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There's still plenty of room for innovation in filmmaking, in this video I examine how Director Joanna Hogg, and sound designer Jonathan Webb collaborated on "Sonic Storyboards" for the 2019 film The Souvenir. Why not harness sound's full potential to inspire and guide the storytelling process from the start?
Special thanks to Jonathan Webb and Joanna Hogg for their contributions to this video.
Editing:
@BenFromCanada / benchinapen
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#ThomasFlight #videoessay
Chapters:
00:00 Flipping Tradition on its Head
01:41 The Beauty of The Craft
02:22 The Souvenir
04:36 The Seeds of An Idea
07:13 Crafting a Sonic Storyboard
11:34 The Impact of The Storyboards
14:44 Could this work for other films?
17:18 Art Requires Risk
This is my favourite kind of videos - those that explain the process of the creation of a film by getting into details, examples and comparing the initial idea to the finished product
reminds me of how ghibli movies create the full storyboard before writing any dialogue
On the sets of Once Upon a Time in America apparently they played the music that's in the movie to guide the actors in their play.
Yep, Leone was famous for doing this with Morricone's scores and it actually helped the actors get in the mood
Encino Morricone's scores were integral for how Leone's movies were made. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was filmed to the score, leading to many scenes being almost orchestrated and playing out exactly on queue with the music. And on your point, the music guided many of the actors because everyone spoke and acted in their native tongue, be it German, Italian, English, Spanish, or any other language.
Having studied sound recording and postproduction, and currently struggling to find work in film in my hometown Buenos Aires, this video in a way gives me hope and reminds me that I chose the right path and that I should keep trying because even if sometimes underappreciated sound is the branch of audiovisual art that I love.
Really interesting video! In my experience as a storyboard artist for TV animation, we do something similar! The editor creates a radioplay with temp voices, SFX, and music. Listening to it helps me better realize the tone, acting, and rhythm of the scenes. I think using sound is such a powerful and necessary tool to create film. It's an AUDIO-visual medium after all! haha
If you don’t mind me asking how did you get into being a storyboard artist as a career? It was something I wanted to do in the art industry. Thanks
@@niftyskates85 Everyone breaks in differently! For me, I took online classes. They are expensive and time consuming but a worth while investment! There are also a ton of free online resources that can teach you the basics. Once I made a portfolio I started applying and after a few rejections, I got hired at a local animation studio.
As a sound designer myself, I must say I am absolutely impressed with the level of detail and breakdown in this video. Subscribed! Keep it up!
I needed this, Thomas. Sound is your biggest production value. Especially on an indie set. You write with sound in mind, your film becomes much more powerful. I think of sound as if imaging using split screen effects. So many dimensions and so much you can convey.
One thing I love about modern film is the “simultaneous timeline” that run through a lot of films.
what is it?
What do you mean?
As in Oppenheimer. People remember Pulp for that also.
@@Aryeh487basically Oppenheimer timeline
I'm in pre-pre-pre-production of a short film that centers around sound. I was feeling a little stuck and this is really helpful. Thank you.
Another absolute gem of a video! There must be something in the water, we’re planning on releasing a video on Ren Klyce’s sound design set for tomorrow. Absolutely fascinating how Webb created soundscapes for novels - that’s something I’ve never heard of. I think sound is one aspect of a film people often take for granted, but it’s incredible how much heavy lifting it does in terms of building out the story. Especially love its use when it takes on a more expressive role in bringing us into the subjectivity of a character. Really love your deep dives into these topics that aren’t typically covered as much.
Funny enough, the videos that got me hooked on this channel were the ones in which you brought attention to the sound editing
This makes me think of all the podcasts that take the audio quality super seriously. World's Beyond Number comes to mind. I don't think I've ever been more immersed in a story than when I'm listening to it.
While I'm not a sound designer, when making storyboards I always try to imagine and write down the sounds and try to make the sound lead the story since it impacts me so much when watching films. Japanese films have particularly amazing and clear sound design, weighty and believable but not too cluttered like most Hollywood films.
Fantastic video, fantastic channel. Involving the filmmakers is what helps take your video essays to the next level. Especially amongst the glut of other film KZheadrs unfocused rambling over some film clips. That and your focus on the less obvious yet essential parts of the filmmaking process like sound design. Great to see someone actually building on and improving the film video essay format. You've been killing it for a long time now.
Love your point about innovation without technological advancement.
Roma (2018) by Alfonso Cuaron had a similar approach. Before anything was filmed they were collecting sounds for the movie of that specific time and place (Mexico City in the 70s).
When you were talking about how music can help to immerse actors, writers, editors, etc. into the story, I connected it to TTRPGs like D&D. Since you have barely any visuals while playing, music becomes one of the key factors to create the mood of the moment. Great video!
thank you for this. i just watched 'living' recently and was reminded of 'the souvenir' as it has the same actor in it. he is so charismatic and unusual. i really enjoyed 'living' for it's goodness and values. the souvenir stuck with me because i was at university in my twenties in the eighties. it took me back to that feeling and those relationships. our emotional uncertainty and how it countered the physical beauty we had in this time. butterfly years.
