Space and acoustics

Acoustics

Depends on how sound waves spread from their source in an environment (e.g. a room), and are absorbed or reflected or diffracted.

Especially for speech.

In studio production of radio drama scene dialogue, we must consider the sound-field of each location we seek to represent.

We must think of sound's timbre and volume.

Sound is transmitted through air as longitudinal pressure waves. These expand outwards from their source and reduce in level as they spread. Interior locations examples - domestic lounge, public bar, squash court, bedroom, lecture hall, hospital waiting room, telephone box, inside a car, corridor, swimming pool, cathedral, library, etc. The sound wave emits spherical wavefronts. In interior locations the sound-field produced rapidly becomes very complex - both spatially and timbrally. Swimming pool - an interesting example: The sound wave loses higher frequencies progressively with distance especially as a result of absorption by water vapour in the air. There is also a lot of long-distance echo. Domestic livingroom - a less interesting example: With soft furnishings and curtains, a lot of sound is absorbed. How to represent dialogue in a livingroom? Use the screens (mix of absorbent sides and reflective) to indicate some boxiness - but not too much. Rely on description and some character movement. Remember radio drama's economy rule - you do not need to do much.     Exterior locations examples - open field in 'The Archers', playing field, high street, on an apartment balcony, outside an airport, town square, top of a mountain, on an open moor, by the sea, by a cliff, in a forest, riding on a horse, etc. In an open playing field - an interesting example: In free space, there is nothing else to interact with. Dialogue must be treated on the sound panel - and made more 'toppy' (higher frequencies) - as that is how we experience talk in an open field in the Lifeworld.   MORE ON THE 'mise en scène' PRODUCTION CHOICE On location or in the studio? MORE "Realistic" or stylized? Historical or contemporary? Any sound effects (SFXs) that take on a symbolic function? Or music theme? Any sound effect (SF) accentuated? Why? How do SFXs comment on the narrative?   Choices about the 'mise en scène' (location): Cluttered or empty? Does it express a certain atmosphere? Interior or exterior? What is the geography of the 'mise en scène'? Is this clear? Did you spot an illogicality by any chance? (As a door on the left, and someone exits on the right.) Stylized or natural? The 'mise en scène' within a frame: Open form: frame is de-emphasized, has a documentary "snapshot" quality; Closed form: frame is carefully composed, self-contained, and theatrical; the frame acts as a boundary and a limit. Is space used as an indirect comment on a character's inner state of mind? Fixed sound centre or moving sound centre?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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