Animation The Locked Room Mystery (Composer/Sound Designer)

Logline
An introvert assists a friend in a murder investigation in order to fill the day and
reaffirm his aversion to the outside world. Comedy/Mystery story.
Synopsis
An introverted young man, Kyle, who has become fearful of the outside world, enlists the help of his friend, Chris, with an investigation into murders within their local area. Kyle has become paranoid, fearing for his personal safety, and has essentially locked himself in his room in an act of self-perseveration, much to the annoyance of Chris. However, while their investigation may initially seem like a frivolous waste of time the two friends will discover that danger is closer than they originally thought.
Sound/ Music Mood:
Uncomfortable ambience, heavy rain and thunderstorms, loud piercing sounds
cutting through, natural/messy sounding dialogue

I like the way to work with Alexander Kirkpatrick. I highly appreciated for his well-organised mindset and the dialogues he gave me was really clean!!! Oh goddd

But there always funny dramas happening: For the sound effect parts, there was a guy should be taken in charge. For some reason, it became to my job lastly. And I supposed to only find 40 sfxs in my library, but then I helped him to do a quick mix lastly as I was having issues with my own submission…(How can things being polyphonically happening?)

Without sounds sounded real and natural, there were sound effects much more childish and playful, such as ‘drone sounds’, which, I personally did not have a lot to relate to… There are a lot of violent splashing sounds and hitting sounds… I dont know if ‘Model Citizen’ is a bit too old, but the mixture of scifi and absurd made me feel like an intriguing reference. This is the boundary between the brainwashed and the happy citizens. Brainwashed citizens would do exactly as they’re told, not straying from any directions, but the Robinsons truly enjoyed their life, and sometimes did things considered “out of the norm” (for this universe, at least). This is the perfect example of the phrase “finding comfort in the monotony”.

There are not a lot of music design in this animation, mainly is made by prophet 6 and Moog as Alexander wanted the music more uncomfortable ambient, but within like a background… There are still three clues, which the music was being changed for three times, as every time he would give me different animatics. The first session would be more awkward key sounds, the second part much more broken and the final part a bit more warmer.

List of Sound Effects

Time in Animatic	Sound Effect	Total Duration
0:03-0:04 0:06-0:070:10:0-11	Spray Painting	4 Seconds
0:11-0:15	Sound of clothes rustling as he gets up	5 Seconds
0:16-0:0:17	Gas Mask taken off	2 seconds
0:26-0:27	Sound of mask and spraycan being dropped on the floor	2 seconds
0:26-0:28	footsteps	3 seconds
0:50-0:52	Chair creaking as he sits down	3 seconds
0:52-0:56	Typing	5 seconds
1:03-1:04	Clicking	1 second
1:05	Rapid distant footsteps	1 second
1:06	Doorbell rings	1 second
1:07-1:08	Footsteps	1 second
1:14-1:15	Clothes rustling as he pulls back sleeve to look at watch	2 seconds
1.19-1:22	Clothes rustling as he struggles on the floor	4 seconds
1:25-1:27	Slow heavy footsteps	3 seconds
1:31-1:32	Box sliding	3 seconds
1:32	Door quickly closing	1 second
1:33-1:35	Box being opened	3 seconds
1:36	Whoosh as he rapidly turns to lift drone up	1 second
1:39-1:40	Clothes rustling as he gets out phone	1 second
1:40-1:43	Drone sounds and crashing	3 seconds
1:45-1-49	Drone shredding bed
1:50-1:51	Drone zipping up and hovering	2 seconds
1:52	Drone flying quickly	1 second
1:52	Window smashing	1 second
1:53-1:57	Drone flying away	5 seconds
1:58-2:03	Cigarette burning	5 seconds
2:03	Window smashing	1 second
2:03-2:06	Drone flying up and then hovering	4 seconds
2:12-2:18	Drone zipping around rapidly	5 seconds
2:22-2:24	Drone hovering	2 seconds
2:37	Hand slowly grabbing door handle	1 second
2:42-2-46	Door handle slowly turning	5 seconds
2:52	Broken drone being picked up	1 second
2:55	Thud of drone being hit over the back of the attacker’s head	1 second
2:56	Sound of attacker falling to the floor	1 second
3:00-3:08	Police sirens	9 seconds
3:25	Drone remains being quickly pushed off bridge	1 seconds
3:26	Splash	1 second

Location Ambient Sounds

Flat– low humming and occasional distant banging

Crime scene– Cars driving past in the distance and wind lightly blowing

Hallway– Buzzing of old overhead light

Bridge– Wind blowing a bit harder, cars and voices very faintly in the distance

Other Notes

The part from 0:28-0:52 is likely to be cut so nothing really needs to be done for it. The part from 2:27-2:31 is also likely to be cut so you don’t need to worry about that either

I think there would still be parts to amend as he was saying he would change the animatic again:)

Script