get into the flow of things if you have some foundations from which to build.

The Kitchen

The kitchen, for me at least, is the only space in my home where I feel the most inspired and able to work. I have no clue as to why this is, but there is something about me sitting on my kitchen worktop that allows me to come up with melodies and lyrics to go with them much more efficiently than other rooms in the house. It’s strange, but I’m confident that every songwriter has a room within their dwelling that is simply their favourite place to write in. The kitchen is usually the space where I will create most of the vocal melodies as I feel the most relaxed when there and thus more inclined to want to use more of my vocal range.

Tools To Use

Every songwriter needs a means to well, write. For a long long time I have been an advocate of simple pen and paper kept with me wherever I go. However, in conjunction with this I have recently started being more inclined to use a small portable recorder to capture ideas. The main reason I had avoided this in the past is the nervousness of speaking or singing into a little device in public, but as my confidence has grown over he years I have overcome this small fear. The benefit of using a recorder is that you can very accurately capture the melody in your head at any given time, which is something most writers struggle to do with pen and paper. This method pretty much eliminates the risk of forgetting that killer hook you came up with on the way home from work and can be a much more comprehensive way of organising your ideas; as they can be neatly filed away digitally.

Getting Feedback

My largest piece of advice to any songwriter that is starting out is to GET FEEDBACK. This can be from anyone you trust, they don’t even necessarily have to also be a songwriter. I also understand that this is probably one of the most difficult things to do because sharing works in progress is scary and you don’t want to get shot down in flames but you have to know that getting feedback allows you to really hone in on the craft of a song. My advice is to obtain a trusted ‘co-writer’ that you can bounce ideas off of that will straight up tell you if something isn’t working or if there is something you can change to make a piece more effective. Welcoming criticisms with open arms is a skill people rarely adopt but from my experience having a mind separate than your own that isn’t flooded with preconceptions or expectations is hugely beneficial to keeping your writing on track. After you have gotten feedback and you are happy with a piece, it’s time to set up the home studio and get a demo recorded!

Stay tuned for more!

Tools of the Trade ( Game Audio Engineer, DAW and Mics)

On this blog I have covered a number of topics regarding game audio, ranging from a very basic ‘shopping list’ of what basic items you may need to get started, to considering the importance of surround sound mixes in games. In this post I would like to take a closer look at the choices game audio engineers face when it comes to selecting a DAW, but more importantly to delve a little deeper into microphone choices.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

As with any project involving audio, having the correct DAW is vital. But what is correct? Well, in this case my best advice would be to work with the DAW that you are most familiar with. This is because a very large part of working with game audio will be editing recordings and so being familiar with the interface layout and shortcuts will save you a lot of time on the ‘leg work’ section and allow for more time actually working with the game itself! If you read my ‘Game Audio – Getting Started’ blog then you will know that I use Reaper, powerful and it’s free for non commercial use; or roughly £60 if you want a full licence. A full Pro Tools license will dig a deep hole in your budget however it is a widely accepted industry standard for a reason and learning how to operate it adeptly will set you apart should you ever go applying for in-house jobs with companies. Fortunately, Pro Tools is available as a pay monthly subscription too which, if you have the budget, can be a cost effective way to get access to perhaps the most renown DAW on the market.

Recording Equipment

While it is entirely possible to source all of your audio online, a true sound designer in any field will source their own audio first hand. There are two main areas to consider when thinking about a home set up and they are the studio and the field. Studio recordings consist of sounds you want to isolate from outside interference, they consist of ADR (dialogue!) and perhaps even music. On the other hand, field recordings consist of everything you might record outside in the real-world. We’re talking animals, ambience, water, footsteps, cars, gunfire etc; pretty much everything you can think of. For this, you are going to need two different types of microphones for each respective environment.

Studio Mic – Condensers

In your bedroom studio you are going to want a condenser microphone, probably with a shock mount and a pop shield too. This is going to be perfect for recording any dialogue work you happen to do and are also great for capturing any sensitive sounds that you want to isolate in a controlled environment.

Field Mic – Portable Recorders

Unlike the safe and warm interior of your home the outdoors are unpredictable, messy and noisy. Amongst this however are all the sounds of the wide world and the best way to start recording them all is to pick up a portable field recorder. I would advocate using a Tascam DR-40, it has on-board adjustable stereo pair microphones, two XLR inputs as well as a 3.5mm jack port which is handy for expanding your microphone range to include coil pickups or contact mics.

