EDITING WITH SOUND

When we first started the production process of this project I thought back to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and have done since. From the isolated, desert like location, the old run-down house to the opening soundtrack/sound effects that run throughout the film.

The video below features the opening soundtrack to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0LfXFWbrrM&feature=player_embedded#at=11 (Last accessed 10/03/14)


The effects/emotions this soundtrack has on an audience are in my opinion 'long-term'. What I mean by this is, after years of seeing the film i immediately recognised the soundtrack and linked it to this film, I believe it's iconic. The effects/sounds use are incredibly eerie, edgy and almost 'cut' through the audience's mind. The sounds portray fear, enigma and eeriness. From the creaks and off-key echoes that stick in your mind, to the untimely symbols that throw any chance of a rhythm off-track.

I have spoke to Joel (the sound-designer) and he has began to produce soundtracks that follow the same theme of this film. In terms of where I would like these sound effects to be in my piece, will of course depend on the footage I have my disposal... After reading the script, I believe this sort of soundtrack belongs in the cutaways e.g. the slow-track down the corridor to the wooden door at the end, still shots of the house itself to raise the tension for the audience, the dream sequences to help distort the imagery or when James is by himself in the bedroom/corridor.

Til this day I have always pictured our film to the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, however it's a shame we don't have the time, experience nor' budget to find such an appealing location with the correct miss-en-scene, and the right characters to fill the space. This doesn't however mean we won't be able to pull off the desired effect we wish to achieve. The location we have secured is a holiday lodge located down a country road on the edge of the Peak District. The house is indeed, isolated. After Luke viewed the place he discovered an abandoned farmhouse/barn further down the road, and we have decided to shoot the exterior footage at this location, with the interior footage being shot at the lodge.

A daunting looking house with vast, expansive open land portraying a sense of solitude/isolation.

I pray the footage will be convincing enough to the audience that the house is the same one and wasn't shot at two separate locations. I'm currently unsure on how to edit this together, as we have one scene in which James runs out of the house. Perhaps I will have to jump-cut to him stumbling off the porch and not going psychically through the door as we don't have proper access to the abandoned building.

I will be collaborating with Luke throughout the editing process to discuss colour correcting each shot. I would like to create an almost grainy/gritty effect to the piece, incorporating a lot of greys and browns, I feel this would help compliment the piece in terms of further pushing the idea of a dark and sinister world.