Game Title
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The Last of Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXwAKAZt8O8 4.10 to 15.50
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Provide
detailed descriptions from chosen examples of sounds that establish…
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Clearly state
what production technique(s) you think have been used to create specific
soundtrack elements
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Setting
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The setting Is in a post-apocalyptic world after a
zombie outbreak, but in this scene, the main protagonists are crossing a
bright and vibrant forest. There are no Clickers in sight, giving the scene a
peaceful feeling.
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In order to create these elements, I believe real
instruments were used especially for the credits song at 7:50 to 10:05. This
is due to the fact; the acoustic guitar is blatantly used for the credits
song.
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Mood
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The mood set by the scene, is one of regret,
sadness, but also relief. The game is
about to conclude and there is also a mood of finality due to the game’s last
combat scene’s and outcomes. The mood of regret and sadness would come
firstly from when Ellie asks Joel the truth about the fireflies (“swear to me
that everything you said about the fire flies was true” (7:18 – 17:26). The
fact she doubts Joel’s honesty after what they have been through all game
would give off a sad mood and atmosphere due to the fact the music stops and
it is silence apart from the dialogue for the brief exchange. This will have
an effect on the player who will subconsciously take note of it and may even
feel that the silence represents the fact she has just told him her past with
her friends. Having mentioned that, at 6.01 – 7.00. She says “Back in Boston,
when I was Bitten” which is backed by a slow piano solo, would capture the
attention of the player and change their mood to curiosity. Upon saying that
Ellie expands on what she said. She says “My best friend was there, and she
got bit too”. When she says this, the music abruptly stops which almost tells
the player that the conversation is getting darker, and the silence may
almost imply that her friend has died. She continues to say “we didn’t know what to
do. So she says “Let’s just wait it
out, we can be all poetic and just lose our minds together”. The fact that this dialogue is backed by
silence would give out a feeling of loss and regret and maybe even sympathy
from the player.
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I believe real instruments were used to create the
specific track elements. This is because in the credits song which
establishes the mood for the game/final cut scene. As mentioned in the
settings section, the acoustic guitar was used for the credits song. The
music would off also been recorded in a studio. The dialogue will have also
been recorded in a studio along with the music.
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Game genre
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The game genre is survival horror and the music
plays with this well. During the events of the cut scene (4.10 – 15.50) the
music is quiet and reserved, which fits the overall atmosphere of success
well. It also reinforces the fact that Ellie doubts Joel’s story which is
also reinforced with the sombre backing track. When both Ellie and Joel talk
about the events at the start of the video (0.00 – 4.09) the music stops
which also establishes the genres conventions of silence and suspense.
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I believe real instruments were used to create the
sounds and music pieces used within the cut scenes and the soundtrack
production elements.
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Narrative
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The narrative within the ending cut scene is that
the two protagonists have escaped death but one of them Joel, is hiding the
fact that the other one, Ellie, was saved despite the fact her death could
have provided the cure that would of ended the virus outbreak. When the two
speak about the events, the music is silent, backing up the narrative of lies
and distrust.
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I believe studio recording was used to record the
protagonist’s voice which was then used to advance the narrative. The music
used in the build up to the actual conversation at 7.18.
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Game Title
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Skyrim - Sovngarde theme (0.52
– 4.11) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHLh4ckuvt8
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Provide detailed descriptions from
chosen examples of sounds that establish…
|
Clearly state what production
technique(s) you think have been used to create specific soundtrack elements
|
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Setting
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The setting is in the Nords version of heaven, Sovngarde. Due to
this, the game takes you to a large valley shrouded in mist with lost souls
trapped within it. The massive hall of Sovngarde is at the end of this valley
and overshadows the valley.
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The production techniques used to create these specific track
elements I believe was studio based equipment. This is due to the exaggerated
effects of the choir singing the songs verses.
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Mood
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The mood within the game and music track is one of impeding triumph
due to the Sovngarde theme being a victory chant probably used in game as a war
chant to spur armies forward. Due to this, the mood is turned into one of
impending victory, especially during 3.16 – 3.27.
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The production techniques used to create the specific track elements,
I believe are both studio recording and real instruments. I believe the
studio recording would have been done for the voices during the track and
real instruments would have been used for the music backing the voices.
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Game genre
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The game genre is fantasy especially with the track’s location being set
in a Nordic version of heaven.
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The production techniques used to create the track elements, I
believe are studio recordings and real instruments.
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Narrative
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The narrative in the part the track is featured is that the protagonist,
the Dragon Born, heads to the Nordic afterlife to slay the dragon god Alduin
before he consumes the souls there and regains his full strength.