Wait what? What are coil pickups and contact mics you say? Well, many sound designers use specialist microphones such as the ones aforementioned to capture extraordinary sounds for their films and games. Coil pickup mics are used to record magnetic interference, whereas contact mics are used to capture vibrations in surfaces. The best way to explain the wonder of a contact mics is to simply allow you listen to a recording made using nothing but contact mics. The following video demonstrates the work of Jez Riley French, a renowned sound artist that used custom-built contact microphones (which are available to buy!)

The Relaxing Sound of Binaural

What is Binaural Audio?

Where audio professionals and enthusiasts are concerned, binaural is the term given to the method of capturing and listening to sound the same way a human being would in the natural world. Having two receptors (ears) that respond individually to incoming sound waves at different times and volumes is what makes it possible to detect the origin of a sound within a 3D environment. As opposed to a stereo mix, audio within a binaural mix can exist and travel beyond the confines of left and right; giving us additional access to depth and height perception.

Binaural ASMR

As you have read in the title, the topic of “relaxation” in binaural audio is something that I want to explore somewhat and one of the most prominent forms of relaxing audio is currently ASMR. ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a new form of content that has become incredibly popular within certain Youtube communities. Primarily, ASMR is a auditory experience that uses a range of soft sounds from whispers to gentle brushing with the sole purpose of relaxing the listener. Recording binaurally isn’t the de facto method of creating ASMR as most creators opt for using condenser microphones due to their sensitive characteristics.

However, more professional practitioners are beginning to experiment with binaural microphones to great effect. Listeners of ASMR content often talk about a tingling sensation on the crown of the head, an auditory reaction that isn’t uncommon in much of what we do in everyday life. For example, the sound of rain or perhaps even a vacuum cleaner produce a soft blanket of frequencies that for some people can generate a relaxing bodily sensation. Creators of Binaural ASMR use a microphone pair such as the 3Dio Free Space; as shown below.

hero_slide_3

Meditation and Sleep Music

Another example of audio being used to relax listers is meditation and sleep music. Similar to ASMR, these forms of content are highly successful and a number of Youtube channels have built large followings. However unlike ASMR, a piece of music is innately different. There are no “recorded” sounds so to speak, there are only layers of ambient synths, slow oscillating frequencies and constantly interchanging musical sections that produce a non-linear auditory experience. The non-linearity of these pieces of music is key as the human brain can begin to pick up and engage with repetition, which is why listening to anything with a recognisable pulse is generally considered impossible. The following video is an example of binaural sleep music from the popular Youtube channel Nu Meditation Music and demonstrates the use of binaural mixing techniques in such a piece.

Now, I’m confident that you didn’t listen to the entire 9 hours but I’m sure you will have discerned that the layers have a great deal of movement within the mix. This is because within binaural audio, depth and height are added. Ultimately, this form of mixing greatly enhances the relaxing experience which listeners seek from this kind of content. It is effectively another step towards transporting the listener to a dream-like environment and I am incredibly intrigued to see what binaural audio can do in the future when combined with VR in this regard.

A Short Experiment Using Dear VR

I have uploaded to my vimeo a short compositional piece that serves as a rudimentary example of how binaural mixing techniques can be used to attribute interesting qualities onto a piece of music. After putting together a number of different musical layers, inserting the Dear VR plug-in onto each of the tracks allowed for panning on the X, Y and Z axis. Dear VR are a German-based 3D audio company that specialise in virtual acoustics, much of their work is used in VR production, video-games and sound design. Below is a snapshot of the plug-in used in this piece and as you can see on the left hand side grid, the blue dot is located just off to the left of the listener (central figure). Similar to regular panning, dragging this dot around the dummy head in real-time draws in the automation only in this case you are not restricted to left and right.

As previously stated the composition is short, however the purpose behind this project was to experiment using binaural mixing techniques myself. You will find the music has a clear build throughout using multiple layers of ambient synth pads that each have a specific binaural movement pattern.

Make sure you listen with headphones on!

This project was completed by me, Dominic Searby, for the MSc Audio Production 2018/2019 at the University of Salford.

This video is intended for educational purposes only.

Ambisonics in Game Audio

A Brief History on Ambisonics in Game Audio

Ambisonics is a method of recording and reproducing audio on both horizontal and vertical planes and was developed by Peter Fellget and Michael Gerzon in the early 1970s. Interestingly and perhaps not so commonly known, Ambisonics actually predates Dolby Atmos, a prominent figurehead in the field of 3D sound. Developed in 2012, Dolby Atmos is predated by Ambisonics by over fourty years and is a non-proprietary technology meaning anyone who wants to work with it, can do so. The aim of Ambisonic technology is to use a 360-degree sphere of sound focused around a single central point, this point is both where the microphone or listener is placed. Until recently, Ambisonic methods were not adopted commercially and it is the progressive development of VR and 360 videos that has sparked this change.

