Video & Sound Production / project 1

22/4/2026 - 26/7/2026/ Week 1 - Week 14

GUAN YAXIN / 0370687

Information Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

LECTURES

week 3

Storyboard

What is a Storyboard

A storyboard is a visual planning tool that looks similar to a comic strip. It uses a sequence of images to preview scenes, shots, and the flow of a film, animation, or video before production begins.

It helps creators: 

Visualize shots/Plan storytelling flow/Organize visual narratives

Purpose of a Storyboard

The article emphasizes the importance of storyboards during pre-production. Storyboards help:

Directors communicate ideas/Cinematographers understand shots/Production teams collaborate effectively/Identify problems before filming/Save time and production costs

What a Storyboard Usually Includes

Common storyboard elements include:

Shot numbers/Camera angles/Character movements/Dialogue/Notes/Timing

Types of Storyboards

The article introduces several storyboard formats:

Traditional hand-drawn storyboard

Digital storyboard

Thumbnail storyboard

Animated storyboard / Animatic

Difference Between Storyboard and Shot List

A storyboard visually represents scenes and shots. A shot list is a written list of planned shots. Both are usually used together in film production.

Importance of Storyboarding

The article explains that storyboarding is turning abstract ideas into executable visual plans. Storyboards improve communication and production efficiency. 

Storyboard Creation Process

Step 1: Read the Script

Understand:

Scenes

Characters

Emotions

Actions

Step 2: Break the Scene into Shots

Divide scenes into different shot types, such as:

Wide shot

Medium shot

Close-up

Step 3: Draw the Frames

The article explains that drawings do not need to be highly detailed. The purpose is to:

Clearly communicate the shot

Show composition

Indicate character movement

Step 4: Add Notes

Storyboard notes may include:

Camera movement

Dialogue

Sound effects

Timing

Transitions

Use of Digital Tools

Milanote introduces digital storyboard methods such as:

Drag-and-drop image arrangement

Adding annotations

Organizing shot sequences

These tools make collaboration and editing easier.

Advantages of Storyboarding

Storyboards help filmmakers:

Plan scenes in advance

Control pacing

Reduce confusion during filming

Improve production efficiency

week 4

Stages of Film Production

Pre-production

Pre-production is the planning stage of filmmaking. It happens before filming begins and focuses on organizing everything needed for the shoot.

Key activities include:

Writing and finalizing the script

Budgeting

Casting actors

Hiring crew members

Location scouting

Creating storyboards and shot lists

Scheduling the shoot

 Production

Production is the stage where the actual filming takes place.

During this phase:

Actors perform scenes

Cameras record footage

Directors guide performances

Cinematographers manage lighting and camera work

Sound is recorded on set

This stage often involves the most physical, technical, and logistical challenges because many departments must work together under time constraints.

Post-production

Post-production happens after filming is completed.

Main tasks include:

Video editing

Sound editing

Music and sound design

Visual effects (VFX)

Color correction and color grading

Final exporting

Editors assemble all footage into a complete and polished final film.

The Roles of the Production Team

Teamwork is very important in film production, and different production team members have different responsibilities. It emphasizes that film production is a cooperative process, and each staff member contributes professional skills to successfully complete the project.

Director

The director is responsible for the creative vision of the film. Their duties include:

Guiding actors’ performances

Planning scenes and camera blocking

Working closely with cinematographers and editors

Making creative decisions throughout production

The director ensures that the story is visually and emotionally communicated to the audience.

Producer

The producer manages the business and organizational side of the production. Responsibilities include:

Securing funding

Managing budgets

Hiring cast and crew

Scheduling production

Overseeing logistics

The producer helps ensure the production runs smoothly and stays within budget.

Cinematographer / Director of Photography (DP)

The cinematographer controls the visual style of the film through:

Camera work

Lighting

Shot composition

Lens choices

They work with the director to achieve the desired visual aesthetic.

Editor

The editor assembles recorded footage into a complete story by:

Cutting scenes

Organizing pacing

Enhancing narrative flow

Adding transitions

Editing is essential for shaping the final emotional and storytelling experience.

Sound Designer

The sound designer handles:

Dialogue editing

Sound effects

Music integration

Audio atmosphere

Good sound design improves realism and emotional impact.

Ultimate Guide to Film Crew Positions

The film crew has different hierarchical systems, and many positions in film production also have different responsibilities. Generally, large-scale production requires many specialized departments to work together.

Production Department

This department manages organization and logistics.

Important roles include:

Producer

Executive Producer

Line Producer

Production Assistant (PA)

Assistant Director (AD)

The Assistant Director helps manage schedules and keeps production on time.

Camera Department

The camera department handles filming and image capture.

