audio design doc

Audio design doc

The level that I have designed is a horror level set in a Victorian mansion, because of this I will be using sounds that bring fear and disorient the player.

Sounds I need:

·         Chains

·         Creaking floor boards

·         Creaking doors

·         Foot steps

·         Boilers

·         Electrical sounds

·         Screams

·         Ambient dramatic tones

·         Monster groans

The main character starts in a small room covered in blood righting on the walls, at this part of the level the character can here looming ambient sounds such as old organ music or low violin tones.

(How I will make these sounds)

I will get some recording equipment out of the ERC and record myself walking on a concrete floor, I will take

These tones are designed to bring a sense of atmosphere to the game play, these sounds will become louder and softer at random points during the game even if the player is not in danger this is so that the player does not know when or where he/ she will have to run away from threats.

The player walks through the first and only door after reading the writing on the walls, as the player walks through the first door the door creaks slowly open.

The door creaking:

The creaking door sound effects tell the player that this building is very old, old enough so that the hinges are not well oiled but not left long enough so that the door does not open, this could tell the player that these doors have been used even though the area he/she is in was hidden.

(How I will make this sound)

For this sound I will take a royal free sound of a door opening and then take it into audition to first slow the sound down and then add an echo to the now slowed wave length, the reason I am adding an echo is because the character is in a confided space, in reality these sound waves would bounce around.

(Tools needed)

·         Audition

The main character moves into the second room and see the first fork in the road the sounds of chains can be heard rattling, even though there are no chains to be seen.

Chains rattling:

This sound will appear in random rooms/ corridors with in the game, these sounds also appear when the roaming enemies of the game are close.

 Difference between normal chains and the chains on enemies:

Normal chains:

The normal rattling chain sound will only rattle twice and then vanish; the start of this sound will be the same sound as the start of the enemies sound however the second rattle will be completely different telling the player that it’s a fault alarm.

Enemy chain sounds:

The enemy chain sounds will start with a rattle and then sound like they are being dragged along concrete, this sound will continuously loop until the player is far enough away from the roaming enemy.

This sound effect will also get louder the closer he/she is to this enemy, telling the player how close they are to danger.

(How I will make these sounds)

I will take out some recording equipment out of the ERC and then find some chains down on the hoe, when I find some chains I will rattle them against a wall or fence to produce the rattling noise, for the enemy sound I will take a royal free sound of scratching and then take both the rattle and the scratching sound into audition, from this I will have two completely different sounds.

(Tools needed)

·         Mic

·         Recorder

·         Batteries

·         Audition

·         Internet

·         chain

From this point onwards the player has complete freedom to move around the level as he/she pleases, because of this there will not be a set order in which the player will hear the following sound, how all of the following sound in the level ether to create atmosphere or help the player become immersed in the game.

Footsteps:

The footsteps will give the character weight; this sound will immerse the player more into the game as it is a sound you expect to hear when you are walking on a hard floor.

(How I will make this sound)

I will make this sound by recording me walking on concrete and then audition the background noise out so that the noise of the footsteps would not be interrupted by people moving or traffic.

(Tools I will use)

·         Mic

·         Recorder

·         Concrete floor

·         Audition

Boiler sounds:

In two places in the levels there are boilers which power the hotel, these boilers will be loud and affect the players ability to hear threats closing in on them.

(How I will make this sound)

Because I don’t have anything that sounds remotely like what an industrial sized boiler I will have to make the sound by mixing the sound of a flame with the sound of boiling water, I will get the fire and boiling water sounds off a royalty free site or go onto sites like YouTube to find the sound in background footage.

I will then take both sounds into audition and layer the boiling sound over the flame at certain points to give the impression that the boiler is increasing and decreasing in pressure.

(Tools I will use)

·         Internet

·         Audition

Electrical sounds:

Electrical sounds are also heard often because of the back wiring of the hotel, this sound might be found near open wiring or faulty lights, these sounds are in the game for effect only and will not handicap the player in any way.

(How I will make the sound)

I will get a royalty free electric and take it into audition, the only thing I need to do to this sound is rework the pattern of this sound so that the sound repeats in fast concession.

(Tools I will use)

·         Internet

·         Audition

Screams:

One of the main staples of a horror game is the painful screaming sound effects that taunt the player with the idea that someone is in extreme pain, this sound will be heard when the player walks a room with a fixed enemy and is designed to startle the player.

(How I will make this sound)

I was unable to find someone to scream for me that had the right tone and voice that I wanted for my game so I’m going to take a basic female scream then them warp and echo it in audition to give it the creepy feel that I’m after.

(Tools I with use)

·         Internet

·         Audition

Monster groans:

The monster groans will be simply to taunt the player as no enemy in my game will groan to the same extent of this sound; this sound will make the play be more aware in the areas that it is played.

(How I will make this sound)

I will take the sound of someone groaning and then stretch out the sound to make it appear more painful and on-going.

(Tools I will use)

·         Audition

Creaking floor boards:

Like the creaking doors this sound is in the game to make the environment feel old and in disrepair, this sound will only be heard on the upper floors of the game due to the first levels will take place far underground.

(How I will make this sound)

I will record myself walking on old wooden flooring.

(Tools I will need)

·         Mic

·         Recorder

·         Old floor

·         Audition