Thomas Selman

For that initial pipe being ripped off the wall and then pried into the door, I landed on using a mixture of this bin lid and shovel being hit and scraped with recordings of my old shed door. This door was scraping and creaking across the stone floor beneath it and which helped it  

When I was first considering to recreate the sound in this cinematic, I knew that the acid spitting shotgun was going to be a real challenge to get right. I found this video:  How I Design Awesome Gun Sounds by Matt Gault to be really useful in detailing the sequence of events that take place sonically when a gun is fired. I wanted this weapon to have this make-shift steampunk vibe but also have this brutish force to it as well as its steaming acid at the tail end. 

I found that flicking the toaster springs worked well for the cocking back of the charging arm and I was also able to utilise the more aggressive handling of the toaster for the hammer striking the shell which required a much sharper transient. Then there’s the explosion which I ended up relying mostly on a library recording which I also layered with some extra low-end impact taken from me rustling my jacket that you can see later in the video and some wood snapping for some extra crunch of the door. For the acid layer I used these fizzy vitamin capsules in water as you can see in the video as well as the boiling water bubbling in the kettle to create the sound of the acid coming out of the weapon and burning parts of the wooden door. 

I Also created the foley sound of the main characters movements as he’s running. He runs through the shallow water in the start and then on concrete and then on a metal grating and I recorded footsteps for each of these different surfaces. I also added in his clothing movement by rustling my jacket as well as recording shaking nails and other small metal parts in a towel to create the effect of some metallic hardware on his clothing. I think these clothing movements that I ended up doing could have had more variation and emphasising as we’re looking through his perspective. 

In the final part of the cinematic we get interactions with this door on this metal pod.  There’s the deep metal scraping noise that carried the weight of this door being closed which I managed to achieve with the bin scraping with the metal stand. This was good because of the sharp edge of the metal stand rubbed harshly against this bin which was similar enough in shape so when I pitched it down it worked to fit the scale of the pod which this sound would be reverberating inside of. This door is then ripped open with these big sharp claws. This is when I came up with the idea to use a bread knife scraping against this small brass hand shovel. This recording made up for the high frequency content of the rip, but I knew I needed more weight behind it, so I had to go back and record sharper a quicker scrapes of that same bin with my hand inside to act as a mute as the so it wouldn’t resonate for nearly as long. 

In conclusion, this project has provided me with a deeper understanding of both the technical and creative aspects of foley production within a cinematic context. By working on this cinematic, I was able to explore how sound design contributes not only to realism but also to the exaggeration of character and environment to create this dark and gritty tone whilst still emphasizing key moments. 

Throughout the process, I developed a stronger appreciation for the importance of experimentation when it comes to designing sounds within a giving world. This project also made clear how small adjustments in timing, layering, and material choice had a significant impact on how convincing the final result felt. I also became more confident in experimenting with unconventional sound sources, which proved essential in creating my material. Additionally, this project reinforced the value of combining original recordings with professional sound libraries. While my own recordings provided authenticity and control, the use of high-quality library sounds helped to fill gaps and enhance the overall production value.  

Overall, the project has strengthened my skills in recording, editing, and sound design, while also giving me insight into the level of detail required in professional foley work. Moving forward, I aim to continue refining these techniques, experimenting with more complex sound design scenarios, and expanding my understanding of post-production workflows in order to produce more immersive and technically accomplished work.