Key roles:

Director of Photography (DP)

Camera Operator

1st Assistant Camera (Focus Puller)

2nd Assistant Camera

The DP oversees lighting and camera techniques to support the director’s vision.

Grip and Lighting Department

This department supports lighting setups and camera rigs.

Roles include:

Gaffer

Key Grip

Electricians

Dolly Grip

They help create the film’s visual atmosphere and ensure technical safety.

Art Department

The art department designs the visual environment of the film.

Key roles:

Production Designer

Art Director

Set Decorator

Prop Master

They are responsible for sets, props, decorations, and overall visual style.

Costume, Hair, and Makeup

These departments help create character appearance and continuity.

Roles include:

Costume Designer

Makeup Artist

Hair Stylist

They ensure characters visually match the story and maintain consistency between scenes.

Post-production Department

This department completes the film after shooting.

Important roles:

Editor

Sound Designer

Colorist

Composer

They refine the final visual and audio presentation of the film.

week 5

Definition of Mise-en-Scène

Mise-en-scène is a French term meaning “placing on stage.” In film, it refers to everything that appears within the frame and how these visual elements are arranged to communicate meaning, mood, and story. It is one of the most important tools filmmakers use to influence how audiences understand a scene.

Setting and Production Design

The setting refers to the physical environment where the story takes place.

This includes:

Locations

Sets

Architecture

Decorations

Background details

A setting can:

Establish the time period

Create atmosphere

Reflect a character’s personality

Support the film’s themes

For example, a dark and abandoned house may suggest danger, isolation, or mystery.

Costume and Makeup

Costumes and makeup help define characters and provide visual information about them.

They can reveal:

Personality

Occupation

Social status

Emotional state

Character development

For example:

Bright colors may suggest optimism.

Dark clothing may suggest conflict, mystery, or sadness.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most powerful elements of mise-en-scène because it controls what the audience sees and feels.

Lighting can:

Create mood

Direct attention

Suggest power relationships

Build tension

Examples:

High-key lighting creates a bright and cheerful atmosphere.

Low-key lighting creates strong shadows and a dramatic or mysterious mood.

Staging and Performance

This refers to how actors move and behave within a scene.

It includes:

Facial expressions

Body language

Movement

Positioning within the frame

Actors’ performances help communicate emotions, relationships, and character intentions.

Composition

Composition is the arrangement of visual elements within the frame.

It involves:

Framing

Balance

Symmetry

Camera angles

Depth

Good composition helps guide the audience’s attention and strengthens visual storytelling.

Color

Color plays a significant role in creating mood and meaning.

Different colors can symbolize different emotions:

Red → passion, danger, anger

Blue → calmness, sadness

Yellow → happiness, energy

Green → nature, growth, jealousy

Filmmakers often use color palettes to create visual consistency and reinforce themes.

Importance of Mise-en-Scène Matters

Through the careful use of:

Setting

Costume

Makeup

Lighting

Performance

Composition

Color

filmmakers can communicate information, emotions, themes, and character relationships more effectively.

INTRODUCTION

on class exercise: Various shooting angles

Extra practice: Lalin edit

Exercise 1 : Audio Dubbing

Before the official start of audio production, the teacher gave us a video clip and a dialogue script. Our first task is not to import editing software directly, but to complete a mirror image table first. The contents of the table include: describing the content of the picture, marking the corresponding lines, marking the mood and tone of the character when speaking (such as nervousness, anger, hesitation, brevity, etc.), and planning what sound effects should be matched with each shot (such as ambient sound, footsteps, knocking at the door, transition sound, etc.).

First of all, I watch video clips repeatedly, and fill in the number, content description, corresponding lines and tone of each clip in the table according to the action, mouth shape and scene environment, and mark the types of sound effects that need to be added in the remarks column, such as knocking at the door, opening the door, crowd noise, transition sound, hitting objects, rubbing clothes and so on. 

After completing the form,  ensure that the logic of the split mirror is correct, and entering the next step.

After the split-screen table was confirmed, I imported the video clips into Premiere Pro and began to match sound effects for each shot according to the plan in the table. The required sound material is downloaded from the free sound library.

 I put different types of sound effects on one track: environmental sound (such as outdoor noise and indoor noise) on the other track, action sound (knocking, opening and closing doors, hitting sound) on the other track, and transition sound on a separate track, so as to adjust the volume separately. After the laying is completed, I align the positions of all sound effects with the action of the picture frame by frame-for example, the impact point of knocking at the door must be completely consistent with the frame in which the hand touches the facade, otherwise the sound and picture will be out of sync.

 

After this stage, I exported the first version of the video, ready to enter the dubbing session.

