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flamencanyc (flamencanyc) wrote in making_qaf,
@ 2009-05-15 14:47:00

Entry tags:

511, sound

Elimination/editing of ambient sounds
felonius_monk's recent post on Britin got me thinking about that scene, and brought back to mind something I had noticed years ago, but never discussed online.

It always bummed me out that they edited out many of the ambient sounds in the scene inside Britin.

They completely eliminated the sounds of the floorboards squeaking as Gale and Randy walked around the room. They were there in the screener, but gone from the aired version. The most obvious ones were when Brian walks toward Justin right after saying "to prove to the person that I love how much I love him" before he says "that I would give him anything..."

They also significantly lowered the volume of (well, basically eliminated) the lovely crackling sounds emanating from the fire.

I thought it was a shame that they did this -- obviously with the intent of not distracting from Brian and Justin -- because to me those sounds had added character, charm, and romance to the scene without detracting at all from the dialogue.

What do you guys think of that?
Have you ever noticed them having done that in other scenes? And if so, to good or bad effect?

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felonius_monk
2009-05-16 06:15 am UTC (link)

What's a "screener"? I'd like to hear the sounds.

Since I already had that particular scene paused on DVD, I watched it again and you are so right and that is so wrong that the ambient sounds were edited out. I have always HATED that scene (except for getting to see Britin and B/J making love in front of the fireplace), because it felt so contrived. The way the actors looked, the dialogue. Anyhow, I think it hit me when I read your post and re-watched the scene that the lack of ambient sound is part of what gives the scene an articifial feel.

Speaking of floorboards, the Munchers had nary a creaky floorboard in their house! And you can tell the house isn't brand new.

My two favorite ambient sound scenes:

116 – At Deb’s house when she has the little dinner party for Senator Baxter—no music, just ambient sounds. Brian and Justin in the back yard. A few random snowflakes are falling (I know that's not sound, but it’s still ambience). An unseen car roars down the street and you can hear the whompa-whompa of music coming from the car. You can hear every little movement of Brian’s leather jacket. Leather has its own unique sound--thick-warm-rustle-y, maybe?

202 – In the loft after Justin freaks out at Gus’s birthday party—no music, just ambient sounds. Brian in the kitchen. The clattering of silverware and dishes. The sound of the fridge being opened, bottles tinkling and then the door shutting. The sound of Brian turning off the lights. Faint city traffic sounds outside the loft all through the scene (I love that). It’s so quiet, you can hear the whisper of clothing and sheets moving. The sound of the scarf fringe thwapping against Brian’s jeans (or the sheet, I can’t really tell). Their soft breaths, and sighs, and gentle gasps. Their bodies moving on the bed. If you listen really intently throughout the scene, you can hear the humming of the florescent blue lights.

Monk the Geek

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flamencanyc
2009-05-24 01:55 pm UTC (link)

A screener is an advance copy (usually a nearly-finished version) of the episode that's sent out to press, critics, etc. prior to airing or release of a tv show or film.

A few of the screeners of some seminal QaF episodes made it online at various times, but as far as I know, none are still available online now.

Because they are preliminary, the sound editing is often unfinished, songs used are sometimes not the same ones as are seen in the aired version (if, for example, they changed their minds or couldn't get permission to use the song they wanted -- sometimes the aired and DVD versions will be different due to rights issues too), the color balancing may not be done, etc.

I don't hate that scene myself, but that's what makes horseraces. Interesting how little things you don't even notice consciously can have such a big effect.

i'll have to listen for Mel & Linz's floorboards now too.

The leather jacket sound thing is most obvious in the scene at Red Cape where Brian comes on to Michael. It's crucial to the feeling of intimacy in the scene.

202, mmm... yeah.

And some of the episode endings where they continue the ambient sounds and don't play any music are really powerful -- 510 obviously, but also 207 as a more subtle example.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

felonius_monk
2009-05-24 10:23 pm UTC (link)

The leather jacket sound thing is most obvious in the scene at Red Cape where Brian comes on to Michael. It's crucial to the feeling of intimacy in the scene.

Yeeeeesssssss! The sound of Brian’s leather jacket in that scene was intimate, but harsh and ominous. Totally different from the intimate, gentle sound of the leather jacket when Brian and Justin were in Deb’s back yard.

And some of the episode endings where they continue the ambient sounds and don't play any music are really powerful -- 510 obviously, but also 207 as a more subtle example.

Yeeeeesssssss! I listen to the sounds of episode endings, also. I love that shit! Ep. 405: Cody railing against Justin walking away from Hobbs—and him.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	flamencanyc 2009-05-25 11:54 am UTC (link)
	(Lol, you're cute.) Yes! and Yes! to what you said. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	felonius_monk 2009-05-25 01:01 pm UTC (link)
	I. AM. NOT. CUTE. I'M EVIL, GODDAMMIT!! OMG, I so wanna lick Brian's huge hand right now. PURE EVIL. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	flamencanyc 2009-05-25 01:03 pm UTC (link)
	Ooooookay. Huge hand? (Reply to this) (Parent)