Never commented, but wanted to let you know that I appreciate your videos and the amount of details that go into making them. Always a pleasure to watch. Thank you from Germany:)
We appreciate how Thomas articulated his own inisights. We learn a lot of significant concepts to take note of.
😂 oh hi there “Pronoun, them!”Ya’ll are adorable..,Don’t eva’ change!
While it's not exactly reversing the process, Sergio Leone is known for bringing in sound during production, playing Ennio Morricone's music on set for the actors and camera to choreograph with.
Great video, this is such a cool topic. Soundscape and sound design is so impactful to filmmaking or human creativity in general. It's neat to see it come first in the process, makes me really want to check out this film now!
fascinating especially in the wake of the popularity of YT vids that started as just musical playlists for certain "vibes" into things that incorporate background sounds of people and environment for immersion along with the music [sometimes even modifying the music itself to sound like its coming from somewhere specific or "out of frame" ].
Watching this video has made me regret not seeing the single showing my local theatre had of Hogg’s most recent film, The Eternal Daughter.
I'm just a lowly writer director who started in sound design, and I've found that using sound ins a script, writing with an idea of not only what you're gonna see, but what you're gonna hear, is crucial. It's a personal choice for me based in what I like doing on other peoples sets, but it has a huge influence in opening up the script to new ideas and ways of telling the story, not only through sound, but visually it opens up a whole realm of possibilities for how to shoot or portray what's going on in the story.really glad to hear other much better directors are doing more in depth work in a similar vein.
Been watching your videos for a few years now Thomas and I think this is your best yet. Not many film essayists getting this granular or specific You should be proud. .
I've always thought movies and games could only be as good as their score. A good music track (rather than a mediocre or misplaced one) can completely change the way a scene reads. When film was in it's infancy, often times music was the only way to really sell what was seen on screen as there could be no dynamic dialogue.
This was utterly fascinating!
Sound design is almost more important than the picture itself. Lynch's Inland Empire is a prime example for that. (Im in love with its picture too. It fits.)
Thanks man I made a video a few years ago starting with sounds and I feel inspired to try again with a more traditional style of visual accompaniment and more subtle nuanced noises
I've been playing with a story concept in my head where all the characters are based on different parts of music theory. I think it'd be awesome to make something that was inspired by one thing then again reflected by the thing that inspired it.
I think that idea would work really well! I honestly adore these types of movies. Like the elements movie, zootopia, and inside out.
i legitimately think about this video like every day like this changed something in my brain. i love sound AHHH i need to get better at sound design
Fun Fact: After principal photography was done on The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols began the long process of editing the film. During editing he would play Simon & Garfunkel in the editing room, simply because he was fan and it helped break the monotony of the tedious editing process. Eventually he realized he was cutting and pacing the scenes to match the rhythm some of Paul & Art’s songs, thus he decided to reach out to them about scoring the film. The rest is history.
So happy to see discussion of Joanna Hogg.
I've just discovered your channel and it's so good
I’m definitely looking up Johnathan Webb after this, for me as just a movie WATCHER I never thought of what story or picture would SOUND like and that’s pretty cool to think about.
Come And See (1982) has some GREAT usage of audio that is mostly ignored by people
Thomas Flight, the creator you are…. I am thankfull for being able to watch this.
I love your videos. What I wanna know is there a link to all the research material you use to make a video? Like the interviews, articles,etc
man, my mind is blown. you always deliver.
As I heard from my filmmaking friends, modern production usually uses 3d scenes as mock-ups with rough lightings, sound, camera angle and poses/actions implied.
loved watching this
I love you Thomas Flight. This is a turning point for all pieces
Great idea! Basically returning to the ol radio show first rheb adapting that to film
Im glad filmmaking is still evolving, even if it feels like recently its going backwards.
It’s only going to get better and go forward. In my opinion anyways.
@@ghandibanksWhen? 🥹 It’s been ages since good movies were a standard instead of an exception
Amazing video mate👍 I love the Joanna Hogg love
Genndy Tartakovsky also created his storyboards for Primal with initial recorded sound effects using his own voice.
Brilliant!
Sergio Leone had the entire soundtrack to Once Upon Time in the West playing on set while they filmed it.
