Overview
“This project is an introduction to creative sound design. You are required to create a 1-minute soundscape on any topic of your choice. You will be introduced to sound recording, sound editing and sound mixing techniques to help explore your topic. This is an audio only project but the techniques covered will be relevant for film soundtracking”
My ideas at the moment include various voices speaking in different languages.
For the music I’m thinking of using the guitar. I might need to research what I’d like to represent.
https://www.britannica.com/art/guitar
Idea: Record the guitar audio first and then ask people to comment on the sound in a language of their choice. This would give them a comfort of their first language and maybe they would be more honest when they spoke. It’s like when children are still children they will give honest opinions and comment on things truthfully and honestly. Observation:Maybe a person’s first language is a safety net especially when living in a different country now maybe they know most people won’t understand. This way they can express their feelings or emotions. Also many things don’t translate precisely to what someone may be trying to say. I observe bizarre translations very often since polish is my language. Even looking at product packets theres so many different ways to intemperate the translation who’s to say which ones right. Words need to be changed and moved around to make sense in other languages but the original flow of a native tongue is a beautiful thing.
Using google translate to start conversations between people who speak different languages.
Name Idea: Lost in Translation
This is what my first quick attempted looked like. It featured the same sound and the different voices were played one after the other. This to me sounded more like a pleasant tune than a soundscape that I wanted to create. I wanted to add contrast, sound effects and have more tracks to play with.
This is what my final track looked like.
Refections
I asked some of my friends to speak their languages for me and discuss music, I then looked at how each of these conversations sounded and created something like a music soundtrack of the world. I am always fascinated when listening to languages I don’t understand and think it sounds like music to me which is why I chose to do this. It was interesting finding a backing track to match the voices which is why I used two songs one slightly rougher and faster and one more calm and soothing to fit and match the voices. I used sounds of doors in the trains closing and bus engines or walking down stairs to create something of a walk around the world so each language has it’s own transition. Overall this is the first time I worked with sound and I really enjoyed it. I think the final piece is very effective and I only wish I could gather more languages and create a longer piece focusing on even more countries.
Marta Zofia Palacz 