'Warm Up Act'

SEQUENCE 1

1. FX: (CITY TRAFFIC ESTABLISHED THEN STEEP CROSSFADE)

2. FX: (TAWNY OWL HOOTING. STRAIGHT CUT.)

SEQUENCE 2

3. FX: (WIND IN THE TREES. ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 59)

4. SPOT: (FOOTSTEPS ON GRAVEL TILL SUDDEN STOP IN NO 5. 'WE GO WITH' THE STRANGER. THIS OVERLAPS WITH NO 5)

5. STRANGER: (WORRIED BREATHING AND EXERTION. SUDDEN STOP. BREATHY PAUSE GIVING IMPRESSION OF FRIGHT.)

SEQUENCE 3

6. STRANGER: (LOW MOANING IN TERROR AND EXPECTATION CONTINUES UNDER AND BUILDING TO NO 9)

SEQUENCE 4

7. FX: (CREAKY DOOR OPENS - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 36)

8. FX: (COFFIN LID OPENING - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 40)

9. FX: (HELL HOUND [GROWLING AND SNARLING] - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 27)

SEQUENCE 5

10. STRANGER: (TERROR REACTION AND PANTING AS TAKES TO FLIGHT AND CONTINUES TILL NO 11)

11. SPOT: (FOOTSTEPS ON GRAVEL, FRIGHTENED RUNNING AWAY, 'WE GOT WITH' TILL SLOW FADE TO BLACK)

SEQUENCE 6

12. FX: (WIND IN THE TREES)

SEQUENCE 7

13. HELL HOUND: (ANIMAL GIGGLING. SIMULTANEOUSLY OVER NO 14.)

14. FX: (PANTING - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 28. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH NO 13. CROSSFADE TO - )

15. FX: (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - Death and Horror Vol 1 no 46)

PRODUCTION NOTES

This production keeps Grams busy with nine cues. Stopping and starting aims to keep the production under control and you will have not have much beyond in post-production beyond editing.

CASTING
The Stranger and the Hell Hound can be M or F.

PREPARATION

GRAMS
Prepare their nine cues listed above.

SPOT
Rehearse Gravel Box, walking and running, and the sudden stop.

DIRECTOR and STUDIO MANAGER
Your biggest problem is the Stranger's paralanguage at 7 and 10.

STUDIO
This is the same set throughout. Details given in Sequence 2.

SEQUENCE 1

Set Up

CUBICLE
This is all Cubicle work.

GRAMS
For no 1: Essential Sounds of the City, number 2 'CITY SKYLINE'
For no 2: Essential Seasonal Birdsong, number 81, 'TAWNY OWLS HOOTING'

Takes
As this is horror genre, give the CITY TRAFFIC (no 1) a slightly higher level to establish it. The STEEP CROSSFADE (no 1) means bringing the fader down faster than for the usual crossfade.

SEQUENCE 2

GRAMS
For no 3: Essential Death and Horror Sound Effects Vol. 1, number 59 'Wind In The Trees'

STUDIO
Microphone A for the Stranger (position 2)
Microphone B for SPOT Gravel Box. Lower this on its stand to three feet off the ground.
Cue Light A for Stranger
Cue Light B for SPOT

DIRECTOR and STUDIO MANAGER
Audition GRAMS for no 3 and decide levels. The ESTABLISH level again should give the spooky horror but do not go over the top as the main fright comes later.
Audition SPOT Gravel Box FOOTSTEPS. Get the slow and wary walk of the Stranger.
Audition STRANGER for no 5 (position 2). There are three sections here -
1. WORRIED BREATHING during the walking (includes FOOTSTEPS)
2. SUDDEN STOP with a sharp intake of breath
3. BREATHY PAUSE stock still but breathing in and out.

Arrange CUES:
Cue Light B at 4 for SPOT FOOTSTEPS to begin
Cue Light A at 5 for STRANGER begins one 'beat' after
Cue Light A (again) for STRANGER SUDDEN STOP
Ensure that STUDIO write in their Cues.

SEQUENCE 3

DIRECTOR and STUDIO MANAGER
Record no 6 which will be mixed under nos 7-9 in post-production. You need 80 seconds of this.

Arrange Cue Light A and tell the STRANGER to go ahead with no 6 until you 'cue out' (another one-second Light).

SEQUENCE 4

GRAMS
For no 7: Essential Death and Horror Sound Effects Vol. 1, number 36 'Creaky Door Opens'
For no 8: Essential Death and Horror Sound Effects Vol. 1, number 40 'Coffin Lid Opening'
For no 9: Essential Death and Horror Sound Effects Vol. 1, number 27 'The Hell Hound (Growling and Snarling)'

Takes
The main problem here is to get the levels right and that nos 7-9 should not be at too high a level. The SOUND CENTRE stays with the STRANGER and this should come over clearly in your final sound picture when you mix no 6 under nos 7-9 in post-production. You can correct levels in post-production.

 

 

 

 

 

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