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The productions techniques used for the specific track elements I
think were used were studio recording and real instruments. This is due to
the choirs lyrics obviously sung by people within a studio, while real
instruments seem to be have used for the backing music. The music may of then
been tweaked by VST instruments and tools
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Game Title
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Halo Reach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ_-a_n8Q-4
(0.50 – 1.58)
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Provide detailed descriptions from
chosen examples of sounds that establish…
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Clearly state what production technique(s)
you think have been used to create specific soundtrack elements
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Setting
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The setting is on a planet called Reach after a long and terrible war,
The helmet of the protagonist is lying half covered in the grass years after
the war has ended.
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I believe real instruments were used for the music within the scene.
Also studio recording would have been used to record Catherine Halsey’s voice
actor’s dialogue.
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Mood
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The mood is of finality due to the war being over and regret due to
the protagonist of the game having died only to never see his work come to
fruition. This is especially powerful at 0.00 to 0.49 due to the player
witnessing the protagonist’s demise on screen from the POV off his broken
helmet.
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I believe that the production techniques used for the track elements
are Real Instruments, VST instruments and studio recordings. This is because
the Real instruments would have been used for the music pieces. The VST
instruments would have been used for tweaking the music and studio recording
would have been used for the dialogue.
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Game genre
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The game genre is science fiction with a space opera feel which the
sweeping tones from 0.50 onwards display clearly for the player to hear. The
voice over from doctor Halsey also plays into this genre with her role as an
advanced scientist being a staple for the science fiction genre.
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I believe real instruments and studio recording were used for these
track elements because the instruments would have been used for the music
playing throughout the scene and the studio recording would have been
utilised for the game character dialogue.
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Narrative
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The narrative is that the planet Reach has fallen to the Covenant.
After some time, the glassed surface of Reach has been grown over by fields
and the protagonists’ helmet has survived and is half buried in the ground.
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I believe that Real instruments and VST instruments have been used
for these track elements. This is
because the music playing during this scene will have been made via real
instruments and the VST instruments may have been used to alter the sound to
how the developers want it.
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Game Title
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Dead Space 3 (start 3:45 stop
9:22)
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Provide detailed descriptions from
chosen examples of sounds that establish…
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Clearly state what production
technique(s) you think have been used to create specific soundtrack elements
|
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Setting
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The setting is on an abandoned moon where parasites called
necromorph’s have taken over. The music gives off a sense of the setting by
making the music slow and this supports the setting by making it seem vast
and empty due to its slow nature.
The setting is also an almost artic environment, which means the
sound’s slow nature almost mirrors the protagonist’s slow march through the
mound of snow. The sound of the wind also supports the settings artic nature.
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I believe the sounds have been made using VST Instruments and tools.
This is because; it is obviously not recorded through audio field recording
due to the audio being music not sounds or effects. However, some aspects
might have been audio field recording, especially being the wind howling
which if it was made in the field, would support the games setting more by
being more realistic. This would have primarily been used for the wind
blowing.
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Mood
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The music is slow, which evokes a mood of sadness and maybe
stimulates feelings like regret. This
gives the game a sense of tension, almost like an enemy or opponent will come
out of the shadows and strike down the protagonist. Its sad nature will have
a big impact on the player, and maybe affect, not just their mood, but
experience. The music also gives of a hostile feeling, which is may stimulate
the tension and maybe even increase it.
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I believe the Production Techniques used were a mix of VST, audio
field recording and studio recording. This is because in order to get the
player to feel a certain mood, they would have to use audio field recording
to gain a sense of realism which would evoke the feelings. However, the
producer would need some sounds maybe like animal roars for the necromorph’s
to induce this mood, and they could be altered by VST. The studio recording
could be used for things like the dialogue between the characters in the
example used.
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Game genre
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The music supports the game genre, by sounding very tense which is
common within the horror genre, due to the enemy’s usually being mysterious,
all powerful and hideous and deformed, especially in Dead space 3. The game
is also 3rd person, giving the player a heightened sense of surrounding.
This would somewhat decrease the impact of the music due to the player being
able to witness oncoming attacks, but the music’s slow and tense sound is
relevant to the horror genre still.
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I believe the production techniques used were VST instruments for the
ability to create artificial sounds to support the genre, and audio field
recording to get the authentic sounds for the games genre. Studio recording
will have been used for the narrative, which sets up the stereotypical game
plot usually used within this genre.
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Narrative
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The games narrative is of an engineer, who after beating two
necromorph outbreaks, is captured by an unknown forced and forced to work for
them. The music reflects his fate of betrayal and loss by having the music
having a feel of hostility and tension. The hostility being of his capture
and the tension being his lack of information on what his ‘employers’ want
him to do next.
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I believe the production techniques used to create the track elements
for the narrative are traditional instruments and studio recording. The
studio recording would be used to record the dialogue used to advance and
explain the narrative and the traditional instruments with some VST effects
to create the music used within the narratives most important moments.
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