Titles and sound balancing are important aspects of pre-production. Dynamic titles created in software like After Effects or Photoshop can help set the mood, while balanced audio connections are needed for high-quality sound recording. Low-budget films can use hand-drawn or printed titles. Credits should thank all contributors and appear long enough to be read. Non-diegetic sounds like music are added in post-production for effect rather than being part of the story world. Foley artists record replacement sounds in a studio, while voiceovers can narrate or be added during ADR. Music establishes themes and mood depending on the film's genre and budget.

1. Pre Production
Titles : Title at the beginning, establishing test and credits.
Sound: Music , Voice overs and Sound Balancing

2. Software's
• Titles are an important aspect of film. Not only will they impart necessary information to
the viewer , they will also help set the mood before the narrative starts to unfold.
• Dynamic titles : Apple LiveType is a simple way of producing dynamic animated titles when
used with discretion.
• Titles software: Adobe After Effects is a composing and special effects program that can
also be used for creating unique titles for our film. After effects can even integrate type into
the film in 3D plane. It is a powerful and complex program that should be in any serious
post production suite, however it is recommended not to purchase just for the sake of
making titles.
• An alternative to this would be for us to make our titles within Photoshop and drop them
into our editing software Edius 7. This will then allow us to create a still title with all kinds
of effects and use Edius 7 to change the entrance and transition of the title.
• Most editing software comes with title/credit creation functions that cater to most needs .
They usually have a variety of pre-set effects that can be customised, it is likely however
that these have a generic look that lacks the spark of originality.
• To create our individual titles and text it would be beneficial for us to use a dedicated
software such as Adobe After Effects or Discreet Combustion. Despite the cost of these
software they are precise and versatile.
• Users of Apples Final Cut editing programme get LiveType included in their package and are
able to create dynamic, animated type graphics and Motion another editing platform from
Apple allows motion-graphics to be constructed.

3. Low Budget film titles
• Not all film titles have to be computer generated. Invetion is
what low budget film making is all about. We could use stop
motion animation techniques, collages, draw them by hand,
image files, written, painted or printed text onto a screen.
• The maxim of good design : “Less is more.”

4. Where to start?
Before looking into colour, size and composition of the title it is
vital that we look into a selection of typefaces and fonts. We
should aim to avoid generic faces like Times New Roman
however this used discretely can look impressive. However, by
looking through the thousands of typefaces available we should
aim to find one that exemplifies our short films theme and
mood. Once we have found the perfect typeface we can then
look into the surrounding design and what colours would
corroborate with it to achieve a final look that links to our genre.
Once we have this title text we can then use this in our
marketing posters, and possibly integrate the text within the
film itself, maybe in diary entries , on screen text or any letters
the characters may receive. It may even be beneficial for us to
use the same typeface on the fonts within the prom poster that
our characters will see.

5. Credits in our film
The closing credits, when most people have left the cinema are
mainly for the benefit of those whose names appear in them. It
is therefore important to include everyone who worked on or
appeared in the film and to credit them appropriately. If there
are working for nothing to gain experience we should have their
name appear to promote their talents and maybe help with
further employment. Also we should mention anyone who gave
up services or locations and include copyright and disclaimer
information (if any). The credits whether they be rolling or static
need to be on screen long enough for the audience to read
them but not so they exceed the running time.

6. Sound Balancing
• Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio
equipment using balanced lines. This type of connection is
very important in sound recording and production because
it allows for the use of long cables while reducing
susceptibility to external noise.
• Balanced connections use three-conductor connectors,
usually the XLR or TRS phone connector. XLR connectors,
for instance, are usually used with microphones because of
their durable construction, while TRS jack plugs are usually
used for mixer inputs and outputs because of their smaller
profile.

7. The use of non diegetic sound
• Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in
the action:
• narrator's commentary
• sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
• mood music
• Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space. The
distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the
conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented
as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the
space of the story events. A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to
create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy)
• Sound effects can be used to add an effect or representation to a certain shot e.g. a barking
dog in a park or a the noise of a passing bus gives the connotation of the time of day or
establishing the location as it is often that dogs are walked in parks. These sound effects are
added when the object the sound is related to isn't always present, for example in our
scene of Sam and Ellie’s father in the park we could add a sound effect of a barking dog
without the dog being in the shot. We would do this by creating an audio file of a a dog
barking and simply dropping the file onto the shot. This sound would then become apart of
the narrative’s world becoming diegetic sound when originally It was a sound effect.

8. Foley and Sound Effects
• These are music recordings/ mixing programmes incorporating sounds that
weren't captured during the shoot are added at the post production stage. You
can work on sounds that need enhancing, e.g. footsteps, doors creaking and so
on. This is usually done by Foley artists. They create and record all manner of
sounds and noises in a studio using their own props. However hiring a Foley is
expensive, so you can either use the option of pre –recorded sound effects,
these are available on websites ( For example Power FX) to download or you can
simply to take the camera or voice record with the best quality microphone you
have access to and film/record the object that makes the noise or make the
noise yourself e.g slamming a door and then enhancing the noise level on the
editing software you are using. In our case this is Edius 7.
• Edius is a video editing software package for PC computers running Windows.
Edius is a non-linear editor that works with most modern video formats. The
software is capable of 3D editing. The software comes bundled with a large
collection of tools, including NEWBlue Video Filters, proDAD video effects along
with image stabilization for unsteady shots and for audio mastering needs
iZotope VST audio plug-ins such as Audio Effects Suite, AudioRestore, AGC &
Mastering Effects Suite.

9. Popular sounds
• Gun shots
• Creaking doors
• Screeching tyres
• Car engine
• Breaking glass
• Wind/ Rain
• Sirens
• Slamming doors
• Telephone
• Explosions
• Animals: particularly barking dogs

10. ADR and Voice Over
• If something goes wrong with the dialogue track, providing the
visuals are okay you can simply re-record the actors in a recording
studio or any room which is sound proof. Known as ADR (Automatic
dialogue replacement), it isn't going to be as professional as a studio
for a big budget film but it still is possible. Apart from the place to
record we will need a camera cable compatible with a TV screen for
the actors to watch to get the correct lip sync correct. It is easier to
get the timing correct before adding the sound file back onto the
scene but you can cut the sound carefully sync the dialogue with the
lips.
• Voiceovers can be used in situations where are narrator is present
for example in The Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo DiCaprio tells us his
story by communicating with the audience.

11. Music
• Music in film helps to establish themes or create mood. The
style of music will depend on the type of film and the idea you
are trying to convey. It will also be influenced by your taste
and by your budget. Using existing music can be tricky unless
its royalty free and properly licensed. There is a lot of music
available on libraries of varying quality and price, but whether
it exactly fits your film is another issue.
• If you have access to someone who can compose music or
sing this will benefit your production massively. In our case we
will recording Matthew Baldwin on the piano and Lucy
Brownnutt singing an original song.