Audio Narrative proposal (HW after lesson 4)

[benmiller314]

Write a brief proposal for your audio narrative project. What place or environment will you try to represent? What story will you try to tell – or, at least, what is the premise (starting point) of that story?

See the full range of thought-questions in the assignment prompt for brainstorming strategies, and the Parachute Prompts at the bottom of that page if you're stuck.

NB: I am asking you to include a prospective assets list, i.e. a table of the sounds you think you'll need and where you might be able to source them. You can choose to include that assets list here or to place it as a file in your repository (either directly in README.md or in a separate assets.md), which would help you more easily update and track changes as you fill in the real sources.

Either way, please include a link here to your repository, making it easier to find when we get to group work.

[kaitlynmchugh]

My audio narrative will be set in a lively amusement park in October, nearing Halloween. The story revolves around a group of friends looking for the best scares in the park, which will be full of various actors (creepy clowns with the accompanying horn/squeaky nose, chilling dolls who, of course, want to play with you, and the classic chainsaw-wielding maniac), as well as different themed walkthroughs/houses (an abandoned asylum, Dracula’s castle, a deadly funhouse, etc.). As the friends decide to entire one of these seemingly deserted houses, hidden away at the back of the park, they are not prepared for what they face inside… (I haven’t decided whether I will take a more strictly horror approach for the end of the story, or whether I will keep it wholesome while teasing some of those horror themes.)

Needs	Solution
Dialogue for main characters/actors	Me, my roommates
Music to establish carnival/theme park setting	Source from CC
Footsteps to establish/emphasize movement of characters	Record or source from CC
Sound of a chainsaw	Source from CC
Squeak/horn sound	Record or source from CC
Music to establish suspense setting in house/walkthrough	Source from CC
Popcorn popping	Record
Sound of playing/winning carnival game	Source from CC

https://github.com/kaitlynmchugh/soundscape2022spring/tree/master

[andres-trujillo7]

For my audio narrative, I'm in between "a day in the life" or a potential story I came up with while lying in bed. I plan on this story taking place at a park. What I've come up with so far is a young college student going on a peaceful nature walk at the park in the winter. However, to make things "spicy", as they are walking, they hear a nearby branch crack and look back and see a humanoid shadow and so they begin to pick up the pace. I've yet to decide where I want to go from there with that story, but I want to leave it open-ended for now because there are many possibilities.

Below is my assets for the park story (which I'm definitely leaning towards as of now):

Sounds	How I will get them
Feet walking on trail/snow	Record the sound of my shoes hitting the ground as I walk.
Branch Breaking	Source from CC
Park ambience (including people playing sports, birds chirping etc.	Simply going to the park and pressing record! Or potentially CC depending on which I think fits better
Heavy breathing from running	Source from CC

https://github.com/andrestrujillo11/soundscape2022spring

[jennakupferschmid]

For my audio narrative I want my story to focus on the idea of a typical “day in life” for a college student. The story will be set on the first floor of Hillman library and will focus on the lives of a group of college students who are avoiding doing their work and instead are talking on the first floor. I plan to set the environment of the story in Hillman by adding sounds such as keyboard typing, the sound that the machine makes when one swipes their panther card to gain access, backpacks zipping, books opening, and the background chatter filled with student conversations about work. After the students in my story sit down and open up their computers, the background chatter noise will be reduced and they will start talking to avoid their work. In order to create a climax to the plot I plan on one of the students realizing they forgot to do an assignment therefore causing intense background music to commence and a frantic clicking on the keyboard.

Sounds	Solution
Keyboard typing	Source from CC
Card access	Go to Hillman and record
Backpacks zipping	Either source from CC or record myself depending on which is easier
Books opening	Record the slamming of a book myself so the quality and sound is loud enough
Background chatter	Record random noise in Hillman
Main character conversations	Friends and I record separately

https://github.com/jennakupferschmid/soundscape2022spring

[glittaua]

For my audio narrative, I want to take people to a different world. The genre will most likely be sci-fi or fantasy. The story will be set on a planet that is under attack. Using different sound effects I will create the different environments of being on a ship or in the midst of a battle. Sounds to create environments will include battlefield ambiance, running on metal, multiple layers of chatter, and typical sounds you would hear on a spaceship. For the battle environment, I will use battlefield ambiance, gunfire, explosions, etc. I plan for there to be at least 4 unique characters that will be voiced by me and my roommates. The story will take start on the ship and then go down to the surface of the planet where you will be immersed in the mission as the elite soldiers fight to complete it. It will be fast-paced and I also may add background music to make it a little more dramatic.

