Radio Tuning & Unclouded Day
In the scene where Arthur’s joke about God prompts a stern reaction from Ma, I used sound to emphasize her commitment to the family’s faith. I envisioned the family initially enjoying a popular, upbeat radio hit, which Ma abruptly silences by 'tuning' the radio to a hymn station following the joke. By using QLab to sequence a realistic radio static sound followed by church music via an auto-continue command, I created a seamless sonic transition that physically manifested Ma’s desire to steer the family’s moral compass back toward sanctity.
The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden
Brigham Young University
TMA 365 Class Project
Director: Lydia Cox
Using only four chairs to represent a car, a family travels across New Jersey to offer comfort after a loss. The play finds extraordinary meaning in the small details of a routine journey from Newark to Camden.
Old Car Engine Sound
While the vintage car engine sound effect I discovered perfectly captured the period’s atmosphere, the original source was too short for the scene’s duration. To resolve this, I used Pro Tools to meticulously edit and loop the audio for a seamless, sustained effect. Additionally, I isolated the ignition and shutdown sequences, allowing me to trigger them independently in QLab to create a realistic, dynamic engine start-and-stop experience.
Goodbye
The script featured a direction where neighbors sing a 'goodbye' song as the family departs Newark. This immediately reminded me of the 'Farewell' song from The Sound of Music, and I wanted to pay homage to that feeling. I edited the 'goodbye' vocal fragments to simulate a collective chorus; however, due to the technical constraints of the Pro Tools Studio version, I wasn't able to diversify the vocal layers as much as I had envisioned. This remains a point of minor regret in my final design, as I aimed for a richer, more varied soundscape.