Ambisonics in Video Game Technology

Wwise, an audio middleware program developed by Audio Kinetic is perhaps one of the most widely adopted methods of creating interactive and dynamic audio within video games. In 2016, Wwise included Ambisonic utility to this software. It is perhaps worth noting at this point that Ambisonic works with B-format recorded files. These files consist of four audio channels, one carrying amplitude and the other three representing audio directionality within the sphere. You might have picked up on how this is double the amount of channels used in stereo but oddly less than the amount of channels used in 5.1 or 7.1; which is six and 8 respectively. If Ambisonic is sending less channels to less speakers then why arn’t game audio designers using standard 5.1 etc? It’s because an ambisonic channel is not restricted to any one speaker, it is an uninterrupted sphere of sound that can be decoded on any array of speakers; because of this Ambisonic exists outside of a specific playback system.

Virtual Reality

Within game audio however, Ambisonic sound is being adopted increasingly within the field of VR due to its immersion enhancing capabilities. In today’s market there are a number of different devices available that offer a high-quality virtual reality gaming experiences including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or the PlayStation VR. These consoles combine Ambisonics with 360 video tech that once worn, transport the player to the game environment by immersing sight and sound, arguably the two most important senses. When considering this large impact that virtual reality and Ambisonics is having upon the gaming industry, we can turn our eye to the future and speculate as to what may be developed next. Personally, I think the next step will be to perhaps incorporate real-world room acoustics for controlling reverb and delay times within the game. Naturally this would require some form of mapping using a number of sensors or even just one 360 degree sensor placed where the player would be during gameplay.

References

Leonard, J in Anderson, A. (2016) Welcome To The Wonderful World of Ambisonics – A Primer By John Leonard. [Online] [Accessed 15th November 2018] engineershttps://www.asoundeffect.com/ambisonics-primer/

Santos, S. (2016) VR Audio: What you need to know about Ambisonics. [Online] [Accessed 15th November 2018] https://postperspective.com/need-know-ambisonics/

Andrew, J. Et al. (2011) A Perspective On The Adoption Of Ambisonics In Video Games. [Online] [Accessed 16th November 2018] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231175113_A_PERSPECTIVE_ON_THE_ADOPTION_OF_AMBISONICS_FOR_GAMES

The Sound of Searby

In a short mobile video, I quickly demonstrate the home recording setup that I use for putting together rudimentary recordings and demos for my artist page on Youtube. I give a brief overview of the key pieces of equipment that are used in the setup which are summarised as being;

Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Sennheiser Pro Headphones
USB Mouse
Reaper DAW

Of course, this mobile video does not demonstrate the capacity in which this equipment is used, for example, I do not discuss microphone placement or any of my editing techniques. Instead, I offer a straightforward explanation as to what set up I use and present an example of the kind of results you might expect to get.

This is by no means a professional home recording setup, however it should highlight to any prospective artists that it is possible to get your material recorded to a decent enough quality without having to spend obscene amounts of money. You might want to use the recordings to springboard onto landing gigs, collaborating with other artists or even just to show friends what you have been up to lately. Whatever the reason, having a functional home recording setup that works for you is invaluable and I believe will pay dividends as your career progresses.

P.S I’d like to apologise for the video ratio in advance. Landscape mode has been causing my phone to freeze up as of late. Content is content though, enjoy!

This project was completed by me, Dominic Searby, for the MSc Audio Production 2018/2019 at the University of Salford.

This video is intended for educational purposes only.

Dolby Atmos in Gaming

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos, for those unaware, gives audio enthusiasts the ability to listen to their films, play their games and enjoy music beyond that of 5.1 and even 7.1 surround sound. Dolby Atmos includes additional speakers that once positioned correctly around the listener, creates a highly immersive 3D audio effect. Dolby Atmos make it possible for sounds to not only travel behind the listener (like we have come to expect from 5.1 systems) but to also appear above and below the listener too. As you can imagine, this incredibly dynamic audio system is being taken full advantage of by video game developers

Taken from Dolby’s own website, some of the top games to utilize the power of Atmos are;

Assassins Creed: Origins (2017)
Battlefield 1 (2016)
Crackdown 3 (2019 tbc)
Final Fantasy XV (2016)
For Honor (2017)

The full list can be found by following this link: https://www.dolby.com/us/en/categories/games.html

Functionality and Immersion

So what does this mean exactly? How is it beneficial to gamers beyond the novelty of hearing a tank shell whistle overhead? Well, it could be just that; it adds even more functionality to the audio within a video game. The more key information a player can be fed, which is then processed to make decisions in-game the better. In the case of the tank shell, it might be vital that the player knows exactly what direction the enemy is firing from, which makes adding ‘height’ to a sound incredibly useful!