Sounds	Solution
Voicelines for characters	Me and my roommates
Background music	Source from Youtube/CC
Battlefield Ambiance	Source from Youtube/CC
Running on metal/grate	Source from Youtube/CC
Sounds of Spaceships	Source from Youtube/CC
Overlayed chatter	Record
AI voice	Source from uberduck.com
Various gun sounds	Source from Youtube/CC
Alarm	Record or source

https://github.com/glittaua/soundscape2022spring

[aej37]

For my audio narrative I would like to do a "Night at the Orchestra". The listener will believe that they are a viewer about to see an orchestra perform at a concert hall. In the beginning, I will have the sound of someone opening a door and entering a room to wait in line. There will be people chatting and then someone saying, "Ticket Please". Then the sound of another door will open and there will be feet shuffling, people chatting, and musicians warming up their instruments. Then to indicate that the show is about to begin, people will applaud which means that the conductor has come out on stage and then the clapping will slowly fade out. But then the conductor will pass out and I'll add a thud sound and people gasping. This is what I have so far, but I plan to figure out more as I develop this project.

Sounds | Solution -- | -- Door opening from outside | Record at my house Background noise as people wait in line | Record in Hillman / in one of my larger lectures or source from CC Someone saying "Ticket Please" | Record myself Door opening from inside | Record in Hillman or in larger lecture Instruments being tuned | Source from CC Applause | Source from CC Thud noise | Source from CC or record myself People gasping | Source from CC

https://github.com/aej37/soundscape2022spring

[19jinjinwu]

For my audio narrative, I am interviewing my boyfriend, who frequently sails. The narrative will start with him recalling his trip in California when he was sailing from Santa Barbara to San Francisco and an unmarked fishing vessel pulled up to them. Then it will transition us into the scene where he goes to sleep next to the diesel engine but is woken up by his first mate that there might be pirates attacking the ship. Since the story is pretty mundane sound-wise, I will spice it up with turbulent weather.

Sounds	Solution
Diesel	YouTube/CC
Footsteps on Wood	Self Record
Wind whistling	YouTube/CC
Ocean waves hitting boat	YouTube/CC
Radio noise	Self-Record
Air horn	YouTube/CC
Radio man	Self Record
Lightning	YouTube/CC
Missiles lauching	YouTube/CC
Muffled voice of first mate	Self Record
Rain	Self Record or YouTube/CC
Engine accelerating	YouTube/CC
Narration	Self record

[kfm24]

Write a brief proposal for your audio narrative project. What place or environment will you try to represent? What story will you try to tell – or, at least, what is the premise (starting point) of that story?

See the full range of thought-questions in the assignment prompt for brainstorming strategies, and the Parachute Prompts at the bottom of that page if you're stuck.

NB: I am asking you to include a prospective assets list, i.e. a table of the sounds you think you'll need and where you might be able to source them. You can choose to include that assets list here or to place it as a file in your repository (either directly in README.md or in a separate assets.md), which would help you more easily update and track changes as you fill in the real sources.

Either way, please include a link here to your repository, making it easier to find when we get to group work.

For my audio narrative I would like to capture the energy and atmosphere that take place at a local college bar. The listener will have a better understanding of what it is like to be in a social setting alongside some locals, friend groups and a couple new faces thrown in here and there. The sounds of the bar are made up of the music, glass clinking (cheers), beer taps going back and forth, ice rattling, laughter, and small talk. I plan to go to the bar I have in mind with my friends and record the noises of the bar and set the scene through a combination of these audios. I was planning on giving the audience a sequence from waiting online to the jingles of the bells when the front door opens, followed by the noise of the scanner and continued into ordering drinking and conversations. I plan to develop the audio more after I capture the recordings.

Sounds	Solution
Bell on the door jingle	Self-recorded or Youtube
Beer tap, filling glass cup	Self-recorded or Youtube
Shifting of bar stools	Probably Youtube
Background chatter, background music	Self-recorded
Small talk/friendly conversations	Self-recorded

[mknuth5]

For my audio narrative, I want to take the listener to a place I enjoy a lot: a golf course playing with friends. I’ll start the soundscape with sounds of the characters driving up to the first tee in a golf cart, walking to the first tee, and then go from there with the story. One idea I want to incorporate inspired from the kitchen soundscape is the use of directional sound. An example of this could be when the characters get to the first tee, the sound of their voices drifts to the left and dims in volume. This could be used by the listener to infer the characters have left the cart and are now walking away to hit their shots. Another storytelling sound mechanism I want to incorporate in my soundscape is the sound of different golf shots. Each golf shot sounds different and for different reasons. The sound could depend on which club is used, how well it was struck, or where the shot took place (fairway, rough, woods, sand, mud). An example that non-golfers could immediately pick up on was using the sound of a tree being struck and frustration from the character to illustrate to the listener that the player accidentally hit a tree.

