MMS 172 Assignment 1: Pre-production

For the final project, I decided to do it by myself and be a one person team. My plan is to make an audio documentary that shows how the everyday sounds around us are not just background noise and that it tells a story. I plan to record sounds such as a mix of my own voice, brief chats with people around me, background noise, and everyday sound effects. My hope is to show how everyday sounds can capture the interruptions, responsibilities, and quiet moments that make up my day. 

The project will follow what I mostly do everyday with balancing responsibilities at home and doing academic work. This is just a gist of it and not finalized yet but I plan to start it with waking up and getting ready, then moving through doing chores, running errands, studying, and finally settling down at home for the night. Since so much of my day naturally revolves around being the eldest daughter in our home, that perspective will weave its way into the sounds of my day, showing what life actually feels like for me. By putting all these sounds together, I want listeners to get a better sense of what my everyday life is like and how I balance the responsibilities that come with it.

Faith Ysabel David — Main Project Creator

• Project planning and development

• Scriptwriting and narration

• Recording and directing

• Foley and ambient sound recording

• Audio editing, mixing, and mastering

• Final checking and submission

Tentative Participants / Performers 

• Mother — May participate in some conversations or dialogue if available

• Younger Sibling 1 — May participate in some conversations or dialogue if available

• Younger Sibling 2 — May participate in some conversations or dialogue if available

Note: The participation of my family members is still tentative and will depend on their availability and willingness to participate when I begin recording. If they are unable to participate, I will adjust the dialogue portions and record them myself instead.

Production Area

I will mostly do my recordings at home in my room, with the exception of some sounds that need to be recorded outside in a normal busy setting. As I am sharing a room with my siblings, I plan to record when most people are out of the house. The walls of our small home are thin and are not soundproof, so I also have to take into account the time that I will be recording to avoid external sounds that can easily be heard inside our home, such as construction work, vehicles passing by, and hammering or banging sounds coming from our neighbors. 

I was not able to include a photo of my recording area because I share the room with my siblings. Since it contains their personal belongings, I wasn't comfortable taking and posting photos of it. I am also still working on how I will set up my recording area because of the limited space available, and I will most likely have to adjust it depending on what I need to record. To make up for this, I included photos of the equipment that I plan to use for this project.

Microphone

• BOYA Wireless Microphone System

  • Wireless microphone system

  • 2.4 GHz wireless transmission

  • Built-in microphone

  • Noise-cancellation function

  • Rechargeable battery

• iPhone 13 (Built-in Microphone)

  • Built-in microphone

  • Primary recording device

  • Used as an alternative microphone when needed

For the microphone that I will be using, due to financial constraints and because I am unable to purchase a new one, my cousin will let me borrow her BOYA Wireless Microphone System, which she uses for recording her projects and vlogs. I will also be using my iPhone 13's built-in microphone.

Recording Device

• iPhone 13

For my recording device, I will be using my iPhone 13 because it is readily available and capable of recording audio for this project.

Listening Equipment

• Acer Nitro V 15 Laptop

  • 15.6-inch display

  • Built-in stereo speakers

  • Built-in microphone

  • Windows laptop

  • Used for editing, mixing, playback, and listening

• MacBook Air M4 (Tentative)

  • Apple M4 chip

  • Built-in speakers

  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

  • Used as an alternative editing workstation and listening device if available

• Moondrop Chu II (IEM)

  • 10 mm dynamic driver

  • 15 Hz–38 kHz frequency response

  • 18 Ω impedance

  • 3.5 mm single-ended connection

  • Used for monitoring recordings and checking audio during editing/playback

For my listening equipment, I will be using the speakers on my Acer Nitro V 15 laptop. I am also considering borrowing my brother's MacBook Air M4, although this is still tentative since he uses it for work. I also followed Tutor Robbie's recommendation and purchased the Moondrop Chu II, an entry-level IEM. I was glad to find that it was affordable and fit within my budget.

Editing & Mixing

• Acer Nitro V 15 Laptop

• MacBook Air M4 (Tentative)

• Audacity

• Apple GarageBand

• Tracktion Waveform

For my editing hardware and software, the list above contains the options I am considering. I am still finalizing my setup depending on whether I will be able to borrow my brother's MacBook.

Equipment

1. Narration / Voice-over — FAITH

• Narration that will guide the story throughout the project.

• Creation: Recorded

2. Dialogue / Conversations — FAITH + TENTATIVE FAMILY PARTICIPANTS

• Short conversations with my mother and/or younger siblings, if they are available and willing to participate.

• Creation: Recorded

3. Ambient Sounds — FAITH

• Household and outdoor environmental sounds that naturally occur throughout the day.

• Creation: Recorded on location

4. Foley / Everyday Sounds — FAITH

• Footsteps, washing dishes, opening and closing doors, handling objects, and other sounds needed to recreate daily activities.

• Creation: Recorded as Foley

5. Additional Sounds — FAITH

• Other sounds that may be needed during production to complete the audio narrative.

• Creation: Recorded as needed

For this project, the signal begins with either the BOYA Wireless Microphone System or my iPhone 13's built-in microphone to capture narration, dialogue, ambient recordings, and Foley sound effects. The audio will be recorded directly on my iPhone 13, which will serve as my primary recording device. Once all the recordings have been collected, I will transfer the files to my laptop for editing and mixing using Tracktion Waveform, Apple GarageBand, or Audacity, depending on the final setup I decide to use. The finished project will then be monitored using the speakers on my Acer Nitro V 15 laptop, my Moondrop Chu II IEM, or my brother's MacBook Air M4 if it is available before being presented to the listener.

I am honestly excited for this project, but I know the overthinking part of me is still there. From past experience, I know that all I have to do is take action, get through the fears that I have, and trust the process. I am mostly worried about how I'll edit, mix, and just be able to produce a decent output since I am a beginner and this is my first time using audio software and applications. But as long as I follow the schedule that I have set for myself, keep learning, and go through everything one step at a time, I know I can do this. 

I initially thought of being part of a group, and I even joined one before leaving right before we started going through the project topic options. I decided to go solo because I was not sure if I would be able to contribute fairly or meet the group's internal deadlines. I took this as a challenge to do everything by myself for this project and to step out of my comfort zone throughout the process.

I actually enjoyed doing this pre-production. It helped me narrow down my ideas and options so I could decide what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do. It also helped me figure out how to make the best use of the resources available to me. Although I know there are still a lot of things for me to learn, I am looking forward to seeing this project come together little by little. My goal is not to make something perfect, but to create something that reflects what I have learned throughout this course while giving my best with the skills and resources that I have.