Sound Effect Ideas

[DavidDaMonkey]

I have a question about a sound effect and I thought it might be nice to start a whole thread where people can share any interesting sound effect ideas or that can ask questions or ask for opinions for sound effects they need.

Here's my specific one. I'm doing a show that is an original musical for this summer camp these kids do every year. Its about 200 kids and major production value. There is one scene were about 80 of the kids are running on from behind a large set piece and at one point they all slow down and run in slow mo, and then they all speed up again. The director looks at me and says "I need a slow motion sound effect here." What??? My only idea right now is to bring a mic to rehearsal, record the kids chattering as they run on stage and then slow that down and speed it back up. Then I could play that and mix it in with their live chatter. This doesn't really seem like the most elegant solution though, does anyone else have any ideas?

I guess I could always just play around with a synth and make something that drops in pitch and then comes back up, but that doesn't seem right either.

[Schniapereli]

Watch clips of movies where they do the same thing. They usually have the sound of a record or a tape slowing down, or speeding up.

I can't think of any movies with this off the top of my head...

[Eboy87]

Originally Posted by Schniapereli

Watch clips of movies where they do the same thing. They usually have the sound of a record or a tape slowing down, or speeding up.

I can't think of any movies with this off the top of my head...

I was thinking the same thing. The Loony Toons come to mind for an example.

[DavidDaMonkey]

Originally Posted by Schniapereli

Watch clips of movies where they do the same thing. They usually have the sound of a record or a tape slowing down, or speeding up.

I can't think of any movies with this off the top of my head...

I was thinking along these lines, but it has to be a tape OF something, and I couldn't think of what. Then there's the problem of how to get that effect. If only I still had my old reel to reel laying around.

[deadlygopher]

A few months ago when I did a slow-down noise I got a bunch of people into the light booth (a very small room) and recorded a 20 minute conversation. I put a ton of reverb on it, and then slowed it down. It wasn't perfect but it worked.

[satriasound]

if you'd like a movie to reference a generic "slow down" may i suggest the matrix? without compensating for time stretch in most digital editing programs you get a pitch drop. if you want just a generic "slow down" sort of sound, you could start with a mid range general note/chord/noise type sound and bend the sound into a far lower note, then bend it back to its original when things resume. but if you use identifiable noise (like crowd chatter) then yeah you'll have to slow it down. (most shifter algorithms will also have a pitch preservations, just turn it off.)

[Herr_Sprecker]

Is there music linked to this 'running on' event? If not, is the director willing to put some music to it? Something a la 'Sabre Dance' or such? In either case, it might be easier to represent the slo-mo with the music. I have a pitch bender utility in my audio software that I would use to accomplish this.

What are the circumstances that are behind this 'running on'? Panic, happiness, etc? If the music idea wouldn't work, you could try recording the kids either cheering with excitement, yelling in panic or anger, whatever the reasoning, and then slow that down.

If music is permissible, another option that might be easier is a tempo shift. With the running (fast), start with an upbeat or frenetic tune. Sabre Dance could work for this, or some great fast tempo march. Then, at a point in the music that the kids could listen for, switch to an extremely slow song. Count Basie's 'Lil Darlin' could work, or any good slow instrumental that would allow the kids to really do the slow mo. Give it a bit of music to establish, then work in a speed-up selection, or find something that starts with a cymbal crash and resume fast speed.

A few options, let me know what might work. PM me if you want.

[DavidDaMonkey]

The music idea wont really work for this scene, but after trying all sorts of things, I think I found the best solution.

I asked the director if the kids could just continue their chatter in slow-mo.

She was fine with this.

I love when things work.

[rdagit]

Another idea that you may want to try if you can't record the voices of the kids just play the sound of a record player slowing down and speeding up... I think it'll sound really corny, but I have the feeling that the director is kinda looking for that and isn't really up on the being really clean with the sound, it's a children's number... so it's ok..