Action	Asset
Golf Cart Driving	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4WVhoWuApg&ab_channel=EverydayCinematicSounds
Practice Swings	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3YABsgzIpA&ab_channel=SoundLibrary
Golf shot	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHczigTkopQ&list=PL0WKygFIfJRKFmhCYH7kOWpc5SAbbjWxD&ab_channel=SoundIdeas-Topic
Background sounds	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTdSAYPEpB4&list=RDLTdSAYPEpB4&start_radio=1&rv=LTdSAYPEpB4&t=1158&ab_channel=SOUNDSCAPE
Talking	recorded
Birds	youtube

https://github.com/mknuth5/soundscape2022spring

[evankozierok]

My soundscape project, The King of the Jungle, will bring listeners to an exotic jungle filled with unfamiliar flora, fauna, and most strikingly, dinosaurs. The soundscape will tell the terrifying tale of two explorers traveling through the jungle when they are caught unawares by the greatest threat of the jungle - Tyrannosaurus rex.

Originally inspired by my campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition module Tomb of Annihilation, this soundscape cuts back on some of the more D&D-specific lore to produce a more accessible environment for the average listener. A good reference work would be Jurassic Park, although there will be no theme park in this setting - just a dangerous, exciting jungle filled with adventure and life. I hope to convey that sense of abundant life in the jungle combined with the drama of a giant dinosaur encounter to break through the noise.

Note that many of these assets I am unsure if I will record or not - this is at least in part based on Pittsburgh weather patterns. I.e. if I can go record plants rustling I'd like to, but given the snow, that may not be possible.

Asset	Source
Rain, wind, thunder(?) sounds	Source online (presumably recording these will be low quality)
Exotic bird, insect, mammal sounds	Likely source online
Dialogue (TBD)	Record myself and other people (TBD)
Human footsteps in mud	Record if possible
Rustling/crunching of leaves, sticks, etc.	Record if possible
T. rex footsteps	Source online
T. rex roar	Source online
T. rex eating a tasty explorer	Source online? Not sure if this is even feasible, we'll see
Background music: Light drums, harps maybe? Heavy/dramatic drums	Source online

Repo link: https://github.com/evankozierok/soundscape2022spring/tree/master

[elisewebb6]

For my audio narrative I was planning to have my story involve Marvel's character Daredevil. With him being blind he has developed an incredible sense of hearing. To capture what it may be like to have this ability I was going to start with layering a bunch of different sounds one may hear in the city and eventually have the sounds drown out until only one sound can be heard which will be a women's cry for help. Then I was going to use a series of combat sounds to indicate a fight taking place between the hero and the "villain".

Asset	Source
car honks	record
trucks driving	record
people walking	source online
dogs barking	record or source online
construction	record
scream	record
combat noises	source online

https://github.com/elisewebb6/soundscape2022spring

[KatelynKunzmann]

My audio narrative will be a psychedelic trip. It will take the listener through a series of stages: pre-trip (normal sounds/experiences), come-up where sounds and experiences start to become distorted and otherwordly, peak where the trip has reached an altered state of consciousness, come-down where the trip de-intensifies, and finally back to normal with some sort of reflection at the end. Throughout the trip, the person will be abstractly describing various things they are experiencing. I haven't entirely decided the location of the trip, but Phipps Conservatory and the National Aviary are on my list. I want to encapsulate an experience that people typically are familiar with such as a trip to a museum or the Aviary and then I want to transform it into something completely different in which most people aren't familiar with.

Assets	Sources
Nature Sounds	Recorded and sourced online
Footsteps	Recorded or sourced online
People conversing in the background	Recorded or sourced online
Dialogue and Reflection	Recorded
Birds singing	Recorded or Sourced online
Accompanying music	Sourced online

https://github.com/katelynkunzmann/soundscape2022spring

[isabellebautista]

For my audio narrative, First Date, I would like to take the listener on their first date. The setting of this date would most likely be at a restaurant, I am thinking an Italian restaurant with classical music in the background to set the romantic scene. I really want to focus on the conversation and the awkwardness that may exist between these two people. In addition, I would like to add other sounds like water/drink pouring, the slight clanking of silverware. I also might think about how I can turn this into a first date gone wrong, whether it be slight sounds of lack of manners or something else.

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Sounds | Solutions -- | -- Classical music | Youtube/CC Wine/water pouring | Self record or Youtube/CC Conversations | Self record Waiter | Self record Silverware noises | Self record https://github.com/isabellebautista/soundscape2022spring

[jsw64]

For my audio narrative I would like tell a short story of a fisherman walking down to a river and trying his luck at catching some fish. On his quest however, it seems like everything goes wrong - from the weather turning against him, to animals bothering him, and to other obstacles that try to prevent him from his goal of catching a fish. Will he prevail in the end?