Advancements into graphical fidelity are widely taken for granted, this probably comes as no surprise. But like film, it is arguable that audio is just as important as visuals when it comes to crafting a functional, immersive game. Audio cues within a stealth mission for example could well be all that stands between survival and death, such as the sound of an enemy patrol rearing up behind the player. If the player isn’t given that audio information then they won’t know to react before it’s too late. Audio – is – integral.

Some Examples!

The following video explores the use of Dolby Atmos within Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), you will need a pair of headphones to get the desired experience but after watching it you will have a much more in depth understanding of how the developers use Atmos to bring their world to life. In addition to this, I want to highlight another video.

This next video demonstrates the jaw-dropping cinematic experience that Dolby Atmos facilitates gamers. The game features is Battlefield 1 (2016), a first-person shooter and upon watching through the video you will no doubt be able to make clear comparisons to this game and top budget Hollywood Blockbuster movies. To further the experience, listen with headphones on as before and close your eyes; the quality of this audio is astounding and is a testament to the advancements in game sound design.

So how can you experience the wonders of Dolby Atmos? Well, despite being around since roughly 2012 Dolby Atmos isn’t quite as commonplace as it perhaps should be. The most accessible way would be to go down the headphone route, as many gaming headsets worth their money have the potential to be Dolby Atmos enabled when paired with the Dolby Access app; which can be downloaded on any Xbox One X or Windows 10 device. However, consoles and headphones are not the only route as select soundbars, televisions and dedicated Atmos systems are available too.

Llewyn Davis Sound Tired

davis_converted-1140x602

Say hello to Llewyn, probably the most tired man in 1961 New York.

So I very recently put together what is known as a ‘video essay’. Two weeks prior to now I would have looked at you in complete astonishment if you said to me that essays could hijack their way onto the visual platform. Well, that’s before I learned that creating one doesn’t necessarily entail throwing up three thousand words with a pretty video playing he background. In fact, they are actually quite an creative form of content that can be used to demonstrate knowledge (as an essay should do) in a much more interesting way.

The video essay that I have thrown together is short and the content covered within it is very focused, but hopefully an intriguing watch nonetheless. So, what exactly is it about? Well, I have chosen to study some of the sound design elements within the film ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ by the Cohen Brothers. This film is one that I am incredibly passionate about, so picking it apart with my ears was surprisingly difficult when all I wanted to do was just sit and be immersed. The story follows Llewyn, a 1960s New Yorker who struggles to make his was a Folk singer in a world that seemingly doesn’t want him to succeed. Nothing goes right for Llewyn, but you soon begin to question why that is exactly.

What I managed to pick up on and what is highlighted in the video is that there is a particular theme of squeakiness surrounding the main character Llewyn. He is exhausted with his life and that same exhaustion can be heard in the world he journeys through. It’s almost as if the entire film is one drawn out hangover for Llewyn as his world creaks, squeaks and shakes him about at almost every turn; constantly gnawing at his mental state. Anyway, I shall let the video speak for itself. It’s a short one, possibly taking up as much time as a couple sips of your morning coffee or afternoon tea so don’t kick back and keep your shoes on, as it’ll be over before you know it. Nevertheless, I hope you find it enjoyable!

Here’s a link!

The purpose of this short video is to analyse a very specific element of sound design within the film ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’. The concept under analysis is that the sound design in the world around the protagonist reflects the exhausted state of his character. This project was completed by me, Dominic Searby, for the MSc Audio Production 2018/2019 at the University of Salford.

This video is intended for educational purposes only.

Sources listed;
– Cohen, E and Cohen J. (2013) ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’. [Film] CBS Films. USA.
– Coleman, M. (2013) ‘SoundWorks Collection: The Sound of Inside Llewyn Davis’. [Online] [Accessed
on 21st October 2018] vimeo.com/82531771
– JMR. (2013) Inside Llewyn Davis, Soundbites: Skip Lievsay 10 h264 hd. [Online Video] [Accessed
21st October] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGpHqx5rDi8