According to the dialogue in the script, I recorded the voice with a microphone in a quiet environment. When recording, I try to imitate the mood and mouth rhythm of the characters in the picture. It is often necessary to record a line several times before choosing a satisfactory version. After that, the recorded vocals are imported into Premiere Pro, which are aligned to the timeline sentence by sentence and finely matched with the mouth shape of the picture.

Because there is a man's voice in the original video clip, I need to tone modulate my recorded voice. According to the tutorial given by the teacher, the parameter equalizer is used in Pr to process the previously recorded sound as follows.

After the initial dubbing, I handed the work over to the teacher for examination. The feedback given by the teacher is that the dubbing part is not clear enough, the articulation of some sentences is not clear enough, and the emotional ups and downs are not obvious enough. It is suggested that I re-record. The teacher specially reminded me that when recording, we should refer to the tone and emotional requirements marked in the mirror-dividing table before. We should not just read the lines flatly, but express the psychological state of the character through sound.

In response to the teacher's feedback, I re-recorded all the lines. After the new vocal material was recorded, I imported PR again, and aligned it with the mouth shape of the picture sentence by sentence, and adjusted the position of each frame more carefully than the first time to ensure that the "voice" and "mouth shape" were completely consistent. And debug the tone and timbre of the voice.

 After that, I used the audio effects of Premiere Pro to slightly compress the human voice, so that the volume fluctuated more smoothly, and adjusted the EQ to moderately raise the intermediate frequency to make the voice clearer and more prominent. Finally, I rechecked the volume balance of all the tracks-the proportion of human voice, ambient sound and action sound should be coordinated, and the background sound should not be overwhelmed by the lines, and the sound effect should not be too abrupt. After several rounds of fine-tuning and playback inspection, I exported the final version and completed the whole dubbing task.

quiz 

Quiz: https://forms.gle/MVvrEsqA1QLyWBaV8

Quiz: https://forms.gle/WP4prvj3jhms5seRA

Quiz: https://forms.gle/fWrjQxt6wQBMEx4DA

Exercise 2 : Sound Shaping

For Exercise 2, our course content is conducted online. This is an interesting exercise. According to what the teacher taught us, I first completed the audio part that needs to be made in class, and then continued to complete the part that needs to be made after class as required. First of all, I want to record my own voice, so I recorded a short audio and modulated the voice according to what the teacher taught me.

Open Adobe Audition and import the recorded audio file. I am familiar with the basic interface layout of the software, including the location of waveform display area, effect group panel and common tools. Because I have had editing experience in Premiere Pro before, some interface logic of Audition is similar to it, and it is relatively smooth to get started. I am familiar with the positions of various functions under the menu of Effects, especially the core modules of Filter and EQ, Reverb, Delay and Echo and Pitch Shift, because they are the most frequently used tools in this exercise.

(1) Analog telephone sound

Adding a "parameter equalizer" to the effect group greatly reduces the low frequency below 200Hz and the high frequency above 4000Hz, and only retains the intermediate frequency range (about 300Hz-3500Hz), simulating the narrow band characteristics of telephone speakers. Create a faint sense of cavity inside the telephone receiver. After the processing is completed, the audition is played back. Compared with the original recording, the sound is really thin and has a "telephone sense". In the process, I repeatedly adjusted the cut-off frequency and distortion of EQ, because too much high-frequency reduction will make the sound completely inaudible, and too much distortion will appear unnatural, so it is necessary to find a balance between realism and stylization.

(2) simulate the closet

The key to this step is to make the sound sound like it is surrounded by clothes and closed. First, I use the "parameter equalizer" to cut the high frequency above 4000Hz and make the sound "boring". Then choose a small room preset in "Complete Reverberation" to shorten the reverberation time to avoid obvious echo feeling, because there is actually no large reflection space in the wardrobe. Then, a small amount of short-term early reflection sound is added to the "delay" effector to simulate the effect that the sound is absorbed and slightly reflected by clothes in a narrow space. When processing, I found that if reverberation was given too much, the sound would sound like it was in the bathroom instead of the closet. Therefore, after repeated comparison, the dry-wet ratio of reverberation was controlled at a low level, and most of the texture of the original sound was retained, and only light space dyeing was done.

(3) Simulated bathroom

The bathroom is characterized by strong reflection on the ceramic tile surface and clear mid-high frequency echo. I chose a medium-sized bright space preset in "Full Reverberation", adjusted the reverberation time to about 1-1.5 seconds, and increased the gain ratio of high-frequency reflection to make the sound sound crisp and "tile-like". At the same time, the "delay" effect is added, and a short delay of 50-100 milliseconds is set to simulate the early echo of sound reflected back and forth between hard walls. In terms of EQ, I slightly increased the gain in the range of 2000Hz-4000Hz, and enhanced the brightness and clarity of the sound. The effect of this group of treatments is very obvious. After adding the treatment, the sound seems to have been really "thrown" into a small bathroom, with a strong sense of hierarchy.

