Audio/Sound Design Planning

 While I'm planning for the opening, audio was one of the most important factor and element into introducing Leo's mental struggle. Since most of my opening is relying on his physical action and vague dialogue, sound aids to express his state mentally in ways visuals alone can't do. I'm going to be focusing on combining diegetic and non-diegetic music to display the pros and cons of long distance running.

For the non-diegtic sound choice, an significant audio choice could be the song, "It's Raining Again" by Supertramp; however, I remembered about the copyright. So what I did was go on Epidemic Sound and found some music that is similar. I found the song, "I Can't Wait No More." This music is going to be playing while the running scenes are being shown and continues across multiple locations, reinforcing Leo's routine and creating a sense of progression. Because the song leans more toward an upbeat motif, the lyrics are melancholic, mirroring Leo's mindset. On the outside, he appears to be an motivated and disciplined runner, but internally he struggles with self-doubt and exhaustion. I specifically chose this song because it contrasts perfectly with sound and emotion, showing how runner's push themselves despite their mental health and fatigue. 

As well as the music, diegetic sound plays a huge role into placing the opening to convey realism. His heavy breathing, the running shoes bouncing off the pavement, and subtle outside noises help present the physical toll of running. While the run is progressing, I plan on lowering the volume of the song and bring the sound of Leo's breathing more higher and forward in the mix. I believe this choice makes the audience sense and feel his discomfort, immersing them in his head instead of observing from a distance. Also, I want to incorporate foley into the shoes hitting the pavement. 

Foley:

The garage scenes are going to portray a different audio approach. Instead of having music play in the background, I want these scenes to communicate silence and isolated sounds. Such as echos of footsteps, objects being thrown, and the sound of the baseball bat hitting something. I'm intentionally removing the music as it makes the scene feel awkward and uncomfortable. By lacking background noise, it forces the audience to focus more on the emotional breakdown and shows the contrast between his past endurance during the run and unstoppable rage afterwards.

Overall, the planning process of audio elements tend to focus on divergence, realism, and empathy. By balancing music precisely, incorporating diegetic sound and silence, my goal is to show how Leo's running slowly turns into an struggle which sets the tone for the rest of the film. 

Sources:

YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUE4_PtOk0

YouTube. (n.d.-a). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBDU3pJaU6c