This channel is my film school, as I can’t afford to go back to school for now..Thanks 🌀 Theo
00:00 🎬 The traditional filmmaking process typically involves using text and visual materials to guide production, with sound design introduced later. 01:06 🔊 Early sound design as a sonic storyboard can evoke atmosphere and emotion, influencing the emotional arc of a film. 02:29 🎥 "The Souvenir" explores personal storytelling, blurring reality and fiction through its characters and narratives. 04:36 🎨 Innovative filmmaking involves experimenting with unconventional approaches to the filmmaking process. 07:48 📻 Sonic storyboards, using archival recordings and soundscapes, offer a unique cinematic perspective during film development. 10:07 🎞 Mixing reality and fiction through sound design enhances the storytelling and blurs the line between art and memory. 13:02 🎧 Sound's ambiguous nature allows it to evoke experiences and prompt imagination, contributing to the ambiguity in storytelling. 14:23 🎶 Early sound design influences the filmmaking process, potentially impacting visual creation and thematic elements. 15:05 🎬 Early sound design challenges the industry norm of sound being a later consideration, offering new possibilities for creativity. 18:34 🌟 Evolving the art of filmmaking requires embracing risks and exploring unconventional approaches beyond the industry's standard practices.
The Zone of Interest would be a great example
Stanley Kubrick: "How do you create such captivating characters and worlds?" "Well, I like to start with the music" -Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in the West)
I love sound design and directors who appreciate the power of sound in the story, incorporating sound from the beginning. A Quiet Place had sounds written in the script and John Krasinski brought Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn in from the beginning. I don't think it would have been such an emotionally impactful film if they came in at the end.
i was blown away when i saw ridley scots napoleons story board
A shot from The Souvenir Part = automatically watching.
The only other person I know of who is a parapsychologist is Dr. Peter Vinkman. Who, as we all know, saved the world in 1986 with his colleagues.
I thin it’s really interesting how this kind of approach can only evolve from years of cinema. It wouldn’t have been something people could do anything with a few decades a go. People first needed to learn what movies sound like and what music means in movies.
Hi! Loving the content! Was first introduced to your work with the essay about how films are different now and "meta-modern" I have a request if there's interest. How about.. What makes Michael Bay films so exhausting? I generally like action films and his included, but I'm just so beat down and exhausted by his in particular, as compared to other action films like John Wick or Extraction. Ambulance is peak Bay if you ask me, and while I like the intensity, I was absolutely exhausted by the film by the time it ended. Then I realized that I feel that way from most of his films. What causes that sense of tiredness from the viewing experience? (And no, it's not from boredom or "badness", or the length, cause there's longer movies that can still leave you feeling light and uplifted) Just a curious question I had that I know if you did a deep dive on, would have a great answer to. 👍😊
16:25 saving this part for later
I love this idea and would love more soundscape films. I just wish so many art films were not so melancholic and take themselves to seriously.
He is just tooooooo adorable.
Great video, thank you! You shoud watch Neighboring Sounds and Bacurau by filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho!
My mans like Dr strange with how crazy he throws them hands
Got my gf the parasite story board book, it really is a masterclass in film technique
Make a review on The Humans 2021
The Souvenir reminds me of Seinfeld Season 4
Not gonna lie you changing the title of the video a couple hours in was a real mindf*ck for me
Of course film is still evolving! It's such a young form -- compare ~130 years of film to the whole history of literature
Your content is so rich
❤
Derek Jarman really was ahead of his time with Blue
Are you guys not doing cinema of meaning anymore?
Steven Spielberg did that a lot: edit the movie to John Williams' music.
I see Thomas Flight, I click on it.
Though to be fair, I am not sure if Joanna Hogg's films are a good reference point. You'd have been better served with the works of Paul Davies and Lynne Ramsay. Those two were making sonic storyboards waaaay before Hogg..and, imho, doing much more effectively....
Sound... man
Why is everyone always in front of a bookcase?
on god
They cinema is dying but its still the start
I kinda get it, but it still seems like a nascent tool because of its subjective origin. Trad film language is built out of the experiments done 100+ years ago because of their near-universality of effect. This method still seems un-standardized, so the likelihood of the creative misperception is high. Don't get me wrong, I think it can become a new standard tool, but it will likely still remain optional in the same way storyboards are: a tool...but not for every occasion. You'd have to use them based on how useFUL they are for a given project.
18:35 I think the ‘stale box’ in part comes from the irresistible ‘how it was done special features’ now routinely included with film purchase. It’s ruining the magic trick. Always thought this was bad for cinema. Cat’s out of the bag.
It started in the 90s, when chumps would evaluate movies by the number of special effects. “That movie’s RAD! Great CGI!” The beginning of the end.
First
I find that seeing a shot of your reaction during interview clips is a bit of a distraction (it's enough of a distraction that it caused me to pause the video in order to comment about it). Just my opinion, meant constructively for your consideration. Also, i'm halfway through the video now and i feel you have substantially spoiled The Souvenir at this point, so i think your caveat at 2:27 that you won't spoil the film is entirely untrue.
Film is dead digital and AI along with poor writing and terrible acting killed it, DUH...
this is not film.
I have nothing to say. I am commenting to help boost those numbers because I like these videos very much :)
Great video as always but you constantly cut away from the film clips too quickly. Too rushed. Let us really sink into it a bit more.
❤