For me, when there is the time to be a sound designer rather than just a sound editor, I just start throwing stuff at a scene - I just freestyle it, almost like an improv from when I was a musician. I don't analyze it, I just let it happen. I may even do a couple of different approaches. The results are usually fair to bad, but the emotional content is there.
I've worked on a number of projects where the director has spent the budget unwisely and blown the schedule during filming, leaving the audio post team with no time for anything other than a quick "fix and mix". Most of my projects though did have the time and personnel for proper sound design, although the deadlines were always a struggle and allowed little spare time for experimentation. For a number of years I worked closely with various highly experienced and talented sound designers and directors and learnt something about how they analysed and approached sound design to save experimentation time which they didn't have. I would love to work on a truly huge budget film where there is the time and money to really experiment.
Interesting what you say about your approach being influenced from your past as a musician. I believe the same is true of me. There's not much opportunity for improv or experimentation when playing in a symphony orchestra though! It's much more about preparation through analysis and working out what you're going to do before you get to the rehearsal. I'm not saying my approach to sound design is necessarily any better than yours, the important thing is that there is sound design, real emotional content and in that respect you're well ahead of the curve. So many of those who work in the low budget sector call themselves Sound Designers when really they are Sound Editors, usually this is not just because they've not been given the time to be anything other than a sound editor but because they don't know the difference!
Fantastic input from Nick, APE and Alcove... It really sunk in.
Glad it was useful! In a nutshell I am saying
don't look at the picture and identify where/what the sounds are. Instead, look at the story, at what you want the audience to focus on and feel, and then see what sounds you could justifiably use to manipulate your audience.
I'd like to note: We've been very lucky with this scene you've donated. The bar in the background provides us with almost endless sound design opportunities, some of which may not be obvious at first glance. For example, in the background we could (if we wish) have the band finish a piece of music, the patrons cheer or applaud and the band start a new, possibly completely different style/feel piece of music. We can time these background audio changes with what is going on between our two characters, to punctuate a line or piece of action or to change the pace and/or emotion the audience perceives. For example we could change to a slightly lighter (or darker, or more aggressive, etc.) piece of music at 01:11, when the guy pushes his friend. These almost subliminal changes in pace and/or feel add significance, interest and ultimately entertainment value to your film. However, if instead of being thrown out of a bar our two characters were being thrown out of a library, from a sound design point of view we'd be pretty screwed! Unless your shot list for that sequence established some nearby traffic and/or other sources of sound we could use in our palette.
Don't forget: Always think about the overall shape of the scene, not just what is happening at any particular moment. Maybe we (or rather the director) wants to start the scene darker and straighter and gradually ramp up the comedy towards the end, rather than just mild comedy throughout. Creating shape is essential to the vast majority of scenes, it adds pace and involves the audience more. If my use of the words "pace", "interest", "involvement" and "entertainment value" are starting to sound like a mantra, GOOD! If you want your films to have commercial value, at
every stage of the filmmaking process these words need to become your mantra too!
Lastly, a few pointers/suggestions on how we might use sound to enhance or ramp up the comedy towards the end (if this is the shape the director wants!). In addition to any changes in sound (or music) which could justifiably come from the bar:
1. Consider carefully the Foley during the fighting between our characters. Do we want to imply real violence with some solid punching/pushing sounds? Maybe the skinny guy's punch sounds have more of an element of a girly slap about them?
2. Maybe (or maybe not) the dialogue should change perspective with the camera POV at 01:16, so even from a distance it looks (and sounds) like a girly fight.
3. Consider the grunting sounds during the fight, are they implying what you want them to imply?
4. Maybe at 01:26 when the skinny guy is pushed against the car, we hear an obvious (but not too dominant) metal impact and bending sound. From the subsequent dialogue the characters are obviously unaware of the damage they have caused. Our audience now knows something our characters don't, maybe this will help them to feel involved in the story rather than just being spectators? We could milk the comedy even more; just after this impact, the car alarm could go off for a second or so before breaking and dying away comically in time with the CU of the skinny guy's reaction at abut 01:28.
5. Really go for a disgusting splat sound for the vomit impact, if you want some gross out comedy factor. Also, subtly blend in some squelchy element with one or more of the following sounds: The mouth wipe, when he slaps his friend on the arm at 01:48 and/or to every left footstep of the friend from 01:50 to the end.
G