Project Title: The Perils of Patricide

Outline of the project and story

The Perils of Patricide is a 20-30 minute fantasy/horror short film project by film and television students Laura Harper and Ben Collin from the university of Lincoln. Me and Daniel Berry as audio production students are supporting the film and television students by recording and producing the music, sound effects and ADR for the film.

Plot – A 19th century fairy tale wherein a young girl called Amelia must work to appease the supernatural creature keeping her from her missing sister.

‘Amelia lives at a stately home with her family. Amelia joins her family in the dining room. The feeling of the room is a tense one, though it is nothing out of the ordinary for this family. Amelia’s unhappiness turns to boredom as the droning of the vicar preaches at church. He mentions that it has been a year since the sad loss of Amelia’s sister.

Later that day Amelia witnesses her father having an affair with the cook in the garden grounds. Amelia walks the grounds in sadness until she hears a girl’s voice (her sisters voice) crying for help from deep within the trees. She follows the voice until she comes to a well where she leans over the edge and falls through the rotten wood that seals the well, and hits the bottom. At the bottom of the well Amelia discovers an ancient stone table lit by the faint flicker of candles. Atop the table is Amelia’s sister’s body, laying motionless.

Loud cracking noises come from the cave wall as the creature forms from the roots. Amelia is greeted with the image of a creature made of wood, tall and eerie. The creature explains to Amelia that her sister is in a state between life and death and the only way to return her sister to her is to complete the creature’s tasks. She’s asked to bring him three things; water, soil and wood; ancient and life giving. She takes the items she has found to the well.The creature wasn’t entirely forthcoming to Amelia, it requires more from her. The second trial requires her to kill her father.

She resists to begin with but the creature convinces her that killing her father is the right thing to do, that its his fault this has happened. Back at the house Amelia slips some foxglove into her father’s meal. Back inside the well, the creature congratulates Amelia for her achievements, says her sister is alive. It leaves her in the darkness of the cavern. She runs over to her sister, her eyes are open, but she is vacant.

She whispers to her sister that she will get help. She runs back to the house but as she arrives there are men there that she doesn’t recognise, men in white coats. The cook is weeping while her mother stands silent. She assumes they are here for her father but she soon finds out their true intentions. They grab her and force her into the back of their cart. As it trundles away she sees her mother turn and head back inside while the cook’s weeping grows stronger.’

 

Overall Aim – To record and produce the music, sound effects and Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) for the Perils of Patricide.

Objectives

• Research music reference material and academia related to sound for film.

• Keeping in contact with FTV students Laura Harper and Ben Collin

• Produce the music with VSTis in FL Studio – The music will initially be tailored to the script and refined towards the final cut of the film

• Assist Daniel Berry in creating sound effects by recording foley in the sound theatre and using sound effects from online sound effects libraries. Furthermore assisting in ADR (Only for ‘the creature’ character)

 

Format

A 20-25 minute short film in MP4.

 

Timescale/planning

Weeks 3 – 4

I will be researching reference material for music and academia related to sound for film  .This research will underpin my approach to creating draft songs in FL Studio tailored to the script.

 

Week 5

Laura and Ben will be doing rehearsals with the actors at Fullbeck Manor throughout most of the week.

 

Weeks 6 – 9

Throughout these weeks I will produce music tailored to the script in FL studio and receive feedback from the group to work out how fitting the music is for the film. Furthermore I will assist Daniel in doing foley and ADR in the sound theatre. From this point onward me and Daniel will be using pro tools to combine the soundtrack elements.

 

Weeks 10 – 16

Ben, Laura and the rest of the crew and actors will be shooting the film at Fullbeck Manor and a to be confirmed location throughout weeks 10 and 11. The following weeks will be post production whereby Ben and Laura will be editing the film in adobe premiere as well as sending me and Daniel draft cuts of the film. Me and Daniel will refine the the music, sound effects and ADR from the script to the draft cuts in pro tools. The final step will be Me and Daniel iterating the music, sound effects and ADR in pro tools as we reach the final cut.

 

Roles

Lewis Whitworth – I will be producing the music with VSTis in FL Studio, assisting Daniel in doing foley, ADR and compiling sound effects. Furthermore I will be researching music reference material and academia related to sound for film.

 

Daniel Berry – In charge of recording and producing sound effects and ADR.

 

Laura Harper and Ben Collin – Producing the script, managing actors, costume designers and permissions for filming at Fullbeck Manor and the to be confirmed location, operating the video camera and editing the final cut of the film.

 

Pauline Loven – Costume designer.

 

Daisy Howstan – Make up/prosthetics, Camera assistant.

 

Skarlett Watchorn – Production assistant.

 

Requirements

I need to provide Laura Harper and Ben Collin with the following components

• Music

• ADR for ‘the creature’

• Sound effects

 

Research to done

Music reference material –

 

Existing academia related to sound for film –

Kalinak, K. (2010) Film Music: A Very Short Introduction

Wierzbicki, J., Platte, N., Roust, C. (2011) The Routledge Film Music Source Book, Routledge

Wyatt, H., & Amyes, T. (2008) Audio Post Production For Television And Film (3rd Edition), Oxford: Focal Press

 

 

Learning Outcomes

• Improve my electronic music production and mixing skills

• Improve my foley and ADR skills

• Improve my communication skills with the group