(4) Simulating underground caves

Underground caves are characterized by huge space, long echo and distant sound. I chose the large hall preset in "Complete Reverberation" to prolong the reverberation time and increase the wet sound ratio of reverberation. In order to simulate the sense of distance of sound propagating in the cave, I set a long pre-delay time in the "delay", so that there is an obvious time interval between the direct sound and the first reflected sound. EQ cut some high frequencies to make the sound softer, because high frequencies are more easily absorbed in long-distance transmission. When adjusting the proportion of wet sound, I found that if the wet sound is too large, the sound will become blurred; If it is too small, there is not enough space. After several rounds of fine-tuning, a balance point with a certain clarity and an open sense of space was found.

(5) Simulate alien sounds.

This process has the highest degree of freedom and is also the most creative. First, I used "pitch shift" to adjust the overall pitch up or down by several semitones, changing the basic tone of the sound. Finally, a small amount of reverberation and delay are added to give the sound a certain sense of spatial position, making it seem to come from a distant planet or spacecraft. I tried several different parameter combinations, which produced different styles, such as robot sense, alien creature sense and synthetic electronic sound, and finally chose a version that was both creative and not too harsh.

After each effect is processed, I quickly switch between the original sound and the processed effect by clicking the "bypass" button next to the track to judge whether the effect has reached the expectation. The parameters of the first attempt of some effects are not ideal-for example, the EQ cut range of telephone sound is too wide, which makes the sound almost unrecognizable, and the delay time of cave reverberation is too long, which leads to the overlapping of syllables. I repeatedly adjusted the values of various parameters, and listened, fine-tuned and listened again until I found a satisfactory balance between "effective" and "undistorted". This process also made me familiar with the advantages of real-time preview adjustment in Audition-you don't have to regenerate it every time you modify it, and it is very efficient to listen while tuning.

Now all the sound effects were processed, I checked whether there was obvious noise floor or unnecessary noise in each audio file. For individual versions, I used the "adaptive noise reduction" function in Audition, sampled a silent area as a noise sample, and then applied noise reduction to the whole audio, paying attention to controlling the intensity while reducing the background noise to avoid damaging the clarity and texture of human voice. After the noise reduction, I made the final volume standardization, so that the maximum peaks of the five versions were unified to -3dB, which was convenient for the subsequent display and comparison.

After confirming that all the effects have been processed, I export the five versions of audio to WAV format respectively, and distinguish the different versions with clear file names. Finally, put five files in the same folder.

in class:

phone

muffled

in space

individual:

alien

bathroom

Inside a closet

phone call

underground cave

FEEDBACK

WEEK 3

General Feedback : Mr.kannan introduced the course to us and taught us how to do some basic operations in pr.

Specific Feedback : no

WEEK 4

General Feedback : This week, our teacher explained the relevant knowledge about the frame and storyboard in detail, and let the students deepen their understanding of the concepts such as lens category and camera angle through practical operation, and also let us know the basic logic of the three-act structure in advance.

Specific Feedback : no

WEEK 5

General Feedback : no

Specific Feedback : no

REFLECTION

Experience

In Project 1, I completed two exercises: Sound Dubbing and Sound Shaping. The first exercise requires recording your own voice according to the dialogue provided, and finding suitable sound effects, such as ambient sound, to match the sound with the picture. In the process of editing, I pay special attention to the synchronization of dialogue, sound effects and pictures, as well as the balance of overall volume, so that the scene sounds more real and natural.

In the second exercise, I used Adobe Audition to shape the sound of a five-second recording, simulating the sounds of different environments and characters such as telephones, wardrobes, bathrooms, underground caves and aliens. I use the equalizer to experience the influence of different audio processing methods on sound.

Observation

Through these two exercises, I found that sound plays an important role in film narration and audience experience. Even if the pictures are exactly the same, different sound design will bring completely different emotions and atmosphere. Excellent sound design is not only adding sound effects, but also balancing dialogue, ambient sound and sound effects. If any one of them is too loud or out of sync with the picture, it will affect the overall look and feel and immersion.

Findings

These two exercises made me understand more deeply the importance of sound design in film and television production. I realize that sound is not only an auxiliary element of the picture, but also an important tool to promote narrative, shape atmosphere and convey emotions. Reasonable use of ambient sound, hard sound effects and various audio processing technologies can effectively enhance the realism and appeal of the film.

At the same time, I am more familiar with the basic functions of Adobe Audition, including the application of tools such as equalization, reverberation, delay, compression and pitch adjustment. These practical experiences have enhanced my confidence in sound recording and post-production, and laid a good foundation for sound design of movies, animations and Motion Graphics projects in the future.