Asset	Source
Footsteps on gravel	Record myself or CC
River water flowing	CC
Birds chirping	CC
Fisherman monologue	Record myself
Weather effects	CC
Fishing rod	CC
Splash sounds	CC
Cell phone	CC
Animal sounds	CC

https://github.com/jsw64/soundscape2022spring

[paullewis2013]

For my audio narrative I would like to tell the story of my roommate's cat Luna attempting to get into my room and eat my plant. It will be called POV you are my roommate's cat Luna and you are trying to eat my plant. Luna will face incredible odds like me trying to move the plant away from her and even closing the door to my room. I want there to be sounds from the cat's point of view during the day while the rest of us have online class, possibly separating different portions of the audio narrative with the sounds of a cat running around the house.

Asset	Source
Cat running	Record myself or CC
Cat meows	Record myself and CC
Door sounds	CC
Plant crunching	CC
Weather sounds	CC
Shepards tone	Synthesize myself

https://github.com/paullewis2013/soundscape2022spring

[Mapatterson379]

For my audio narrative, Self Care 101, I would like to take the listener through a day focused on personalized self care. The setting for this will be my apartment, and partially outside. I want to recreate what I do on a day like that, but also how I would imagine it would be in my head if it was perfect. I want to add sounds that I hear in the morning, music that is habitual for my self care days, internal dialogue, and sounds that are regular to my everyday life.

Assets	Source
Birds chirping	Youtube
Shower/sink	Recorded and YouTube
Sound bowls	Youtube
Internal dialogue	Record myself
Habitual music instrumental	Youtube
Other natural sounds	Record

https://github.com/Mapatterson379/soundscape2022spring

[ellagrant]

For the soundscape narrative, I want to explore a dreamscape. I think it would be cool to craft a narrative that captures the eerie, off putting, and confusing essence of a dream. In written works, this concept is usually quite corny (ie ending the story with “and then I woke up!”), but I feel that the auditory medium offers more creative possibilities. My goal is to disorient the audience as much as possible so that they really have to work with the soundscape to get a sense of what’s going on. I’m not sure if I want to “reveal” what’s happening by including something like an alarm at the end, because that feels too easy, but I don’t want it to be too ambiguous. I’m unsure what exactly I want the narrative to be, but it will likely follow some bizarre sequence of events that would only occur in the subconscious world. I’m toying with the idea of using a first-person perspective of someone experiencing the dream so the audience has access to their thoughts and reflections as the events unfold. As for setting, besides taking place in a dream world, I would like to anchor the narrative in a city landscape at night. I think that typical sounds you hear in a city like cars beeping, music, shouting, etc. would add to my soundscape’s jarring effect. This would also afford me a wealth of audio that I can record myself given that I can visit downtown Pittsburgh and record there.

Assets	Solutions
City Sounds (cars driving, beeping, crosswalks)	Record and source from CC
Dialogue	Record myself/friends
Sound of heartbeat	Source from CC
Possible alarm	Source from CC
Background music to create atmosphere	Source from CC
Background conversations	Record or source from CC
Walking/running on sidewalk	Record

https://github.com/ellagrant/soundscape2022spring

[amo104]

My audio narrative intends to take the listener through the planning meeting of a heist. The narrative will set the scene of a secret meeting, and as the leader of the team begins to describe the plan, the soundscape will transition into the real-time actions of the heist. Each step of the plan will be narrated by the leader, and then followed by the accompanying sounds of it getting done. I'm not entirely sure what they plan to steal yet, but I think the main setting will be in a museum (not after hours). I would like the narration of the plan to desynchronize from what's actually happening near the end as something goes wrong. Whether it loops around to still being a successful heist depends on how much of this can feasibly fit in the soundscape and how well I can actually resolve the conflict.

Assets	Source
Overarching narration	Record
Sprawling papers, rolling out blueprints	Record
Quietly walking	Record/Source from CC
Background talking/shuffling	Source from CC
Safe lock clicking	Source from CC
Alarms	Source from CC
Glass breaking	Source from CC
Suspenseful music	Source from CC

https://github.com/alocampo/soundscape2022spring

[ellsimm]

My audio narrative will follow the journey of a girl visiting an animal adoption agency "just to look around." I want to leave the listener with the feeling of the girl falling in love with a cat that just seems to be the one. I want to mimic the sounds of what it is like to be in a shelter including the barking, purring, and day-to-day rustling of operations. I hope to create a connection between the main character and the cat as they will have been through similar life circumstances and will connect on a deeper level.

Asset	Source
Narrator	Recorded
Mother of Girl	Recorded
Shelter worker	Recorded
Little girl	Recorded
Sounds of shelter	Recorded
Cheery music	Source from CC
Cat meow	Source from CC
Car noises on drive to shelter	Source from CC

https://github.com/ellsimm/soundscape2022spring